Page 55 of The Tsar's Obsession
"Well..." he paused. "I didn'tstalk.I just...kept informed."
What a diplomatic way of phrasing that.
"Informed of what?" I breathed out, trying to hide how this information unsettled me. "When did you find me, by the way, and how?"
Kirill remained quiet for a moment before speaking with deliberate calm. "I found out who you were the day after I saw you. And over the years, I received updates. Where you went to school, your career, friends, vacations…boyfriends.” The last word barely made it past his lips.
I was mortified.
There had been someone spying on me for the last ten years of my life! He knew everything about me, and I had only just found out his name a few weeks ago.
Anger and embarrassment swirled inside me like a violentstorm. For an entire decade, he had been watching and keeping tabs on me—and I had absolutely no idea.
“W– What?! So, youstalkedme for ten years, and your plan was to just…what? Barge into my life out of nowhere?” The accusation burst out of me, and I realized that’s exactly what happened. “Let me ask you something—when you kept an eye on myboyfriends, what if I got engaged and married, hm? Was your plan to shoot the guy in the face before the vows? And what, did you have someone spy on me every time I went on vacation? Did they send you pictures of me on a beach?!”
The more I spoke, the more I couldn’t believe the extent of it. His t-shirt was suddenly too hot and too constricting. But like always, Kirill watched me with confidence and pleasure while I impatiently waited for an explanation.
I expected him to defend himself, to deny it, to…I don’t know! Tell me it wasn’t true, but to my shock…he smiled.
That boyish, shy smile that I had only seen a few times. The pink on his cheeks was prominent now, and that color did things to me. Infuriating things, like planting the idea in my head that this wasn’t a big deal at all.
He reached for my hands, but I yanked them away with a huff, crossing my arms in protest. My indignation was slipping, melting by the second, and I hated it.
Unbothered, he settled his hands on my hips instead, leaning in just enough to catch my gaze. His touch, his heat, the way his presence wrapped around me like a security blanket…doused my anger, no matter how strongly I tried to hold on.
Instead, I filled my lungs with his heavenly scent, the tension, anger, and displeasure dissipating without a trace.
“I promise I didn’t stalk,” he murmured into my neck. “I just kept an eye on you to make sure you were safe and happy. That’s all it was.”
What a liar.
He pulled back and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear in a show of possession. “As for your nonexistent husband, if you fellin love with someone, I would have stepped aside.” He shrugged, not committed to his fib. “Or to be honest, you’re right. I would have definitely shot him in the face and taken his place right there and then." He sucked in his bottom lip, his cheeks quivering as he held in his laughter.
The audacity this man possessed!
“You’re a psycho,” I concluded, feigning irritation and willing myself not to break out into a wide smile.
“Yeah, probably. But I’myourpsycho now, Sunshine.”
And just like that, his lips were on mine again. Soft, teasing, damning, and licking away any last shred of displeasure I possessed. Every kiss, touch, and gaze made my mind hazy and unfocused, accepting it all like gospel.
I pulled back slightly before we descended into another fuck session, forcing myself to focus. “Tell me more about my psycho then.” I settled my palms on his chest, trying out my new powers of ownership over him. “Tell me all the details. What you do every day, who you are…what that really means.” I gulped, knowing that there was no way back after my next words. “If we’re doing whatever this is turning out to be—” I pointed between us, my pulse hammering “—I don’t want to be in the dark. About anything.”
26
M
Kirill
Mia’sfeebleattemptsatstaying angry were adorable. I would never dismiss her frustrations, but we both knew that if it weren’t for my diligent stalking, none of this—us—would have happened.
“Who was the boy whose heart I stole ten years ago?”
I had to tell her the truth, and I ignored that voice inside my head. The voice that told me that luring her into my world was the most dangerous and careless thing I could ever do. She asked me to tell her, and I would always do what she asked.
“At the time when I saw you…I was…” Fuck, it was better to just shut this down now, better to keep my mouth shut. Just change the subject. I bit my lip, knowing that the little details I provided last week would never have sufficed. “I was rising to the top of an extensive drug distribution chain throughout Russia. I also did a lot of drugs at that time, which is why I looked like death.” Mia soaked in the information like a sponge.
“So you were high when I saw you?” she asked incredulously.
