Chapter 26
26
A nanya watched Mihir as he sat in the car, staring outside the window. A frown marked his brow. He’d been silent for a long time now.
Holding his hand in hers, she gave it a light tug. He finally looked at her.
“Are you okay?” she asked him.
He nodded. “I just didn’t expect to see him tonight.”
“He came to create trouble, and I am glad to have given it to him. Better me than you.”
Mihir kissed her hand. “You were amazing.”
“He’s an asshole; he deserved it.” She caressed his cheek. “Mihir, about that bounty on your head… Please, don’t take any risks with your life.”
It terrified her that his life was in danger. No, nothing was going to happen to him.
“I won’t. Thank you for protecting me and ensuring I didn’t create a scandal back there.”
“I am glad to be of help.”
She looked down at their hands. Mihir lifted her wrist to his mouth, scraping his teeth down the soft skin there. She shuddered. His eyes lit up, knowing he was flustering her. He continued to caress her wrist.
She loved the way he touched her, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. Her heart warmed with all his attention, craving it and him. God, she was so fucked.
She was still very much in love with Mihir Oshnov. Even imagining a world in which he didn’t live and breathe was impossible. She loved him. She’d never stopped loving him.
However, like a fool, she was hoping for more from him, even when she knew very well that he was incapable of giving her that. Mihir’s finger crept up her arm, and she trembled. She looked up, and her gaze locked with his. Desire sat hot and heavy between them. The very air around them felt charged. There was no way she could deny it. He moved closer at the same time she reached for him.
Her arms wrapped around him just as his mouth captured hers. Pleasure burst through her veins; lust slammed into her gut. She wanted him, badly.
It took her a while to realize the car had stopped moving. He looked as dazed as she felt when she moved away from him. Helping her out of the car, he rushed her up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door behind him. Carrying her in his arms, he dropped her on the bed, stripping her out of her clothes.
“ Ochen krasivo . So beautiful!” His eyes darkened to gold. “I need you, so this time is going to be hard and fast. I’m going to make you mine, Anna.”
Her lips quivered. She was his already. She’d only ever been his. She lifted herself on her elbows watching Mihir quickly shed his clothes. The sight of seeing him naked never got old. He was gorgeous. Stunning. She appreciated every bit of him. Before she could take a breath, he shifted her to her stomach, adjusting her on her hands and knees so he was positioned behind her.
He ran a finger down her core, finding her wet, her body already begging for him.
“You’re always so ready for me,” he rasped, entering her in a swift thrust.
She moaned, loudly, feeling every inch of his hard, thick length.
He nipped her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Her nod gave him the permission he needed to slam inside her, again and again. God, this position was so intense. Her mind started blanking, and the only word escaping her mouth was his name. It was a chant.
“Anna, so…good,” he groaned.
Her breathing turned ragged as he thrust into her, harder, faster. Her body began to hum, her core clenching, as her world narrowed down to him and all the delicious feelings he was invoking inside her.
Mihir leaned forward and pressed a thumb to her nub. That was all it took. Her vision darkened, and she fell and fell as the most intense orgasm overtook her. But Mihir didn’t stop. He pounded into her relentlessly, his strokes faster, stronger. Finally, with a loud roar, he stilled. A long moment later, he curled on the mattress, taking her with him, tucking her back to his chest. He kissed her nape, holding her close, as if he couldn’t let go.
She held onto his arms, unable to break this moment between them. This, right now, was perfect, like it had always been between them.
Mihir Oshnov had shattered her world once, and if she wasn’t careful, then he’d shatter it all over again. Her brain warned her of the consequences of continuously giving in to him—reminding her that she could end up hurt again… But right now, her heart was too much at peace to think straight. Tomorrow. She’d tackle everything tomorrow. That was the last thought she had before she drifted off the sleep.
* * *
Something tickled her nose. Her eyes fluttered open. Mihir was wrapped around her, his head on her chest, his hair tickling her nose. Warmth flooded her heart. Him cuddled like this into her was so damn familiar. This was how she used to wake up at one time. He shifted, resting his head on the pillow next to her, still asleep. Her eyes burned. So easily they’d gone back to how they had been at one time.
She sniffed, clearing her throat. He opened his eyes.
His lips curved in amusement. “You snore.”
She gasped. “I do not.”
“You do.”
She threw him a glower.
He laughed. “It’s not a big deal. I’m not complaining, Anna. It’s cute.”
She flopped back on the bed, covering her face with her hands. “Sure, that’s what I want the man I’m sleeping with to think—that I snore, but cutely. Ugh!”
