Possession of the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #15)

Chapter 18 - Mila

Slowly opening my eyes, I noticed dawn was upon us. The sun was just starting to peek in and light up the room. I lay still for a moment, enjoying Aleksandr’s arms around me. I had never thought being in his arms would feel so good. I was surprised that I wanted to stay just a little longer, absorbing his essence.

Closing my eyes again, I breathed in slowly and deeply. I felt a soft fluttering in my stomach and smiled. Then my eyes shot open; no, what was I doing? My mind screamed at me. My feelings for him were rapidly increasing. Their intensity was multiplying by the minute.

Carefully, I slid out of his embrace and rolled out of bed. Rising on the side of the bed, I stared down at him. The sex last night was amazing, but it was also messing with my emotions and my head.

Sneaking into the bathroom, I quickly changed. I wanted to get out of the room before he woke up. Once dressed, I quietly moved out of the bedroom and down the hall to his office. I noticed he has been leaving the door open for the last week or so.

Entering the office, I scanned the desk. Everything was neat and in place. There were no papers, files, or any documents lying around. Peeking out the door, I made sure he wasn’t on his way.

Feeling a bit nervous, I walked to the filing cabinet by the window. There was a key in the lock, turning. I heard the mechanism open. Pulling open the top drawer, I quickly glanced at the file names. These all appeared to be alphabetical, and most had personal names. I assumed it held all the staff information, so I closed it again.

Opening the second drawer, I glanced at the door and listened. Everything was quiet. There were no sounds. The labels on these files had business names on them. There were a lot more than the couple Aleksandr had taken me to.

Pulling them up one by one, I read the names. There were about six gambling dens, four warehouses, some clubs, and what appeared to be antique stores of a sort. I wasn’t sure about the last ones.

As I quietly pushed the drawer closed, I heard someone clearing their throat behind me. Standing up straight, I knew it had to be Aleksandr. Biting my nails, I wondered if I should turn. What excuse could I use for being in his office? He was surely furious at me. That was why he wasn’t saying anything.

My heart felt like it was beating in my throat. Keeping my eyes down, I turned to stare at his feet. “Aleksandr,” I uttered. “I can explain.” My mind suddenly went blank seeking the right words.

“Yes, I know,” he replied, sounding overly calm. “Find anything interesting?”

Looking up at him, I felt my mouth open, but nothing came out. He didn’t look or sound angry. “I…, I,” I was stumbling. There were no words to explain my actions.

He tapped my shoulder lightly as he moved past me to the window. Standing by the window, he looked out. With his back to me, I couldn’t see his expression. I didn’t know if I should run or stay. “Carry on,” he added smoothly.

“Aleksandr, I am sorry,” I managed to get out after a short silence.

Swinging around, he smiled at me as he replied. “Sorry for what, dear?”

His calm composure and friendliness caught me off guard. I suddenly felt sick. Why wasn’t he screaming at me? Why wasn’t he angry? I had never felt so nervous. I felt guilty after all we’ve been through.

“Snoop all you want, my dear,” he added, moving to his chair and sitting down. “We’re married, and I’m sure you won’t hurt me or our family.”

I was shocked at his revelation. At the sudden trust he had in me. Swaying from side to side, I stared at him, unsure how to respond. His smoothness and openness were turning me on. “No, I won’t,” I whispered.

“Then it’s settled,” he replied, grinning. “My office is your office. If you have any questions, just ask or have a look.” He waved his arm through the air as he completed his sentence.

Staring into his golden eyes, I felt moisture forming in my palms. For some reason, he appeared more attractive this morning. There was a slight fluttering in my stomach as my mind strolled back to last night.

“I have a couple of calls to make. Then some invoices to follow up on,” he said bringing me back from my mind. “How about we have a quite intimate dinner here at home tonight?”

“That would be nice,” I responded. Looking down, I pushed my hands up my cheeks, trying to get rid of the grin forming. I didn’t want him to know how much I enjoyed last night. Turning, I headed to the door.

“Mila,” he said as I was about to leave the office.

Turning back, I raised my eyebrows questioningly.

“You can head to the kitchen if you want. Ask them to cook anything you desire for supper,” he added, picking up the phone.

I nodded and left. After visiting the kitchen, I headed to the inside gym. I took a quick swim before lunch to cool my muscles. Heading to our room, I heard Aleksandr talking loudly to someone.

Quietly, I walked against the wall towards the office. He was on the phone. “Anton,” he huffed. “Just find out what happened.” He slammed the phone down, making me jump a little. Before I could turn and run, he came storming out of the office.

“Mila,” he said, stopping. “I’m sorry. Did you hear any of that?”

