Page 34 of The Tsar's Obsession
15
Bratva
Mia
Kirillneverstoppedsurprising.Descending the steps of the venue was akin to submerging myself in his world. Pitch black, the air was cool and sharp with the scent of whisky and cigars, the unmarked door hiding the answers to all my questions.
Once down the stairs, Kirill led me through a narrow hallway illuminated with subtle blue lighting, only showing the path forward and nothing around. Black as a tomb, I had no idea if there were any walls around us. But then there was an elevator—steel, heavy, dim, taking us further down.
Kirill didn’t speak, his eyebrows furrowed, his hand in mine. It seemed that he was meditating, taking deep breaths, and staring at one spot. But as soon as the elevator stopped with a thump, his expression changed, and he became that same man I refused to admit I grew so infatuated with.
“This way, Sunshine.”
The doors slid open to reveal a restaurant or a bar. But not like all the others. The interiors were dark and draped in luxurious fabric, or maybe it only felt that way—soft and welcoming. Kirill led me past the marble bar and the smiling bartender, past staff who greeted him like they worked only for him.
Goldaccents sparkled with mystery. Along the walls, small and larger private booths offered seclusion, while leather chairs and low couches clustered around coffee tables in the center of the room. There was a hallway lined with glass cabinets stuffed with various alcohol bottles, well-lit, and leading somewhere unknown.
“Good evening, Mr. Alekseev, welcome. Let me know if you would like to access your private vault or if you would like to order from the bar tonight.” A young man in a three-piece suit greeted us. Kirill let my hand go as I slid into a tucked away seating area with a perfect view of the entire venue.
“I’m not here for business tonight, Tommy.” Damn, okay, he knew the server’s first name. “Tequila for both of us.” Kirill ordered, and the young man disappeared, leaving us two alone. As if in slow motion, I watched Kirill take a seat and motion to his lap with his eyes.
“Sit.” The command was clear; sit on his lap.
Oh God, what was happening to me? Why couldn't I say no to anything? I knew I wanted to. I wanted to do what he told me…wanted to bury myself in him.
All my senses ablaze, I followed his instructions. It was like ascending a throne, and paradoxically, this felt more intimate than his face between my legs an hour ago. The memory of that amplified in my mind when Kirill’s hand gently slid on my thigh, his other hand wrapping my arm around his neck.
His eyes on mine, I was close enough to enjoy all his beauty and that divine smell. "Now. Tell me what nonsense Polina was convincing you of." Oh, he came right back to it.
"Why do you think she was trying to convince me of anything?" My voice was barely above a whisper while Kirill looked me over like I was some work of art he was studying in a museum.
"Tell me."
"She's under the impression that you're the devil." Those words had no effect on him. "Looking exactly like what I've wanted. But that men like you are deceiving. That you will playme, fuck me like a slut, give me what I want, promise the world. And then break my heart." I rushed the explanation, wanting to get it over with.
Polina’s words echoed in my mind even as I melted into him, but I reminded myself what I was doing. It was just one night, just to get it out of my system.
"Hmm." His deep voice broke the silence of the moment between us. "And you believe her? That I will break your heart?" His serenity about her words sowed further doubt inside me, his eyes pure and sincere.
“Boys break hearts. Men shatter them.” Tiny goosebumps broke out on my skin from my own words. Kirill noticed when his gaze fell to my naked shoulder, his hands pulling me in closer.
“I’ll fuck you like a slut if you want that.” Oh fuck, what did he just say to me? “But I have no intention of breaking your heart, Sunshine. On the contrary… I want to keep your heart in a safe place. Give it everything it wants and pepper it with light morning kisses.” Oh no, I was melting from his words and the gentle touch of his lips on my shoulder, satisfying a deep-seated desire.
“Who’s Polina to you?” The question left my lips involuntarily, and I hoped he couldn’t hear my internal screaming. “Why’s she always around?”
The small smile on his face perfectly translated that he enjoyed my curiosity. “She’s a colleague. I’ve known her since we were teenagers.” Unfortunately, that made me feel no better. “And she has no idea how Ifuck.” At that, those green eyes jumped to mine again. “So it’s peculiar that she is doling out warnings… never having had my interest.”
Our moment was fragile, but it was there. He said what I wanted to hear, and I nodded, my eyes half closed, ready to drown with him further.
“Now tell me what Jeremy said to you that you didn’t like.” Kirill pushed on.
“Everyone decided to use tonight to warn me… that you’re somehow not who you say you are.” I desperately hoped that they were all wrong when Kirill’s fingers ran up my arm, gliding around my shoulder and down my collarbone, as if he was savoring that first touch. “They’re all wrong…right?” God, I sounded pathetic, holding onto some empty hope.
Kirill shrugged easily as if I were asking him the time. “Ask me what you want to know, Sunshine.” His breath was warm against my ear as his fingers traced lazy circles on my thigh, a slow burn that left me aching for more. “I want your heart.” Those four words fell off his lips with ease, like he’d been waiting to say them. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
His gaze all-encompassing; all his attention was on me in the privacy of this dark corner, somewhere deep underground. All of a sudden, my mind was empty. I had so many questions before, but now only one remained: why hadn’t he fucking kissed me yet?
I shifted in his lap, turning toward the room and pressing my back into his chest, his low groan echoing inside me.
