She’s not mad.Fuck yes. She’s not mad. She brought me back to the picnic blankets to make out like horny teenagers on the beach.And as her kisses slow and become unsure, I realize that I’m not even kissing her back.
Flipping so that she’s beneath me, I take control and prove that I’m just as into her as she seems to be into me. When she lets out a squeak, I pull some of my weight off her and force my lips from hers.
“Are you okay?”
Chest heaving, she pulls my hips back flush to hers and laughs. “Am I okay? I tackled you to the ground. Are you okay?”
“It’s cute that you think you could hurt me, sweet girl,” I coo, grinding my obvious erection into the seam of her thighs, still unfortunately covered by her dress, even with her legs wrapped around me. “You squeaked, so I wanted to make sure. I—ah!”
Pain.Searing, awful pain in my foot. Fuck! What the hell? Jumping off Ellie, I fly backward into the sand and realize acrabisattached to my fucking foot.
“Ah!” I’m screaming bloody murder now, a high-pitched, girlish screech, but I can’t care. I have to get this demon off my toes before it pinches them off.
Stumbling and trying to smack it on the sand to loosen its grip, it seems to tighten instead. Finally, my savior arrives with a flashlight, stunning the bastard and causing it to drop harmlessly to the sand before scuttling off.
“Take that!” She wields her flashlight like a sword, and as I sit heavily to inspect the damage, I tell her she’s my knight in shining armor.
“I’m so sorry, Teddy. I’ve never known a crab to come for anybody’s foot like that!”
Yep, I’m bleeding. Do I need a tetanus shot for a crab bite? Well, not a bite. A crab…claw? Cut? Pinch?
“It’s not your fault at all. Although it does put me out of commission for any more of…thattonight, though. I’m sorry. I was having a blast.”
She blushes prettily and leans in for a soft kiss that I gladly give. “Me too. Obviously.” She giggles before looking at the remains of our picnics. “Can I help you clean everything up?”
Between the two of us, even with me hobbling, it takes no time at all before there’s no trace that we were ever on the beach. In the parking lot, I open her car door and help her inside before sneaking one more peck of those sweet lips.
“This was the best first date I’ve ever had, Ellie. Thank you for taking a chance on the shirtless guy from the NICU.”
Her blush is gorgeous as she makes my night with her reply. “This was my favorite date ever, Teddy. First or not. You’ve done a very dangerous thing, though.”
My confused expression is all she needs to continue.
“You said it yourself. The bar for our second date is now very, very high.”
Not bad, Ted, for your first date back in the game.I have to be smart about this, though, and keep my momentum going. Tonight proved that the way I felt in the hospital wasn’t a fluke. Ellie’s something special, and I cannot fuck this up.
“Will you text me when you get home? How long should it take you?”
“Hmm, about twenty minutes. What about you?”
I wince, shifting my weight again off my foot. It hurts like a bitch, and Coach is going to kill me if I can’t skate tomorrow.
“A little longer, since I plan to stop by the urgent care on the way. And don’t apologize,” I rush out before she can try. “It wasn’t your fault that I ran afoul of an ornery crab. I’ll let you know what they say as long as you text me once you’re home.”
One more kiss, and I’m watching her taillights fade before punching the nearest urgent care into the nav in my truck. What a woman, and somehow, I really think she likes me.For me. Just me.
Chapter 8
The Gothic mansionlooms as I stand at the front door, waiting to be admitted. This is my first time visiting the estate that’s now technically mine. Not that I’m in any hurry to make it my home. I assured Mila that I had no plans to overstep her reign, but once my existence became public knowledge, it was no longer safe for the family to continue operating under her leadership. Officially anyway. I still have a long way to go until I’m ready to lead a fuckingBratva.
“Welcome to your new crib, Cuddles,” Misha says as he ushers me inside. My initial impression was that he’d be my favorite henchman, but I’m starting to get the sense that I’ll be a disciple of his and not the other way around.
He closes the door behind us and waits, giving me a minute to take in the grandeur of the entryway. “Wow, this is spectacular.”
I’m not sure spectacular is a strong enough word to describe the magnificence of this home. Everything is larger than life, with dark wood and colors balanced with delicate florals. It’s not at all what I would have pictured for the home of a Bratva heir, but hey, I didn’t even know what the Bratva was until myBratva sister and her Bratva henchmen kidnapped me and took me to their Bratva warehouse. I grew up onThe Godfatherand genuinely thought the Mafia was just the Mafia. Apparently not. Because when I told Mila that I couldn’t believe I was part of the Mafia, she slapped the shit out of me.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Misha kicks himself off the wall he was propped against and joins me in the center of the room, where I’ve admittedly been staring at the grand chandelier for way too long. “Mila started renovating years ago. Her–er–your father hardly ever told her no and welcomed the idea of a woman’s touch in the place. Most of our guys don’t believe Mila has a feminine bone in her body, but I see it from time to time. Like the floral decor she added to what was previously a dark, foreboding estate.”
