Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Maksimillian

Zenovia turned her head to look at me sternly. “Just because!”

I let out my breath slowly. “Honestly, I’m overwhelmed and feel honoured that I’m your first, Zenovia.”

She froze and was unable to say anything. I had no idea why. But hadn’t she any idea about it or was she processing this in her mind at the moment? I wanted to read her mind, so badly. But it was impossible, of course.

“Why do you need to know?” she asked finally, after I helped her out of the tub.

I dabbed her body with a huge white towel. As much as I wanted to gawk at her naked body, I wrapped the towel around her when she was dry enough.

Our eyes collided and held. Then, I answered, “I want to know all about you, if you let me. I want to know the mother of my future child. Is there something wrong with it?”

“I told you, no strings attached, so I don’t think you need to know all about me,” she stated, turning her back to me and walking away.

I frowned at her reaction, but I remained patient. “Can we have dinner?” I followed her after grabbing another towel to dry my body.

The room was already lit by the lampshade and wall sconces with yellow lights. I found Zenovia already taking off the bedsheet. The blood was more than noticeable, and I winced. Was it because of her reproductive system’s problem? I would want to know what it was exactly, which I hoped she’d share to me one of these days.

“Suit yourself,” her only answer and placed the soiled cloth in a corner. She took a deep breath and continued to say, “You don’t really have to ask me to have dinner with you, Maksimillian. If you want to go now—”

“No, I don’t want to go now. I want to stay the whole night with you, in fact.”

Her jaw dropped.

“If you’re worried about me taking advantage of you,” I said, smirking, “don’t.”

Her face flushed visibly, and she averted her eyes.

“I know that you should be taken care of, Zenovia. Whatever your reason is to make a deal with me, I understand. I’m blind, actually. But… yes, I will honour that deal.” ‘If I really can,’ my mind added. Intuitively, I just knew that I wouldn’t want to get out of her hair ever. At least, that was what I thought up to this point.

She was quiet once again, and I watched her dress up. When she was done, I remembered to order room service and a couple of fresh linens.

Zenovia looked embarrassed when the hotel maid delivered our order, as well as the fresh linens I particularly asked. The middle-aged staff glanced at Zenovia and me while making the bed. Zenovia pretended to check something on her phone, while I just stood there staring at her.

I could guess the maid’s silent observation was because I was still in my towel. Maybe she already presumed that we already did the deed since the sheet had to be changed. But I didn’t care what she thought anyway.

I did not expect Zenovia to arrange the food on the wood table, which was below the mounted flat TV screen. But she did.

The aroma of honey garlic glazed salmon, together with the shrimp stir fry, creamy Tuscan chicken and pilaf, reached to my nostrils.

Zenovia also placed the two canned orange juice opposite each other, near the center of the table.

We began to eat when the maid already left the room, telling as “Poftă bună!” (Enjoy your meal!)

“You shouldn’t have paid for this meal,” Zenovia commented after swallowing a piece of salmon.

I did pay for all of it before the maid could get out.

“Why? Afraid I’d broken the deal earlier on?” I teased her.

“Why are you so nice, Maksimillian?” She unconsciously glanced at my bare torso. “Why aren’t you dressed for heaven’s sakes? Aren’t you cold?”

I laughed at that and shook my head. “I’m not nice, Zenovia. I’m a selfish ass who was born and raised in Russia. And, oh! You should know we take a dip in icy rivers and seas even during winter like penguins.”

She snickered at that, making her face shine brighter.

God! She was really like my personal sunshine. She looked so fetching whenever she smiles that it made my heart quaver.

Fuck. Ever since I saw her, I felt like a corny hackney. I was never like this. But this sudden change alarmed me deep inside. And yet, I didn’t want to linger on this. Who cared if I turned into a trite? As long as I felt good inside, it didn’t matter to me. And she did make me feel great!

“I don’t believe you’re a selfish person, Maksimillian,” she told me with a serious face. But she later on smiled at me—the kind of smile that only she could affect me like a teenage boy whose knees became weak. I only heard about this in the past, but it proved to be true. There was just at least this one person that could make someone feel weak in the knees and make the butterflies in the stomach flutter.

‘Fuck! I sound like a girl,’ I thought miserably while staring at Zenovia. Ah! She really looked striking to me that I could not take my eyes off her while we ate.

Some minutes later, I could not hold it back. I rose from my seat to lean across the table and capture her chin with my hand. I locked my lips with hers, to her bafflement.

“Hmm… I love the taste of honey garlic glazed salmon in your mouth,” I whispered against her lips.

Her big grey eyes went round as she looked at me. “Maksimillian!”

“I did promise not to take advantage of you, but I think you love to be kissed by me. Don’t you deny it.” I gave her a smug smile, too confident about myself and the way I made her feel.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. “You know what? I can let you have me anytime you want.”