I love seeing it that way.
She bent her head to the side like she was trying to decode what I’d just said. Then she stood and walked towards me. I couldn’t hold back. I pulled her into me and pecked her lips.
“Dinner might get postponed if we stayed one second more with a bed in sight,” I told her as we walked out of the suite. “Not that I strictly need a bed.”
She looked down, and I could tell that she was blushing.
“Don’t be shy,” I whispered as we descended the stairs. “I mean, I’ve not even told you of my desire to take you to bed after eating with you. To make you come so many times that you’re too sated to moan my name.”
“Konstantin!” she chided, her tone low as she rushed down the stairs ahead of me.
I caught up with her and told her, “I'll behave, it’s just dinner.”
I could see her trying to hold back her smile as we approached the dining table, and I pulled her chair back.
“For now,” I added before kissing the crown of her head.
As Greta served us and we started eating, I noticed how slowly she ate. I also noticed her eyes flicking towards me as if to check if I was still there.
“This afternoon, I was watching some news about the Lobanov charities. I was wondering how the public doesn’t know it as a front. It’s the same name out there, you know. How hard is it to see a connection between the charities and the Lobanov Bratva?” she inquired.
“It’s more about the impossibility of coming out to say it than it is about knowing,” I told her. “You’re right, anyone could see us together and make a connection. But they can’t come out with such information.”
“At all?”
“It’s not possible. The more the person knows about how Bratvas are built, the less likely they are to think of sharing such information. Now, if they have no idea of the Bratva and just see it as something the world should know about, they wouldn’t get past the local media before they got a warning.”
She nodded in understanding before her face lit up. “I still find it hard to believe Mila is under this roof.”
“I see you both were fond of each other.”
“Yes! I can’t wait for all this to be over so we can catch up properly,” she answered. “She was one of my first friends in class. At first, I was surprised that she liked me.”
“Surprised?”
“Yes. I wasn’t, well, I’m still not the fun to be around, likable type.”
“There’s nothing not to like about you, Alina.”
“You’re just saying that,” she remarked.
“No, I’m not,” I argued. “I, on the other hand, am the one who should be surprised that you can bear spending time with me.”
She laughed.
“Yes, you’re not an open book and you sure don’t communicate like other people, but,” she placed her hand in mine, a calm look on her face, “it’s not surprising that I like spending time with you. You're not condescending or selfish, and that makes you more than good enough.”
The corners of my lips moved upwards, and I didn’t try to hide it this time.
“Oh, my God. I’ve never seen you smile,” she pointed out, grinning. “Looks damn good on you.”
“Trying to call me good-looking?”
She chuckled, and I brought her hand to my lips.
“Don’t get used to it,” I warned playfully.
“Now that I’ve seen it?”
