Two Months and Three Days (Sinister Romance #1)

Chapter 7 (part I)

Marianna Osokina, PR manager of the Hatred project, had been dreaming of meeting her idol, Maxim Korshun, in person for almost two years. Now, she was coming up to the Maximus Grand Hotel from the direction of the Moscow River embankment. Her heart was filled with such high hopes and her head with such big plans that it was hard for her to believe that she was capable of them. She was a decent woman and a very good employee. Divorced, no children. She was ready for anything to make her dreams come true.

She decided to sleep with Korshun at any cost.

Just sleep with him? Well, she would have to see how it went. Marianna was beautiful, smart, and independent - why wouldn't he be interested? Maybe this was her chance! What the hell! Miracles happen! She was definitely worthy of his interest. She had gone through hell and high water to be entrusted with organizing the exhibition! How much effort had she made? How much time had she spent guiding her boss's thoughts in the right direction? Marianna even had to inform her boss about a couple of her coworkers, although she wasn't proud of it. It was not personal, just business. The main thing was that it all worked out. She managed to convince them to put on the exhibition at one of the best exhibition centers in Moscow. And even that wasn't the hardest part! The hardest part was to convince Korshun's PR guys to organize the opening night in Moscow. That was a big achievement. It had never happened before.

Marianna was a big fan of Maxim's work and lifestyle. A big fan of his photographs. She had covered the entire wall with his pictures like a silly teenager. He was so handsome that she just couldn't help but look at them over and over again.

And now she was going up to his room. She couldn't believe it.

The official reason for their meeting was to discuss further project development plans, but deep in her soul Marianna knew that Maxim Korshun didn't give a damn about the plans. Just like he didn't give a damn about the success of the exhibition or financial matters, for obvious reasons. It was difficult to understand, but for some people money didn't mean anything. They had money. Moreover, they had had it their entire life. They were used to it just as ordinary people were used to having electricity.

For some people, money was just a number and nothing else. Wouldn't it be nice to live like that?

They could have discussed all the issues on the phone but Marianna had managed to convince him to meet in person, especially since she had a reason. If there was anything in the world she lacked, it was definitely not perseverance. Officially, she had come here, to Maxim's hotel, to persuade him to take part in several TV shows. Or at least in one show and one interview. But the real reason was that she wanted to seduce him and spend at least one night in bed with him.

How could she make a mind-blowing, instant impression on the man? Marianna took a professional, business-like approach. She had studied the issue and analyzed the look of women that Maxim had dated before although she was perfectly aware of his reputation: Maxim never dated anyone for more than a month or two. But even two months with a person like Maxim Korshun could change her entire life.

He dated ladies from the British élite, Hollywood stars, "models," and women whose names and status remained unknown. Unfortunately, they all turned out to be very different and didn't really show whether Maxim had a "type."

In the end, Marianna decided to be herself, a strong and self-confident woman without any hang-ups. Men like Korshun didn't waste time on empty talk so neither would she. Maybe it would even work out better that way. Modern men liked strong women who knew what they wanted. What she wanted could be easily read from her look. She spent a lot of time putting her outfit together.

She was wearing a short leather skirt, beige shoes with 4-inch heels, and a silk ivory blouse with small buttons that would tear off with one good jerk, no bra and no underwear. Marianna's legs were trembling a little but she liked the feeling of excitement. Though she had never felt more ridiculous and stupid than when she was getting into the cab, all this would pay off if he wanted her. Standing on the hotel doorstep, Marianna flinched again thinking about what might happen very soon.

She crossed the small, cozy hall of the hotel named, as she suspected, in Maxim's honor and took the elevator to the seventh floor fully occupied by a penthouse where Maxim was staying. He always stayed at his small but luxurious hotel, one of the entire network of the elite Maximus Grand Hotels scattered all over the world.

Marianna knocked but there was no answer. She remembered that Maxim had told her to just come in and wait for him if he wasn't there. He would leave the door unlocked. And so she did, lingering just for a second, taking a step towards her possible future, tantalizing with its illusive beauty and luxury. The spacious room was filled with light and air; the door to the balcony was open a crack. Was he there? Dear God, what a place! How many rooms were there? Three? Marianna looked around and noticed that the bedroom door was slightly open. She looked around furtively. No one was there. Then, she walked into the bedroom that was bigger than the two-bedroom apartment in Butovo where Marianna lived with her parents.

The parquet floor was immaculate, without a single speck of dust. A few bags and bulky cases were piled up in the corner, most likely for equipment. A laptop, left turned-on was lying on the floor by the wall, next to the comforter and a few pillows that had been thrown off the bed for some reason. The bright sun was shining on the mess Maxim had left behind. His jeans were lying on the couch. Um . . . maybe he was in the bathroom? Marianna went back to the hallway and listened. It was quiet. She saw his sneakers right in the middle of the room surrounded by pencil drawings and sketches scattered on the floor and the coffee table. Marianna wanted to take a closer look at the drawings but didn't have time. She heard the sound of the elevator doors opening and turned round.

"You're here already? I was hoping you would be late." Maxim stood at the door. He was wearing shorts and a simple, light-colored t-shirt. His hair was wet, and he had a towel over his shoulder. He must have just gone to the pool. Well, of course, in a hotel like this one couldn't do without one. They could swim there together. Marianna wondered whether, if he wanted to, he could tell everyone to leave the hotel for a few hours to be here alone with her?

There were so many things he could easily afford, including her, if he wanted to!

"You can't be late when you're meeting someone like you," she said in the most lighthearted and confident tone she was capable of. You're so hot, you gray-eyed devil. I would love to just eat you up, Marianna thought, getting aroused just looking at him. Oh, what do I need to do for you to want me? Undress and demand that you take me . . . right here, on the floor? These thoughts turned her on. Marianna had a playful expression on her face. Maxim scanned her legs that looked longer than they really were thanks to her beige high heels. Marianna caught his glance and gave him a big smile but, to her great disappointment, he just walked past her.

"Make yourself comfortable." Maxim went into the kitchen, took a bottle of water from the fridge, took the lid off and eagerly drank almost half the bottle in one go. Then he turned to Marianna.

"Make yourself at home," he smiled and took a squint at her breasts. He noticed them! Marianna squeezed her thighs and straightened up. She was right! Coming over wearing no underwear was a good idea. She felt so . . . lascivious. Men liked that, right?

Marianna decided that if she sat down she would look even sexier. She walked towards the couch and sat down, slightly spreading her legs and stretching them in front of her. She couldn't be more clear about her intentions. Her body language said it all. Marianna took one of the drawings from the table.

"This is a beautiful drawing," she murmured, barely glancing at it.

"You think so?" he smiled. Marianna took a closer look and noticed that it was a drawing of some girl in sneakers. She looked at another drawing and saw the same girl. It was at that moment Marianna realized that these were all drawing of the same woman. Some were nudes. Blood rushed to Marianna's cheeks. Had he been drawing all night?