It must have been the kid in her, but Kallie was really looking forward to getting into a business venture with Sasha. Funny how she’d been so excited over a mere lunch (and that before she’d known they were going to his mother’s house), and how such a thing couldn’t even begin to compare to the thrill that shot through her now at not only having something worthwhile to do, but also having Sasha to do it with.

Then reality hit, and she realized just how much she needed to do. “I need new clothes,” she said as she stepped out of the shower. It was the first thing that popped into her head.

“Yeah?” Sasha asked, his face lighting up. He’d been trying to get her to go shopping with him for a while. He goosed her buttocks.

She swatted his hand away, loving that he was in a playful mood. “I have to go shopping. I’ve been in denial that I wasn’t going to need all the stuff I left behind. But I’m getting pretty tired of wearing the same four things over and over.” She dug around in the drawer, looking for clean underwear. This lack of clothing was definitely getting old. She hadn’t begun to bring enough of anything, but underclothing was becoming a constant struggle.

“We can go,” he said, picking out a black lace thong and dangling it from his finger. “You could find more things like this.”

“Give me that!” She gave him a look and made a point of dropping it back in the drawer and pulling out something a little more...what a businesswoman might wear. Okay, maybe those were granny panties. She needed something in between. She dug back in. “I need to do laundry...and so you know? I wasn’t asking. I was thinking out loud.”

“Yes, but I was offering,” he replied, bending his head to her neck and trailing kisses along her collarbone. “I would have the best time spoiling you.”

“I can afford my own clothes...” she murmured, and sighed as her back arched and her head tilted back to give him better access. It was hard to think when he...nibbled...like that.

She had to admit the idea of letting Sasha buy her clothes was kind of sexy...kinky, even. Like being a kept woman. Even as an independent woman, she loved when he took care of her.

The day the police came to her office and told her what her fiancé had done, she had immediately moved her money even as they sat there across from her desk. It was a good thing she did. Jeremy had wiped out all the other accounts they had in the business together. When the detective announced that Jeremy was on the run with one of the hookers she’d hired as a candidate for her executive assistant placement agency, Kallie had been tapping keys on her keyboard and moving the money. Then she’d found out he’d drained most of the accounts. She had been shocked but hadn’t panicked, at least not right then.

So, while the experience left her broken, it hadn’t left her broke. She’d ditched her Baltimore town home for a hole-in-the wall studio apartment in Dickerson, and that was how she found Sasha. It had seemed a good way to hide and lick her wounds, especially after the press got wind of the story. It had been front-page news for a while. Here Jeremy was operating a call girl operation, and all the great relationships that Kallie had nurtured with the rock stars of the business world were scandalized. And looking for someone to blame. The whole thing had blown up rather spectacularly.

So, she’d hidden out and became a waitress in very urban world. She’d chosen the Russian neighborhood as the best place to stay hidden, as it was the last place anyone would have ever thought to look for her. Then, as she’d soon learned, it was a world which Sasha Petrov ruled as king. How strange that even though her world and his were worlds apart, they had turned out to be one and the same. What were the odds that he would happen to be the gangster who’d masterminded her demise, before they’d even met in person?

She hadn’t taken her stuff with her, but now she could use some of it. But maybe this was just as well. In this reality she was starting over. New things were okay. Swatting away Sasha’s continued ministrations to her neck, she dug in the closet and found something that would be passable at least until she could go shopping. To scout the bakery with Sasha, she opted for a pair of navy capris and a crisp white blouse. It was a simple but respectable outfit that she wished she’d worn the day before. But this at least would show a certain amount of respect to the people of Sasha’s world.

He watched her dress with the rapt attention of one who would rather see the process reversed into a striptease. His eyes were warm, appreciative. She loved how he never had a negative thing to say about her; he was always over-the-top complimentary. Maybe too much so. She was starting to wonder what would happen if she ever really wowed him. He hadn’t really seen her at her seductive best yet. And here he was, sweet enough to approve her choices just the same.

Note to self. Buy something... fun.

“Classic beauty,” he murmured as he took her arm and escorted her downstairs. “You must kill in a suit.”

Kallie sashayed to the car, putting a little extra swing in her hips just to be playful and paused at the driver’s side door, jingling the car keys just out of reach.

