Chapter 11 Avoid
Chapter eleven
Avoid
Kira did the only thing she could do to escape the aftermath of this stupid ‘intervention.’ She left, but she was kind enough to give a note, like he had done to her. And if her leaving pissed him off, then good.
She had her sister’s driver come pick her up, but because the gate was closed, she waited just outside it. A guard stared at her, and she was sure he called Maxim, but she was gone before anything could be done about it.
Maxim was an asshole for accusing her. He knew nothing about her life, and he hadn’t even tried to learn since they were married nearly two months ago.
He chose to be a stranger so he couldn’t act like he cared now.
She certainly didn’t need a savior so he needed to keep his nose out of business that didn’t pertain to him.
Luerna was waiting for her when she arrived, and hugging her felt like relief.
Tears burned the back of her eyes, and she dabbed them away, laughing when she saw Luerna do the same thing.
They were six years apart, but Luerna had taken on the role of motherhood because their own mother was mainly drug-induced and barely mentally coherent.
Kira didn’t want to talk about anything to do with Maxim and focused entirely on Luerna, and her sister was happy to do so because, though she was like a mother Kira never had, she was depressed and never hid this fact from anyone.
It made hiding any self-esteem issues easy because Luerna was more focused on her own pain than on noticing anyone else’s.
Kira sat on the couch, surrounded by her three nephews and one niece. She missed their voices and, for a while, nothing bothered her.
“Won’t you tell me anything about Maxim?” Luerna questioned, sitting with a cup of coffee in between her manicured fingernails.
Kira sighed, combing her fingers through her niece’s hair as they watched a movie. “He’s grumpy.”
Luerna giggled. “Is there any other way?”
“I just thought it would be different. Why couldn’t I get someone like Alexei? Heck, I’d even take someone like Gil.”
Luerna snorted, nearly spitting up her coffee as she laughed. “Oh, god, could you imagine? The amount of sexual innuendos he’d come up with on a daily basis would send me to the psycho ward.”
“Okay, then like Alexei.”
“Alexei is rare.” She smiled. Their brother was one of the good men in the world. “But remember, even he has anger issues.”
“Not as bad as Adrik.” Kira pointed. “That’s Maxim. Kind of like Adrik. All grump. No shine.”
Luerna giggled. “Then you can be the shine.”
“I would love to. If he would give me the time of day. He’s avoided me since we got married.”
“See, I love it when Rurik avoids me.”
Kira shook her head, smiling.
Luerna set her coffee cup down. “I, uh, see you’ve kept the weight off.”
Kira didn’t like this redirection. “Yep. Been working out every day. Eating healthy. I love having my own place. No offense, but to finally have a house all to myself is freeing. Have you ever thought about moving?”
“Rurik would never. He’s got everything right where he wants it. I try to move a single vase and I’m in for it.”
Kira chewed her lip, noticing the way her sister eyed everything in the house like it was all covered in slime.
She hated living in this house. There were cameras, listening devices, and guards in random corners.
It made Kira appreciate her new place more, and surprisingly, she was ready to go back home.
Home. She realized she called Maxim’s mansion home.
A guard came into the room and leaned down into Luerna’s ear. “Maxim Morozov is at the gate.”
She looked at Kira with wide eyes. “Uh oh.”
Kira ‘tsked.’ “Unbelievable.”
The girls stood, leaving the kids in the room, as Maxim’s limo pulled up the drive. “He’s not going to hurt you, is he?” Luerna hugged her arm protectively.
“I’d never allow it. I’ll cut him if he tries.”
“Kira–”
“It was a joke. What would you do if Rurik hit you?”
Luerna pressed a smile. “Runaway with my secret lover.”
Kira laughed, falling into her sister.
Maxim got out of the car, buttoning his jacket as he approached.
Kira sucked in a breath. She didn’t think she would ever get used to how amazing he looked.
He edged his beard, and the thin layer of hair on his head was faded perfectly.
And perhaps the one main thing that got her attention was the silver wedding band around his ring finger.
It was insane to know that such a man belonged to her.
He kissed Kira’s cheek and then Luerna’s. “Ladies. Sorry to interrupt, but my brother invited us to a dinner party tonight. I will need to steal back my wife.”
Kira watched him with a sneer. How could he be so pleasant in front of others? Why did strangers get a better greeting than she ever did? How was that fair?
“I brought a dress.” He motioned to the driver, and the man ran up with a dress bag, passing it to one of Luerna’s servants. “If you would please get ready.”
Kira could show defiance, but it was something that Luerna would do. It wasn’t how she ever wanted to be. If Maxim could be nice, so could she. “Give me half an hour.” She smiled and went inside.
The dress was skin-tight, and Kira had to wiggle into it.
The top was a halter, squeezing her breasts to a point she could barely breathe, and there was a long slit on the thigh, nearly reaching her panty line.
