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It’s unopened. There are small marks on the surface that make the paper appear wrinkled. It’s almost as if the marks were made by tear stains. Does Mikhail not know about anything because he wasn’t ready to open the letter?
I hear the front door click closed and feel my heart pounding in my chest. Shoving the letter in the waistband of my pants, I rush over to the hallway as quickly as I can so whoever is here doesn’t see I was in Mikhail’s office.
As I walk down the hall, I see the man himself taking his suit jacket off and placing it on the counter. He doesn’t care to acknowledge that I’m standing on the other side staring at him. His hands run down his face, though not in frustration. It’s almost as if he’s relaxed and happy to be home.
His elbows rest on the surface and his thumb brushes over his chin. “Moya malenkaya koldunya?” he calls for me.
“Yeah?” I ask, growing used to the small acts of affection he shows me.
“What have you been doing today?” he asks, sounding genuinely curious.
I walk over to him, placing my arms around his shoulders. He grabs onto my hand and kisses the top gently. “Spying on you,” I answer honestly.
He turns around, pulling my body in between his legs. “Good,” he says. I become hesitant as soon as I remember what lies in the waistband of my pants.
He smiles, reaching for his jacket. “Where are you going?” I ask, suddenly nervous of him leaving me here again.
“My niece has a ballet recital in the city.”
“Can I come?” I ask.
“Absolutely not.”
“Oh—” I begin to say, but I stop myself. “Why not?”
“Your erratic behavior.”
My mouth falls open. “Are you joking?”
“Yes.”
His hand lifts to the side of my face and he places his lips against mine. I kiss him back even though I’m slightly irritated with him. It’s strange to see him so calm after what happened earlier today.
“Go get ready,” he tells me, and I lean away from him with a smile on my face.
Once I’m changed, I place the letter in one of the dresser drawers. I meet him downstairs, and he leads me into the garage. When he opens the passenger door for me, I climb into the G-Class. He gets in and sits behind the wheel, turning on the engine. Turning his body to face mine, his hand moves behind the seat I’m sitting in and he backs out of the driveway.
Soft music plays through the speakers while Mikhail drives to the city. With his eyes focused on the road, he reaches his hand over and grabs onto my thigh. The veins in his hand stick out when he tightens his grip slightly.
I look over at him and notice he doesn’t look as intimidating as he usually does. His thick brows aren’t pinched, and his lips lift into a small smirk.
His long legs leave the space he sits in to appear small.
“Your niece—what’s her name?” I ask, wanting to know more about his family.
“Alyna,” he says with a smile. “This world isn’t big enough for the spirit she has.”
I lean in closer to him, wrapping my hand around his bicep. “She’s energetic?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “She’s like a carbon copy of my sister. She’s got enough spirit to take over the world if she wanted to.”
Hearing the way he speaks about his family brings a smile to my face. He isn’t scared to admit how much he loves and cares for them. I think he would have been afraid to tell me anything about his family a few weeks ago—but now he feels comfortable enough to talk.
The calm aura that surrounds me and Mikhail has an expiration date—that I know for a fact. So, while the moment slips past me quickly, I grab onto everything and enjoy it while it lasts.
Seeing Mikhail content feels like a breath of fresh air.
Just as I thought, the drive is quick. Mikhail turns into a parking lot where hundreds of cars are lined up and drops me off at the main entrance. The building is large, much bigger than I expected it to be. While I wait at the steps, Max, Lev, and Dimitri walk up with a woman beside them.
