Page 7 of The Tsar's Obsession
3
Reacquaintance
Kirill
Thelargeclockhandwas inching closer to ten in the morning as I waited inside Mia’s office. I’d thought it would be locked, but no, evidently, she was trusting enough to leave it unlocked and be certain no one would snoop.
But I would. I was snooping.
The stately mahogany desk was overflowing with files, pens, a notebook with her initials, and, curiously, amatryoshka. Colored in an ornate blue design, the Russian dolls were stacked, and I felt such pride inside me. Not sure why, just at the fact that she had one. A piece of my culture.
The large wall opposite the glass doors contained a few modern art pieces and two Top 30 Under 30 titles. My little worker bee. There was also a little sitting area, the furniture beige and impersonal, clearly set up for client conversations. Perfect, we would sit there.
The door opened, and Mia stopped in her tracks as soon as she noticed me behind her desk. She said nothing, I remained silent, and we both didn’t move. Her hazel eyes shone in the morning light, her mind working overtime to process my intrusion into her space.
“Hello,” she finally found her voice. “I thought we saideleven, but also, how did you even get in?” The naiveté in her voice was fitting.
Mia was tall, her body curvy in all the right places, but that wasn’t what drew me to her. They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Well, her soul sucked me in like quicksand. It was kind, full of wonder, yet defiant, the same as almost a decade ago when I first saw her. Her smile was burned into my memory, casting a light on my otherwise dark and barren world.
“Good morning, Mia. I apologize; I have an unexpected meeting that popped up, but I didn’t want to miss seeing you.” That was all a lie. I had no meeting. I had cleared my schedule. I was up at five in the morning as usual, and I was counting down the minutes.
“Oh.” Her smile was shy. I hadn’t seen that part of her yet. “Please, sit down then.” She kept her eyes on mine and motioned toward the sitting area. “Would you like a coffee or tea?”
Mia was just as beautiful as I remembered her. A goddess among mortals. A goddess in front of the devil himself.
Her long hair fell effortlessly around her shoulders, and I wondered what it would feel like in my hand. The innocence in her eyes made me want to see the world like that too. Her skin was radiant, her plump lips a cherry red color—begging for my touch.
“So, Kirill, nice to meet you again.” Mia cleared her throat, a slight crease between her eyebrows now a familiar feature. She was conflicted; that much was obvious. Our meeting was unusual, and I was pretty sure no one else could have usurped her time the way I did.
But I had waited a long while to see her; I had no more patience. I also had no intention of telling her who I was right away. No. We’d play a game. I’d make the rules, and she would easily lose.
“Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself and what you’re looking for?”
You. I have been looking for you for so long, Mia—for my entire life.
Our kiss, that silly little drunk thing she did, rendered me powerless.Me.The goddamn Tsar of the Russian Mafia. And Iwasthe Tsar; that wasn’t up for debate. I ruled it all. And yet, a blonde American woman held my mind and soul in her dainty, manicured fingers and didn’t even know it.
Seeing her again made me just as helpless as that first time. That passion, her energy, her taste, and her scent lingered on my lips, and the memory of our kiss kept me alive in my darkest and most difficult moments.
Sunshine. I called her sunshine because she was. She was the sunshine in my darkness. She was spring water in the desert. She was a summer breeze in a tomb.
“I’m looking for a place to call home. I like the apartment you have listed. What do you think? Do you like it?” I was mostly interested to know ifsheliked it. It checked all my boxes, but what about her?
We would live there together; I just hadn’t told her yet. Predictably, she didn’t know how to answer that question.
“I– well…why don’t you tell me if you like it, Kirill.” Her voice floated to my ears, and hearing her say my name was like being dipped in honey. Such a sweet girl, calling me by my first name. It was a start. I couldn’t wait to hear her moan my name too.
"Do you speak Russian? You said my name so well," I teased, knowing perfectly well her experience with my language and country.
"I don't speak it anymore, unfortunately," she responded kindly. "My mom was Russian, and I studied the language about ten years ago, but I have no practice.” But we will change all that, Mia. “I can still pronounce it well, of course. Are you Russian?" Such pure wonder and curiosity sparkled in her eyes.
"Yes." But she had figured that out by now.
A sudden silence fell between us. Mia was blindsided by my sudden appearance in her life and very obviously lost for words.
“Anyway,” I continued. “If not that unit, maybe another one?My budget is thirty million to whatever. I just want a place I like, and I want to move in as soon as possible. All cash."
The seconds ticked while Mia sat there bewildered, trying to figure out if I was pranking her.