Sasha joined her, his expression sullen. He eyed the keys jangling just out of reach and gave her a look.

“It’s a beautiful day for a drive,” she said with a very pleased-with-herself smile.

Sasha rolled his eyes. He was dying to take the keys back. She could see it on his face. She shouldn’t take pleasure in that fact, but she did. She found it adorable. But she wanted to drive his car and there was no reason she shouldn’t be allowed to.

“Baby...” he begged as she reached for the door handle. Did he seriously just whimper?

Kallie turned her head defiantly.

He had such a hard time telling her no. The big, powerful man’s great weakness was that he really liked giving her what she wanted. “You don’t even know where we’re going...”

“I know how to get the bar,” she reminded him, fingers closing protectively around the keys.

“Yes, but have you ever driven there?”

“It’s not more than a couple miles from here. And it’s the middle of the day.” She opened the door, and he winced. “I promise to be very cautious,”

He stood and stared at her as she eased herself into the driver’s seat. She could swear she heard him curse under his breath. She shook her head and had all she could do to not roll her eyes. With exaggerated care, she shut the door and buckled her seatbelt, fighting the urge to laugh.

Sasha got in the passenger side. Funny how that seat was the same size as the one on the driver’s side, but with him sitting over on the right it seemed like he was too big for the car; like he didn’t fit. Judging from his expression, he wasn’t happy.

“Okay,” she said, trying hard not to sigh. “I’ll just go a couple blocks and then you can drive. I don’t want to ruin our day.”

“I’m that bad, am I?”

“Just a little bit,” she said tightly, and started the car. By now the pleasure of driving the muscle car had been spoiled, and the only reason she was behind the wheel was because she was too mad to give back the driver’s seat.

The car roared to life as she backed out the driveway and hit the accelerator. Never had she driven a car with such a powerful engine. It felt amazing, like handling a live thing. Kallie drove carefully through the neighborhood, stopping with exaggerated care at each of the two stop signs before pulling over to the curb. She crossed her arms and looked at him.

It was his turn to sigh. “Fine,” he said after a long moment. “Drive the rest of the way.”

“Really?” she squealed before catching herself, and blushed as she clamped down the emotions before he changed his mind. Carefully she eased back out into traffic. “So, do you have any other cars like this?”

“Yes,” he said. She noticed that the hand nearest her was clenched, the knuckles showing white. It really was killing him to let her drive.

Unable to resist teasing him further, she shot him a quick smile. “Then maybe it’s about time you showed them to me.”

“Maybe we can get you one of your own,” he countered, crossing his arms across his broad chest and staring at her so hard she almost ran a red light. She shot him a glare and ignored him the rest of the way there.

It took no time at all to reach the bakery. The place had a wide-open parking lot behind it and a handful of spaces in front out on the street. At this hour most of the parking spaces were open. She debated for a moment, then figured the car would be safer in the lot and made the turn.

Sasha caught on too late that she intended to pull into the lot. As she drove up the apron, a loud scraping sound coincided with his calling out, “No, no!”

Too late she realized she should have pulled up alongside the curb. The car was too low-slung for the lip at the top of the apron that led into the parking lot. But she was already committed and had to go either the rest of the way up or back down again, and she was already past the worst of it. Wincing, she gunned the engine, taking it up the rest of the way, and stopped. The car’s atmosphere became tense. Sasha was silent.

“Sorry,” she said, taking a shaky breath, silently calling herself every name in the book for not thinking that through.

“It’s fine,” he said, though it was quite clear it wasn’t. “Park, sweetheart.”

“I didn’t hurt it, did I?”

Sasha looked somber. “I’ll have it checked,” he said tightly. “Don’t worry. And there’s another exit from the parking lot, so it won’t be so bad leaving.” He leaned into her and kissed her. “Because I’m driving.”

This definitely was final. Kallie had no desire to push. She didn’t wait for him to open her door but slid out of the car, and in silence handed him the keys.

He held her hand as they walked to the door of the bakery. Relief washed over her. He wasn’t mad. He loved her, and all was well. It was the most unbelievable feeling in the world, way better than taking the vintage car for a spin.

