The Life She Wished For (Birds of Paradise Book 2)

by ChaShiree M.

  A well-put together man, who keeps himself in impeccable shape with kickboxing, MMA, and lots of running. Undoubtedly, she is able to guess that I am wealthy, and I take my health and hygiene seriously. But most importantly what I hope she sees is a man capable of being everything to her, because I know she will be everything to me.

  When I finally reach her, impulsively I lift a piece of hair from her beautiful face, hoping it will make her look at me so I can see her eyes. She shivers at that simple contact, but she still will not look at me. She attempts to turn her body away from me, and that I cannot allow. I will never allow her to hide herself from me again and before this night is over, I will make sure she knows it. From this moment forward, she will belong to me. Everything about her will be mine. Her fears, hopes, dreams, laughter, tears, moans, orgasms, everything. It will all be MINE.

  With the thought set in my head, I reach and grab her thigh as she tries to get away from me. Taking my two fingers, I put them under her chin to gaze upon the eyes of the woman that has stolen the order from my life. The minute she lifts them, I am unable to stop the four words before they exit my God damn mouth

  “`tchyo za ga `lima?” Translation, What the fuck? I mean, what the ever loving fuck. I’m screwed. There is nothing else for it. What the hell am I supposed to do with this Angel? She looks like the fucking Goddess of light. I can see halos and everything. Fuck! This just changed all my shit up. Time to wipe some shit out and get rid of fluff.

  I will deal with that later though. Right now, I want to get lost in her eyes. I am looking into two of the most innocently beautiful, translucent gold, eyes I have ever seen. The two orbs attached to this cherub, beautiful, baby face, have revealed so much to me within 30 seconds than I have ever learned from any woman I have dated before. The depth of these eyes shows innocence, fear, doubt, and pain. Unlike anything I would ever wish on her, there is desire, lust; and the one that guts me the most is hope.

  I can’t help but take in all that encompasses her. Her scent alone is driving me mad. It’s like a mixture of peaches and jasmine. It’s sweet and succulent at the same time, making my mouth-water.

  Not to mention this piece of material she calls a dress, and how it barely reaches her mid-thigh. For crying out loud, I don’t even think it passes the fingertip test. That wouldn’t be a problem except for the fact she is curvy and delicious in all of the right places. It makes the dress more revealing than I am sure even she approves of, given how many times she has adjusted the hem since she has been in here.

  The dress is a stunning emerald green color, which does wonders for her already luscious hair with shimmers, calling attention to the rest of her. The top of the dress is modest, and for that I am thankful; but it does nothing to distract from her bountiful cleavage. The more I take in her attire, the more territorial and pissed I get. She is on display for all the lowlifes in here and I want to pull her over my knee and spank her little ass, though there is nothing little about that ass. Fuck!

  I offer my hand to shake because; frankly, if I do anything else she will be under me before the night is out. It feels like my hand is out there waiting forever before she takes it. Her dainty soft hand in my rough one pulls on something in my chest, and I must fight harder to not go all caveman 5.0 on her.

  “Hello, Precious. My name is Mikhail. Who might I have the honor of being graced with this very unexpected night?”

  I need to keep my eyes on her to see what her reaction is to me, and if she is feeling the pull as much as I am. Hopefully she can read in my eyes everything I want to convey to her without having to say it out loud and scare the holy hell out of her. Eventually she will have no choice but to capitulate, because I mean to have her and I will not be deterred.

  I almost believe she won’t tell me her name. Then I hear the most beautiful melodic sound swirling around me. It is only when she starts to retract her hand from mine that I realize the music I hear is her voice.

  “I’m sorry Precious. I was so caught up in your essence I missed your answer. Please forgive an ‘old’ man and repeat what you said.”

  “Phoenix. My name is Phoenix.”

