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7
Kira woke to the sound of Odette and Dimitri chipping softly in their cage, the rest of the house wrapped in silence. It was so strange, so different from the home where she’d grown up — a home where she could sleep with the balcony doors open, where she woke to the sound of birds outside and the fountain trickling in the garden — that it took her a moment to remember where she was.
She stretched, then froze when she realized the suite had a view of Lake Michigan. The water stretched as far as the eye could see, a blanket of shimmering sapphires in the autumn sun, and she walked to the glass and stared, her gaze pulled to the horizon.
For a moment, she thought Lyonya must have given her the room as a gift. Then she realized his own room must have the same view, and all the others on this side of the apartment.
That made more sense. He didn’t seem overly eager to please her, which was fine.
The feeling was mutual.
She sighed and headed for the bathroom, the chaste cotton nightgown she’d chosen brushing the floor as she walked. It wasn’t her style, if the truth were told. At home, she had a large selection of lingerie and nightgowns, although she often chose to sleep naked.
She’d chosen the ridiculously puritan garment for her wedding night in case Lyonya decided to consummate their marriage. Why should she make it fun for him?
She walked to the bird cage and put her finger up to the bars. “Good morning, my loves. Did you sleep well?”
They chirped, hopping from branch to branch and rubbing their beaks along her fingertip.
“I’ll let you out soon,” she said. She needed to speak to Rurik, make sure he knew not to open the door of her suite unless he knew the birds were in their cage. They were trained, but they wouldn’t be used to the new house. She didn’t want them to hurt themselves in a panic.
The en suite bathroom was even more luxurious than the one she had at home, and she took a long, hot bath, hoping to delay the moment when she would have to face Lyonya again.
She closed her eyes, remembering the way he’d looked down at her the night before, clearly angry, a fearsome light shining in his eyes. Her body had sparked to life under his gaze,
She’d been afraid, but she’d also been aroused.
She felt the brush of her fingertips against her sex under the water, then moved her hand away. Pleasuring herself while thinking about the man who was her business partner would only lead to trouble.
She didn’t even like him. It didn’t matter that she was attracted to him.
She ran through her short list of previous sexual partners, searching for someone to think about while she eased the ache between her thighs, but the fire under her skin died at the thought of them.
She’d lost her virginity in a nightclub bathroom, intentionally choosing someone forgettable, just to get it over with. The experience had been underwhelming, and she’d spent the next few years trying out a handful of other men, hoping to feel the passion she’d read about in books and seen in movies.
All of her searching had been in vain. She’d never had an orgasm with a man, and eventually she’d decided it was more expeditious to pleasure herself.
She sighed and got out of the tub, then dried herself off. A low-grade depression had crept into her bones while she’d been in the bath, and it suddenly felt as if all the promise of her youth was dead. She resisted the urge to wear black, choosing white slacks and an emerald blouse instead.
Her future wasn’t dead. On the contrary, it was just beginning, and thanks to her arrangement with Lyonya, it held more promise than ever. There would be sacrifices. There always were. And yes, true love was a heavy price to pay for power and agency.
But it was a price worth paying if it meant a permanent legacy to her name, her father’s name.
If it meant power of her own.
She fed the birds and left her suite, making her way down the hall. Lyonya’s doors were closed, the room beyond silent.
She continued down the stairs, taking in the living room in the daylight, the expanse of the city, and next to it, the awe-inspiring stretch of water through the wall of glass.
The living room was bright, although a little cold for her taste, the furniture mostly modern, with clean lines and little softness.
Still, she couldn’t deny the power of the view, and she pulled open the glass doors and stepped onto the massive terrace.
She almost couldn’t speak. Several outdoor sofas sat in front of a tile fireplace, and a short set of stairs led to a second level with a pool and jacuzzi. The terrace continued along another side of the building, and when Kira peeked around the corner she saw more seating and a series of potted plants.
She climbed the stairs, her heels tapping on the tile underfoot. The terrace was wide open and seemed to drop off in the far distance, the city’s skyscrapers rising like Oz beyond the edge.
As she got closer she saw that there was a glass boundary, its spotless surface accounting for the impression of nothing but sky and space beyond. There was another seating area here, and she felt the weight in her chest lighten. This wasn’t so bad. What the apartment lacked in warmth, it made up for in sheer luxury. Perhaps with time Lyon would allow her to make some decorating changes.
