Vengeance

CHAPTER 8

Mikhail was the first to wake up the next day. It was the best sleep he had gotten in a long while, and Tabitha was the only reason. Not once in his life did he think that he could feel complete with the simple presence of a woman beside him. He had built walls around himself after his mother's betrayal and swore to never get married. His mother did a number on him, but his adoptive dad managed to keep the hope of finding the right partner alive.

His heart skipped a beat as Tabitha instinctively shifted closer, her warm breath tickling his chest. Despite being drunk, memories of the previous night flooded his mind. They didn't just experience a night of passion, they shared their heart, body, and soul.

He kissed her exposed shoulder, content with their current sleeping position. However, his blissful thoughts were disrupted by a ping on his phone. Reluctantly, he reached for it and saw a message from his brother.

To keep him away from their mother, he had ordered his men to confiscate his brother’s phone, cutting him completely off from the outside world. Yet, against his better judgment, he couldn't resist opening the message. His anger flared as he read it.

Anatoly had written: ‘How long is the disguise going to last? I can't stay here for long, and I need to get back to my mother and my life.”

Mikhail’s fingers hovered over the screen, typing quickly, ‘Don’t you have any special lady in your life apart from our dear mother?’

It took less than a minute for Anatoly to reply. ‘No’

Mikhail's jaw tightened in disbelief. He couldn't believe his brother had the audacity to mention nothing about his girlfriend. There was something off about Anatoly’s response, and Mikhail’s instincts told him there was more to the story.

Anatoly had asked Tabitha to be his girlfriend for a reason, but that reason wasn’t as innocent as it appeared. He may not be aware of the facts, but he will be damned if he allows his brother to exploit her.

Along with the truth of his abandonment, he must also uncover the true tale of Tabitha's presence in his brother's life.

One thing was clear, both his brother and mother had a vindictive streak.

It wasn't his best decision, but he needed to show his brother that he was in charge of his life this time, rather than being a puppet of their mother.

'Good, because she is mine.’

Before he could set the phone down, it rang—Anatoly, no doubt, trying to respond. Mikhail hesitated but then quickly turned it off.

The sudden noise disturbed the silence, and Tabitha stirred beside him. Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked at him, still groggy from sleep. "Mikhail?" she murmured, her voice tinged with confusion.

Mikhail saw she had a cute little frown on her face and was squinting her eyes to keep the light from trespassing through the cracks in the drapes. To shield her, he changed his posture, bringing her closer to his naked chest.

When Tabitha realized where she and Mikhail were and what they had experienced the night before, her eyes widened, her cheeks warming into a beautiful shade of pink.

He hoped, more than anything, that she didn’t regret her decision. The thought of her regretting it was enough to break his heart. To ease any tension and prevent awkwardness, he gently caressed her arm before kissing her cheek lightly.

"Good Morning."

"Good morning," she mumbled, trying to hide her face from him, which made him chuckle.

"You are a treat to sore eyes in the morning, Tabby. You have ruined me forever." Mikhail said, his voice thick with sincerity.

Tabitha blushed at his words, looking down shyly. "You are way too sweet for your own good, Mikhail. But you do exaggerate from time to time," she teased softly, her eyes flicking up to meet his.

Mikhail shook his head with a small smile, his tone growing more earnest. "I don’t agree with you. I believe that I don’t appreciate you enough for being in my life, Tabitha." He let her name linger on his lips, as if savoring the sound of it, before adding, "You mean more to me than you could ever know."

"I like it when you call me Tabby. Coming from you, Tabitha sounds too formal." She murmured. It was rare for her to express her feelings so openly, but with Mikhail, it felt right—effortless.

"Then you better get comfortable with being called Tabby because I have no intention of ever being formal with you again," Mikhail stated. His eyes gleamed, a mix of lust and love reflecting in them, making her feel both cherished and desired in the same breath.

Tabitha shoved him playfully and fled to the bathroom, wrapping herself with a blanket before he could make his move. Before she could close the door, Mikhail leaped from his bed and followed her inside.

"Mikhail," She gasped as he pulled her into his arms, drawing her close by the waist.

"Tabby, I really hope you don't regret last night. I know we were drunk, but I pray that I didn’t inadvertently take advantage of your drunken state."

"No. As long as you don't betray my trust, I won't regret being with you. And Mikhail? Just know that you didn’t take advantage. I wanted last night to happen. A small part of me does wish that we were both sober."

Mikhail's heart swelled with relief and joy at her words. "Tabitha, I would never be able to forgive myself if I broke your trust. You are far too important to me. And as for spending the night in our drunken state? We are sober now."

"We are," she whispered, but her breath caught in her throat when he started kissing her jaw.

“Mikhail…”

"So, how about we have a repeat of last night since we are not inebriated? I want you with all my senses open." He suggested, his voice thick with desire, knowing in his heart that his Tabby would agree.

"You sure want me with all of your senses?" She asked him, looking at him questionably.

Mikhail scowled, his eyes softening with sincerity. "Tabitha, I would always want you with every fiber of my being. This is something you should never doubt. I'm not sure what kind of man you were with before we met, but I can promise you this—you're perfect in every way to me."

"I am not perfect, Mikhail," she pointed out quietly, her voice a little uncertain.

"To me, you are. You are far too perfect for me, and I never intend to let you go. That is, if you want me in your life."

She flashed him a faint grin, tears welling in her eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise." His voice was low and sincere as he gently guided her backward into the shower. With a twist of the knob, cold water poured over them within seconds.

"It's freezing!" Tabitha squealed, her breath catching.

The blanket that had been draped over her fell to the floor as the water hit them. Mikhail quickly kicked it further away, his focus solely on her.

"Not for much longer," he murmured, then captured her lips in a kiss.