***
Renee worked feverishly through the last of her tasks in the back office. Filing away paper and sending off the last of her emails, she jumped up from her desk and grabbed her purse. It was already noon. Time to go. There were still a hundred things to do before her date.
She smiled at the thought.
Anatoly hadn’t let her down. He had come as he had promised to be with her, and she had the distinct feeling that tonight would change the rest of her life. Butterflies began to flutter inside of her stomach again. How she wished that Royal was here today to talk to. It was strange not to be able to confide in anyone about what was going on, but after all that had happened, she had learned that it was always best to keep her own council.
“Miriam, I’m getting ready to leave,” she said, walking out of the back room with her purse in one hand and her dress for tonight in the other.
“Yes, ma’am. There’s someone here to see you,” her assistant said, moving towards her.
Renee looked up at the front to see the reporter, Destiny, standing by the counter flipping through a fashion magazine and waiting.
“What does she want?” Renee asked quietly.
“She didn’t tell me. All she said is that she needed to speak with you personally.”
Suddenly, Renee had a bad feeling in her stomach. It quickly took the place of the butterflies
“Can I help you?” Renee asked, moving towards Destiny.
Destiny looked up from the magazine and smiled. Grabbing the black, unlabeled CD from the counter, she stuck her hand out.
“Hey, do you remember me?” Destiny asked.
“Of course. You’re the reporter who did the great article on the restaurant,” Renee said guarded.
Destiny nodded. “That’s right.” She passed Renee the CD. “You’re a friend of Anatoly’s right?”
“Yes.” Renee took the CD and looked at it.
“Well, I made this for him, but I was hoping that you could take a look at it first. It’s a surprise – my last gift to him before I get out of here.”
“You’re leaving Memphis?” Renee asked, stuffing the CD into her purse.
“Yes. I’m looking to change careers thanks to Anatoly, but I know that he cares so about what you think. So, I was hoping that you’d take a look at it and tell me what you thought of it before I gave it to him.”
“What is it?” Renee asked.
“Just the book trailer for a new project. I’ve decided to sit down and write a memoir of sorts.”
“Wow, well congratulations.” Renee adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder. “I’m supposed to meet him tonight, so I can pass it to him, if you’d like.”
“That would be awesome, but could you take a look at it first. It’s really short and to the point. If you don’t like it, then don’t show it to him, but if you think it’s got potential, would you give it to him with my regards?” Destiny asked with a bright, almost innocent smile.
“Of course.”
Destiny looked at the dress. “What’s the occasion?”
“It’s my birthday,” Renee said, remembering herself. She pulled the plastic cover from over the dress and showed her. “Versace.”
“Oh, that’s beautiful,” Destiny said, touching the fabric. “I know you’re going to look amazing in it.”
“Thanks,” Renee said, checking her watch. “Well, I better go and get ready, but I’ll take a look at it tonight before I go over there. I have a hair appointment right now, and I don’t want to be late.”
Destiny nodded and turned towards the door. “Well, I don’t want you to lose your spot. But it would mean the world to me if you would do that for me.”
“No problem,” Renee said, walking to the door.
“And happy birthday,” Destiny said, finally as she walked out.
***
Vasily had never seen the mansion look as nice as it did tonight. Anatoly had ordered flowers and had them strategically placed along with candles all over the dining room, living room, foyer and especially the bedroom. Plus, he couldn’t recall ever seeing his boss so dressed up.
Anatoly stood looking at himself in the mirror, checking to make sure that every stitch was in the proper place. He was normally a jeans and t-shirt guy, but tonight, he had decided on an all-black, tailor-made designer suit. The barber had been over to cut his hair. The butler had helped him dress, and the maids had ensured that entire the house looked like something out of a fairy tale.
In truth, Vasily was afraid for Anatoly. He’d never seen his boss put so much effort into anything outside of the business, and he knew that if everything didn’t go perfect tonight for Anatoly, he might not ever do so again. Plus, this was just a first date. It was evident that his boss knew very little of such a thing, because he had the place set up like he was about to propose.
The sun had begun to set, casting a beautiful glow on the horizon. With the summer season slowly slipping away to fall, there was a hint of chill in the air. It was a perfect panoramic view. He had insisted that the maids open the windows and let the fresh air inside. He could hear the leaves on the trees rustling in the wind and feel the evening setting in. It was almost time. She would be here any moment and they could finally begin what they started on the phone two days ago in Prague.
Vasily stood in the corner watching his boss. When the text came over his Blackberry, he checked it quickly and cleared his throat. Anatoly looked back at him.
“Boss, she’s here,” Vasily said, opening the door to the bedroom for him. “They sent her to the solarium like you asked.”
“Better not keep her waiting then,” Anatoly said, feeling in his jacket pocket for the box.
“Good luck,” Vasily muttered.
“Thanks.” Anatoly hit Vasily on the shoulder as he passed. “Take the night off, eh. I’ll be fine.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The solarium was already filled with beautiful exotic flowers, but tonight they were accented by white lights on dancing strings. A single bottle of champagne was on ice with two glasses beside it on a table in the middle of the floor.
