Bright light streamed through the floor to ceiling windows that were covered by lush drapes as my eyes slowly adjusted to the morning light. I opened them as I took in my surroundings. It took me a moment to realise that I wasn't in my tiny studio apartment in the middle of the Bronx - instead I was stuck in some huge ass mansion in the middle of Russia. A mansion where you lived with a hot Russian man, my brain taunted me. I groaned as I rolled out of my bed. My back had definitely gotten a good break since it felt like I was sleeping on cotton, unlike my highly uncomfortable mattress back at home. Stretching my body, I walked towards the window and pressed my face against it like an excited child.
A smile broke out on my face as I watched Mikhail help the gardener pluck out weeds. Who'd have thought that he was capable of that? I guess I'd have to taunt him about that later. It would be nice to have him become a flustered mess instead of the other way round, where he was the one who usually taunted me. It wasn't winter yet but I could make out a white cloud of smoke coming out of their mouths. I took in the view in front of me in broad daylight now. Who knows how long I'd have to appreciate it. At this point, I had absolutely no clue as to what Mikhail was going to do with me. Was he going to kill me? Didn't seem like it since if he wanted to, he probably would have done it way before. So what could he want from me? Shit. Had he found out about Papa and my past? Was that why he was keeping me alive? Maybe I was some link or something.
In that second, fear like I'd never known before gripped me. In my lust for Mikhail, I hadn't even stopped to think about what was going to happen moving forward. Whether I was destined to spend the rest of my life here. That thought depressed me more than it should have. I was in an unknown country surrounded by strangers with no clue of what was going to happen next. I'd have to thank my shitty Rodriguez luck for this. Bad luck always seemed to follow us wherever we went. Right from my abuelita who died in a freak accident, to my father who had goons trailing his every move.
I pinched my forehead in frustration as I sat back down. I needed back control of my life again - otherwise I'd go crazy. Maybe I'd talk to Mikhail about it. Yes, I'd do just that. I'd show him that I wasn't his plaything to be locked up and kept inside whenever he liked. Huffing, I decided to take a shower to calm down before I burst with all the pent up emotions over the last few days.
***
My hands trailed over the mahogany banister as I climbed down the stairs. I heard Sofia's voice before I saw her as I stepped into the huge living room.
"I don't care. I'm going whether you like it or not. I -
She stopped abruptly as she spotted me enter. A small smile graced her face as she turned her attention away from Alexei who, for the first time since I'd seen him, had a frustrated expression on his face. From what I'd learnt so far, Sofia could be very persuasive if she wanted to be.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah I did, thanks."
I slept very well actually - all thanks to that mind numbing orgasm I'd gotten last night.
"Well that's great then."
I followed Sofia as she led me towards the dining room - but not before I saw Alexei send a heated glance to her back. Huh. I wonder what was going on there. But all those thoughts regarding Sofia and Alexei flew out of my mind as I saw Mikhail standing at the kitchen counter with his back to us, making a plate of what seemed like scrambled eggs. I watched as he slid the perfectly cooked eggs onto three plates as heat pulsed through my body.
"Hello Luciana? Are you even listening?"
"What? Oh yeah ummm...sorry I lost you a bit there."
Mikhail turned around as his eyes locked with mine. I tore my gaze away from him as Sofia chuckled and sent me a knowing look.
"I was saying that we've got a library, a gym -
"Wait, did you just say that you have a library here?" I asked with excitement in my voice as the inner bookworm in me came to life.
For as long as I had known, books had been my best friends. Through all the loneliness that I had battled as a child right through Mama and Papa's screaming matches, books had been my only constant. They had kept me grounded in times when I felt like I was going crazy. I found solace in the words written on paper as I let myself get transported to a fictional world where parents wouldn't fight every day about anything and everything, where peers didn't bully others for wearing tattered clothes to school. I was simply Luciana Rodriguez - a girl who had everything she wanted and who, most of all, was happy. Needless to say, the library had been my safe haven from all the toxicity, growing up. Hence, even hearing the word library had me bouncing on my feet, ready to get my hands on another book.
"Yeah. It's on the upper floor. If you want to check it out, that is."
"I would love to actually." I said as I looked down at the plate that had been placed in front of me, forcing myself to not look at the owner of those veiny arms. Sofia's lips tipped up as she muttered something similar to nerd under her breath.
Ignoring her, I scarfed down the eggs, not wanting to waste any more time.
"It seems like you really want to choke yourself to death huh malyshka?"
An amused look was sent my way as I glared into those baby blue eyes.
