Chapter One
Mireille
I’ve been checking the clock every five minutes for the past hour.
It’s ridiculous. I’m acting like I’ve never been on a date before—except I haven’t. Not one that mattered, anyway…and definitely not one with a devilishly handsome, enigmatic man like Dmitri.
Just thinking his name sends a shiver down my spine. Dmitri. He’s older…early thirties, maybe. Mysterious, confident in a way that makes every other man I’ve ever met seem like a boy pretending to be a man.
We’ve been meeting at the park for weeks now, always at the same chess table beneath the elm tree. It started with rematches, then coffee, then conversations that stretched until sunset. He listens when I speak—really listens—and looks at me like I’m saying something worth remembering.
I didn't even know how much I'd been waiting until he finally asked me out. But when he did, my heart nearly stopped.
Now, as I stand in front of the mirror in my tiny dorm room, I’m trying not to overthink every detail. I’ve changed my outfit three times already before finally settling on a simple, pale blue dress. Its soft fabric falls to mid-thigh, and the bodice has thin straps that make me feel bold and sexy. The other night, my roommate described the dress as “innocently dangerous.”
I smooth the dress again and glance at the clock.Six twenty-eight.
He’ll be here any minute.
I reach for my perfume, and my hands tremble slightly.
You’re being ridiculous,I tell myself.It’s just dinner.
But the truth is…it doesn’t feel “just” anything.
A deep rumble outside makes me glance toward the window. When I see the sleek black car pulling up to the curb, my pulse quickens. Even his car looks expensive, the kind of luxury that doesn’t scream for attention but commands it anyway.
I grab my clutch, take one last steadying breath, and head downstairs.
He’s waiting at the entrance of the dorm, dressed in a black shirt, dark slacks, and no tie. His jacket’s cut perfectly to his shoulders, and when his eyes find me, the faintest smile curves his lips.
“Mireille.”
The way he says my name…so smooth and faintly accented, almost like he’s tasting it.
“Hi,” I manage, hoping he can’t tell how fast my heart is racing.
He steps closer, his gaze sweeping over me in a slow, deliberate way that makes my skin warm. “You look beautiful. Like akukolka,” he adds.
“What’s that?”
“It means ‘little doll,’” he says, his gaze lingering ever so slightly on my lips. “You look like an adorable, perfect little doll.”
I duck my head as my cheeks warm under his intense gaze. “Thank you,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
There are people passing by—students heading out, a group laughing near the gate—but Dmitri doesn’t seem to notice them.His attention is fixed entirely on me, like the rest of the world has blurred out of focus.
When he opens the car door for me, I can feel everyone staring. I can almost hear their whispered questions and assumptions. No one ever shows up to Fordham’s campus in a car like that, least of all for me.
I slide into the seat, trying not to fidget. The leather smells faintly like cologne and something warm, masculine. Dmitri closes the door gently, then circles to the driver’s side.
As he starts the car, I finally find my voice. “So…are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“You’ll see,” he says, a small smile playing on his mouth.
He says it so calmly, like he’s used to being trusted. And somehow, I do feel safe with him.
I steal glances as he drives, simply unable to resist. There's something about him—an allure. Maybe it's the way his big hand rests on the wheel, relaxed, sure. Or maybe it’s how every movement he makes feels deliberate, precise.
