Page 60 of Obsession

“You know me,” she said, “and you know my friends. Also, I really want you to come with me.”

He sighed. “Alright then. Guess I’m going to the wedding with you.”

A bright smile lit up her face. Fuck, that smile—he’d do anything for her if she kept smiling like that for him.

The present

Moscow

A knock on his door made him look up. Dmitri, his butler, entered the study.

“She’s here, Mihir,” Dmitri said. “Her car is coming up the driveway.”

His heart leapt in his chest. She was here. Anna was finally here.

“Ask Anton and Lenin never to let her out of their sight, not for a single moment,” Mihir reiterated his instructions. He had two men following her now. “They go where she goes, and ensure another car filled with guards is following her the second she steps out of the estate.”

The older man’s face turned grim. From experience, Mihir gathered that Dmitri had something to say to him, and he wouldn’t shy away from saying it. Mihir watched him take his time as he moved further into the room. The limp in Dmitri’s leg got more pronounced in the Russian winter, but he still followed Mihir to whichever house he decided to live in, be it Dubai, London, or Moscow.

Dmitri came to stand in front of him, still not saying anything.

Mihir looked heavenward. “Come on, just say what you have to say. I haven’t got all day.”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Dmitri asked. “It’s her, and she’s always been your weakness.”

“She’s not my weakness.”

“I suppose then you can clear the air with her once and for all,” Dmitri stated.

No one in his staff would ever dare to speak to him so casually, but Dmitri wasn’t just staff anymore. He’d been with Alexander for years and had chosen to continue working with Mihir and his brothers after Alexander had passed. They all trusted him immensely, and they spoke openly in front of him, which meant he was privy to Mihir’s past with Anna.

Mihir shot him an annoyed look. “Can you, for once, mind your own business?”

“That is what I am doing. Caring for you is my business. Your father told me to look out for you all, but especially you. He knew you were sad. Once I learned about her?—”

“—by eavesdropping,” Mihir remarked.

In response, Dmitri only glared at him.

“She’s here to interview me, Dmitri,” Mihir reasoned. “Nothing else. Please, can you wipe that frown from your forehead?”

“Just be careful…” he said. “I don’t want you to get hurt, so for God’s sake, don’t do anything stupid.”

“Stop treating me like a child.”

“Stop acting like one.”

With a last reprimanding look, Dmitri left the study. Mihir huffed, shaking his head, reminding himself that their butler meant well and that he was fond of all of them, especially him.

Mihir walked to the window. This late at night, it was dark outside. Heavy snow blanketed the grounds of his home here in Moscow. It was snowing even now, and despite the closed windows, he could hear the wind howling. December was always too cold here, the weather fiercely unpredictable. It was raining some days, some days it snowed, and once in a while, the sun shone bright. He hoped Anna would adjust to this weather during her short stay here.

A current shot down his nape. He turned, and there she was, her hand raised to knock on his door. The anticipation that had been building in his chest for the last whole week finally settled.

She gave him a tentative smile as she moved toward him. He took her in. Her face had that rosy glow back again. Her gait was normal, with no hint of pain as she moved. She seemed fine, like she had recovered well from that attack. He heaved out a relieved breath. Dressed in black leather pants, a maroon roll-neck sweater, a black trench coat, black ankle boots, and black leather gloves, she was well covered for the weather. With her hair flowing in silky waves down her back, her lips painted nude, and her nose a cute red from the cold, she was absolutely stunning. Beautiful.

His body hardened. Fuck. His body had its own mind when it came to her. She only had to be around him for it to remind him that she was what it wanted. Desperately.

He shut all his scandalous thoughts and focused on her.

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