I don’t know why I say that. It’s the first thing my brain grabs so he won’t ask more questions. Or I hope he won’t.
“Jesus. I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.” I try to smile. “But yeah. My father raised me alone after that. Never remarried. Never dated, as far as I know.”
I bite my lip. I’ve said way too much. But it felt good to open up. Even if his family is part of the reason my mother is gone.
“Your father sounds like he gave a shit.” Bitterness sharpens his voice. “Mine decided duty to the Bratva mattered more than duty to his kids. We weren’t his priority. Never were.”
I don’t know what to say, but hearing his pain is hard. Before we can continue, he pushes away from the table and covers his belly with both hands. “I can’t eat another bite.”
“Me neither. I hope Rosa’s proud.”
“I think we passed her test.” Kirill eyes the tabletop where we’ve demolished most of what she brought. “But she’s going to want to put a few more pounds on you. I’ll have to bring you back here.”
The smile spreading across my face is as genuine as they come.
“Do all Velour’s servers get this treatment?” I tease. “A ride home and dinner?”
He holds my gaze, intensity in those pale eyes sending my pulse skyward. “No. Just you.”
CHAPTER
TEN
KIRILL
Her deadbolt clicksinto place while I stand in front of her door.
“The alarm too,” I yell.
“Yeah, yeah, I was getting to it.” Evelina’s amused tone is followed by the soft beep of the system arming.
“Good night, Evelina.”
“Good night, boss.”
Her voice comes out a little throaty, and I have to rest my forehead against her door and breathe for a few seconds, willing my half-hard cock to calm the fuck down.
I should’ve kissed her. Should’ve pressed her against that door, fisted my hand in all that blonde hair, and found out if she tastes as good as I’ve been imagining.
I know why I didn’t. Because kissing her wouldn’t have been nearly enough. I need to be buried deep in her pussy—that’s the only way to scratch this itch that’s been eating at me since the moment she walked into my club.
But tonight, business calls.
Elio and my brothers are waiting at our Red Hook warehouse to finalize the plan for the Ghost operation at the end of the week. I’m already late because I couldn’t resist playing chauffeur and feeding her.
I force myself down the stairs and back to the Land Rover. One last glance up at her window confirms her lights are on and her curtains drawn before I pull away.
My mind won’t let go of tonight. Of Rosa’s knowing smile when she cornered me while Evelina was in the bathroom.
“Is she your girlfriend?” Rosa asked, eyes bright with curiosity.
“No. Just someone who works for me.”
Rosa laughed. “Mijo, I’ve known you for a long time. You’ve never brought a woman here. Not once in all these years. If you brought her here, she’s special to you. Maybe you haven’t realized it yet, but you will.”
Then she patted my cheek and walked off, leaving me to wonder why I’d brought Evelina here. I hadn’t planned it. We were in the neighborhood and I thought she was hungry after her shift.