He pulled her hands from her face. “You are cute, Anna.” He kissed her forehead. “And smart.” He kissed an eye. “And sexy.” He kissed a cheek. “And gorgeous.” He kissed her mouth. “And…”
She planted his mouth back on hers. A long moment later, he lifted his head and tucked her to his chest. They stayed like that for a long time, she staring at the fire crackling in the fireplace in front of them, and he playing with a strand of her hair. Her heart was at ease. For the first time in a long, long time, she was fully at ease. This moment in time with him was peaceful, like she was meant to be here. Like he was meant to heal every hurting bit of her. His hand caressed her bare arm and shoulder, round and round, up and down. She liked it.
Her eyes fell on his tattoo. She traced her fingers along it. “Why an anchor? What does it mean? Why do all three of you have it?”
“How do you know my brothers also have this tattoo? Did your sisters tell you?”
She rolled her eyes. “We had a pool party at your house, remember? I saw their tattoos then. Armaan has it on his back, and Vedant on his arm. And you must know that Navya and Reina never give out personal details about their men. They protect their privacy.”
He smiled. “I like that about your sisters. They’re loyal, and they love my brothers very much.”
She traced his tattoo again. “So, about this…”
“The anchor stands for loyalty, strength, and stability. It is a reminder that we must remain grounded.” He spread a hand out, pointing to the lavishly done room. “That we didn’t have all this at one time. And now that we do, we need to appreciate it and cherish it every single day of our lives, and not let it get to our head.”
She arched a brow. “But it has gotten to your head. You come across as someone who thinks he owns the fucking world and everyone in it.”
He laughed. “That’s true. However, I reserve my arrogance for people who deserve it.”
“Like me. You’re always too supercilious with me.”
He tickled her waist. “Of course, I’d behave like that with you. I know how much it irks you.”
Seeing her eyes widen, he said, “I will always know everything about you, remember?”
She stared at him for a long time, not saying anything. Not asking the questions she knew she needed to ask. Instead, she settled back in his arms again. She didn’t want to disturb this tentative peace between them for now.
“How long have you lived here in this house?” she queried.
“Since Alexander brought us from India. The first time we came here, we were so scared.”
Her hand stilled on his chest, and she looked up at him. “Why?”
“We knew Alexander was rich, but we hadn’t understood just how rich he was until we entered the gates of this house. We’d never seen anything so opulent—it was a freaking palace. He showed us around and gave each of us a separate room, with wardrobes filled with clothes, shoes, and watches from brands we’d never even heard of, but looked expensive.
That first night after dinner, I returned here to this room and couldn’t sleep. I was pacing when the door opened, and Vedant came in. Soon, Armaan joined us. Like me, they, too, were terrified of everything. Besides, we had never slept alone, ever. The three of us slept in my room for many nights. Vedant and I on the bed, and Armaan on the couch, until Alexander learned what we were doing. That’s when he decided to separate us.”
“What?” She shifted out of his arms, rising slightly to look at him. “Why?”
“Alexander was very clever. Unbeknownst to us, he was already planning to make us his heirs. He adopted us as soon as we landed and gave us his name. But he didn’t announce it to the world because we weren’t ready yet to take on his massive empire. He needed to prepare us. He needed us to be independent of one another. We didn’t realize it back then, but sending us away from each other was the best thing to happen to us. He sat with each of us individually, learned our strengths and weaknesses, suggested which courses we each ought to take, and then sent us to colleges across the world.
He sent me to London to study chemical engineering. Armaan went to Michigan to study mining, followed by a course in gemology. And Vedant stayed in Russia to study mechanical engineering. He also insisted we all do a master’s in business management. That’s when you and I met, at the London Business School.”
She gulped but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t yet ready to touch the topic of their combined past. She wasn’t ready for their time together to end, and looking at him, she was fairly certain neither was he.
He continued with his story, “Initially, we fucking hated being parted, but, like I said, it was the best thing to happen to us. We learned to survive, to live, to learn, and to be independent. Apart from this, Alexander made two things mandatory: that each of us had to learn Russian, and we had to learn to fight.”
“Did you speak Russian fluently when we met?” she asked.
“Not as well as I do now; I was still learning,” he answered. “Anyway, we did everything he told us to do. We worked hard, we studied, we learned how to interact with people from everywhere, and slowly, our lives began to transform. We began to evolve. We realized that we could dream and hope because, for the first time in life, we had the ability and backing to achieve anything, to do anything. With time, we came into our own and became the individuals we are today. And we owe it all to the brilliance and foresight of one kind and generous man, who not only gave us a place in his life, but also made space for us in his heart. Most importantly, he taught us to make our place in the world.”
She reached up and wiped a tear from his eye. Her heart went out to him—to the lonely boy who’d found a family among orphans. Thanks to his bravery and generosity of heart, he’d saved a stranger from harm, and that one act of kindness had given him and his brothers a life beyond imagination.
