Chapter 21 - Oleg

Raisa walks into my home office. It’s late morning and she’s been tucked away in her study corner up until now.

She walks straight to my chair, spins me to face her and then climbs onto my lap. I chuckle and wrap my arms around her as she snuggles against me.

“I had an idea,” she says, looking up at me.

“Oh, you did—did you—what idea was that?”

“I think it’s time for another date,” she grins.

“Do you want me to book us a restaurant?” I ask, threading my fingers through her hair.

She rolls her eyes. “Oleg, what happened the last time you booked us a fancy restaurant?”

I laugh. “Right. Of course. I ended up having the best date I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

“So, I heard that there is a fair in town here at the end of every month. Which means that there is one today and I want to go.”

“I haven’t had cotton candy in years. Do you think they’ll have any?” I reply.

“There is only one way to find out.”

She scoots off my lap and rushes out of the room to get ready before I can say anything else. I guess it is a Saturday anyway, and I’ve done plenty of work for a weekend. Besides that—to have Raisa back—her accepting me again—it is everything I could have asked for and I want to spend every minute I can with her.

I close the file I’m working on, saving it to finish later.

When I step out of my office into the hallway, Raisa runs out of her bedroom, dressed and ready to go.

She has her pink high-top sneakers on and faded light washed jeans with a white hoodie. A small blue back pack is slung over one of her shoulders.

She looks too cute for words with her high messy bun and glossed lips.

Raisa leans forward to retie her shoe lace and I notice the ruby red rose bracelet on her wrist. Immediately, my heart swells with happiness.

When she stands up, I pretend to adjust her hoodie, and see she is wearing the necklace as well.

She has properly forgiven me, and I couldn’t be happier.

I glance down at my faded black jeans. I don’t often leave the house in anything but a suite. But a fair is not the place to wear a suit—and Raisa wants to see the real me—not the business me.

I head into my room and grab a black t-shirt and a black hoodie.

I feel comfortable.

It’s nice to feel comfortable and be headed out on a date with someone special. No pretenses, no charades. Just us, enjoying each other’s company.

Raisa practically races me to the car she is so excited.

I can’t stop smiling as we climb in and she grabs my phone to find out what the address is.

“Oh, sorry,” she says, handing my phone back to me, realizing she was getting ahead of herself because I have a pin code.

“Seven Seven Four Zero,” I say, not taking the phone away from her.

“What?”

“My code.”

She types it in, the most beautiful smile spreading across her face—one that she couldn’t even try to hide if she wanted to.

A few moments later she has the address and I punch it into the car’s GPS.

She puts my phone into the center console, still grinning, looking really pleased with herself.

I reach out and run my hand over her leg.

Today is perfect already.

I have never been to the monthly fair in the city. In fact, I didn’t even know about it. I’ve been so focused on work and my family that I never bothered to explore other things.

Raisa is showing me that I can still run the business and enjoy time away from it. I never knew I wanted this so much.

The fair is hosted in the massive park area near the city center. The green grass and surrounding trees make us feel like we are somewhere far from the busy hustle and bustle of city life.

Raisa is captivated by everything. There are hand-made crafts, home cooked treats, hot dogs, popcorn and candy floss.

She excitedly pulls me from stall to stall. Admiring people’s art and touching everything.

We spend the day roaming around, admiring everything, laughing at other people, tasting all the foods that catch our eye and buying more to take home with us.

Raisa finds some natural skin care products which she loves and I get her the entire set. She tries on a long cotton coat that looks amazing on her and I get her that as well. I actually try to buy her a lot more things but she stops me.

“I really appreciate the gifts, Oleg—but it’s not necessary. You are already spoiling me by being here with me.”

Before I can reply and tell her I want to buy her gifts, that it makes me happy, she spots bumper cars and shouts with excitement. “We have to go on those.”

We stand in line and she is giddy, jumping up and down until we reach the front. I pick the black car and she picks the yellow one. We race around the ring, just for fun, crashing into each other, screaming with laughter.

We stay at the carnival all day, and when the sun begins to set over the tree line, we get a coffee and find a quiet bench to sit on so that we can carry on watching all the people come and go. Raisa leans into me, and I think of our beach date. It also ended with a coffee on a beach while we people-watched.

This date was even more fun than that one. I think we have grown a lot closer since then—over coming some difficulties and getting to know each other a little better.

I wrap my arm around her, holding her close.

My heart pulls tightly when I think of her and what she means to me.

This is the first time that I have realized that Raisa has completely captured my heart.

