by Katie Dowe
Alexei seemed to think the same thing because he pulled back and frowned at her.
"Was this make-up sex?" He asked. "It's been a while so I wouldn't know what exactly make-up sex would entail."
Maya chuckled.
"We hadn't exactly declared ourselves in a relationship but it could be classed as make-up sex." She frowned. "What are you saying?"
Alexei sighed. He led her over to one of the stools and sat her down, keeping his hands on her waist. He leaned his forehead against hers.
"I want a relationship with you, Maya. A proper one. I wanted one last time but everything with Katya has scared me. It's hard to trust anyone."
Maya understood that. She had been through that before herself. She cupped his jaw in her hand.
"You trust me." She said quietly. "I know that. You told me the other day."
"I know I did. I just wanted to reiterate that."
Alexei stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. He was wearing his boxers and his cock rubbed against her pussy. Instinctively Maya wrapped her legs around his thighs. Alexei pressed a kiss to her cheek and nuzzled her palm.
"I want to be with you, printsessa. You could keep me grounded and I've not felt this comfortable with a woman for a long time." He paused and looked uncertain. "But there is that problem between us we need to address."
The elephant in the room. Maya braced herself.
"You mean the fact that you don't want marriage and children but I do." She said solemnly. But she didn't look away. "I'm in relationships for the long-haul, Alexei. I don't do things by half. If you're not going to be on board with me than I'm not able to stay."
"But do you want to?"
Maya didn't need to think about that. She knew exactly what she wanted and she wanted Alexei Petrov.
"I want to stay."
Alexei heaved a sigh of relief. He kissed her tenderly.
"I want you to stay, too." He whispered. "I think, deep down, having children is what I want also. But I do have a lot of demons to deal with. And I don't want to lose you in the process."
Maya could see where this was going. He was giving her a chance to walk away. If she so wanted. But there was no chance of that happening. She ran her hands over his chest, feeling the muscles flex.
"I don't want to trap you into anything. But I've got a handful of years before I get too old to have children. I can't wait forever."
"I'm not asking you to wait forever. I'm just asking for you to take it slowly with me for now. One step at a time." Alexei ran his thumb across her cheek and smiled at her. "I don't want to make you walk away and I'm willing to try for you."
"Really?"
"Really." And Maya could tell that he meant it. "Please, Maya. I want everything with you. I just need to address a few things first."
Maya knew that. And she knew he was willing to try. It would be a bumpy process to begin with but she was prepared to wait. As long as she was with Alexei she was prepared to wait for him to deal with his past.
"I can help you with that." She put his hands around his neck and tugged his head down. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Alexei's body sagged in relief. Then he kissed her and Maya forgot about everything else.
*****
Alexei came into work an hour late. He hadn't meant to but Maya was intoxicating. One kiss had led to another and then Alexei had taken Maya back to his room.
But both of them had to get to work. Maya had a meeting with a client and Alexei was going to be in a conference call at ten. So it was quarter to when he finally entered the gallery, holding the door open for two middle-aged ladies leaving and whistling as he crossed the floor to the stairs leading to the offices on the top floor. Everyone gave him curious looks as he went past them; they had never seen him this cheerful before. It wasn't something they were used to seeing.
Alexei knew he must look a right idiot and he was acting out of character with his behavior and the fact he hadn't dressed as smartly as he usually did - he hadn't put on a tie and the top two buttons on his shirt were undone - but he didn't care. He was on cloud nine.
After contemplating his relationship with Maya and deciding that she wasn't worth losing, taking the next step to make them an exclusive couple had been a big thing for him. He could have lost Maya for good with his attitude towards a family but Alexei knew a good thing when he saw one. Maya wanted a family and children and, deep down, he wanted that as well. He just needed to fight his demons and forget that Maya wasn't the same as Katya; she would never hurt him like that.
Ivan was in his office adjacent to Alexei's. He came out as Alexei unlocked his door, leaning on the door frame and giving his friend an amused look.
