Chapter 40

Mishka

Islipped into a somehow already worn in pair of gorgeously stylish but relaxed pair of jeans. Not skin tight, not too loose, just right. They felt like I had had them for years. Longer.

They were perfect.

I blushed as I catch sight on Anton putting on a slim fitting t-shirt through the closet door. There were his and her closets, my clothes already neatly unpacked and hanging or folding within arm's length. I assumed they were my clothes, since they were all new.

His jeans were unbuttoned. As he reached up to slip the shirt over his head, I saw the flat plane of his belly, and a shot of pure lust hit my system, not unlike the first sip of coffee or espresso first thing in the morning. Anton was espresso. He was fine wine, and sunshine, and the smell of the ocean. He was warmth, and fire, and ice. He was everything to me, I realized suddenly. And that was a very vulnerable place for me to be.

I swallowed, turning back to the mirror to study my reflection. I looked into my eyes. The entire world had just shifted on its axis. And yet I was not afraid.

I knew that no matter what happened, that the risk was worth it.

He was worth it.

He appeared in the mirror behind me, pressing his lips to my neck. I shivered at the enticing contrast of the cool air and his warm lips. His arms slid around me and the warmth increased. I loved the way he touched me… the way he felt. His skin, his scent, the strength of him…

Anton was under my skin and in my soul. His touch on my body had changed me, molded me, made me into someone new. Everything was different now, and I was still getting used to it. Still finding my sea legs in this new world where he had such power over my tender little heart.

But I had to be strong. Shake it off. Roll with whatever came.

I prayed it would be only good things. I had to believe in the fairytale. That sometimes things did work out.

But for now, I would enjoy the unfolding of our tale, and hope for the best.

"I hope the Americans do not terrify you. You will like some of them. My cousin is down there."

"Anastasia? I thought you said she was pregnant?"

"She is. An SUV just arrived carrying her and her progeny."

"A baby?"

He nodded, still wrapped around me. He had taken to kissing and touching me as much as humanly possible in the time since we finally got out of bed. It was near to lunch time, according to my iPhone. Jet lag, and lovemaking, had skewed my inner clock.

I found his touch exciting, endearing, and reassuring all at once. He could not seem to be able to keep his hands off of me. I was definitely not complaining about that, I decided. It felt… wonderful, for lack of a better word.

He was wonderful. More than that, he was being wonderful. Anton said lovely things to me all the time. He had started hinting at a future together. A long future.

But it was his actions that showed me how much he cared. How much he valued me. It was powerful.

I could trust his actions. My father had always told me to trust 100% of what a man did, and only 20% of what he said. I knew that with an honorable man, such as my father, the percentage was much higher. But I knew what he meant. For the first time, I was seeing a man behave as if he was madly in love with me.

And Anton, I was learning, was very honorable.

‘Madness, Mishka! How could it be true? He is a killer. A criminal! One of the most feared men in the world!' the little voice of reason said inside me, being overly practical, overly protective. But it was true, he was honorable. He was good. I knew it.

I pushed that little voice down, forever.

It was time to let go of doubts. Life was a glorious adventure. Without risk, there was no reward. If this phase of my life wasn't the perfect example of that, I did not know what was.

My father taking a chance on a new treatment. My audition for the Imperial Symphony. Falling in love with the notorious gangster and multi-billionaire, Anton Aslanov.

Fate had me in its grips and I had no choice but to go for the ride. I prayed it would be a happy journey. One thing for sure, it would be exciting.

Not unlike a rollercoaster, I imagined, though I had never been on one.

"What are you thinking, little one?"

I glanced up at the mirror, startled to see him watching me intently. I swallowed and shrugged, then decided to be honest.

"I was thinking that my life had been boring before you. That it was a roller coaster now. And that I had never actually been on a roller coaster."

He smiled at me tenderly.

"Would you like to go on a roller coaster?"

"I think so," I thought, suddenly afraid. But then I shook it off. "Yes, I would."