The place looked every bit as sweet as Sasha had described. The place was impeccably clean, if worn. If they bought the place, they would have to renovate. Everything within eyesight hadn’t been replaced in quite a while. Kallie stopped just inside the doorway, taking a long look around. It would be interesting to try to restore the place to its former glory. The interior was so old it looked very cool and retro.

One customer stood buying pastries, while a man and woman sat talking at a small table in the corner. An older couple stood behind the counter, the woman boxing cookies, the man bent over to place a tray of donuts in the display case. Sasha greeted them like long-lost relatives as he and Kallie entered. The older woman gave a cry of delight and reached for him, engulfing Sasha in a hug that would have crushed Kallie completely. She looked like she’d stepped out of another era, right down to the kerchief on her head. Kallie couldn’t help but smile as the woman turned her attention to Kallie, and moments later she found herself in a hug as well, and yes, it was every bit as crushing as she’d feared.

The older man stopped rearranging donuts to embrace Sasha as well. It should have been odd, but it wasn’t, to see two fairly macho men kiss on the lips. Kallie chalked it up to their passionate culture. She was probably the only person there who batted an eye.

“I thought we would have some lunch,” Sasha announced with a smile and a wink.

It was like watching a family reunion. The woman fussed over him way more than his own mother did. There were only a few tables, but she ushered them to a table she picked herself. He almost didn’t fit at a two-top. The woman handed them laminated menus that had seen better days.

Sasha received them with a hearty grin. “You’re going to love the food here,” he said to Kallie. “Kallie Margolis, this is Mrs. Katia Attman. And the handsome guy headed for the stove is Lev.”

Lev waved to Kallie and Katia firmly pinched Kallie’s cheek, rattling off something in Russian that left Sasha laughing. Kallie’s eyebrow lifted. This was something they would discuss later.

“Mr. and Mrs. Attman own this wonderful place.”

“Yes, we do, Alexander,” Mrs. Attman said with another pinch for Sasha’s cheek. “But not for long, am I right?”

Kallie was confused. “Alexander?” She raised her eyebrow.

“Sasha is a nickname for Alexander,” he explained. She’d heard that tone before. A sort of ‘leave it alone’ kind of tone that obviously meant she was going to have to drag this out to tease him with later.

“For a boy,” Mrs. Attman stated with a hand on her ample hip. “Does this look like a boy to you?”

Sasha slapped a hand over his mouth, though it did little good to hide his pleased grin.

“No, he doesn’t,” Kallie agreed, leaning forward to try to peek behind Sasha’s hand. He swatted at her.

He ordered for the both of them. “We’ll have milk and coffees. We can start off with a couple of Russian eggplant appetizers, okay? While we look at the menu a little while longer.”

“Take your time. On the house,” she said, waving away his protests the way one would swat at flies.

When the older woman was back behind the counter, Sasha leaned in close to explain. “They’re such a happy couple normally. But then I came in here one morning and Lev looked unbelievably tired. It turns out he’s been wanting to retire, so I thought why not?”

“I thought you said this place was for sale.”

“It is now. To me.” He gave her that sexy grin. “He has to think about it a little, but I know he’s dying to let it go. I’m going to run some questions by him later, but I feel good about it. He respects me and knows I’ll respect what they’ve worked hard to accomplish.”

“Is she the baker?”

“Yes. I was thinking that, whoever I get to bake, I can have Katia stay on for a little bit and give some lessons. She can perhaps teach some of her secret recipes, so that we don’t lose what the public enjoys so much about this place. While I know that whatever we do won’t be the same, we’ll hold onto the old traditions as much as possible.”

“It’s really cute,” Kallie said, giving a frank look around. “I see a ton of potential.”

Sasha leaned into the table as best he could. “Don’t let the current quiet time fool you. At six a.m. there’s a line that stretches all the way to the bar. And then it disappears as everyone goes to work. After three, they sell stuff half-price. It fills up. They do a pretty good to-go business. He used to do some delivery, but he’s had an issue with delivery people ripping them off. He’s got a guy now who should work out okay. He’s the kid of one of my men.”

He did it all so easily, to make statements like this. Here was further evidence of how Sasha ‘handled’ things for people in the neighborhood. Just like that, he would take a problem and solve it. Everything was so easy in his world. Kallie shuddered, hating the shivery feeling down her spine that she got when he talked like this.

