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“Someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t be touched by a man like Lev.”
I look at the water pouring into the freestanding tub. He’s not mad at me; he’s mad another man touched me. “You make it sound as if I wanted him to touch me.”
He brings his thumb to my cheek. “If you need anything,Kroshka, all you have to do is ask.”
I shake my head and dip my toes in the water. He wants me to clean off Lev’s touch. He thinks I’m dirty now. His mind works in such a strange way—a way I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand.
“Let me,” Mikhail says in a deep voice. There’s something different about his eyes. They don’t appear as dark as I once saw them. He’s showing kindness in a way I’ve never known. It’s different—a good different—and that’s what’s scary about it. I don’t know how long it’ll last. If I say one wrong thing, he’ll go back to being heartless.
I allow him to wash my body. His fingers run through the ends of my hair, and I want to lean into his touch.
“I could sit here all day,” I tell him.
He chuckles, the sound of chimes again. The most incredible sound I’ve ever heard. I turn to look at him and see his smile. The kind of smile that force his dimples to show.
“The water would go cold,” he says.
“That’s why you add new water.”
He shakes his head and stands up, reaching his hand out for me to grab. I sigh and take it. Water falls off my body like raindrops.
“Mikhail.”
“Yes,Kroshka?”
“This was kind of you,” I tell him.
He ignores my compliment as if it’s painful for him to hear. “Breakfast tomorrow—do you want to try again, or would you like to stay in your room?”
I take the towel to my face and pat away the drops of water. “I can join you guys.”
He nods. “Good.” After waiting a few seconds until my body is dry, he takes the shirt off his back and puts it over me. “A new one,” he says in my ear.
I try to hide my smile, but it only widens when he pulls me in close. His arms wrap around my waist and his lips find the top of my head. He doesn’t kiss me; he just immerses himself in the moment he created for us.
“Wear this in the morning,” he whispers. “Run along now.”
He lets me go, and I walk to the bathroom door, turning back to look at him before I leave. Dressing me in his clothes is his way of claiming me as his. I know it is. Mikhail wants me to show up at breakfast wearing his shirt for Lev to see.
What am I getting myself into?
* * *
When I get out of bed, the only thing I do is throw my hair in a bun and put on some ChapStick since my lips are beginning to crack. I walk downstairs to the sound of laughter in the breakfast room.
The second I walk in, everyone stops talking. Max looks at me and then directly at Mikhail.
“Anyway, you’ll be leaving in a couple of days?” he asks.
Mikhail clears his throat, probably telling him stop talking, so I don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. It doesn’t surprise me. Mikhail has shown me some kindness, but I can’t forget I’m collateral damage. I have no idea what he wants from me or if I’ll even make it out of this alive.
“Morning,” Lev says, bright and cheery.
“Good morning.” I shoot him a glare.
With a glance around the table, I see the only free seat is next to Mikhail. Moving one foot in front of the other to get there seems like a chore. My mind-splitting headache isn’t helping matters either. Just as I’m walking over to the table, my vision begins to fade. I grab onto the chair for support.
“Sloane, what’s wrong?” Mikhail asks with a concern that sounds foreign to me.
