SEVEN DAYS

¦BOOK II¦- 32~ Painfully Excruciating

She slowly let the pent up breath she'd been holding, out.
"Mikhail"

"Hello Malyshka" he smirked, stalking closer to her. Raven darted a quick look around. It was like the crowd suddenly now moved in one mind and one accord, obeying Mikhail's unseen commands. Already, they'd parted into a circle, and surrounded Mikhail and herself in it. Even Raphael had quietly stepped away and blended into the crowd. It was basically now just Mikhail and her alone on the dance for

She turned back to face him, not that her eyes ever truly left him in the first place. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. The man was gorgeous to look at, clad in designer black tuxedo that clogged him like a second skin, and the arrogant smile of his that had always beguiled her since the first day they'd met.

"You're back. How... How are you back? It's been just two weeks" Raven whispered softly, helplessly lost in the pool of his intensely dark eyes, while her eyes suddenly watered with unshed tears. Her heart beat more wildly than it's ever had to do in its entire existence, simply on the sight of one man.

She didn't like what she saw in those eyes. His. Or maybe she did, that was the problem. She loved them so much, because it mirrored what was in hers as well. Searing passion.
A love stronger than the both of them.
And a heart of one, that should never even have been disjointed in the first place.

"I couldn't wait to see you. I'm glad I will never see the man I would have become, if he'd had to wait just one more day, to see you. You see Raven, I burn...for just one more taste of you" he whispered the last part as he walked so close to Raven, his toes were now touching hers, not minding shoes and heels. She could now inhale the heady and musky masculine cologne that characterized him.

Oh God, no, she knew what he was going to do "No, Mikhail, no" she trailed her hands up and planted them firmly on his chest, in weak protest. Like that would somehow stop him from his pursuit. Like that has ever stopped him; even as she felt his large hands wound around her waist. Her nipples contracted painfully, even though he wasn't touching them. The briefest touch of his anywhere on her body, could wreak insane havoc on her entire being.

"You confuse me Malyshka. For I haven't the slightest clue what you would think to say no to, especially when it has to do with me" his mouth moved to descend on hers but in a flash of panic, she turned her lips away.

Oh God, she couldn't go through sweet emotional torture like this again. She'd not survive it. It was all her mind kept chanting to her over and over again.

What happens when the person you need to do without is the same one you couldn't possibly live without?

"You'd shatter me. I can... I can't... not again" she whimpered, a lone tear sliding down her eyes, even as her hands on their own accord, involuntarily slid up to wound around his neck as he drew her in tighter.

She was fighting for her life here. Begging the seat of love to spare her from love, and at the same time, return it back to her in full force.

"You mean the way you've shattered me already? It's too late for us babochka. There's no coming back from the emotions we feel, and we've experienced. I've resigned myself to a lifetime of loving you forever, and yet again, if a second lifetime's gifted me." He expressed raggedly, equal doses of passion and pain evident in the pool of his liquid black irises

Oh so carefully, he leaned down and tenderly kissed the tears off Raven's cheeks, gently, carefully, before his mouth slowly found hers. And Stars exploded.

She thought she was vulnerable before? She'd never been at any other point in her life, as vulnerable as she was right at this very moment. Her heart no longer consumed her chest. It now resided in the heart of another human being, to do with, as he pleases.

But the most sensible part of her, still had to put in one last protest, before she was lost to him completely, so she instantly broke of the kiss.

"Mikhail... No. We can't. Let's not even do this here. There's an entire party watching us right now...we have so much to talk about first".

Mikhail would have smiled, except in the state he was in, he was in no mood to smile, his only goal being to kiss this infuriating woman to the point where her head stopped fighting, her heart took control, and she was ready to kiss him back with as equal fervency.

She was still the easily embarrassed, conservatively beautiful young woman he knew. She didn't like to draw attention at public gatherings, and he? He could care less. Raven was the only thing on his mind. So in the blink of an eye, he changed tactics. No more going slow...

"Mikhail are you even listening to me? I said we-"

He smothered her objections with a hungry, wildly exciting kiss. Desire hit her like a bag of bricks. She was temporarily robbed of the angry frustration that fortified her resistance, and her traitorous body lost its rigidity. The screams of warning issued by her mind was stifled by her pounding heart and the shocking pleasure of being held again in the strong arms of the man she unbelievably loved

First in my today's series of four chapter updates. Don't forget to vote and drop your comments. ❤️