Mihir exhaled. “When all of us finally returned to Russia, we were ready to take on the world. Alexander announced that he’d adopted us, and the media went crazy. Overnight, we became the most sought-after men in Moscow, if not the whole of Russia. After what happened in London, between you and me…”
Her hand shook on his chest. Still, she remained silent and didn’t ask the obvious questions.
He twirled a strand of her hair as he spoke. “Well, I didn’t want to be in the media, and Vedant also didn’t like the spotlight much, so Armaan stepped up and became the focus of their attention. Anyway, we all started working under Alexander in our respective businesses. He was training Armaan to take over O-Diamonds, Vedant for O-Oil, and me for O-Energy. He started us from the bottom and encouraged us to climb the ranks. But he forced me specifically to look into the other businesses as well. What I didn’t know at the time was that he was training me to become the MD. We all followed him and learned from him. But even then, we never anticipated inheriting his wealth. It was only when he passed away...”
Another tear slipped down his eye. He wiped it away quickly. “Fuck. One minute, he was hale and hearty, and the next, he was gone. We went to his will reading, not expecting anything. It was shocking to learn he’d left it all to us—every fucking thing he owned, including the majority of O-Corp’s shares. It was so bloody unbelievable. Overnight, three orphans from a small city in India became some of the richest men on the planet. The news of Alexander Oshnov bequeathing everything to his adopted sons sent shockwaves through Russia. Obviously, we didn’t just inherit his wealth; we inherited his enemies too.”
She gasped. “Oh my God.”
He tightened his arm around her. “Rich people have enemies, Anna. And Alexander had several. But he had trained us to handle them, to eliminate them, and ensure we survived. Once the news of our inheritance spread, the predators began circling us—media, businessmen, politicians, government officials, mafia, women. What they didn’t know was that Alexander had taught us to navigate through them all. We befriended the mafia, won over the important politicians and government officials, and ruthlessly dealt with anyone who dared stand in our way.”
“I suppose that’s why everyone thinks you are dangerous. That you may have links to the mafia.”
“We are dangerous. We can, and will, eliminate anyone who tries to hurt us or those we love. We are not connected to the mafia but we do know them.”
“You told me once, long back, before we…” She gulped. “Before we got married, that your businesses are all legal and legitimate. Is that still true?”
“Yes. I never lied to you, Anna.”
“Lying by omission is still a lie, don’t you think?” She shrugged out of his arms, finally having no choice but to start dealing with things head-on. “I didn’t know anything about you apart from the fact that you have a father and two brothers. I didn’t even know your father’s name.” She shook her head. “I’m not getting into the past right now. But we will talk about it soon. Right now, I need you to finish your story. What made you move to Dubai?”
Mihir studied her for a long moment before continuing, “Because it was taxing and draining dealing with everything and everyone in Russia. The vultures kept circling, and it kept our focus away from work. So, I suggested the move to Dubai. It is a tax haven and close enough to Moscow. It also supports our luxurious lifestyle. Once we shifted, the pressure on us reduced, and we could concentrate more on work. It was a good decision. It also proved that we could live anywhere as long as the three of us were together.”
“Is that the only reason you moved to Dubai?”
A tiny part of her had hoped that he’d moved to Dubai because she lived there. But his silence broke her heart all over again. God, how many more rejections would she accept from this one man?
“This is my story, Anna,” he deflected. “My brothers and I… we were so damn lucky. We were given a precious opportunity, and we didn’t waste it. O-Corp continues to be a huge success because of all our hard work. Our story is very personal. We haven’t told the world about how we reached here. But now, we want to share it with everyone. We want you to write it and tell it in the best way you can.”
“I will do my best. Thank you for sharing your incredible and wonderful story with me. I’m so glad you’re telling the world. I hope you find Karina because of this.”
She needed to ask him more. But she didn’t know how to ask those questions now, when they were still naked in bed. When his scent was still all over her.
Her stomach growled, giving her the perfect excuse. “Sorry, I’m hungry. If you recall, we didn’t eat anything last night.”
Laughing, he stepped out of bed and quickly wore his clothes. “I’ll meet you for breakfast?”
Planting a kiss on her forehead, he turned to leave. She held his hand, stopping him.
“Mihir…” She had to be brave for her own sake. “We need to talk about the past. About you and me.”
She felt the change in his mood and body language. His body stiffened; his shoulders bunched. Lowering his chin, he left her room.
Heaviness filled her heart. She couldn’t avoid this conversation any more, even though she knew that once they were through with it, it would end them forever. But hadn’t that always been the plan?
She’d known this, yet she’d entered into a torrid affair with him. But she had no regrets. This, him and her, getting together again, had been inevitable. The chemistry between them was undeniable. Hence, she’d put it down to one last fling she’d had before closing that chapter of her life. Getting out of bed, she went to the ensuite to start the day.