CHAPTER TWO
RACHEL STOOD IN her closet, looking at her clothes. Annoyance warred with delight. It’d been a while since she’d dressed up for a man for more than just a few weeks of sex and then moving on. That was easy. A mask, a costume that spelled out the limits and boundaries of the interaction.
Sexy in a generic sense.
But Vic wasn’t some dude she’d bounced on a while. He was someone she knew and liked. Someone who came over to her house on a regular basis. A guy who’d seen some of her most private stuff aired out.
God. She shouldn’t do anything with him. Just stay friends. If they started something and it went bad it would be awkward. And she really liked the Orlovs and his cousin was living in her house, sullying up her sister. Gah!
So much energy buzzed just under her skin. Had been since she’d gotten out of bed and tried to pretend it wasn’t a big deal that he was coming over and making her food and giving her a ride and being all helpful and nurturing and it was really insanely hot and comforting and he was sexy. So sexy and he wanted her. Her!
“Going off the rails here,” she murmured to herself.
Of course she was naturally going to try to talk herself out of getting into anything romantic with him. It was dumb and risky, just as she’d reminded herself.
And of course she was going to do it anyway.
He made her dizzy and sort of sappy and dumb and really horny. She wanted to see what it would be like. To have something with him, to give the zing a chance. She wanted to let herself feel all this really good stuff.
* * *
BY THE TIME he showed up at her door she’d managed to get the eyeliner on both sides into pretty respectable wings and given the goofy look on his face when he checked out her tits, the choice of the snug T-shirt she’d worn over a long-sleeved Henley was a good one.
“Hi.” He smiled at her, all gorgeous teeth framed by his beard. Sometimes she let her cheek brush it when he hugged her. And she wondered what it would feel like against the sensitive skin of her neck. Or the inside of her thighs.
Holding up an armful of packages, he thrust a huge bouquet of flowers at her. “I bring food and flowers in tribute.”
Rachel took them, pausing to breathe in the scent of the pink-tipped cream-toned roses he’d given her.
“Good morning.” She stepped back to let him come inside, taking a surreptitious sniff of him as he passed.
Yum.
She led him into the kitchen, where he began to unpack the haul he’d brought. Trying not to show how giddy she was that he’d brought her such pretty flowers, she made busy with trimming the stems and arranging them in a vase she placed in the center of the kitchen table.
“Thank you for the roses,” she said, shyness in her belly.
He turned, approaching her slowly until he’d backed her to the counter, his body shy of touching hers. “You deserve roses.”
The shyness in her belly turned to butterflies.
“I do?”
He nodded and then, shocked her into total stillness as he dipped and slid his lips over hers. Tasting. Sipping.
He backed up just a little before he got close again, this time sliding his tongue against her lips and into her mouth when she opened on a sigh of pleasure. The heat of him blanketed her, along with his scent, and she had to exercise all her self-control not to rub against him.
One last kiss, this one with a nip of her bottom lip. “I’ve been waiting a long time,” he murmured, gaze searching hers. Looking for fear? Hesitation?
She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly, one last time, chasing that query from his eyes.
“I hope it was worth the wait,” she said, trying to sound saucy.
He smirked. “It was.”
She smiled. “Good. I concur. On the being worth the wait, that is. Coffee?”
“Yes, that’d be great. Omelets okay?” he asked.
Nodding, she poured them both a large mug, leaving his near where he’d begun to assemble the ingredients for their meal.
“You know where the milk and sugar are if you want some.” She indicated the sugar bowl.
“My mother says I’m sweet enough on my own,” he told her.
Snorting, she rolled her eyes and went back to looking at him, enjoying the tingling left after that kiss.
“You do pretty well in that department, I must admit.”
Visibly pleased, he shrugged, not at all bashfully. He was just so damned self-assured. Easy with himself as he moved around her kitchen.