"Then you will. And soon," he added, pressing more kisses into my neck. I started giggling as he tickled, nipped, and squeezed me, until I was wiggling to get away. He turned me instead and stared down at me, tracing my jaw with one hand while the other held me firmly against him.

"I love you, little one. More than I can say."

I stared up at him for a moment, then decided to be brave. I opened my lips to tell him that I loved him, too. But I did not get far.

"I…" I started but the door slammed open. Russian voices called out, singing a bawdy tavern song that made me blush.

"She had ripe melons that made my mouth water," one surprisingly pretty male voice sang.

"And that was before I saw her daughter," another voice called out, with less talent.

Anton looked grim as he kicked shut the bathroom door. I giggled at the stern annoyance on his face. He gave me a quick smile before pecking my lips and heading out to face the interlopers.

I listened at the bathroom door, but he spoke in hushed tones, dragging his brothers out to the hallway, from what I could tell.

A moment later I heard the bedroom door shut as well.

I smiled at myself in the mirror. It might be ridiculous, but everything seemed wonderful today. I felt a part of something. And I found to my surprise, that I looked forward to seeing the other Aslanov brothers. And meeting the rowdy Americans downstairs.

I hurried to finish dressing and brushed my teeth, giving my appearance a last glance. I swiped lipgloss on and smiled. It might not be a roller coaster, but I was about to walk into a new world.

I found that I could not wait.

I hurried down the stairs to find… no one. Where had they all gone.

"Miss Barlov?"

I turned to find a servant waiting behind me in the grand entry room.

"They are in the barn."

"The party barn?"

The man did his best not to crack a smile. He failed.

"Yes miss. The party barn."

I grinned and hurried off to find them.

It was a beautiful day. Much warmer than New York, of course, but still not overly warm, as I had imagined sunny California might be. Not that I knew much about it, but it was a popular setting for films and television. I was not completely immune to the influence of pop culture, despite my focus on music, schoolwork, and helping papa with the shop.

Blue skies stretched endlessly in every direction, and the scent of the ocean floated over me, moving my hair this way and that in the breeze. I felt relaxed, happy, and excited. It was the perfect day.

As I approached the ‘party barn' I could hear the sounds of revelry. Very, loud, mostly male revelry. A man stumbled outside, dressed in leather and holding an entire bottle of liquor. From the looks of it, he'd already drank a fair amount of it. He disappeared around the corner, taking a deep swallow of the amber colored liquid.

I stepped into the entryway and paused, letting my eyes adjust to the dimmer light. After a moment I could see, and what a sight it was. It was no ordinary barn: folding accordion n doors opened up to a view of the water. I had not realized how close we were to the cliff's edge. There was a fence along the edge to keep people from tipping over. It was a good thing, too, considering the sheer number of guests and the even larger quantity of alcohol they seemed to be imbibing.

It did not take me long to spot Anton. Partially because my eyes were naturally drawn to him, but also, I assumed, because he was staring at me. He was also very still, and putting anything to his lips, unlike most of the other inhabitants of the barn.

High ceilings, heavy dark wood beams, and upscale finishes were everywhere. The lights looked like industrial chandeliers. Very stylish and uniquely American, to my untrained eye. I did not have much experience with design, but I knew that I liked what I saw. The Aslanov brothers had excellent taste, in every realm of their lives.

I blushed a bit, realizing I had just given myself a compliment. But also because of the heavy, heated look Anton was giving me.

Heat pooled in my belly at that look. It was as if we were alone in the huge room. And in that moment, I wished that we were.

He strode across the room towards me, just as heads started to swivel. He took my arm, leaning down to kiss me. As always, I felt a thrill at his nearness and touch. He slung an arm around me possessively, then glanced around, making sure that everyone could see him marking me as his property. I hid a giggle. The old Mishka might have been offended. But the new Mishka was thrilled.

"Are you ready for this?" He asked solisitously, looking at me with a searching, sideways glance.

I nodded, feeling not at all sure that I was ready, but also excited and eager to become more a part of his world.

We walked forward to meet his ‘family'.