Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 76915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Can’t I just wear my uniform for that?” She looked and sounded mulish. The woman was stubborn as hell. For some absurd reason, I found it enchanting.
My Mishka was a challenge. I wished she wasn’t but part of me had to admit that I was glad she was. I would have treasured her even if she had fallen into my arms that first week, but I might not have respected her as much as I did.
As frustrating as this prolonged chase was, I was loving every second of it.
“No, Mishka. I do not want to dine with my maid.”
“But I am your maid.”
“You are whatever I need you to be,” I countered in a tone that brooked no argument.
I saw her eyes widen and her gorgeous lips open to argue with me. I cut her off before she could speak.
“If you like, we can call you my ‘assistant’ on this trip.”
She looked suspicious, but even she could not argue with that. I smiled at her. I had won, and I knew it. I did my best not to gloat.
“You do work for me, if you recall.”
“How could I forget?” She said, her eyes narrowed. I decided not to answer that. Sparring with her was surprisingly stimulating. Bracing, Alexei might say.
“We will go shopping once we arrive.”
“Aren’t we arriving in the middle of the night?” She challenged.
“We arrive at four. We will go to the hotel, check in, and then hit the stores.”
“At five AM?”
“Yes, Mishka.”
“But the stores are not open.”
“They will open for me,” I said, knowing that they would. In fact, knowing Linski, it had already been arranged, along with a sumptuous breakfast and sight-seeing. All once my sweet Mishka was in her new clothing, of course.
“You may sleep if you get tired.”
“I just woke up,” she said. I laughed. She was right of course. It was still morning. We were still on the ground. “The flight is only ten hours,” she added, trying to do the math. It made me want to scoop her up and squeeze her, she was so cute.
“Yes, I know. I meant this evening. And the time difference will make you quite tired when we arrive if you don’t rest. For now, I would like your help organizing some documents. After takeoff, of course.”
She nodded, still looking confused. That was good. I wanted her wondering what would come next. I wanted her to trust me. Rely on me. Want me.
I wanted her to climb into my lap like a pretty little kitty cat.
Perhaps she would on the next leg of our journey, I thought with a smirk. Or the way home to Moscow. I planned on winning her over on this trip, one way or the other.
If I did not succeed in seducing her, I wasn’t sure what exactly I was going to do.
Chapter 20
Mishka
The bed bounced, twice, then settled. I woke with a start, looking around in confusion. I was on a plane. His plane.
I had never been on a plane before, not that I had told him that. I was far too embarrassed to admit how provincial I was. He already looked down on me, and not just because of his height. I had been nervous, even frightened, at first. But Anton kept me too distracted to think too closely about what was happening.
And then I had somehow fallen asleep. It was surprising, to say the least.
“Oh good, you are awake.”
I stared at the man sitting nearby, looking relaxed and handsome as always. I was stretched out on a low sofa, with a sumptuous, faux fur blanket laid over me.
At least I thought it was faux fur. When it came to Anton, there was no way to tell.
I did not remember laying down. He must have moved me. And the blanket that had mysteriously appeared? That was all him as well. It was a surprisingly… tender thing for him to do.
“Are you hungry?”
I swallowed, then nodded. I was hungry, despite already eating two excellent inflight meals with my captor.
“Have a snack. We won’t be eating for a few hours.”
I joined him at the table we had sat at for meals throughout the flight. A tray with bread, cheese, and fruit was laid out. Anton was drinking water, from what I could tell.
“You are just in time to watch our approach. I was going to wake you. You don’t want to miss this,” he said a few minutes later. I stared out the window. He was right.
Sparkling lights spread out in the distance. The sky was just beginning to get lighter in the distance. We were still over water, but I could see the coast. It looked like a gathering of fireflies in midsummer. As we got closer, I realized the lights looked more like diamonds, lit up from within.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, my voice full of awe.