Her words manage to make me chuckle. I lean against her chest and hug her tightly. She’s been nothing but a good friend to me over the past three months.
She caresses my head and whispers against my hair, “I will miss you, my sexy American girl.”
Saying goodbye to Alicia broke my heart into a gazillion pieces. It felt worse than leaving Yeva behind and getting into that jet without knowing where I was heading. The one person who held my hands for the past months in London was her.
This morning before I left, I gave her all my clothes and kept only a pair of jeans and a tight, black long-sleeved shirt that I’m wearing at the moment. Along with my small bag and purse.
Walking into the hair salon, a beautiful dark-haired hairstylist rushes toward me.
“Hi, love, do you have an appointment?”
I smile timidly at her and shake my head.
“No, I didn’t make one. I was wondering if I could get a haircut.”
“Of course. What’s the occasion?”
Hugging myself and looking past her at all the beautiful women who are laughing and making conversation with each other all while getting their hair done, I say, “New beginning.”
She grins widely at me and extends her hand out to me.
“I love new beginnings. Come with me.”
Elena
Standing before the mirror, I don’t recognize the woman in it anymore. With my shoulder-length hair and my bright, red lipstick. I run my fingers through my hair. It’s so short now and I don’t even remember the last time I had it at this length.
The sound of the loud announcement reminds me I’m in the airport waiting to board the plane. I grab my purse and my backpack and head back to the waiting area. I’m nervous like a high schooler who’s about to go into class in her new high school.
I can’t believe I’m going back to be in Maksim’s arms once again. After being a free woman and experiencing the life I’ve always dreamed of having, I still couldn’t find the happiness I thought I was going to find. Life truly means nothing to me if he’s not in it. And as I board the plane and put my seat belt on, I realize that out of the many things London taught me over the past few months, the biggest lesson of it all was discovering I truly am fucked up for wanting to go back to the one man any other woman would have been running away from.
I spent nights digging deeply in the darkest corners of my mind, searching for that one reason that’ll convince me he’s nothing but a beast. But the problem is, that’s exactly who I fell deeply in love with—the beast in him that understands the darkness that lurks inside of me. I feel stronger, powerful, and ready for whatever is yet to come. Because for the first time in my life, I know what I need rather than what I want and I’m following it no matter what it takes.
The cab drops me off right in front of the Pavlovs’ residence. It’s been a long flight coming back home but somehow, standing in front of what I once called a prison sends a chill down my spine as fresh energy fills me. I grab my bags and walk over to the security guard standing in front of the big front gates.
“Hi, my name’s Elena and I’m here to see Mr. Pavlov. Is he home?” I ask softly, hoping the young gentleman doesn’t notice how badly my lower lip is shaking.
“I don’t have you on the list of visitors. Which means you can’t see sir. Have a nice day,” he says firmly with a slight edge to his voice.
I smile warmly at him and mumble underneath my breath, “You must be new.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. Is your boss Mikhail here?”
His eyebrows furrow.
“You know Mikhail?” he asks, intrigued.
“Of course I do. I know everybody in this household.” Looking at the dark, big brown gates, I add, “It used to be my home.”
“Elena? Is that you?”
A voice comes from behind me. I turn around quickly to find Mikhail gaping at me, a hint of confusion and disbelief on his face.
He’s always been a serious man, but I always liked him. I rush toward him and place my arms around his neck. When I pull away, I find him still gazing at me in disbelief.
“What are you doing here?” he asks in almost a whisper.
“I’m back. I need to see Maksim. Is he home?”
Grinning at me for the very first time, he nods and grabs my backpack and purse.
“Let’s get you inside.”
Walking inside brings so many memories. Funny how they are now considered part of the best memories I’ve ever had in my life. My heart skips a beat when I see him standing at the main entrance door with Aleksandr. They seem so deep in their conversation that they only stop when Yeva drops the coffee tray she was carrying.
“Elena?” she says, her mouth hanging open with astonishment.
I wave at her from a distance and she immediately takes off toward me. With my heels on, I run toward her too. Throwing herself in my arms, she starts sobbing uncontrollably, bringing tears of joy to my eyes.
“I can’t believe you’re here. I missed you so much.”
“I miss you even more, Yeva.”
Walking slowly toward where Maksim and Aleksandr are standing, I keep my eyes pinned on Yeva, who’s walking by my side. My heart feels as if it’s being squeezed in my chest. I’m scared to meet his eyes.
But once we took the front entrance stairs, there was no more escape. I lift my chin up and look straight into his eyes. He looks at me like a man in a daze. Unmoving.
Aleksandr’s lips quirk up in a half smile.
“Good to see you again, Elena,” he says and walks away, leaving me and the man I’ve longed to see alone.
“Is this real?” he murmurs.
A tear rolls down my cheek at the sound of his voice. God, how much I missed his mesmerizing voice.
“I was gonna ask you the same.”
Staring into my eyes, he grips my hand and tugs me with enough force that I lunge toward him, my mouth opening in a scream. I lean into his touch, savoring the smell of sandalwood that I missed so damn much.
With a muffled gasp, he grabs the nape of my neck and claims my mouth in a passionate kiss. A fire inside of me burns brightly as he kisses me like a starving man.
The moment he pulls away, his eyes travel all over my face. Like he’s still in disbelief that I’m standing right in front of him.
I throw my hands around his warm neck and squeal with delight. He burrows his head in my neck and envelops me within his big, strong arms.
“What are you doing here?” he asks hoarsely.
“I don’t want to be away from you anymore. Did you catch Leonardo yet?”
He pulls his head away from my neck and looks into the depth of my eyes.
“Almost.” His eyes darken to a deeper shade of rich gray.
I rest my palm on his cheek and he leans into my touch, his eyes never leaving me.
“Let’s do it together then. I’m not scared of anybody anymore. I want to be here with you. I came back by myself this time.”
He leans forward until his forehead is leaning against mine.
“You’re fucking crazy for coming back. And if you think I’m ever letting you go again, then you’re wrong.”
My teeth sink into my bottom lip as a jolt of electricity runs through me. The feeling of his cock, hard and stiff against my stomach, reminds me of how much my body missed its owner.
“Prove it,” I murmur softly.
To be continued…
Acknowledgments
To the readers - thank you so much for reading this book. This world and its characters mean so much to me. Elena and Maksim’s story isn’t finished yet. More angst is coming… Just hold on tight, January is around the corner and you’ll have His To Keep (book 2) in your hands!
To my husband, my family and my friends a huge, heart-felt thank you. Don’t know what I’d do without you.
Cheers,
S.S. Richards
About the Author
As a young teenager, S.S.
Richards started creating imaginary friends and could invent a story in her head within a matter of seconds. A gift that lead her into believing she may be “super talented” after all. One day she decided to open her laptop and start feeding words into it, and that’s where it all begun. She decided to make a career out of writing.
Also by S.S. Richards
Billionaire Romances:
The Agreement
Devoted To You
Dark Mafia Romance – Beasts In The Dark Duet:
At His Mercy (Book 1)
His To Keep (Book 2) Coming January 2020
LEARN MORE AT:
www.ssrichardsbooks.com
At His Mercy (Beasts In The Dark, #1) Page 15