Yet look at the good he’d done for these people. Was it so wrong?

Conflicted, she stared at the table as Katia came and set down two small coffees loaded with heavy whipped cream.

It probably had a gazillion calories, but Kallie honestly didn’t care right now. It tasted so, so delicious. “Damn!”

“Careful with that word,” Sasha warned with a gentle touch to her elbow. “The Attmans are very religious.”

Kallie felt the blood rush to her face and nodded, mouthing a quick sorry with a glance darted toward the counter to see if she’d been heard.

If Katia heard her, she ignored it as she set a plate of little twisted pastries between them.

Sasha laughed and shook his head.

“Turkish coffees and khvorost,” Katia announced. “You ever have?”

“I have not,” Kallie replied. “But I can’t wait.”

Sasha smiled with great affection. “We’re going to need a crane to haul us out of here. Sweetheart, we can’t eat all of these.”

Katia shrugged. “Take them home.”

“Yes, ma’am!” He pointed to the menu. “We’ll have the appetizers another time, then,” he said gently. “May we split this sandwich here? And then try a little of the beet borscht? A small one because I don’t think Kallie has ever had it the way you make it. I want her to save room, so we can try everything.”

Kallie again got that tender feeling at the way Sasha handled Katia so sweetly. It seemed clear how Katia was floored by his compliments and his kindness. The older woman scurried to fill their order.

“This coffee tastes like yours,” Kallie said, cradling the mug in her hands.

He made a face of mock surprise. “It does?”

His expression made her want to kiss him. “So, you make Turkish coffee?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “You have to make it a little differently than you’re used to. It involves boiling on the stove. No other way gets the same flavor.”

They drank their coffee and sampled the pastries while waiting for their food. Kallie liked looking around the restaurant, and asked finally what it was he’d ordered for them.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever had cold soup or whether you like beets, but this is her signature lunch dish. I hope you’re adventurous. I mean at the table.” His eyes were dark and his look suggestive.

She found herself laughing, delighted to be with him. Delighted that he would flirt with her so outrageously from across the table when there were other people in the restaurant who could overhear. It made her feel a little bit wicked. Sexy. “I like whatever you ask me to try,” she said, her tone teasing as she set down her coffee cup. “I have to say this is what I expected having lunch at your mother’s to be. Katia is a doll.”

Sasha nodded, a trace of disappointment showing on his face, though whether it was for the change in subject or in agreement regarding his mother she couldn’t tell. “I know,” he said somberly. He broke a pastry and handed her half. “Don’t eat more than one or we’ll never have the rest of our food. They kill your appetite. I’ll take these home to Alex and Dmitry.”

“Hey, another Alex,” she noted suddenly. “How come they don’t call him Sasha?”

“Because, apparently, his family thinks of him as a man,” he replied sarcastically.

This was a sore spot with him, she was coming to realize. She wondered about his father, and how he’d fit into the whole family dynamic, though she didn’t dare ask when Sasha’s mood was already so dark. How much of this twisted and complicated relationship had to do with where he was today? Obviously, he had the drive and ambition to take himself to the top in any industry, but his sometimes-questionable means of income spoke of a certain defiance to what was the accepted norm. Was all of this nothing more than a childish rebellion against an overbearing mother?

The next thing you know, you’ll put out your shingle as a counselor. Enough with the armchair psychology. Maybe he just likes the thrill of doing something a little bit...wicked?

Despite his many flaws this couple clearly loved him, as did many of the people in her neighborhood. Everyone’s faces lit up when they saw Sasha. Kallie knew the feeling well. He was such a wonderful man, despite how they’d met. She hated that he had such a family.

Katia brought the borscht over for them. Her smiling face was filled with pride. She set down the soup, fussing endlessly, all but tucking their napkins under their chins. “I made this fresh for you two. Enjoy.”

Sasha loaded up a spoon. “This is an acquired taste,” he said, leaning over to feed the cold soup to her.

Kallie tasted. She didn’t like it and said so. “Not for me,” she whispered, trying hard not to make a face.

“I love it.” He took a big spoonful for himself. She loved watching Sasha enjoying his food. Sitting back with the last of her coffee, she watched with fascination the way his lips parted to accept the spoon, the way his tongue darted out to catch an errant drop. She remembered that tongue well from last night.

