His Wicked Heart

Chapter Nineteen

numinous
(adj.) being both fearful and awed by what is before you

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PAST
ONE YEAR AGO

GENEVIEVE

"Vy krasivaya," he'd told me. Two simple words, yet they filled my heart with an odd feeling of enthusiasm. Tucking a few strands of my hair behind my ear, I replied with a grateful smile, "Thank you."

We stood by his car, parked in front of the yard of my house. Aleksandr's eyes lingered on my body, taking in my appearance with a sensual haze before finding mine, his eyes dark beneath the moonless night.

An invisible string pulled me towards him, until his strong arms caged me against his warmth. The maroon dress I'd worn had covered a good portion of my body, yet I felt so bare, open under his gaze.

The Brioni he wore fitted his body like a second skin and radiated the kind of heat that made me shiver. His body was always a mix of cold and heat.

He leaned down and placed a light kiss on my lips; I briefly closed my eyes in bliss. "Let's go," he whispered slowly, his breath brushing against my face. I controlled the urge to melt beneath him.

He turned around and opened the door for me; I got inside before he made his way to the other side.

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When Aleksandr's car stopped, I noticed we were in front of a museum. As we stepped out of the car, a woman in a stunning white dress approached with a pleasant smile on her lips. "Welcome to the exhibition, sir and madam. The gallery is to your left." She gestured in that direction as Aleksandr nodded, taking my hand. Without exchanging any words with her, he led me inside the exhibition.

I was completely awestruck as I took in the sleek, modern furniture and glass walls. The place was incredibly beautiful. "Wow, it's extremely marvelous." I awed, struck by the grandiose magnificence.

One thing I didn't get was why the place wasn't bustling with people, rather than being noticeably vacant. "Is it a private exhibition?" I asked in confusion.

"No, not really," Aleksandr replied before trailing off, "Well, the place is usually filled with people. But today was an exception. That's why I thought I could bring you here tonight."

"Do you like it? He asked. I smiled. "I do."

Nodding, I turned my gaze from a piece of art to him. "So, you enjoy art exhibitions?" I asked, surprised once again.

"You could say that. But not overly so. I thought you liked them, considering the magnificent art and pictures that hung down the walls of your house," he replied curtly, his eyes taking in the marvelous designs, ignoring my own gaze. In a whiff of a moment, my stare got caught on his ears, reddened ears. Had I been a little dumb, I would've thought it was because of the cold.

Alas, I was maybe a little delusional instead.

A rush of warmth enveloped my heart with a strange sense of happiness. I almost felt grateful that he had noticed the decor of my small house so attentively, even though it lacked the impressive architecture of his mansion.

While I enjoyed museums, I definitely didn't expect a Bratva to take me on a date here, much less without a hundred guards trailing behind him. He was completely unprotected here, unless he had a concealed weapon beneath his expensive suit that the security couldn't detect.