The first thing I do upon arrival at my hotel is power up my laptop, open the video feed from Slavaâs room, and check that my son is peacefully asleep.
He is. The car-shaped nightlight he likes us to leave on illuminates his sleeping features, revealing a tiny fist tucked underneath his sweetly rounded cheek. My heart thumps harder at the sight, a now-familiar ache spreading through my chest. I donât understand it any more than I understand my growing obsession with his tutor, but I canât deny itâs there, as real and concrete as my hatred for the woman who gave birth to him.
For Ksenia, and the entire Leonov viper clan.
Rage kindles in my stomach, and I wrench my thoughts away from them. Tomorrow will be soon enough to deal with their latest sabotage; tonight, I have more pleasant things to think about.
Opening a new window, I bring up the feed from the webcam on Chloeâs laptop, and a warm glow spreads through me as her pretty face fills the screen. Despite the late hour, sheâs awake, her smooth forehead creased in a frown as she peers intently at her computer. She must be doing something online because I can see her browser being active, and when I go into her search history, Iâm pleased to find her researching me.
I was hoping sheâd be thinking about me, just as Iâm thinking about her.
She has no idea I can see this, of course. The laptop I gave her is from a special batch altered by one of Konstantinâs shadier ventures. It looks like a regular brand-new Mac but comes pre-installed with undetectable spyware that allows us to keep an eye on all sorts of influential businesspeople and politicians.
Many a business deal was pushed through thanks to this handy software and the secrets it has revealed.
I watch her for a few minutes, amused by her attempts to read an article from a Russian newspaper using free web translation tools. She wrinkles her nose in the most adorable way when puzzled, and her eyes go from wide to narrow and back, her teeth frequently tugging at her lower lip. I want to bite that plump lip and soothe it with a kiss, then do the same all over her delicious little body.
My cock stirs at the thought, and I take a breath to distract myself from the heat building inside me. As enjoyable as it is to observe her, what I want even more is to talk to her, to hear her soft, husky voice and see her sunny smile. I miss that smile.
Fuck, I miss her.
Itâs ridiculous, I knowâI just met her this week, and weâve been apart less than a dayâbut thatâs the way it is, thatâs the inevitability of it all. Fate brought her to me, and now sheâs mine, even if she doesnât know it yet. If not for this trip, sheâd already be in my arms, but the Leonovs stuck their dirty paws into our business and here we are.
Drawing in another settling breath, I open Konstantinâs video software and place the call.