"You're in a good mood. What's happened to change your tune?"
Alexei grinned.
"I don't know what you mean."
He opened his door and went inside, putting his briefcase on the desk before shrugging off his coat and jacket, hanging them on the coat rack in the corner. Ivan followed him in. From the way his hair was standing up he had been working all night again. Alexei could never handle an all-nighter but Ivan managed it. He burnt the candle at both ends too much but Alexei could never get his friend to slow down.
"Earlier this week you were grumpy and snapping at everyone." Ivan shut the door. "Have you been laid?"
"You could say that." Alexei couldn't keep the smile off his face. He sat down and leaned back in his chair. "Maya came back last night. She spent the night at my place. We're officially a couple now."
"Really?" Ivan blinked. "I thought you two had a disagreement."
"We've talked it through." Alexei felt his chest swell with pride. He knew he was acting like a preening peacock. "I'm willing to go the full haul with this relationship and Maya's prepared to take it one step at a time."
For a moment he thought Ivan was going to tell him he was an idiot. His friend had listened to him for hours about how he had screwed things up with Maya and probably had his own opinions on the matter. But Ivan gave him a smile and an approving nod.
"That's great. Maya could do you some good. Apart from the last couple of days you've been smiling a lot more since you met her."
Alexei was glad Ivan was on his side. That meant a lot to him. He leaned back and looked at the ceiling, bouncing his chair.
"I can see her as my wife, Ivan. I really can."
That surprised him. Until that moment Alexei hadn't thought about marriage. But saying it out loud sounded right. It sounded good.
"Well, give it a little time before you jump into it. You need to know you're really sure before you commit to something like that. Otherwise you'll lose her for good."
"I know."
After Katya, Alexei wasn't going to rush into anything. He was going to take his time and get the hang of a new relationship. He knew Maya was special and Alexei wasn't about to ruin this for both of them.
He glanced at the clock and realized the conference call was about to begin. Sighing, he sat up.
"I suppose we'd better get on with business. Are you ready for this call?"
"You bet I am." Then Ivan's head leaned to the side as the sound of shouting reached their ears from the outer office. "Sounds like something's going on out there."
Alexei stood and came to join him. Ivan opened the door and Alexei saw Widecombe arguing with their personal assistant Lucy. The former kickboxing champion was standing her ground but Widecombe was towering over her, looking like he was going to lash out at her.
"Where is he?" He demanded. "I don't give a fuck if I haven't got an appointment. I want to see Mr Petrov."
"And I'm afraid Mr Petrov is very busy right now." Lucy said icily. Even at five-two she was formidable. Alexei saw how taut her body was and knew she would launch an attack of her own within moments. He hurried to her side and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay, Lucy. I'll see Mr Widecombe. Ivan, start the call without me."
"Yes, Alexei."
Widecombe was breathing heavily, fury focused on Alexei. Ivan glanced uncertainly at Alexei before going to his office. Lucy went back to her desk as Alexei indicated for Widecombe to enter his office. Then he turned to Lucy and switched to speak in Russian.
"Wait two minutes and then call security. Have them ready to escort him downstairs."
"With pleasure, Mr Petrov."
Lucy gave him a smirk as she sat down. Alexei then entered his office, keeping the door open. He wasn't taking any chances; while he could easily take Widecombe without breaking a sweat, he didn't want a lawsuit coming his way.
Widecombe swung around on him. He was dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt which showed off his physique. The guy kept himself in good shape but Alexei could see it was more about vanity than anything else.
"What's this I hear about you dating Maya?"
Alexei paused. This he hadn't been expecting.
"News travels fast. We only made it official this morning."
"My source tells me you've been together longer than just this morning."
Widecombe was furious. Alexei couldn't understand what was going on. He folded his arms with a frown.
"Aren't relationships a little longer than they're supposed to be? Usually you make the relationship official when you know it can work."
