He looked up, anger on his features a moment. “You don’t apologize for that. I told you Sunday. Everything that happened was from your father. Don’t insult me with apologies.” He made a sound. A distinctly Russian thing his whole family tended to do when they got annoyed or impatient. A bah! of a sound.
It made her smile. She saluted him. “Okay then. I’m feeling tired. Worried, I suppose. But pissed off is the dominant emotion.”
“Did you call Seth about a protection order?”
“I called someone else. A friend of a friend. I used to be in law enforcement, remember? I have a meeting with an attorney tomorrow.” Though if Washington was like most other states, getting this order would be difficult because her father hadn’t physically threatened her.
But if an official body like a court told her father to leave her alone, he would. It would be the underline of authority he’d need to truly back off.
It hurt to know she was going to take an official step to keep her parents away from her. Hurt to know she had to.
He’d gone to the stove, the omelet now in a skillet.
They worked in the kitchen, stepping around one another to complete their tasks and she realized he didn’t evoke the need to step away. She didn’t think about how she’d take him down if he ever tried to hurt her. Not anymore anyway.
They were alone in her house and he was half a foot taller and she trusted him not to use that against her.
It made her feel just a little more human, a little more okay every time she was able to take a step back from that dark pit she’d been in for so long. She was more person than wounded animal in a trap.
* * *
THE WANT, THE need to put his mouth back on hers rode him hard. She was more than he’d thought even just an hour before.
Now that he’d tasted her there was no going back. No unknowing. Part of her lived in him now and he liked it.
He hadn’t planned to kiss her that morning. He’d wanted to wait until their date. But well, she’d been there and looked at him with that fucking gorgeous face. It had been better than he’d imagined it could be. The connection between them sparking to life.
Sexy. So sexy his skin seemed to buzz just being near her.
She placed a pitcher of juice on the table, nudging it his way.
“You’re a good host,” he told her as they sat.
“You did everything. All I had to provide was a table and some plates. I think I win.” She shook her head as she peppered her food. “And I also have to admit Alexsei is the one who grocery shops most often so I can’t even take credit for the juice.”
This private Rachel was one he craved. She was open with those closest to her. He loved it when she teased him. Her dry sense of humor had been a delight to discover. And the sexy flirting, a new addition to their interplay, had been a really great surprise.
“I bumped into Evie at the grocery store yesterday. She showed me pictures for a tattoo she wants,” she told him.
He withheld—barely—an eye roll. His sister was trendy. She had the latest shoes and clothes and now wanted a tattoo. But she was so picky it had been at least a year since she came up with the idea of getting one and hadn’t pulled the trigger on it because she couldn’t choose.
“It’s nice that you’re so close with her,” she said.
“She’s a pain in my ass with shit taste in men.” He shook his head. “But no one makes a cinnamon roll like her so I suppose we’re stuck with each other.” His little sister was the heart of their family. Especially since Danil had died.
“Little sisters are the best. Don’t tell Maybe I said so. I like to keep her guessing.”
Vic snorted. “I’m fairly sure your sister already knows you have a soft spot for her.”
“Someone needs to,” Rachel muttered.
Vic reached across the table and squeezed her hand, surprising them both. But she smiled, squeezed back and then pulled away.
“So. Our second date. What should we do? Dinner? Movie? Drinks? All three?” he asked.
She looked at him awhile. Not speaking. He looked back, wanting her to see he was serious.
“I’m weird.”
“Huh.” He cocked his head a moment. “I was not expecting that. Like at all.”
She laughed. “I’m told I can be unpredictable.”
He leaned closer, pleased at the way her pupils grew larger as he did. “I like unpredictable.” He took a bite, thinking over what else to say. “Are you trying to warn me off? List your supposed negative attributes so I’ll see you’re not worth my time? Because after those kisses I should warn you it’ll take more than you telling me you’re weird. In case you hadn’t noticed, my whole family is weird.”
She paused and he watched what had to be a dozen thoughts flit over her features. So expressive when she decided to share that part of herself with him.
He challenged her.
It made her feel like he knew she was strong enough to own her shit. So he called her on it because she was worth the energy.
“I’m just saying I come with a lot of baggage.” She shrugged. He was an excellent cook. The eggs were buttery soft, the saltiness of the ham a perfect addition.
He eased back, eating once again, but keeping his focus on her. “You’re attracted to me. We have some major chemistry. Are you saying I’m imagining it?”
She was a lot of things but she wasn’t a liar. Not even to herself.
“No. You’re not imagining it. Zing.” She waved a hand between them, indicating their attraction. “We’ve got it big time.”
His smile sent a shock of desire through her. “All right, that’s established. So why hesitate about coming out with me?”
“To be clear, I’m not hesitating about going out with you. I just wanted to be clear up front that I’m damaged goods.”
He sat back to take her in, all feline and powerful. He moved like music, caught her up in him like magic.
“You’re not damaged, Rachel. You’ve had life happen to you. And some of it was a nightmare.”
A nightmare she wasn’t entirely done with. Some scars never healed.
Most people wanted to save her. Pity her while being fascinated by the gruesome details.
He just was. When he was around her, he expected nothing more than what she wanted to give. She’d never really given thought to what it might feel like to be doing this slow dance into romance with someone like him.
Easy. Alluringly so.
“Look at you having such an intense discussion in your head.” He began to eat again.
She could have told him it was too risky. His cousin was now living in her house. Utterly besotted with her sister who adored him right back. Vic also happened to be close as brothers with Alexsei so if things went very badly between them it would impact pretty much every aspect of their lives. His parents lived next door, along with his sister. He only lived half a block up. They saw one another at the various events the bakery had booths at, as well as at the barbershop Alexsei owned and Maybe worked at too. Which was four minutes door-to-door from the tattoo shop Rachel worked at.
But she didn’t say any of it. Because he knew all that already.
“It’s just dinner. We can work our way up from