“Sasha,” she gasped, shifting restlessly in her chair.

He didn’t hear her, and she didn’t want to be too loud for fear she would attract attention. Kallie pressed her palms against the small table top. “Sasha,” she repeated. This time, she touched his calf with the toe of her shoe.

He paused in eating, looking at her with a slight frown. “What?”

“You gotta stop,” she said, almost overcome with arousal.

He raised the spoon to her lips instead of his, even though she’d expressed her dislike for it. “One more,” he softly prompted. “For me.”

Kallie shook her head.

“It will cure what ails you until I can,” he promised in a soothing voice.

Reluctantly she opened her mouth. To her the soup was just cold beets. In beet broth. Even topping it with red onions and sour cream didn’t improve the flavor, to her way of thinking. It was still beets. Kallie tried her best, but she just wasn’t a fan of the vegetable; she’d hated them since she was a child. But Sasha was absolutely right, it knocked her hunger for him down to size. She swallowed obediently and sat up straight.

He chuckled. “Better?”

“Yes...” She couldn’t help laughing at herself. “Is this why you’re eating it?”

“No,” he smirked, a look of pure devilment on his face. “I love it. It’s an acquired taste. It’s also served hot. It’s wet, slightly sweet. It’s got an earthy taste and a creamy finish.”

Kallie blinked. She felt pretty sure he was no longer talking about the soup. Her throat went dry and tight, and even her breath hitched. She swallowed hard.

Sasha nudged her water glass towards her. “You look like you need this.”

She grabbed the glass desperately and chugged the water down.

Sasha raised a brow and then laughed.

Katia and Lev were generous in their portions. Even with splitting the sandwich, the lunch was too much. Sasha and Kallie wrapped up their leftovers to bring home.

Katia clung to Sasha’s hand as they were leaving. “Oh, do you have to leave so soon?” she asked, her eyes suspiciously bright as she regarded them. She was on the verge of tears, Kallie realized in shock.

Again, Kallie couldn’t help but think how the script from the lunch of the day before with his mother was switched with the one for today. Why was it Sasha’s own mother couldn’t show even a tenth of this kind of emotion for her son? It made no sense.

Katia made triple-sure they left with all of the food they didn’t eat, saying something in Russian to Sasha as they prepared to go.

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I will. Promise.”

“Nice meeting you,” she said to Kallie, hugging and kissing her as well.

Kallie felt as warm inside, as if she’d had another sip of that coffee. She and Sasha were practically waddling out to the Gran Torino. Between everything they’d eaten, Kallie was stuffed and uncomfortable. She gladly sat in the passenger seat and let Sasha drive.

He took them on a leisurely drive through old neighborhoods, mostly with well-groomed lawns even though their heyday was long past. At the intersection, Sasha reached across Kallie and rolled her window down so that he could better point out landmarks as he drove. Sasha, especially in the past few days, showed her that he was really about community and family, even though his family was difficult.

Driving through the quiet streets where she could imagine family gatherings, Sunday dinners, Christmas decorations, Kallie felt like she was taking a leisurely Sunday drive in yesteryear. She wondered what it would have been like to live back then, to maybe be married for years the way Katia and her husband were.

It wouldn’t be the same, she realized as they meandered down a tree-shaded street. Their own interaction from the onset had been combustive and dramatic. While it was lovely sharing a peaceful afternoon with him like this, how long would such contentment truly last?

What would he be like at home? If it truly was just us?

Looking back to their beginning, she realized she’d always known Sasha in this setting of the community where he not only lived, but worked. Where places like the Attmans’ and the bar, Darkness, were old fixtures.

His entire world was a couple-mile radius of an area known for ethnic culture and street crime. It was much like Little Ukraine, where Kallie used to venture off to when cutting class back in high school. Wandering those streets had been a wicked, daring thing to do. Something to be admired by her friends.

She meant to steal a glance at him, but once again his intuition caught her out. Sasha turned at the same instant and looked at her. His gaze was distant, the look of a man with a million things on his mind. As intimate as she’d been with him, and as much time as she spent with him, there was so much he didn’t share with her. So much she didn’t dare ask.

Kallie would give anything to know what he was thinking.