Page 21 of Mikhail Petrov

“Mikhail, I know this goes without saying, but watch out for her. You know she’s a little crazy, and I’m pretty sure she fucking drugged me. If my dad finds out she’s with you, he’ll put my head on a spike.”

I don’t answer. Reality coming to collect.

“Hey, did you hear me?” Rodrigo’s voice rattles in my ear.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll get her home.”

I stare at the dark phone screen long after hanging up. My thoughts are in disarray.

As I watch her sleeping form, the pit of my stomach hollows. I can’t pinpoint the emotion festering inside me.

“Hey...” Her voice is thick with sleep as she sits up and stretches before touching my arm. I thought I told you not to let me fall asleep.” She pulls my knuckle to her lips and presses a kiss. But the longer our eyes connect, the more she realizes something has fractured. Her beautiful smile fades when I don’t offer one in return.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

Slipping my hand from hers, I adjust my body, and with a slight shake of my head, I say, “Leah, this can’t happen.”

Silence chills the air between us. I wait for her to process, to say something, anything, but she remains quiet.

“The alliance between my family and yours is too important. Everything we’ve built over the years...my future—I can’t just throw that away for...”

“For what?” she bites out. “For someone who’s not worth it? Or maybe it’s because I don’t exactly look like Celeste?”

I snap my head toward her. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

She whips away from me and tugs on her skirt almost desperately, as if she’s trying to cover every inch of exposed skin. Maybe it’s her way of erasing what happened between us.

“Leah.” I reach for her hand, but she recoils like my fingertips are on fire.

“Don’t.” Her voice quivers slightly, and it does strange things to my chest. “Not only are you the biggest dick I know, but you’re also the biggest coward.” A devious little grin tips the side of her mouth. “You’re all I’ve seen for a long time,” she taunts, throwing my words back at me. “The Mikhail I thought I knew was a man who always took what he wanted and answered to no one. What are you so afraid of? My dad? Rodrigo?”

“Fear has nothing to do with this. But my family...”

“Save it.” Her gaze shifts to my lap. “Maybe you should go take care of that.” I follow her line of sight to the stain on my pants. And the memory of her face, contorted with pleasure, hits me with the weight of a freight train.

It takes every morsel of self-restraint not to haul her into my arms. But I know what’s at stake. Losing our alliance with the Castellanos would cost millions in product and territory. Fallout is inevitable. I’m the heir to my father’s empire, and I can’t jeopardize everything we’ve built...even if that means losing her. The thought is like a thousand serrated knives to the heart. But once this drop is over, I’ll keep my distance and let time dull the ache for this woman like it has for four years.

As if sensing the resolution I’ve come to, Leah shakes her head and pushes to her feet. Benjamin’s stupid face flashes in my mind, and I catch her arm before I can stop myself.

“Where are you going?”

“Fuck off.”

She attempts to free herself, but I tighten my grasp and tug her back to her seat. Her eyes are

wide as she watches me.

“You go to that man, and I’ll toss him out of this goddamn plane.”

“You’re insane.”

“Maybe, but I don’t make empty threats.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“You?” I feel my expression softening as I touch her cheek, expecting her to lash out, but surprised when she doesn’t react or pull away. “You don’t ever have to be, pretty girl. But Benny will regret the day he set eyes on you.”

My words ignite a flame behind her eyes, and she clenches her fists. I’ve just given her the perfect opportunity to use her Russian.

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