  Against my will, I find myself in a full out belly laugh. It is almost out of my control. I mean seriously, Phoenix? It’s like BOG (God) himself has slapped me over the head with a sign. Phoenix was the name of the first company I started when I came to the U.S. I gave it the name because I felt as if the minute I stepped onto American soil, I was reborn. And for that to be her name, could it be even more perfect?

  There I go sounding like a sappy ass. Shit! This is going to be a long life. She is already turning me into an old man. But what the hell can I do? She is meant for me; and whatever I must do, be or say, it will happen.

  My angel is looking at me like I have lost my mind. I realize what my laughter must have looked like to her. I see hurt and confusion pass across her face fleetingly, and it makes me feel 50 shades of asshole.

  “I’m so sorry precious. I was not laughing at you or your name like funny ha-ha. It was more a laugh of destiny us meeting like this, and I couldn’t help but laugh at my good fortune. You understand?”

  She nods her head conveying she understands, but I can see she really doesn’t.

  “Phoenix, may I ask what you are doing in a place like this by yourself at this time of night?”

  “I am supposed to be meeting my sisters here. They are running late, though my oldest sister should be here any minute.”

  “Ah. I see. I thought maybe you were meeting a boyfriend or something here. Not that it would have mattered, but I prefer to know what I am up against. Do you have a boyfriend Phoenix?”

  “No. I don’t have a boyfriend.” I hear it, but just barely.

  “Da. That’s good Precious. I would hate to break someone’s neck for thinking you belong to them when you belong to me, but I would. I would maim to get to you Myshka. But, you don’t need to worry your beautiful flaming head about that. We will get to that later. For now, tell me about the woman that has ensnared me.”

  Who is this guy and how did he get a direct line into my head? I mean seriously, it’s like someone went into my dreams and plucked him straight out of them. When I imagine the type of man I want to belong to and live out my days with; I imagine someone like him.

  I envision a man who takes what he wants but gives just as much. A man that is strong, virile, intelligent, established, sexy, funny, and compassionate. He will also love and protect me unapologetically. My dream man will protect me at all costs; even from myself, without stifling the person I have yet to become. He will show me how desirable I am every day, while also showing me I am his world. And he will do all this knowing I will worship him.

  And I will.

  The man standing in front of me oozes all of those things and I have to wonder what beautiful GOD, or evil Satan, put him in my path. His proximity to me allows me to pick up nuances in his speech. I can clearly hear a slight accent in his deep booming voice. It has a European sound in nature, but I am unable to ascertain where from. It’s slight. I figure he has been in this country for a while. He must have been old enough to not fully lose the tongue of his native country; and it makes him hotter. What can I say? Apparently, I am a sucker for a man with an accent.

  I am biting my lip, but what do you expect. It is all I can do to stop myself from saying embarrassing things and giving away exactly how immature and young I am. I knew when I picked this dress that it would give me an air of maturity, but I never imagined it would attract someone like him.

  I hear a chuckle from my mystery guy and it’s then I realize he asked a question that I have yet to answer. Shoot. Think Phoenix. What did he ask you? Don’t blow it before you even get a chance. Damn it. I am so hopeless.

  “It’s ok Myshka. The feeling is mutual. I too am losing myself around you.” He is smiling while kissing my hand. I must say I am so out of it I didn’t even notice he had my hand in his. This is so bad. I’m in so much trouble; and in
over my head.

  “So Krasivyy, tell me something about you. Anything.”

  This is the difficult part. There is nothing remotely interesting about me that would impress someone like him without making him feel sorry for me. I despise pity.

  “Well to start, I go to the University for community health. I have four brothers and three sisters, all-older than me. I like apples, late night walks, and I love my family.”

  I know this is nowhere near efficient, but I am hoping he lets it go for now.

  “Very well Kotenok. I am more than certain there is more to the story, but seeing as how we just met, I will give you time to know you can trust me enough to tell me all your secrets. Besides, we have our whole lives to get to the deep, dark, and dirty stuff. Right Myshka?”

