I raise a brow. “Maybe a little too good?”
They both laugh.
“No such thing,” Misha says, running a now clean hand through his dark hair. He always keeps it a touch too long and he smiles even bigger when the strands fall right back into place without a tangle to be seen. Unlike Yuri and I, Misha’s eyes are the same exact whiskey-brown as our dad’s, and it always looks like he’s up to trouble. Probably because he always is.
“That’s so unfair,” I tell him. “I’m the girl. I should have the silky hair.”
“Aww, don’t pout,” he says. “If you do, we won’t let you come with us next weekend.”
They both grin when I perk up and look between them. “What’s going on next weekend?”
“A whole lot of fun if you’re up for it,” Yuri says.
“I’m definitely up for it,” I say right before our parents walk in. We quickly switch topics, but not before I see Misha give me a slight nod to let me know he’ll fill me in later. I’m so excited about what’s to come that I almost miss what our dad’s just said.
“Damien’s coming?” I ask, trying really hard to make it sound like it’s not a big deal and definitely not something I’m in any way interested in.
“Yeah,” our dad says while he gets the homemade bread out of the oven and our mom grabs the bowls. “He and Ev are coming for a few weeks. They needed a break. They’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” Misha says. “We’ll make sure they have stuff to do.”
My dad points the bread knife at him. “Don’t involve them in shit, Misha. Just because Max works with us doesn’t mean they do too.”
“I would never do that, Dad,” he says, and I swear our dad almost looks guilty.
“It’s just easy to forget. That’s all I’m saying, but when they’re here, they’re guests. That’s it.” He waits for both my brothers to nod before he starts cutting the bread into slices.
While everyone starts carrying stuff to the table, my mind races with the news I just heard. I can’t let on that I care. If my dad or brothers thought for one second that I was obsessing over Damien Melnikov, they’d lock me in the house while he’s here and never let me near him. My family is amazing, and I love them all unconditionally. I know how lucky I am to have them, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to who they are. I know whatthey’re capable of and protective doesn’t even begin to describe how my dad and brothers are towards me.
There’s no way they can find out about the secret crush I’ve had on Damien since I first met him at Talia’s wedding. Every time he comes to visit his cousin, I fall a little harder, and it’s been hell trying to keep everything tamped down and pretend I don’t feel anything for him. When he walks into a room, all I want to do is run and jump in his lap, but instead I’m forced to play it cool and pretend I barely notice him.
Every time he visits, it gets harder to pretend, and I’m not sure how much longer I can manage the indifferent act I keep playing.
Chapter 3
Damien
Istare out the window while Ev lays sprawled out on the couch beside me, eyes closed and headphones on. He’s been like that ever since we took off. This vacation couldn’t come soon enough for him. Months of pushing himself to the breaking point has finally caught up, and I’m guessing he’ll sleep the entire seven-hour flight.
Too amped up to sleep, I lean back in the plush leather seat and stare out the window, watching the blue sky and thick clouds and trying not to think about anything else. The Global 7500 is a recent purchase my family made. My cousins Nat and Mia both married into the Alessi Mafia, and we used to use their private jet, but with our family expanding the way it is, we thought it best to have our own. Niki secured us the purchase and as the genius hacker of the family, made sure it was all legit on paper.
Looking around at the spacious interior, there’s no denying it was worth every stolen penny. It’s luxury at its finest and makes going to visit Max so much easier, especially when there are babies or pets involved.
“Mr. Melnikov, can I get you anything to eat or drink?”
I turn my head at the sound of Joyce’s voice and grin at her. She’s being careful to not wake Ev, so I follow her lead and keepmy voice low when I say, “I’ve told you a million times you can call me Damien.”
She grins and I swear a light blush heats her cheeks before she says, “No, sir, that’s not how this works. You’re the boss, so you’re a mister to me.”
After we bought the jet, my Uncle Vitaly put himself in charge of hiring the staff. In his words, he wasn’t about to stock it witha bunch of young hunks who will try to sleep with their wives and daughtersorwomen who are looking to join the mile-high club. He said both scenarios would end with people being tossed off mid-flight, so he decided to take a different route.
Our staff is a small group of retirees, Joyce being one of them. She’s sixty-five and was getting shit retirement from the teaching job she’d devoted her whole life to and was thrilled when this opportunity presented itself. Marvin, the man helping her on this flight is in the same boat. Sixty-six and trying to get by on a measly pension and mounting medical bills because his wife was recently diagnosed with cancer. As part of his signing-on bonus, we’re taking care of her medical bills and making sure she receives the best care.
Needless to say, our staff love us, work harder than those half their age, are never inappropriate, and are thrilled with the money they’re saving so they can have a real retirement when they choose to do so.
Joyce patiently waits for me to answer, and when I say, “I’d love a Coke,” she grins and gives me a wink before turning her attention to Ev. Since the day she was hired, she’s treated us all like grandkids, so I’m not at all surprised when she grabs a blanket and covers my cousin with it before walking off to get my drink.
She returns with my Coke and a tray full of snacks. I get another friendly wink as she says, “Just in case you decide you want a snack before lunch.”
