Chapter Seventeen Maksim
My first meeting as co-pahkan was a success.
I’d wondered how Dima and I would work together in meetings when usually Father made all the decisions solo.
But we were so much alike, and we knew how to communicate well both with the spoken and the unspoken.
I could read his face for what he was thinking.
Surprisingly, I didn’t have to play peacemaker when it came to Dima and Kellan.
Apparently, they’d made up when Dima went to the gallery after I left.
While the two of them were cool, Kellan’s brothers were still pissed about the torture Kellan had received under my Father’s captivity, which Dima oversaw.
Thankfully, by the end of the dinner, it looked like we could put the past behind us and look to the future. As we started to leave, Kellan walked the two of us out. “I’m sure Dima told you that I’ve asked for Mila’s hand.
I smiled. “Yes, he d-did.”
“I didn’t want you to think I was leaving you out. Not only are you pahkan as well, but you’re Mila’s oldest brother.”
“I’m just her half-brother, so D-Dima speaks for me.”
“Well, like I told Dima, I know you’ll think we haven’t known each other long enough or that our time together has been based on trauma, but I love Mila. I want nothing more in this world than for her to be my wife.”
“Just as D-Dima did, you have my b-blessing.”
A beaming smile lit up Kellan’s face. “Thank you, Maksim.”
With a grin, I said, “It’s you we should b-be thanking for t-taking her off our hands.”
From the foyer, a voice boomed, “I heard that!”
We all chuckled as she came barreling forward. She and the Neretti women hadn’t joined us for dinner since it was a business meeting. As she went to Kellan’s side, Mila’s face softened. “Thank you for your blessing, Maksim.”
“You d-don’t need to t-thank me. Just b-be happy.”
She gazed adoringly up at Kellan. “Oh, I will.”
Dima shook his head with a smile. “Even though Father desperately wanted a marital alliance with the Kavanaughs, he would’ve hated this one.”
“Because it wasn’t his golden child, Annika,” Mila mused.
“I t-think it worked out for t-the best.”
***
When I got back to the house, I found Oleg on high alert in the living room. Gazing around, I asked, “Where’s Sarah?”
“She’s in her room.”
“Did everything go okay?” When his jaw ticked, I cocked my brows. “What?”
“Ms. Whitfield is very talkative.”
I snorted. “Yes, I’m aware of t-that.”
“She was very interested in knowing more about you being pahkan.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I asked, “And how did she find out that information?”
He dipped his head. “It slipped.”
“Did it seem t-to b-bother her?”
“No. She was just curious. I decided it was best to distance myself from her then since your orders were clear on how to interact.”
“I appreciate t-that.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
“You can retire to the pool house now. I’ll take over inside, and Nazar has the outside perimeter.”
“Yes, sir.”
After climbing the stairs, I made my way to Sarah’s room. As I stood outside, it was quiet. I rapped lightly on the wood. “Sarah?”
When she didn’t respond, I pushed the door open. My gaze spun around the room looking for her. At the sight of it being empty, my chest clenched. Had she given Oleg the slip and run away?
Just as I was about to turn to start tearing through the house, a moan came from the bathroom. Fuck, was she hurt? I rushed forward across the bedroom. When I got to the bathroom, I raised my fist to pound on the door when another low moan came from within.
My hand froze.
It wasn’t a moan of pain.
It was one of pleasure.
Fuck me.
Gently, I cracked open the door. A burst of steamy, moist air rushed at me. Once it cleared, I peeked through the crack.
This is wrong. You shouldn’t be doing this. You’ve already betrayed her about your true identity. Are you really going to invade her privacy while watching her pleasure herself?
Through the glass shower doors, Sarah leaned against the opposite side.
Her eyes were pinched shut, and she had her plump bottom lip between her teeth.
One leg was thrown onto the marble seat while one of her hands pumped her fingers in and out of her pussy.
Her free hand squeezed one of her breasts.
My cock immediately swelled in my pants at both the sight and sounds before me. It took everything within me not to throw open the door and stalk over to her. After all, I had what she needed–a ready and willing cock and the ability to give her multiple orgasms.
Somehow, I didn’t think it was me she was currently fantasizing about. Instead, it was the Beast. That fact was both infuriating and enticing.
But I wanted her to want me, not my persona.
I knew it was going to take time to get there. The Beast was part of her kink, and I wasn’t. Of course, she was going to want him. I just didn’t know how to bridge the two of them together.
And even though it was so fucking wrong, I decided not to try to do that tonight.
Tonight I would change into a shirt with a high neck and slip on gloves so I could hide the tattoos that would identify me as Maksim’s.
Tonight I would swathe myself with the cologne I’d worn as the Beast, so I wouldn’t smell like Maksim.
Tonight, I would give Sarah not what she needed, but what she wanted.
I would give her the Beast.