"What's it to you?" I muttered as I put my dish in the sink and washed my hands. Why did he always have to butt in at the wrong time. And what the hell did that word, which he seemed to be calling me every time, mean? Malyshka or whatever. Not sparing him another glance, I bid goodbye to Sofia as she informed me that she would be out for a while.
Following her directions, I climbed up to the top floor, searching for the wide set of doors that would lead to heaven. Soon enough, I found the said library and stepped inside as I let myself breathe in the musty scent of books. A strange calmness took over my body as I felt my wound up body instantly relax. Stepping forward, I tried to take in everything. The wooden ancient shelves and the several stacks of books had me feeling like I was in some fantasy world, giving me the vibe of dark academia. I ran my hand down the spine of a book tentatively. A book that had been my comfort read for ages. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I had received a copy of this book on my 14th birthday. It had been a particularly terrible day - what with Papa breaking Mama's vase first thing in the morning. Receiving that gift had been like a ray of sunshine shining in the sky on a rainy day. Reading about the March sisters brought something akin to jealousy as I yearned to have a sister to share everything with. Nonetheless, over the years I let myself get lost in that world whenever I needed a break from reality.
My hands traced over the letters as they roamed down to the frayed and yellowed edges. I flipped the book open as a smile took over my face at the familiar names that stared back at me. I had always wanted to be Jo as a little girl. I strived to be as badass and carefree as her. I turned the pages as my eyes skimmed over the words, bringing back a rush of memories. My fingers stopped their tracing as my gaze landed on the paragraph containing one of my favorite quotes. I started whispering it under my breath, having learnt it by heart at this point.
"I'll try and be what he loves to call me, 'a little woman,' and not be rough and wild;" A rough voice joined my soft whisper as I turned around to find Mikhail staring intently at me.
"but do my duty here instead of wanting to be somewhere else." He finished as my mouth gaped open. The words that left his mouth hit me the hardest since I was all too familiar with that kind of feeling. The feeling of escaping, of wanting to be somewhere far, far away.
"You've read Little Women?" I asked as his eyes never left mine.
He took a few steps in my direction as a new sense of respect towards the man started blooming in my chest.
"Don't act so surprised. Criminals can read too, you know?" He replied nonchalantly as his scent invaded my nostrils, making me numb to everything else around me. It's like my brain understood the kind of effect this man had on me, but didn't want to do anything about it. It's like I wanted to succumb to his charms. He stepped closer and closer as my breathing grew labored every second.
"There's nothing more sexier than a man who reads. At least that's what I've heard." He rasped as his voice sent tingles down my spine. I couldn't even move when he took the book out of my grasp and leaned in towards me.
"You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how."
My ovaries nearly melted as he whispered those words in my ear, as if he meant them. My heart beat violently in my rib cage as the words from Gone With the Wind resounded in my head. And yes, he was right. There really was nothing more sexier than a man who read - a man who know just what to quote at the right time. For a moment, I forgot who we were. I let myself fathom what it would be like to fall for him, if it weren't this way.
Mikhail bent down further as his lips touched the corner of my cheek. They left a trail as they moved towards my own lips. My breath stilled for a moment as his hot breath hit my face. A rush of warmth passed through me, making goosebumps break across my arms. And slowly, very slowly, he kissed the corner of my lips as I closed my eyes and breathed into his open mouth. Just as quick as that had happened, he pulled away as my eyes flew open. I watched his cold demeanor return as he covered up the softer version of himself that he had just allowed me to see.
"Be careful what you wish for, malyshka." He moved away, as quick as lighting as the heavy doors slammed shut behind him with those parting words. It was as if he read my mind and realised that something had changed between us. Something that we weren't ready to address yet.
My heart rate slowly returned to normal as I tried to get my bearings back in place. The man was an enigma. One moment he was quoting words from romance novels and the next moment, he was back to being aloof. I tried to rearrange my scrambled thoughts as I put a hand to my chest and slid down with my back touching the shelf. Why did it feel like my heart wanted to jump out of my chest? A small part of me realised that what I was starting to feel for Mikhail was something beyond lust. Something that would probably be unrequited and would leave me feeling helpless. I just hoped that it wouldn't come down to that someday.
***
Ughhhh y'all, I kid you not, but this is my FAVORITE scene ever in the entire story ffs.😫🤌🏻
The idea hit me after I went to bed one day and I just knew that I had to include this scene in this book. I'm sure we're all swooning for a man that reads heheh. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter besties. Did you love it as much as I loved writing it?❤
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