"Spin it all you want." Widecombe said dismissively. He jabbed a finger at Alexei. "The point is you stole her from me. Maya and I were about to make a go of it before you got in the way."
This Alexei hadn't been expecting. He had thought Widecombe was a jealous man and Maya said there was nothing going on between them. Had she lied to him?
She can't have. Maya wasn't that sort of person.
"She never said anything about that. In fact she said you were bothering her and she didn't like it."
"I bet she didn't." Widecombe snorted. "The moment she saw you, the dollar signs were there loud and clear and she thought she could get a free ride. I make a lot of money but you make a helluva lot more. She doesn't want to be a photographer all her life. She just wants someone to take care of her."
Alexei thought he was dreaming. He shook his head.
"I think you and I know two different people. Maya is a hardworking person and it shows. Photography is her life." He knew that for certain. "I believe Maya when she said she doesn't want anything to do with you."
Widecombe stared at him as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked incredulous as he shook his head.
"She's got you wrapped around her little finger, hasn't she? Maya and I were meant to be together and you ruined that." He stalked towards Alexei. "You're going to regret taking my girl."
From his stance and his body language Alexei took this to be a threat. He resisted the urge to snarl and grab at the infuriating boy. That was all he was to Alexei, who was a good ten years his senior.
"I think Maya made it perfectly clear that she didn't want anything to do with you." He said stiffly. Then he stepped to the side, glancing into the outer office. His two burly security guards were standing by Lucy's desk waiting. "Are you going to leave under your own steam or am I going to have to throw you out?"
"Don't bother. I've had my say. I'm going." Widecombe made to leave but stopped and turned, barely inches away from Alexei. "Maya will be with me soon. Then you'll be a thing of the past."
Alexei almost laughed at the threat. It sounded virtually comical. But as Widecombe left, the security guards following close behind, he wondered if he should discount Widecombe from the running. Maya was a beautiful woman and could have anyone.
But she had chosen him?
If that was the case, why did he feel dread in the pit of his stomach?
*****
"Miss Featherstone?"
Maya looked up. She was leaning over Howie checking the frames of the model she had just shot. Her mind was on whether to tell the poor girl's agent that she wasn't up to standard and she should consider a different career move or to recommend her for extra coaching.
So she was still focused on her work when she saw the huge man standing by the table. Straightening up so she could look up at him without hurting her neck, she frowned at him.
"Yes, that's me."
"I'm sorry to bother you." He spoke flawless English but with a heavy Russian accent. "I'm Ivan Mikhailov. I'm a friend of Alexei Petrov's."
So this was the friend Alexei had spoken of in glowing terms. Maya was surprised to see him. She hadn't realized Ivan was so big and bulky. He could easily be a model himself with his jet black hair curling close to his head, his sky-blue eyes and flawless skin. He wore the suit like a model as well. Maya wondered if she could get him in front of her camera.
"Oh, hi." She rubbed at her eyes. "Sorry, I'm a little out of sorts. It's been a long day."
"It's only half past twelve."
"And I've been at work half an hour but if feels like forever."
"I know the feeling." Ivan gave a slight chuckle. He glanced at Howie, who was giving Ivan blatantly interested looks. "Can I speak to you a moment?"
Maya didn't have a moment but she guessed that this was important. Had something happened to Alexei? She touched Howie's shoulder.
"Howie?" When she realized Howie wasn't paying attention she pinched the back of his neck. "Howie!"
"Ouch!" Howie slapped a hand to his neck and glared up at her. "What was that for? Can't a man look without being told off?"
"Not when you're supposed to have your ears switched on." Maya picked up her cell phone and slipped it into her back pocket. "Could you get the next model in and set up? I'll be two minutes."
"No problem."
Maya glanced at Howie as she led Ivan backstage. He was still staring after them. She giggled.
"I think you've got an admirer there."
