The Gaze of Others

KAIA

I pulled away from Aleksandr, shattering the enchantment that had held us captive.

My hands tangled in my hair, my heart pounding as if it wanted to escape my chest.

I caught Aleksandr’s frown from the corner of my eye, a clear sign that he was just as frustrated with himself for nearly losing control, and probably blaming me for it too.

Could it be that he almost kissed me?

Being around Aleksandr stirred something within me that I didn’t even know existed. A yearning. A deep, dark need that intensified with every squeeze of his hand around my throat.

Was there something wrong with me—how my body reacted to his aggression? Was it wrong that I wanted to provoke him, to challenge him, just so he would touch me?

He was the first man whose touch didn’t make me cringe. On the contrary, part of me ~craved~ it.

I wasn’t fooling myself. Aleksandr was dominant in every sense of the word. I had no doubt he would be even more so in bed.

There was no way someone like me could ever be enough for him. It was best to let that fantasy die right now. Before anything happened between us. Before he made it difficult for me to do what I knew had to be done.

Niko exited the car and opened the back door for us.

Aleksandr buttoned his jacket and was about to slide out when I grabbed his forearm, panic coursing through me again.

He turned back to me in the back seat, his brow furrowed.

“Is it safe for me to be here?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. If these other men discovered my past with Cristo, they might not be so welcoming.

Aleksandr took my hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Do you think I’d bring you here if I thought you were in any danger?” he asked.

When I didn’t answer, he pulled me out of the car.

“Come on. Stay close to me. You don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to.”

I stepped out of the car, surprised when Aleksandr bent down to adjust the train of my dress, letting it flow behind me as we walked toward what appeared to be a red carpet.

“So I just cling to your arm and look pretty, is that it?” I teased, leaning in so he could hear me over the blaring horns, pulsating music, and photographers shouting his name.

I didn’t hear his chuckle, but I felt it through the arm I was holding onto.

Standing next to him, I felt like a princess entering a ball on the arm of a prince. Or in this case, a King.

Aleksandr cut an impressive figure with his chiseled features and the way his muscular body filled out his tuxedo.

I just hoped I could match his elegance.

Camera flashes blinded me. Then more.

I froze, my feet rooted to the spot. I’d forgotten that besides being ~pakhan,~ Aleksandr was also incredibly wealthy and, not to mention, a widower.

This made him one of the city’s most eligible bachelors. A fact one reporter shouted at us, asking if he was now off the market while looking pointedly at me.

“I don’t want to take any photos,” I whispered, glancing up at him, wondering if he would be upset if I didn’t.

He looked down at me and gently brushed a finger across my cheek.

“All right,” he said.

Ignoring the photographers’ demands for photos, Aleksandr guided me past them and straight toward the large glass doors, which two valets swung open as we approached.

I let out a sigh of relief, and Aleksandr glanced at me, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Better?” he asked.

I was about to respond when I noticed every pair of eyes in the room on us. Then the whispers began.

I instinctively stepped back, ready to flee. Aleksandr, sensing my panic, guided me toward a hallway used by the servers.

He found a secluded spot and pressed me against the wall, his body shielding me from view.

His tall stature and broad shoulders blocked my view of anyone passing by, and vice versa.

“Take a breather, kotik,” he murmured. His voice was soothing, and his proximity helped to calm my racing heart.

I raised my hands to his chest, intending to push him away, but instead, I found myself tracing the soft fabric of his shirt, inhaling his spicy cologne as I took deep, calming breaths.

“What’s got you so scared, Kaia?” His voice was patient, which was a surprise. The mix of gentleness and authority was a magnet I couldn’t seem to resist.

Aleksandr was proving to be a mystery, and I had a thing for puzzles. But could I let him in? Could I reveal my true self?

It was getting more difficult to keep my guard up. He was far more adept at this game than I was.

“Why do you insist on showing me off like a trophy?” I shot back, frustrated by the way he was making me feel.

“Are you going to answer my question?” he responded smoothly, disregarding my question entirely.

My fingers clenched on his chest, and I tilted my chin up.

“Are ~you~ going to answer ~me~?”

Aleksandr’s gaze hardened.

“I don’t owe you an explanation, kotik. Not you, not anyone.” His voice was icy. “Now, if you’re not going to answer me, let’s move on.”

He grabbed my arm again, but I stood my ground.

“Hold on.”

He turned to face me, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. He probably thought I was being petulant.

I didn’t want him to see me as a child. I wanted him to look at me the way he did in the car before we were interrupted. He appreciated honesty, so if I wanted that look again, I had to be open.

“There’s something you need to know about me, Aleksandr,” I started softly.

He stepped closer, backing me against the wall again. But this time, his hands remained at his sides, much to my disappointment.

“I’m not used to any of this.” I gestured around us. “The stares. The whispers. I don’t like being the center of attention, and being with you is like wearing a neon sign.”

A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“You’ve got it all wrong, kotik.” He lifted my chin with his thumb. “They’re staring because you’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”

I gasped at his words. Could he really believe that?

“And as for the whispers,” his thumb traced my lower lip, his gaze following the movement, “If anyone says ~anything~ that hurts you or makes you uncomfortable, I’ll handle it… personally. Do you understand?”

The intensity in his eyes told me he meant every word.

I nodded slowly.

Then, as if it took all his willpower, he let his hand fall back to his side.

“Good. Let’s go.”