ELI
The sun was high and sharp, painting the skies of Moscow with a warmth that felt like a dream, and I knew it wasn't just the weather that made this day feel so unusually beautiful it was Damir. My Damir.
The moment I stepped out of the house that morning, dressed in my cropped pastel pink hoodie and the white shorts that hugged my thighs a little too tight intentionally, well…my closet only has shorts, of course….I noticed the change.
Security.
Lots of them.
There were at least ten stationed in the visible perimeter alone. All dressed in sleek black suits, with their earpieces tucked in, scanning every shadow like my life depended on it. Which, I guess… it did. Still, I grinned like a little brat as I skipped to the sleek black SUV waiting outside, Damir already inside, looking like temptation in human form black slacks, his usual fitted shirt, a chain peeking out from the collar. And those eyes.
He didn't even blink at the number of guards. Instead, he reached out and tucked a finger under my chin, lifting my face. "Ready to have fun today, malyshka?"
My heart flipped. "Only if Daddy's watching."
He groaned quietly under his breath. I giggled.
The amusement park wasn't some regular kiddie joint, it was one of the biggest ones in the city, the kind that had VIP entries and full rental options. And of course, Damir had tried to rent it out entirely, but I threw a fit. I wanted noise, people, the thrill of chaos. I wanted him to see me glow in public, with everyone else watching, too.
As we arrived, security surrounded the SUV like shadows. They didn't touch me, but I knew they were watching my every breath. Still, Damir held my hand like I was glass and pride all at once.
Cameras flashed the moment we entered. People whispered, heads turned. But I didn't care. I tucked my hair behind my left ear, pressed against Damir's arm, and laughed like the world was ours. And it was. Because he was mine.
He let me run ahead a bit once we were inside the gates, and I made sure to make a show of it. My hips swayed like I was on a catwalk, shorts riding up with every bounce. I knew he was watching. I didn't need to turn around…I felt it in my spine.
I stopped at a cotton candy stand, flashing the vendor a dazzling smile, and ordered the biggest pink swirl they had. Damir reached my side before I even finished licking the first bite.
"You're going to get that all over your mouth," he murmured.
"Good. Then you can clean it for me."
He raised a brow. "Careful, Eli. We're in public."
I ate the side of the candy, slowly, deliberately. "So?"
His eyes darkened. "You love teasing me."
"I do."
He leaned in. "One day, I won't stop when you ask me to."
My breath caught. I bit my lip and turned away, pulling him toward the carousel.
Damir didn't ride, of course. He just stood nearby, arms folded, watching me like a predator while I giggled on a white horse with pink roses painted along its saddle. A security guard stood behind him, subtly scanning the crowd, but Damir's eyes never left me.
Everywhere we went…bumper cars, Ferris wheel, even the haunted house he followed. He never once acted bored. Just amused. Just mine. Sometimes he touched my lower back when crowds pressed too close. Sometimes he tugged me away when someone stared too long.
"I can have his eyes plucked out," he murmured after one particularly greasy-looking teen tried to get too close in line.
"Mm. But then Daddy would have blood on his hands, and I'd be sad."
He kissed my temple. "Then I won't. But only for you."
We paused for lunch near a private section of the park that had been quietly roped off for us. As we sat, sipping juice and nibbling on overpriced snacks, I kicked my feet beneath the table, staring at him.
"I love you," I said suddenly.
He blinked. " I love you too sweetheart"
"I love you so much I want to scream it from the top of the Ferris wheel." I continued giggling
His gaze softened. That dangerous, ruthless man everyone feared, he melted for me. "You're the only thing I've ever done right, zvezdochka."
I smiled, resting my cheek on his shoulder. I didn't care about the whispers, the stares, the rumors that would come. He was mine. And I was his.
The rest of the day passed like a dream. I ran, laughed, got soaked on the water rides. And every time I turned to find Damir, he was there. Watching. Loving. Protecting.
And when I hugged him before we left, fingers digging into his chest, I whispered, "Can we do this again? Just us. Every week. Forever."
His arms wrapped tightly around me. "Every week. Every lifetime. As long as you'll have me, malyshka."
I believed him. Because in his arms, I wasn't just safe. I was worshipped.
And I'd never give that up.