I have real feelings for this girl.

She has become more than special to me.

I think I am falling in love with her.

Everything about her makes me happy and I can’t actually imagine my life without her in it.

I smile, staring at her for a little too long.

“What?” She asks, when she notices.

“Nothing,” I reply, because how can I tell her?

How can I explain that I think she is the most perfect and beautiful person I have ever met in my life?

The long lazy sunbeams stretch over the trees onto us and we sit quietly soaking them up, without a care in the world, just being together.

I have never felt more at peace with someone before.

I need to find a way to tell her how I feel. I just don’t want to scare her away or freak her out.

For all I know, she is planning on completing her studies and only staying with me until the alliance between her brothers and me is settled. I don’t know what her thoughts are for the future. I stole her from the life she had planned and threw her into mine.

Maybe I should just keep my feelings to myself and let things carry on the way they are now.

It is better than risking pushing her away from me.

Raisa grumbles loudly, then giggles.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I think I had too many sweet things and my sugar rush is wearing off because all I want to do is curl up on your lap and fall asleep.”

I chuckle. “Well then, maybe I should get you home, because I wouldn’t mind curling up in bed with you and cuddling all night.”

“That sounds perfect,” she says, jumping up from the bench and grabbing my hand to pull me up, too.

She is so animated, full of life and love and laughter.

We walk to the car, my arm around her and her leaning into me.

It really was a perfect day.

At home, while Raisa is singing in the shower, my phone rings. I glance at the screen to see who it is.

It’s Marcus, my head of security.

Sliding the button across the screen, I answer the call and press it to my ear.

“Oleg, how are you?”

“Good, is everything alright?”

“I just wanted to update you on the situation with the guy we have following the brother Rodion.”

I glance at the bathroom. Raisa is still singing in the shower, but I walk out of the bedroom to take the call in a more private setting. I don’t know if she would be upset with me if she heard I have someone following her brother around to keep tabs on him.

“Yeah, what can you tell me?” I ask when I am downstairs.

“Pretty much nothing going on with him. He has been sticking to the deal. What he did do, though, was he put men on each of your brothers and your sister. Following them. He seems to be keeping tabs on your family.”

“That’s to be expected, I guess. He wants to know if we are holding up our end of the deal, too. Buy why would he have someone following Anya? She isn’t even involved in the business?”

“He follows Anya himself. Not often, but often enough for my guys to notice.”

An angry growl spills from my mouth. “That motherfucker better not go near my sister,” I say with threat.

“You did take his,” Marcus says, and I snap back angrily. “For good reason.”

“I know, I know, I’m just giving you shit.”

Taking a deep breath, I calm myself again. “Ok, well, thanks for the update. At least we know it’s all good for now. If he starts anything weird with Anya, please tell me immediately. I don’t want that asshole touching her.”

“Will do. Have a good night, Oleg.”

“You too, Marcus.”

I head back to the bedroom and Raisa is fresh out of the shower. I walk in just in time to see her pulling the oversized t-shirt over her naked body.

“Oh, I missed the best part,” I tease her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her towards me to kiss her.

She melts into my arms, kissing me with intensity that takes my breath away.

“What did you say about cuddling?” she asks, a coy look in her eyes and a sly grin on her face.

“I am going to hop into the shower now—and when I get out you can find out what I mean about cuddling.”

She grins and jumps into the bed, snuggling herself against the pillow as she pulls the duvet up over her body.

I’m so happy to have her sharing my bed again. She hasn’t officially moved into my bedroom yet—but I want her to.

There is no reason for her to be in the other room.

I head towards the shower, stripping down as I walk, then climbing under the hot spray and leaning my arm against the shower wall as I drop my head under the flow of water.

Things are going really well—at work—with the Kuznetsovs and with Raisa.

I never expected any of this when I took her.

But it has turned our far better than I could have imagined.

I scrub down and rinse off, then climb out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist.

I walk through to the bedroom, eager to climb into bed next to Raisa.

When I glance down at her, I see that she is fast asleep, almost drooling on the pillow.

A quiet chuckle escapes me.

She was far more tired than she said she was.

She’s out cold. So deep in dreamland I wouldn’t dare wake her up.

I drop the towel and throw my side of the blankets back, climbing beneath them. I won’t wake her, but I am definitely going to hold her against me.

My heart belongs to her, and I don’t even know how to tell her that.

I’ll figure it all out eventually.

For now, I am just going to enjoy each moment I have with her.

Including this one, where she is sleeping so peacefully next to me and I get to hold her against me all night.