Page 12 of Love to Defy You
Mikhail strides into the apartment and flops down onto a leather sofa, stretching his arms behind his head. “I just came by to welcome you to the neighborhood. You bragged so much about this flat, I just had to come see it for myself.”
“He lives down the block from here,” Alek explains to me before addressing Mikhail again. “Look, we just got in, and we’re exhausted, so if you don’t mind—“
“Come on, man, are you nineteen or ninety?” Mikhail groans. “It’s your first day in Zurich. Let’s go out tonight and get you both pissed drunk.”
“Perhaps tomorrow night.”
“Help me out, Willow.” Mikhail presses his palms together to beg. “He won’t say no to you.”
I throw a sideways glance at Alek, who folds his arms and pins Mikhail with an exasperated look. “What if we did dinner and drinks?” I suggest. “We don’t have to stay out all night.”
Mikhail sits up straight. “Exactly. You need to eat dinner anyway, and I know a great spot nearby with the best fondue you’ll ever have.”
When Alek turns to me, I shrug. “It could be fun.”
He lets out a breath. “Fine. Text me the address and we’ll meet you there at seven.”
Mikhail claps his hands together and stands up. “Great. See you lovebirds tonight.” He grins as he walks past us and heads to the door, throwing a wave over his shoulder. “Willow, you and I are going to have so much fun bossing him around this year.”
Alek rolls his eyes. “Can’t wait.”
The restaurant is a short walk from our apartment, and it’s tucked away at the end of a narrow lane of shops. Tables spill out onto the sidewalk beneath a yellow awning, and the light from inside shines through the windows, illuminating the patrons in a golden glow beneath the night sky. It stopped raining an hour ago, so people are taking advantage of the fresh air.
But the rain left behind plenty of puddles in the uneven cobblestone, which makes walking in heels difficult. I keep my arm wrapped around Alek’s for support.
“Remind me not to wear these shoes again,” I mutter.
Alek leans closer to whisper in my ear, “But they make your legs look fucking incredible.”
I grin. I’m wearing a short skirt beneath my coat, so there’s plenty of leg to show off. “Well, in that case, I’ll wear them around the apartment. For your eyes only.”
We pass by a table of rowdy men with empty pints of beer scattered across their table. They rake their eyes over me as we head inside, but when Alek turns his piercing gaze onto them, they quickly turn around.
Hiding my satisfied grin, I squeeze his hand and drag him inside the restaurant’s front door.
He’s so possessive, he makes men twice his age cower in fear for simply looking at me. It’s such a turn-on that I press my thighs together. I didn’t wear panties tonight, like usual, and I don’t need to get so aroused that I’m dripping on the seat cushions.
The interior walls of the restaurant are timber-framed, and rustic chandeliers hang from the wood beams above our heads. Each table is packed close together, but every seat is taken, which makes it a little difficult to navigate around them in the small tavern.
“Over here!” Mikhail’s voice rises above the din of chatter. He stands up from a table across the room, and his tall frame is hard to miss over the seated crowd.
We approach the booth that’s tucked away in the far back corner. A single pendant light hangs over the table, creating an intimate, sensual atmosphere set apart from the bustling restaurant.
Mikhail sits on one side next to a girl who I presume is his date, and Alek and I fill in the booth across from them.
“This is Josephine Grey.” Mikhail throws his arm around her shoulders. “She’s the granddaughter of an English earl.”
“Call me Josie,” she says in a posh British accent, acknowledging us before turning to Mikhail. “And would youplease stop broadcasting my lineage to everyone we meet? Really, Mick, it’s embarrassing.”
“You’re royalty, babe. Don’t be ashamed of that. It’s fucking sexy.” He leans in and captures her mouth with a heated kiss.
Josie is stunning. She has dark auburn hair that hangs straight down her back, and her petite face is framed with fringe bangs. Her chic look is edgy and effortless, and with her twiggy frame, she looks like a supermodel.
When Mikhail leans away, her pale skin is tinged with pink. She tightens her black leather jacket around her shoulders and turns to us. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both. Mick talks about you all the time, Alek.”
At that moment, a server comes over to take our drink order, and Mikhail orders food for us in Swiss German. The only word I make out is “fondue.”
Josie turns to me and rests her chin on her delicate hands. “So, Willow, what are you studying at Weltner?”
