Page 126 of No Longer Mine

I padded down the stairs slowly, every creak of the floorboards tightening the knot in my stomach. I didn’t know what I’d find—if he was really still here, or if I’d just imagined the safety of his arms wrapped around me through the night. But then all of the smells hit me.

Coffee. Toast. Bacon? I rounded the corner into the kitchen and stopped dead in my tracks.

Dimitri Cristof was shirtless in my kitchen, his hair tussled from sleep. A pair of joggers hung low on his hips, and he was barefoot. He had a mug in one hand and a slice of bacon in the other.

When he glanced up from his food, his whole face softened. “There you are,” he said, like he’d been waiting for me all morning. Like this was… normal.

My eyes bounced around the kitchen. First, to the food spread out on the island, and then to the coffee. Where had this man been all of my life? “Did you cook all of this?”

He chuckled. “I wish I was this domesticated. No, Don picked it up on his way to bring me my bag. You didn’t have any groceries, and I’m not ready to bring you out in public just yet. I know I made promises, but I need to make sure you’re safe first.”

I didn’t know if I was frustrated with his stubbornness, or drawn to it.

I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe, doing my best to look unimpressed—despite the fact that my ovaries were practically screaming. The man was a walking contradiction: powerful and terrifying, but here in my kitchen, half-naked and worried about whether or not I’d eaten? He was something else entirely.

“Thank you,” I muttered, as he closed the space between us. He pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth, and I melted. I wanted him to take me on the kitchen island, then on the floor, and while we were at it, every square inch of this penthouse. Isighed and let my body press against his before a knock on the door interrupted all of my dirty planning.

Dimitri frowned as he left the kitchen and went to answer the door. The familiar sound of the doorman’s voice met my ears, and curiosity got the best of me. I walked out just as the door was closing.

“I didn’t think I’d be here when it arrived.” Dimitri said sheepishly from the door as he brought in a large package.

“When did you order it?” I asked calmly and collected, but inside, I was a mess of giddy excitement.

His cheeks colored. “Last week.”

He placed the large box on the coffee table, and it took everything in me not to rush forward and tear into it. It was wrapped like a present, but it wasn’t my birthday or Christmas… or any other holiday that I could think of.

“Well?” The word had barely passed his lips, and I was on the box, tearing it open like my life depended upon it.

No one had ever gotten me a gift just because before. Sure, Vivi, Cleo, and Oliver always did the cake and gifts, but it was usually silly things or things that didn’t have much meaning. This… well, this was something else entirely.

Nestled in between sheets of cardboard and tissue paper was a chessboard. But it wasn’t just any chessboard. I pressed my hands to my mouth and blinked my eyes to prevent tears from falling. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

It was a custom, three-dimensional chessboard. The board itself was made of wooden blocks of varying heights, creating an uneven, almost topographical effect. The alternating light and dark squares weren’t just squares—they were sculptural, casting delicate shadows in the dips and rises of the board.

The chess pieces themselves were made of glass and had an elegant, elongated design, with one set featuring a black base and the other a white base. The tops of them were roundedglobes. They contrasted beautifully with the rich, wooden texture of the board. The setup gave the impression of a floating, multi-level battlefield. It was beautiful, glorious… and I had no idea what to say.

“Hey,” Dimitri got down beside me on the floor and swiped at my cheeks with his thumbs. “What’s wrong? Do you hate it?”

“I’ve never been gifted anything just because… and well, nothing this nice or thoughtful. Where did you even find this?”

He shrugged like it didn’t matter, but the slight pink hue to his cheeks said differently. “I saw it and knew you had to have it. Nothing else mattered but making sure it was yours.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I whispered as I turned to him in absolute shock. “Thank you.”

“I told you that you deserved the best, now I’m going to spend the rest of my days proving that to you.” He winked to lighten the words he’d just spoken, but I felt the true weight of them. I didn’t know if it scared me or made me love him… or both. But I knew I was in trouble.

I licked my lips, nervously. “Would you like to play?”

“I don’t know how,” He shoved his hands down into the pockets of his joggers, and I got a wicked idea.

I picked up the board and carefully carried it into my library. The library I hadn’t ever known what to do with until now. It was always meant to be my room for chess; this board, with these beautiful pieces, only solidified that.

I set the board down on the center table, the light from the tall library windows catching on the glass pieces like tiny stars. The room suddenly felt different—warmer.

When I turned, Dimitri was still standing in the doorway, watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite name. Awe, maybe. Hesitation.

“You said you didn’t know how,” I said softly, gesturing to the opposite chair. “Let me teach you.”