  It feels as if my eyes are going to pop out of my head. The thing that has me bugging out is not the threat, but instead the idea that this beautiful man would be considering me for anything in the future.

  “Whole lives? Why would you assume something like that? We don’t even know each other.”

  “Do you believe in fate, Phoenix? Are you the type of young lady who believes everything happens for a reason? Because I do. I believe you were sent into this club, on this very day, because some angel or GOD knew I would be here today. I never come here because it is one of the seediest places in this damn town; and I stay away from places like this. But for some reason my associate picked this place to meet to discuss some information. Right as I was about leave, in walks you; an angel in green and red. So, I have to say I am a believer.”

  If only he knew. “Yes. I am a believer.”

  “Good. You want to get out of here? I have it on good authority you enjoy walks, and it happens to be a great day for one.”

  His face at this moment transforms into one filled with light and a playfulness. His eyes have acquired a twinkle that I associate to a little boy getting filled with a quirky type of excitement, and it makes me feel giddy. My stomach tightens, and my heart constricts; in that moment all I want to do is make sure that look stays on his face forever. He looks carefree as he jokes and smirks at me. I have a feeling he doesn’t get a lot of moments like these and that makes me sad for him.

  “I would love to go for a walk with you, but I cannot leave without seeing my sisters first and making sure they are ok. So, I can’t.”

  “Ah, my little mouse, alas I will keep you company and wait for your sisters as well. But promise me something Myshka?”

  I would promise him anything just to keep this feeling of warmth and hope I haven’t ever felt in my life.

  “What?” I ask him.

  “Promise me once your sisters arrive, you will go for a walk with me. No more excuses. Da. Yes?”

  I know I should say no, with all the new sensations going through my body; and because I don’t know this man from Adam. But I know, if I turn this chance down, I might never know, and I will wonder for the rest of my life…what if? My brothers are going to kill me, but it is time I am normal and date. I need to have fun and experience the good and bad; and what better way to start than with him.

  So, I say” Yes. I will walk with you.”

  “Khorosho. Good. Until then, what would you like to talk about?”

  “You. Tell me about you.”

  At this request he almost looks uncomfortable. It raises a flag or two, but not enough to make me walk away. No. It would take a lot more for me to walk away from him. In these few short minutes, I feel like somehow my future rests with him. I will do nothing to deter from that; unless he turns out to be an absolute liar, and asshole.

  I’m not sure he will answer the question and I can’t say if he doesn’t I won’t be disappointed. Maybe he is shy about his past. I am no expert on men, but I know my brothers; they hardly like to talk about anything having to do with themselves. I assume all men are like this and if I want one to love me, this is one of the things I will have to put up with. As I begin to ponder this he surprises me yet again and answers.

  “Well mouse, there is not much to tell. I was born in Russia. An American couple doing relief work at an orphanage there adopted me and raised me there until I was ten. When I was ten my parents were killed trying to rescue a prostitute from an abusive pimp. As the sole heir to their estate, a guardian who was no better than the pimp that killed them, raised me. I was sixteen when I finally escaped him and came to America with my inheritance, and never looked back. I went to school, focused, planned, stayed out of trouble, and built my empire. That is pretty much it Myshka.”

  I am so sad for him. What a hard beginning he had. I can’t help but be impressed with how he picked himself up and went after what he wanted. That is the type of man that would protect me with his life and make sure I was secure and provided for.

  Just the idea of security makes my insides quiver. What does it say about me that the idea of being taken care of is what turns me on? Does it make me pathetic? Or desperate? I really wish my… “ding” the sound of the bell above the door has me looking up. Finally, in walks Fae.

  I am situated in a way she won’t see me right away; not until she is seated at the bar and, I must admit, I am kind of happy about that. Don’t get me wrong I am glad she is here, but…well… darn it; now I feel bad even thinking it. Does it make me a bad person to not want my sister to take his attention away from me?