Destiny stood looking out of the glass at the setting sun with her back to the door and her hands clasped together.
Anatoly walked inthe room quietly. For a moment, he just wanted to observe her. She looked amazing from what he could see. Her very shapely, petite frame was put on display in a way he had never seen in the simple black knee-length dress.
He walked to the table and poured them both a glass of champagne. Certain that she could hear his footsteps, he walked up beside her and looked out at the sunset too. It was so peaceful and serene, a perfect start to their first evening together.
“Happy birthday,” he said, turning to pass her the glass.
She looked up at him with fresh tears in her eyes. They had streamed down her cheeks and onto her dress.
“Renee, what’s wrong?” Anatoly asked in a deep, gravelly voice.
Renee took a deep breath. She tried to smile to mask the pain radiating from her beautiful face, but her voice cracked in pain, giving her away. “I’ve been waiting for today for so long, Ana. And all day, I kept thinking that this all was going too perfect. Even when I got here and saw all that you had done, even after I had witnessed this...” she held the CD in her hand. “I still couldn’t believe that you had done something so special.”
Anatoly wiped her face. He tried to make sense of what she was saying, but he was hopelessly confused.
“Your friend, Destiny, stopped by the shop today.” Renee looked away. “She asked me to take a look at this CD. It was supposedly a book trailer that she wanted to surprise you with. After I got dressed to come over, I remembered it and popped it into my computer.”
Anatoly felt his heart breaking. He didn’t have to ask what was on the CD. He already knew.
“Renee, if you could just let me explain,” he begged.
Renee laughed. Her sobs clouded her eerie sarcasm. “If you can expl
ain having sex with this woman in the pool while everyone watched, I’d really like to hear it.”
“I found out that she was a cop, undercover and trying to set me up. So, this was my way of getting her off my back.”
“I’m sure she was grateful for your counter measure.” Renee turned away from him.
Anatoly realized that both of his hands were still filled with the glasses. He placed them on the windowsill and sighed. The beautiful sunset was officially ruined. “It was stupid. I wish that I had never done it.”
She whipped her head around to face him. “That’s just it, Ana. I know that there must be something wrong with me, because I know what you have done. I know what you are capable of even without seeing it with my own eyes, and I could take that. The killing. The guns. The mafia.” Her voice drifted off. “But I quickly found that I can no longer take the idea of you being with another woman. And seeing that with my own eyes killed me.”
“on’t do this, Renee.”
“You did this, Ana.”
“It was before I realized that I wanted to be with you.” He allowed the words to clumsily fall from his lips.
“I’ve known for a while that I wanted to be with you, and it’s my fault, really, for never telling you, but I’m old school. You know. I still think that a man should chase you, not the other way around.”
“So because of some woman that I screwed who means nothing to me, you’re just going to walk away?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t...” Anatoly felt his frustration boiling. Pulling at his tie, he opened his shirt to breathe. Sweat formed on his forehead again. Turning red, he clenched his jaw. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Doing this to you? You’re so fucking selfish, Ana. I didn’t do this to you.” She hit her chest. “I didn’t set you up like this. The woman that you just finished...”
“That was weeks ago.”
“Oh, forgive me! I guess that I’m bringing up old shit!” She grabbed her purse. “This was such a mistake.”
“Why can’t we focus on right now, on this very minute? Are you really going to hold me accountable for everything that happened before this point? Do you think that is fair?”
“Life isn’t fair, Ana. You of all people know that. And yes, I am going to hold you responsible for your actions, because it takes a lot of balls to do something like this. It takes a monster. Do you realize how disgusting this is? Or can you justify it in that brain of yours because it protects your precious Vory.”
Anatoly paused. He’d never heard her say that she knew exactly what he was.
Renee shook her head. “That’s right. I know. And I took a really long look at myself today and asked myself what the hell I was doing, knowing who you really are. Boss Anatoly Medlov. The Medlov Organized Crime Fucked Up Family. I don’t want to end up like Royal. I don’t want to be just another dead woman buried because of your past. I don’t want women showing up with sex tapes and men showing up with blood vendettas and...”
Anatoly was desperate. He felt her quickly slipping out of his hands again. The hour glass was pouring the last of their sand right in front of him.
“Royal’s not dead.”
Renee stopped her rant and frowned. “What? Okay, now you’re just being cruel.”
Anatoly walked over to her. The click of his shoes against the hardwood floors only magnified the silence. “I just left Prague. Royal is not dead. She’s alive and so is her daughter. In fact, she’s pregnant again.”
Renee held her stomach. Stepping away from him, she let the tears fall from her face. The look in his eyes told her that he wasn’t lying. Only the truth of his confession was more painful than the lie that he’d been hiding.
“The family thought it best to protect you and to keep you out of things that you might not understand. Royal wanted to tell you but...”
“Stop it!” Renee cried. “Just stop fucking talking!” She screamed louder, pointing at him. “What is wrong with you people? You can’t just play everyone like pawns in a damn game!”
He’d never heard her curse so much. Reaching out to touch her, he tried to calm her. “Renee, you mean everything to me.”
