Before I could finish, Konstantin interrupted. “We don’t look alike, right?”
Smiling at him, I nodded.
“We’re not,” Piotr added. “We grew up together in an orphanage. As we aged out, we took care of each other.”
“Yes, then we decided to start our own family and changed our last names,, taking on one for us all.” Konstantin chipped in.
“You’ll still meet Leon, our other brother,” Piotr added. “He is also married. They decided to get their own place and moved out. I’m sure Konstantin and Mila would most likely also do that someday,” he finished smiling at the other two.
“Say, why don’t you come to the office with Konstantin tomorrow then you can meet Leon and Cindy?” Alyssa added.
“Great idea,” Konstantin replied, squeezing my hand.
The calm atmosphere was broken as Mila rose abruptly. She started clearing the table but didn’t say anything. Alyssa rose and started helping, so I followed. Once the table wascleared and the dishes rinsed and packed, we all headed to the veranda. We had a last cup before heading to bed.
Konstantin slept on the couch as he had done the previous evening. I found this very noble and intriguing. It was nice to meet a man that respected a woman.
We rose early the next morning. Konstantin was in a rush as he had a meeting. So, we skipped breakfast with the family. We stopped for coffee and muffins on our way to the office. He introduced me to the receptionist and some of the other staff before leaving me in his office.
After finishing my breakfast, I decided to explore a little. It’s been more than an hour since Konstantin left for his meeting. I noticed the conference room was empty and wondered where he went. Strolling through the hallways, I read the names on the doors.
There was an office for Piotr and one for Leon. I passed a breakroom, kitchen, and men’s and ladies' restrooms. I found a door leading to a stairway at the end of the second hallway. Just inside the door were two signboards.
One pointed up and read, ‘Roof Access.’ The sign pointing down read ‘Practice Rooms.’ I found this intriguing and decided to head down. Curious, I had to see what they meant.
I felt my heart racing as I descended. I hoped I wasn’t intruding and didn’t want any trouble. But no one expressed any areas that were off limits. When I finally reached the bottom, I looked up. There were a lot of stairs, and I felt sure I was on the bottom floor.
My first time here, I saw that the first and second floors held offices for other businesses. However, seeing that the stairs went down the side of the building, I was positive that this section was still part of their business.
There were only two small lights, and the hallway was darker than any of the others. It appeared there was a light shining from the wall further down. I could make out three or four doors to the sides of the hallway. As I moved forward, I kept looking back, expecting someone to jump out at me at any moment. But no one did.
Glancing through the window, the first room was dark and appeared empty. I now knew the light I saw shining through the wall had to be a window to one of the other rooms, and it was the only one on. Thus, it had to be the only room currently being used.
I moved slowly and quietly towards the light. Peeking around the side of the window, I saw Konstantin. He was standing at a long table with his back to me. Before him on the table appeared to be a variety of weapons. As my eyes traveled across the table, I noticed that one side held a variety of guns, and on the other end were knives.
He had changed his clothing at some point. He was wearing black tracksuit pants and no shirt. Konstantin suddenly turned sideways, throwing a small knife at a board to the side of the room. His powerful chest glistened in the light. I noticed his muscles tense and release with every throw.
I couldn’t pull myself away. I felt entranced by his masculinity. His form was perfect. As I watched him, I felt a stir in my stomach and smiled at my reflection in the window. He moved so effortlessly, switching to what looked like a sword. He rolled forward and stabbed at the board with one fluent movement as he came up.
As he turned, I moved back from the window. My heart was beating strongly as desire filled my veins. I had to get outbefore he saw me. Creeping, I started back towards the stairs. It felt like I was suddenly boiling as my body heated up.
Shaking my head, I reprimanded myself for feeling so turned on by him. I had barely taken ten steps when the door behind me swung open. It collided with the wall. I stopped in my tracks as the loud ‘bang’ echoed through the hallway.
Turning slowly, I saw Konstantin standing in the light of the open door. “Hi, there,” he said, grinning. “What to come in?”
I knew I was blushing from being caught and was glad I was standing in the dark. “Hi,” I replied, swallowing the lump threatening to block my throat.
“Come in, and I’ll show you a couple of things. I could teach you how to use some weapons if you want?”
I considered it and decided it could be a good thing. It could come in handy should I ever get in a situation like before. Nodding, I followed him into the room.
The floor was covered in thin foam-like mats. To the right, the side I couldn’t see peeking around the window were what looked like life-size dolls. To the back, the long table with weapons, and to the left, different sized boards.
Following Konstantin to the table, I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering. The lines on his back forming his muscles were inviting. It was like his body was screaming at me to touch it.
He stopped at the table, turned, and studied me for a moment. Turning back, he picked up a knife. He held it out to me with the handle towards me and the tip pointing to him. Stepping forward, I took the knife from him. It was heavier than I thought.
He stepped in behind me as my hand lowered from the unexpected feel of holding a weapon. I knew it was only a knife. But in my mind, it was more. I had never even squished a bug, let alone hurt another person.