  It’s just that my sisters are all the most beautiful women I have ever seen, and I’m just…me. I don’t want him to take one look at her and decide I’m the consolation prize. The other thing is, she will come over here and immediately begin interrogating him. Given the circumstances of my dad, I get it, but he might figure I’m not worth the hassle and walk away. In either of those scenarios, I lose. I’m hoping for once, she will let me be for the night and finally find some companionship for herself tonight.

  A girl can dream right?

  As Fae walks in and moves around the bar, I know she has seen me. This is the sister who doesn’t miss a thing. To my surprise, Fae does not attempt to invade or interrogate. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy about this, but I can’t help but wonder, why? It is so unlike her and a part of me is worried something is wrong. Fae is the oldest girl and the strongest of all my sisters. She is brave and has more guts than any of us. I honestly don’t know where she got it.

  When she was sixteen and I was nine, she ran away from home. She disappeared for a whole year. I have found in the outside world that running away is a normal occurrence, while in the compound where I grew up, kids didn’t do stuff like that. For her to find a way out and manage to remain undetected was amazing.

  For the three of us left behind it was scary. Our father is the leader of a cult and an evil man. The things he did to find out if we knew where she was…well let’s just say I still have nightmares. Fae has no idea what he did because we swore to never tell and put more guilt on her. I am not sure we were successful at hiding our pain; because ever since she came back, she has been in a self-induced exile.

  Deciding to table my curiosity for later, I return my attention to Mikhail. I am half hoping he has walked away and saved me from the embarrassment of proving how immature I am. The other half is hoping his attention is elsewhere to give me a chance to study him better. But neither of those things has happened. When I turn back to him, he is staring at me like he has every right to. His eyes, though kind and clear, are hazy and studded. He is slowly caressing every inch of my body with his eyes, taking time to appreciate every nook and cranny. I am not sure how I feel about it.

  No. No, that’s a lie. I know exactly how I feel about it; scared, incredible, and seriously turned on. Well…I’m assuming the feeling I am having is what being turned on feels like, at least I hope so. I feel tingly and squirmy. My lady area is feeling a bit damp as well. So, I would think turned on is the current state of myself.

  However, my heart is beating about 100 mph. I start to perspire and try to look everywhere but at him. With what is being said, I a
m riveted to the spot watching him watch me. I want to know what he sees and thinks as he is studying me. It makes me feel brave enough to ask him. There is something about being in his presence that makes me feel safe; enough to be who I am and not be afraid. That is a major feat all by itself.

  As I prepare to open my mouth to say something, the ding of the bell above the door once again spurs me to turn around and see Kea and Quetzal walk in. I take the deepest sigh of relief because they made it. I feel myself starting to rise and walk over to them when I feel a hand on my arm and the voice that is quickly becoming my favorite tune.

  “Nah ah Myshka. Where do you think you are going? I assume those were the last two sisters you were waiting on. Yes?”

  Totally startled by how perceptive he is, all I can do is nod my head.

  “Khorosho. Good. Then it is time for our walk, right? You did promise me. Did you not?”

  I don’t remember promising. I mean, did I? I thought I said I would go for a walk with him. Maybe I did promise. Crap. I don’t know. Somehow, I think I would agree to anything he said just to remain in his presence.

  “I did say I would go on a walk with you. I fully intend to. I just need to go and tell my sisters where I am going.” I get up from the stool and suddenly I am confronted with how big he is. Standing in front of him with 3in heels on, I still only reach to the middle of his chest. I don’t even make it to the bottom of his chin. What the hell have I been thinking? This man can and will crush me in more ways than one. He couldn’t possibly want something to do with me.

  I have an overwhelming feeling of failure come over me, and I know the tears are not far behind. I clear my throat preparing myself to end this swiftly. Before I can lift my chin and muster the courage to do this and then flee, I am up and off my feet. I feel myself fly but it’s not until his mouth crushes against mine that I realize what he was doing.