Shaking my head, I tried to hide my shame. I hadn’t intended on listening in. “Just the end,” I replied softly.

Aleksandr pulled me into his arms as he spoke. “I’m sorry. It appears Anton has lost one of our shipments.” Taking my shoulders, he pushed me back gently, looking into my eyes. “Did I scare you?” he asked softly.

“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…,”

Before I could continue, Aleksandr interrupted me. “No, no, dear. I told you this morning. I have nothing to hide. But I will have to go in for a bit and try to sort things.” He placed his arm around my shoulder and walked with me to the top of the stairs. “I’ll be back for supper though,” he added before kissing me.

I stood watching as he darted down the stairs and out the front door. After a quick shower, I had lunch alone. I spent the afternoon going through his files. I wanted to know as much as I could about his business.

Maybe if I knew enough, I could assist, seeing as I couldn’t work with my siblings at the moment. Hearing the car pulling in, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost six. I was so immersed in the files; that I hadn’t realized the time.

Placing everything back as it was, I headed downstairs. “Dinner is ready,” I announced as he came through the door.

“Excellent,” Aleksandr replied as he kissed me. “Let me just put my case away, then we can sit down.”

I waited as he went up and came back down. Together, we entered the dining hall. “I had asked the staff to set up the smaller table as it was to be an intimate dinner.” He whispered as we entered. The lights were turned down low. But there were some candles adding light and flowers on the table.

Aleksandr pulled out my chair and waited for me to sit. He nodded his head to one of the staff and soft music started playing, adding to the romantic vibe. I could see he had made a real effort.

For a moment, Aleksandr and I just sat and smiled at one another. Then we both started talking at the same time. I was uncomfortable for a second but laughing helped ease us. “Please, dear, go first,” Aleksandr said.

“No, no,” I replied, waving my hands. “You go first.”

Aleksandr grinned as the food arrived. “I insist,” he added as the staff headed to the kitchen.

Smiling at him, I spoke softly. “Right then. I guess, I want to say thank you for everything. I know we have our differences, but this is nice.”

“It is me who should be thanking you,” Aleksandr said.

“I haven’t actually done much,” I replied. “In fact, I think I have only added to your problems at some point, won’t you agree?”

He laughed lightly while cutting his steak. “You have caused a couple of complications. But I have enjoyed the challenges you have brought.” I could hear the sincerity in his tone.

“Aleksandr,” I said, watching him open the bottle of champagne.

“Yes, dear?” he replied, smiling.

“You know I mostly done hacking jobs with my family, right?”

He picked up our glasses, filled them halfway, and nodded. “Well,” I added. “I also did other work.”

Aleksandr lifted his eyebrows as he handed me my glass. “Meaning?” he asked.

“I have various skills that include getting information in other ways. Sometimes I worked the marks, I am good at infiltrating, and seduction.” I said softly. I wasn’t sure how he would react, but I felt we were at a place where he needed to know more about me.

I watched as he took a big sip from his glass. My heart was pounding. I hoped he wouldn’t get upset as I revealed my life.

Aleksandr rubbed his chin as he spoke. “That sounds, well…,” He took another big sip and smiled at me. “I am glad you feel comfortable enough to share with me. Thank you,” he added.

It was not the reaction I was expecting. I was relieved that the past could be shared without issues. “May I ask you a question?” I said, smiling seductively at him.

“Why, yes, dear. Anything.”

Clearing my throat, I sipped some champagne before speaking. “Do you enjoy the life you live?” This was a deeply loaded question, but I was curious. “If you could have done or become anything. Would you have still chosen this path?”

Aleksandr sat back in his chair. There was a moment of pause, and then he grinned. “Yes, I would, " he replied. “Yes, it holds dangers, but I love working with people, and the different businesses we own give me that.”

Staring at him as he started eating, I re-evaluated my original idea of him being all bad. Maybe we could make this work. Cutting my meat, I couldn’t shake the lingering uncertainty. My heart wanted one thing, yet my brain was still fighting.

I hadn’t noticed that I had drifted off into my mind until Aleksandr spoke next to me. Looking to my side, I noticed he had pulled his chair around the table. I was so deep in thought I had heard nothing.

“Are you okay,” he asked, taking my hand.

I felt my face turning red as it heated up. He took hold of my chin as I lowered my gaze. “No, dear,” he whispered. “Don’t be shy.” Tenderly, he turned my head and looked into my eyes. There was a sparkle in them I had only noticed once before. “What has pulled you so deep into thought? Please share with me,” he added.

His touch was soft and warm. His tone was filled with care and compassion. I felt my heart melting as I swam in the golden ocean of his gaze. I felt safe with him and wanted to be here.