“Liar! You’ve watched me in pain for years,” she cried. “And you could have told me. You know that I wouldn’t have told a soul, but instead you watched me mourn that woman.”
“It was to protect you.” His voice was low, steady.
Renee put her hand up in protest. “It was to protect yourself.” Turning away from him, she tried to leave, but he quickly grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Let go of me!” She fought, flaying her arms about, trying to hit him, but he picked her up off the ground. One high heel fell to the ground. “Let go of me, Ana!”
“No!” he growled. “No. Renee, please.” He put his mouth to her ear. His breath burned her skin. “I love you.”
Completely obliterated by his truth and his words, she crumbled over in his strong arms. With her back nuzzled into him, she cried out, still trying to fight, but he continued to restrain her.
Anatoly refused to let her go. He refused to see her just run out of his life. Not without a fight, he said to himself. His grip broke her iron will. They both collapsed onto the ground.
The golden sun had finally gone completely down, and a bright, vibrant moon had emerged. They were left alone in the darkness with only the white lights high above them in the rafters to illuminate the room. The hollowness of the airy space made their quiet movements echo.
Anatoly could feel her body trembling, but he knew that it was more than just pain. There was also want, both hers and his. The silence was thick with raw emotion, choking out any ability to lie. Vulnerable and bemused, he cradled her. His grip had become a blanket that shielded them both from the outside world. In that moment, they were alone with no present or past.
Carefully and ever so gently, he turned her face towards his. She shifted her body slightly and looked up at him, her big brown eyes full of rage and visceral passion.
Anatoly swallowed hard as he watched her. His thumb wiped her tears and slowly he pulled her mouth to his
“I love you,” he said again. Where only months ago when Victoria had confessed her love for him while they made love and he had denied her, he willingly said it to Renee. As he said the words, he knew that the reason he had not given them to Victoria was because the words, the act, the fact belonged to Renee. The only thing he wasn’t sure of was how long he had loved her. As he held her, he felt as though it had been had a lifetime. There was no awkwardness, not need or desire to flee. He wanted to melt into her, to become one with her. He meant the words to the core.
The words rushed into her like a wave of intoxicating drugs. He clutched her tight to him. The heat from his body warmed her, igniting a hungry flame deep inside.
Renee cried. “I love you, Ana.”
“I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. I know that you can’t begin to forgive me for all of it.” The tears formed in the sides of his crystal blue eyes. “But I need you to know.” He smiled. “I’m so lonely for you, Renee. I’ve tried to fill the void in my life with other women, but I can’t. I can’t replace you. I can’t...” He suddenly felt light headed. Having never been so honest about his own emotions, he suddenly felt afraid. He held her tighter. “What am I supposed to do without you? You’ve been there for me the entire time since my father left. There were so many days, so many situations that I only got through because I knew that when I came home, you’d be there.”
“I don’t know if I can continue to be, though. Ana, this is so hard.” She buried her head in his chest. “This is so damned hard.”
“Think about it. Give it some time. But don’t tell me no tonight. Don’t turn me away. Give me a chance to prove myself, first. I’ve never needed to prove myself so much to one person, not even my father.”
“I’m going to need some time.” She knew that her strength had left her, but she also knew that sh
e had to be honest. “There is nothing left for you to prove. I just have to have some time to digest all of this. I know it sounds selfish, but it’s the truth. What my heart feels is so overwhelming.”
Morning would come with the daylight and so would their changed reality. She had to make sure that they would both be ready for what that would mean for them. But she also knew that tonight, she would give in to him.
Anatoly read her face. He felt her resolve.
This time as he leaned in to her, it was not to talk. Both of his hands moved to her soft face and he pulled her into his kiss.
She turned all the way around to receive him. Her lips parted, warm and full, fleshy and wet. Desire engulfed her. Their minty breath mingled and heaved into each other.
As their mouths touched, slow and sensual, a whimper escaped her. His taste was decadent, mixed with the fragrant sandalwood cologne on his skin and clothes. She wrapped her arms around him, tangling her fingers in his feathery, cu locks.
On his knees in front of her, holding her, caressing her face, he continued to search her mouth, sucking her bottom lip, tasting her velvety tongue, kissing her until she was weak. His nimble fingers ran down to her throat, stroking her skin as he slipped his tongue in and out of her mouth, tickling her senses with the least of his masculine sexuality.
She had thought about kissing his full, rose-colored lips a thousand times, but never had she imagined that it would be this good.
He focused intently on his deed, pouring himself into her. He became hungrier for her—all of her. Snatching his suit jacket off, he returned to her quickly.
“Let’s go to my room, da?” he said, gazing into her eyes. “I want to make love to you there.”
The verbalization of their action made Renee even wetter. Her thighs were slicked together under her clothing. Nodding, she reached out and grabbed his hand as he helped her up.
It seemed to take forever to get to his room tonight. They walked hand-in-hand through the quiet home, down the long halls, up the stairwell, down the corridor to the master bedroom.
When they got to the door, Anatoly slowly twisted the knob and pulled her inside.
Anatoly Medlov: Complete Reign Page 20
