“Well, you found me,” I said lamely.
Ivan handed me the flowers. They were gorgeous. A riot of color wrapped in simple brown paper. There were ones I grew in my own flowerbeds, but the yellow blooms seemed vaguely familiar. I bent my face over the mass, inhaling deeply. The scent transported me to the rolling fields and meadows of home. There was an earthy quality that couldn’t be captured by a florist’s arrangement.
“They’re beautiful,” I breathed. “Thank you.”
“I was hoping you’d join me for dinner,” Ivan added, slipping his hands into his pockets. His smile was lopsided. My own lips tipped up in response to his cheeky grin. “I’m sorry I didn’t come over sooner.”
He might not have raked me with a look, but I caved, soaking in the sight of him.
His stance was loose. Those broad shoulders seemed like iron under his shirt. It might be eighty degrees out, but he wore a long sleeve button-up shirt tucked into his jeans.
He looked…uncomfortable.
“Sit down,” I said quickly, gesturing to the lounge chair next to me. “And I’m not sure about dinner. It’s our last night. We have some plans, but nothing’s set in stone.”
Ivan folded stiffly onto the seat. “I understand.”
I braced my poor heart to keep from escaping my chest. This man was dangerous, and not because he was an acquaintance of the don’s. My history with men was short, and since Brady came into my life, it was nonexistent. I didn’t trust myself to be ready for male attention, let alone from such a dominating presence like the man next to me.
“We’re having a bonfire, roasting wieners and smores,” I explained.
Before I could do something stupid, like invite him to join, Brady splashed over. The stone pavers sopped up the water draining from his floaty.
“Mama, the shark is too deep,” he insisted. “It’s going to drown.”
I opened my mouth to tell him I was not getting back in the pool, but Ivan beat me to it.
“Sharks thrive in the deep, cold water,” he explained. That thick accent made his tongue roll over the words with a delicious sound. “Are you sure he doesn’t have a kingdom down there?”
Brady studied his buddy. “Maybe. But I can’t go down and see.”
“Your shark is the king, ruling over his subjects, right?” Ivan cocked his head. “The fishes and creatures of the deep.”
“Yes, but I’m his king,” Brady said eagerly. “He doesn’t bite me. Because I’ll bite back!”
“Show me your teeth, little chomper,” Ivan coaxed.
Brady flashed a mouth full of baby teeth, short and cute and perfectly formed.
Saints. My heart melted in a pool of gushy warmth.
It was one thing to have a male give me attention. I was kind of pretty, and guys seemed to think they could push me into doing anything. But the way Ivan connected with Brady wasn’t a ploy to catch my attention. It was genuine.
And it made me like the mobster despite myself.
“Go tell your subject that he’d better behave or there will be heavy consequences for mutiny,” Ivan warned.
“Okay!” Brady sang out, rushing back to the pool. With a war cry, he flung himself into the water.
I swiped the splashed water off my calves. “I’ve been fishing that sinky toy out of the pool all morning. Next time, I’ll find a net on a pole.”
My nervous laughter died under the serious weight of those piercing black eyes.
“Your son is strong.”
Not cute. Not naughty.
Strong.
