Yesterday, four years felt like an eternity—more than enough time to flush Mikhail Petrov from my system in all the ways I needed him to be gone. Yet all it took was seeing him exit that car for every memory, every kiss, and every caress to come barreling to the surface.
But the worst was how I felt my heart shatter all over again, like I was that nineteen-year-old girl in his office, feeling like the world was caving in on her.
With a deep breath, I steel my resolve. He won’t shake me. I didn’t come all this way for nothing. Rekindling my relationship with Mikhail is not the reason I’m here. My objective is closure. I’ve tried to seal this door for years, but somehow, it creeps back open when I least expect it. And I can’t move on until all our cards are on the table. Sure, it’s an unconventional way to force a conversation, but when has anything about us been practical?
Sneaking a glance, I notice his rigid posture and the crinkle in his eyebrows, and it’s clear he’s upset and uncomfortable. I don’t blame him. He’s always been such a stickler when it comes to the family business, and my being here is throwing off his entire game plan. But maybe I don’t care.
I shift in my seat, and he tenses.
“Look, I’m sorry.” His emerald-green eyes find mine as he waits for me to continue. “I should have let Rod tell you I’d be taking his place. But I swore him to secrecy and threatened to cut off his balls.”
The hint of a smile touches his lips. “Why go through all that trouble?” “Because you know as well as I do you wouldn’t have agreed to have me.”
“You’re right. We could have met under any other circumstance if that’s what you wanted. Leah, how did you get wrapped up in this?” He leans on the armrest, and his sinful cologne washes over me. “So many unnecessary risks. You deserve better.”
My eyes damn near roll to the back of my head. This is the energy I need to sear the half of my heart stuck in the past. “You know what I deserve, Mikhail? To stop being told by the men in my life what I should and shouldn’t do. What’s good for me and what’s not. That’s why I’m here.”
“So you’re doing this just to prove some point?”
I dig my fingers into the armrests and push to my feet as a flush of anger rises up my neck. “Yeah, the one that flew right over your thick, stubborn head.”
“Where are you going? The seatbelt sign is still on.”
“Case in point. I didn’t know I needed permission to take a piss.”
I click the bathroom lock in place hard enough to nearly break it, then brace my hands on the small sink.
“Channel it, Leah,” I say to myself in a whisper as regret roils in the pit of my stomach when
I realize he still has power over me...but even worse, that I may still love him. I suddenly question my motives, not the ones I’ve convinced myself are true, but those buried in the darkest recesses of my mind, locked away to keep my heart safe. I’ve tried so hard to hate him over the years because, in his eyes, I wasn’t worth fighting for. And when I left, I swore I would never see him again. But the moment the opportunity arose, I jumped.
What am I doing here?
I pull out my phone and punch in a message to Ann, hoping the Wi-Fi connection on this damn plane works.
ME: You were right.
Text bubbles appear and disappear before a message finally pops up.
ANN: Are you okay?
ME: I’m stupid.
ANN: Come home.
ME: I can’t. I have to see this through.
More text bubbles come and go before the next message pops up.
ANN: Guard your heart. You’re worth it. I love you.
Placing my phone on the ledge, I drag in a breath and compose myself, dabbing at an insolent tear beading at the corner of my eye. Two days. I have two days to clear the air and move on...or...
Or what?
Mikhail ends a call the moment he sees me emerge from the bathroom. Curiosity has me narrowing my eyes, but I decide not to question him.
“I’m sorry,” he blurts, almost too fast to understand. And I suddenly wonder what he’s apologizing for. “Leah, it’s been a while, and even though things ended on rocky terms, I am glad to see you.”
The way his voice softens, his eyes lingering and dropping to my lips when he doesn’t think I notice, only blows the damn door open even wider.
“It’s good to see you too.”
“Can I ask you something? But only if you promise not to get upset.”
I scoff and relax in my seat. “People only lead with that when they know they’re about to ask a triggering question. But go on.”
Why he feels the need to creep closer is beyond me, but I hate that I very much don’t hate his proximity.
“How did you convince Rod to let you do this? And does your father know?”
I match his boldness and place my forearms on the armrest, inches from him, knowing damn well he has a clear view down my cami. “My father thinks I’m still in Spain. And as for Rodri, you’d be surprised what a man will agree to under the influence of narcotics.”
He moves closer still, this time not trying to hide that his eyes are focused on my lips, and when I wet them, he draws a hard breath in through his nose. “Why? Why are you here?”
Mikhail’s harsh voice doesn’t match his body language. All the vulnerable pieces of him I once knew are unraveling before me, and I don’t think he realizes it. He’s ruthless and cold to the world, but with me, he’s always been soft and patient.
