Chapter 1 #3
He’s not her boss, but if she won’t call him by his given name, it's as good a name as he can hope for. At least she’s not calling him an asshole.
“Are you ready for your first driving lesson?” he asks.
She takes a deep, steadying breath and plants her hands on her hips. She firms her jaw and finally looks up to meet his gaze.
“Yes, Pakhan.” She nods decisively. “I am ready.”
Alexi grins at her stern, determined expression. “Of course you are, Ptichka.” He rubs his hands together and gives her a teasing grin before stepping to the side and gallantly opening the car door for her.
When she hesitates, he gives her a gentle nudge.
She glares at him but slides into the plush leather seat of the luxury car. He crouches down in the open door and watches her take in the interior of the vehicle. She runs her hands over the smooth brown leather of the seat and the dashboard.
“Have you ever sat in the driver’s seat of a car before?” he asks.
She shakes her head and continues to examine the car, inspecting the controls and looking in the compartments.
“But you know the basics of driving, right?”
She shrugs her shoulders as if to say she’s not really sure.
Alexi’s grin is mischievous. “Then this is the perfect car for you to learn to drive.”
Ulayna turns to look at him. “It is? Why?”
“This is a Maserati Ghibli. It costs a fortune and drives like shit.”
Ulayna’s brow furrows in confusion. “Shouldn’t my first time driving be something cheap that is easy to drive?”
He shakes his head, and his grin gets wider. “This car was my father’s pride and joy. He liked it because he could use it to flash his wealth. But he didn’t actually know anything about cars, and he didn’t realize this one is all flash and no substance.”
Ulayna nods in understanding. “Just like him.”
Loving that comparison, Alexi tips his head back and roars with laughter. He lets the simple joy of laughing at his father’s expense wash through him. Somehow, Ulayna always makes him feel lighter.
When he swore to give her anything she demanded, he thought it would be an obligation.
He thought it would feel like a chore and that he would mostly appoint his men to fulfill her requests.
He hadn’t anticipated enjoying her company so much.
Only for her would he carve time out of his busy day for a driving lesson.
He rises to standing, swings her door shut, and walks around to the passenger side. He folds himself into the plush leather seat and slides it all the way back to accommodate his long legs.
He turns to face her and picks up their conversation once again.
“You see, Ptichka, this car is the perfect car for you to learn to drive because I would be exceptionally thrilled if you crashed it. If you scratched every inch of its gorgeous paint, smashed out every light, and crumpled both bumpers, I would consider it a personal favor.”
Slowly, a wicked grin spreads across Ulayna’s face. More than most, she has reason to hate his father. The idea of destroying Boris’s favorite toy is delightful. “Okay,” she says. “How do I start it?”
Alexi spends the next few minutes showing her how to adjust the seat, making sure she knows which pedal is the gas and brake, and pointing out the ignition button on the left side of the steering column.
Biting her lip in nervous excitement, Ulayna pushes the ignition, and the car starts with an aggressive growl. She sucks in a startled breath but quickly settles into the seat, enjoying the deep vibrations running through the car.
Alexi gestures to the gearshift. “What you’re going to do first is—”
Before he can finish his explanation, she shoots him a mischievous grin, slides the car into gear, and stomps on the gas.
The tires squeal, and rocks shoot out behind them as the car takes off like a rocket. Thrown back hard into her seat, Ulayna screams in surprised exhilaration.
“Brake!” Alexi shouts as the car quickly picks up speed and approaches the far side of the driveway. He’d meant it when he said she could crash the car, but he hadn’t meant for them to die in the process.
With only a few feet of driveway left, Ulayna presses down hard on the brake. The car skids to a stop, ending up in the bushes behind the gatehouse.
A nervous-looking guard leans out the window of the gatehouse and gives Alexi a questioning glance. He waves the guard off, his attention focused on Ulayna.
She’s breathing hard, with her chest heaving, and she has a death grip on the steering wheel. But there’s a shit-eating grin on her face, and her eyes are sparkling with excitement.
With a grin, Alexi looks over the hood of the car. There are about three inches between them and the stone wall of the gatehouse. The front of the car is engulfed by woody shrubs that will surely have scratched the paint.
“I think you scratched the paint nicely.” He gives Ulayna a delighted grin.
“Good.”
He watches as the mischievous, wicked grin slides across her face again. Knowing what’s coming this time, he braces a hand on the dashboard.
Decisively, Ulayna throws the car in reverse, props her hand on the back of his headrest to see behind them, and floors it.
Halfway back across the driveway, she cranks the wheel, and they’re both thrown to the side as the car violently spins to face the other direction.
Like she’s been doing it her entire life, Ulayna shifts to drive and speeds off once again.
With surprising agility, she navigates around the fountain, driving in a few circles.
Giddy laughter escapes her as the centrifugal force slings them to the side as they go around and around.
After her third loop of the fountain, she straightens the wheel and heads down the driveway for the main road.
Frantically, Alexi leans over and presses the center of the steering wheel to repeatedly honk the horn. The main gate is closed, and he has a feeling she doesn’t intend to stop.
Thankfully, the gatehouse guard gets the hint, and the electronic gate rolls open just in time.
With a skid of the tires, a crunch of the bumper, and maybe a few sparks, they careen past the gate and onto the main road.
Ulayna whoops with delight as she presses the gas pedal to the floor.
They rocket forward, quickly gaining speed.
Trees, houses, and mailboxes fly past their windows, too fast for the eye to track.
Knowing the road is only straight for approximately a quarter of a mile, Alexi grips the oh-shit handle above his door.
“Ptichka.” There’s a hint of warning in his tone.
Sighing, she eases her foot off the gas.
At a more sedate pace, she navigates them down the road. The neighboring properties are all massive with gates similar to Alexi’s. She winds her way along the empty streets surrounding his estate, aimlessly going wherever she pleases.
After a few minutes, she turns the car around, and he points out the correct turns to guide them back home.
Arriving back at the gatehouse, Ulayna slows to idle so the guard can open the gate again.
Perverse satisfaction fills Alexi’s chest when he notices the flecks of silver paint along the side of the wrought iron.
Nonchalantly, Ulayna parks the car and climbs out. Alexi lets out a deep breath in an attempt to lower his blood pressure before sliding out as well. He knew she’d pick it up quickly, but he had no idea she’d be so fearless. He smiles to himself. That was… fun. Terrifying, but fun.
He swings the car door shut and props his elbow on the roof to look over at her. She mimics his posture, and they stare at each other for a few seconds. A grin cracks Alexi’s face, and suddenly, they’re both laughing and smiling.
“Are you sure you’ve never driven before?” Alexi asks. She certainly took to it like a duck to water.
Ulayna shakes her head. “One of my Masters had a golf cart that he would drive down the hallways of his mansion. I drove that a few times, but never a car.”
Alexi shakes his head at her. He hates it when she mentions her past so casually, but he loves that she doesn’t let it hold her back or bring her down. He’s continually in awe of her fortitude, her resilience, and her joy for life.
Ulayna quirks an eyebrow at him. “Same time tomorrow?”
Alexi chuckles at her audacity, but agrees. “I think we may have one or two more of my father’s cars that could use a new paint job.”
With a proud smirk on her face, Ulayna heads back inside the house. Alexi watches her saunter away, her slim hips sashaying and her head held high.
Since she came into his life, Alexi has felt more joy, lust, and excitement for life in the past few months than he has in the past twenty years. Her presence in his life is tempting, addictive, and quickly becoming his kryptonite.
His phone rings in his pocket, and he sighs. Recess is over, and it’s time to get back to work.