She blocked my path when I tried to move past her. “Look, I know I’m your prisoner,” she began, “but like I said before, I don’t do well in gilded cages.”
Was it just me, or was she being unusually polite?
“Since you flew me all the way to your hometown, the least you can do is show me around,” she added. “It’s my first time in Russia, and I’d love to see the place.”
Who are you, and what have you done with my crazy little devil?
Maybe it was because she asked nicely, or maybe it was something else. But one thing was certain: I couldn’t refuse her request—didn’t have it in me to turn her down.
“Let’s say I decide to indulge you,” I said, my voice smooth and clean. “What’s in it for me? What do I get in return?”
She squinted her eyes slightly, as if in deep thought. “Peace and quiet,” she said. “You’ll get some peace and quiet.”
“You strike a hard bargain,” I teased.
For the first time ever, she smiled, a faint, genuine grin that lit up her whole face. Instantly, my stone-cold heart melted, and I didn’t realize the smirk on my lips until it was too late.
***
Snow drifted in slow, lazy flakes around us as we walked down the street that night. Our shoes scuffed against the cobblestone, the streetlamps casting long shadows across the narrow path.
The full moon hung in the night sky, its ethereal glow silvering everything it touched. We walked in silence beneath the celestial canvas, my men keeping a safe distance behind.
I buried my hands in my pockets, still in the same black suit from earlier. Because she wanted to step outside tonight, I didn’t have the time to change or get some rest, even though my joints were killing me.
As she moved, the hem of her floral dress brushed the snow-dusted ground, and her palms rubbed her arms against the biting chill. The knitted hat on her head framed her face, and her hair spilled out in damp waves from the cold.
For some reason, she’d forgotten to wear her furry coat, and now she was shivering like a wet duck.
“Wait,” I said, stopping in my tracks.
She did the same, her arms crossed over her chest as if to keep herself warm.
“Here.” I shed my jacket and gently draped it over her shoulders.
She lifted her head and met my gaze, shocked by this little gesture. Quietly, she slipped into it and pulled it tighter before rubbing her palms against each other. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“If you freeze under my watch, who’s gonna keep me company?” I teased, loosening the tie around my neck.
“Yeah. I almost forgot I’m here for your entertainment.” She shot a quick glance at me. “You do realize that at some point, you’re gonna have to start paying me for emotional support.” She sneezed, her body jerking with reflex. “Most men pay good money for that.”
I paused for a moment, my expression a bit softer than usual. “What do you think this is?”
She looked at me with raised eyebrows. “Is this your idea of payment?”
“Time is also a currency,” I answered, “a very valuable one at that. So yes. This is my idea of payment.”
She mumbled something under her breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
My lips curled into a small smirk as a wave of strange emotions washed over me. I wasn’t sure what it was about this girl that made me feel more alive whenever I was around her. But I liked it. I liked the feeling and was already getting used to it.
I took her to a small café across the street, one I used to visit when I was a boy. The place hadn’t changed one bit, and now buried childhood memories came flooding back. Things were simpler and a lot easier back in the day. Life was good. Until it threw me a curveball.
The brass bells chimed when we walked into the café, greeted by the warmth of the cozy interior. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as the familiar aromas of freshly baked bread and vanilla cake wafted into my nostrils.