Luerna clipped her hair, a process that would have taken Kira an hour, but took Luerna ten minutes.
Her sister had much practice in getting all three of the Morozov daughters ready for whatever event their father had set up.
She was better than most hairstylists and knew how to do just the right amount of makeup.
Kira smiled in the mirror, disappointed that despite all the changes, she still didn’t feel beautiful enough.
It was difficult getting the car. The slit only rose higher, and she placed her hand over it as she sat in the seat. Maxim was on the opposite side, watching her with amusement.
Maxim knew the dress would look amazing on her, but he didn’t know how much it would turn him on.
Why did she have to be so beautiful? This distance thing could work if he weren’t physically attracted to her.
Or if he could sleep with a random woman whenever he found himself struggling.
It would make things so much easier. But as it were, he was annoyingly faithful, and that meant blue balls every time he was in Kira’s presence.
Maxim shifted uncomfortably. He had a direct view of her breasts, and with every inhale she took, they only got bigger. Then the slit along her leg, showing the creamy skin of her thigh. He turned his gaze away, lest he get caught drooling like a pubescent teen.
Kira kept fidgeting, however, and it brought his attention back to her. She pulled down the slit as it rode high up her thigh. Then he noticed the problem and had an easy solution. “Take off your underwear.”
“Excuse me?”
“I can see it. Take it off.”
“No.”
“You want me to do it for you?” Maxim moved to approach.
“No! I got it.” Kira shifted, but glared at him. It wasn’t the most unheard of. Her sisters used to go commando all the time. But she had never done it. “Close your eyes.”
Maxim remained staring. He was in no way, shape, or form closing his eyes.
Kira grit her teeth. She didn’t know if it was anxiety churning in her belly or arousal.
Unwilling to be taunted, she dug in through the slit at her thigh and yanked down her panties, making sure he saw nothing.
She struggled with the heel, pulling the panties, and when they finally snapped off, Kira held them up. “You want to put them in your pocket?”
Maxim cleared his throat and looked away.
He thought about reaching for it. He’s never been so tempted a day in his life.
But it was a joke to her, no doubt. She knew how to be seductive, adopting a more innocent persona.
She had to, to back up her ‘I’m a virgin’ lie.
He wasn’t going to fall prey to her fake pleasantries so easily.
Even if his body wasn’t exactly agreeing with that.
Kira hid her smirk. Why did she get the feeling he was turned on?
The tension in the car was no longer so miserable.
Why? What good was it to flirt with her?
What did he want? Or was he feeling sorry for her?
A sick girl with a disorder needed attention, so here he was, trying to be a knight in shining armor?
Her humor died, and all the good feelings dissipated.
He wasn’t attracted to her. He was pitying her.
“Did you eat yet?”
The question sparked anger. “Why? You gonna be monitoring my food intake from now on?”
Maxim folded his hands in his lap. “‘You gonna?’” He mocked her slang. “We are going to a dinner party. I was simply wondering if you were hungry.”
Kira chewed her lips in stubbornness. “No. Luerna made me a big lunch.”
Maxim nodded and looked out the window. He hid his disappointment. He asked Luerna if Kira had eaten, and the answer was no. Did he call her out on it? Did he let it go? It wasn’t something he had any expertise in.
Kira sighed. “Listen. I’m sorry about this morning. I must have forgotten to eat last night, and then we had that fight, and I didn’t eat this morning. It’s not a big deal. Can we just move on?”
“Sure.”
“Good.” She smiled, but she was sure he was doing it for Lazar’s benefit and not hers. Either way, for once, he wasn’t running away. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a benefit tonight for some charity my brother’s involved in. I wasn’t planning on going, but Lazar is very particular about certain things, and I don’t fight it.”
Kira dared to ask, “Are you two close?”
“Yes.” Maxim sighed, checking his watch. “He was all I had growing up after our parents were killed.”
“What happened?”
“The Rostova war. They got caught in the middle of it. It was their fault.”
Kira didn’t know anything about the Rostova war, but she didn’t question it. She liked his talking, but she wanted positive things. “You said your brother is married.”
“Yes. Trina. I’m sure you’ll like her. She likes to pretend like you.”
Kira rolled her eyes and gave up. At least she got a few words out of him before he clammed up.
She didn’t know why he was so closed off, but being in the mafia probably hadn’t awarded him many trusted friends.
He saw a wife as someone who could betray him at a moment’s notice. It must be stressful being so paranoid.
Kira twisted her fingers in her lap. She usually enjoyed dinner parties because her father would show her off and have her play the piano or the violin.
But this wasn’t going to be Morozov territory.
It would be Lazar’s, and that caused more nervousness than anything else.
She may have taken his flirtation too seriously, but she still couldn’t get the odd feeling out of her gut.
Hopefully, tonight, it would all go well, and she could erase their first encounter.