"Sorry, I don't swing that way." Ivan's eyes twinkled. "But it's nice to be appreciated. Although I'd prefer if it was a woman."
Maya laughed.
"Modest, aren't you?"
"Not much."
They reached a dressing room that was reserved for Maya's belongings. They wouldn't be disturbed in there. She let Ivan in first and closed the door. She turned to him.
"What's wrong? Has something happened to Alexei?"
Chapter 7
"Not exactly." Ivan leaned against the dressing table and folded his arms. In the small room he seemed even bigger. He narrowed his eyes at her. "What's your relationship with Jonny Widecombe?"
"Jonny?" This threw Maya. Where had Jonny come from? She tried to get back on even footing. "We had a working relationship that I'm breaking to severe."
"Why would that be?"
"Because he was constantly flirting with me and asking me out. I can handle the flirting but he was getting too flirty and it was making me uncomfortable." She told Ivan about the last time she had worked with Jonny and his sudden outburst. "But my rule remains the same. I don't date my models and I gave him a warning through his agent." She frowned. "Why are you asking me about him?"
"He came to the gallery today. He told Alexei that you and he were about to become an item and then you got tempted by the money Alexei had and dropped him like a hot potato."
"What?"
Maya couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had thought Jonny had acted possessively at her first date with Alexei but she hadn't expected this. She shook her head.
"No, I would never do that. I've never been tempted by money. Why bother when I've got my own. I like my independence." Then she saw the expression on Ivan's face and the penny dropped. "Wait, Alexei thinks this, doesn't he?"
"Not in so many words."
That felt like a slap in the face. He really believed it? Maya knew he was struggling with things between himself and his ex-wife but this was ridiculous. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes.
"I thought he trusted me."
"He does trust you."
"Well, he has a funny way of showing it."
Ivan sighed. Maya
opened her eyes and saw him rubbing a hand over his face.
"I presume you know about his ex-wife Katya."
"I do. He told me everything."
"Then you know it's hard for him to just simply forget."
"I know that but I told him I'm not Katya. He should just listen to me for once." Maya pushed away from the door, hands on her hips as she paced the room, trying not to trip over Ivan's legs. "There was never anything going on with me and Jonny and I don't intend for anything to happen between us. Alexei should believe me. I don't know what Jonny's little plan is but he's nothing to me." She swung around on Ivan. "Alexei should've come here and told me this himself."
"He wasn't sure how you'd take it." Now Ivan was looking uncomfortable. Maya felt sorry for him being stuck in the middle. "I'm used to being shot as the messenger so I said I'd go."
"I'm sure." Maya rubbed her hands over her face. Suddenly she felt drained. "I need to call Caroline. This is getting ridiculous."
"Caroline?"
"His agent." Maya took out her cell phone and fished out a pad and pen from her camera bag. She scribbled down Caroline's number and tore off the top page, which she handed to Ivan. "Here's her number. If Jonny makes any sort of contact with Alexei again, let her know. This could be bad for his career if he keeps going on like this. Despite everything, he is a good model. Hopefully he'll realize what he's doing and stop if he is told his work is on the line."
"Let's hope so." Ivan folded the paper and put it into his pocket. "Because I don't know what Alexei will do if this keeps going on." He gave her a slight smile. "He really does care for you, Maya. He's just very delicate about it all right now."
"That's understandable." But that didn't stop her from feeling angry. Maya put her pad back in her bag, slipping the pen into her pocket. "If Jonny comes back tell him from me if he comes near Alexei again I'll rip his balls off."
Ivan chuckled.
"Understood."
*****
"The nerve of that little shit." Jenny said in disgust. She sat back in her chair and shook her head. "I don't know what possessed him to do that."
"Neither do I."
Maya sipped her coffee and cupped it close to her. It was a startlingly colder day for early March and the wind kept blowing in whenever the door opened. While their favorite spot in the coffee house was equipped with comfortable armchairs it was also in direct line with the wind whenever it came through the shop.
