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He smiled as he walked over to me, lightly caressing my face. “You look beautiful, Moya Lyubov. I wanted to give you this on your special day.”
Reaching into his suit jacket, he pulled out a long, thin black velvet box and handed it to me. My hands were shaking as I carefully opened the box to find a simple string of delicate black pearls. They were stunning. “The second I saw them, I knew they belonged to you.”
Looking up at him, I whispered, “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
Taking the pearls from the box, I stood still as he bent closer and placed them around my neck before gently kissing my cheek. Sparks raced along my skin from his touch. It was always like this with him. One touch was all it took. One look. One smile and I was his. He had this hold over me that I couldn’t explain. When I was with him, I felt loved, protected, adored, as if I was the only woman in the universe.
“Come to me tonight, Moya Lyubov.”
“Maxim,” I sighed regretfully. “I can’t. My mother is taking me on vacation after the party.”
“I understand,” he barely said, his thumb softly caressing my bottom lip. “I’m going to miss you.”
I didn’t know what to say. He looked heartbroken. We’d only been seeing each other for a few months now. It was all hit and miss, but when we spent time together, it was as if nothing around us mattered. Not my family nor the world he lived in. He was upfront with me from the beginning and I appreciated that. I couldn’t change who I was any more than he could. I wasn’t sure what was going on between us, but I wanted to find out. There was something about Maxim Fedorov, the head of the East Coast Bratva family that called to me on an elemental level. And though I wasn’t ready to admit it, I knew my future belonged to him.
“Illyria!” my cousin shouted loudly, making me jump.
“I better get going before she marches in here.”
Maxim nodded solemnly, taking me in his arms before he lowered his lips to mine. It was a tender kiss. A promise of more that curled my toes and electrified my body. Releasing me, he stepped back and whispered, “Have fun, Moya Lyubov.”
“Thank you for the pearls.”
He bowed before me before disappearing into the shadows, right before Maria stormed into my room. “What the hell is taking you so long? Gio is blowing up my phone. He said if your ass isn’t at the compound in twenty minutes, he’s sending the cousins to haul you there kicking and screaming. Let’s go!”
Grabbing my bag, I turned to the shadows and mouthed, “Thank you,” before letting Maria pull me from my room.
Of course, with the good came the bad.
In our case, there was too much bad. I would have given him anything. All of me if he asked. All I wanted in return was to be loved unconditionally.
That didn’t happen.
It never would.
I couldn’t trust him.
The pain of that night still felt raw as my heart shuddered a beat.
He broke me.
I didn’t think and allowed myself to succumb to his charms. I don’t think he ever realized the depth of my devotion. Because if he did, he wouldn’t have done what he did.
No matter what I did, who I fucked, I could never get him out of my system. The man had a hold on me like no other. Almost like a compulsion. It drew me to him.
I craved him.
He was my drug of choice, and no one came close.
It was only when I was alone that I allowed myself to think about him. No one knew what happened, not even Maria. All she knew was that he hurt me. Just not to what extent.
I kept it that way.
It was my business alone and though I hated him with every fiber in my being, a small, tiny, minuscule part still wanted him.
I knew I always would.
But no amount of longing and pain could ever make up for his indiscretion. I meant what I said that day when I left his penthouse.