“I’ve decided we should go on a date. First dates can be weird, even when you already know the person. So I propose this to be our first date so when I take you out, it can be the second date and we don’t need to be nervous. Naturally there’ll be flowers because, as I mentioned, you deserve them.” He nodded as he began to assemble things in a fashion her love of order found very sexy. He poked around in the cabinets until he found what he needed and got about his business.
She sat back in her chair, utterly charmed. Damn it, why did he have to be so sexy and funny? So emotionally well adjusted and stuff? The whole of him was utterly irresistible.
It’d been hard enough when he was aiming all that charm at others. But over the last several months he’d turned it on her. Making it clear what his intentions were. Even as he never pressed for more than she was comfortable with she couldn’t deny the chemistry between them.
He’d pushed his sleeves up, exposing ridiculously sexy forearms, and then washed and dried his hands. He stood, giving her his profile, his features exposed because his hair—acres of thick, gorgeous hair, nearly shaved at the sides but long on top—was captured in a ponytail at the back of his head. He usually wore it that way when he worked.
It should have been douchey or bro-something. It was hot. Slightly messy but that was because he’d been up since four working on that upper body she got a little dizzy when she looked directly at. Like the sun.
“When you turn on the taps you go all the way, don’t you, pretty boy?”
“Too much?” he asked, knowing she wasn’t going to agree.
“It’s impressive.”
“Impressive is good.” Cocky, he raised a shoulder slightly.
“That remains to be seen,” she told him, teasing.
His laugh was one she hadn’t heard from him before. Low and lusty. It made all her hormones stand up and cheer.
“I’m very competitive. It means I tend to get very focused when I’m trying to hit something out of the park. Get your rest.”
It was Rachel’s turn to laugh. Flirting with him felt good. And she couldn’t deny the curiosity about just what he’d show her to impress her.
“Do you want ham or turkey?” He pointed at the cutting board with his knife.
“Ham is good. Thanks.”
Silence lived between them for a bit as he cooked, filling the kitchen with some really good scents. It wasn’t uncomfortable. Being with him rarely was.
“Busy morning at the bakery?” she asked.
“Even my mother was pleased with the business today. She’s a hard taskmaster and has very high standards when it comes to what she considers a successful day’s take.”
Rachel laughed. Mrs. Orlov was one of her favorite people. Though small in stature, she was a big presence. Especially within her family. A force to be reckoned with in her community.
She only hoped to one day live as boldly as her own person as Irena did.
As he made the food, she hopped down and began to slice thick pieces of bread to be toasted. Pretty much daily throughout the last several years, she’d eaten bread created in the Orlovs’ ovens. It had given her roots. A sense of place in her new life.
And at least a few more pounds.
“I brought fresh butter,” he told her, indicating a wax paper–wrapped square on the counter.
Fresh bread and butter brought to her by a gorgeous man? She must have done something pretty awesome in a past life.
“I also brought some of the tea I texted you about earlier today. Drink it an hour or so before you want to go to sleep.” He paused. “How are you feeling? Aside from the sleeplessness that is. I haven’t seen you in person since Sunday night.”
Embarrassment flooded her. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe you had to see all that. We invite you over for a meal and then act like assholes.”
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 there. If you were going to try to talk yourself out of it, you should have done it earlier,” he added.
“You’re right.” She snapped free of her internal argument and snorted. “Fine. I just want to be sure you’re going into this realizing what you’re doing.”
“I always know what I’m doing, Rachel. I’m deliberate. I always have been. I’ve wanted to go out with you for quite a long time,” he said in an infuriatingly calm voice.
She tore off a piece of toast and jammed it into her mouth, chewing a while before finally asking the question that’d been nagging at her. “So why now? What changed from yesterday? Or the day before?”
She couldn’t deal with pity. Not from him.
“I let you have yesterday because after that fuckery on Sunday you needed a break. I also knew you and Maybe took the day off to hang out and I left you alone. But Sunday is when I knew. I’ll give you all the reasons why when you’re ready to hear them.”
“When I’m ready to hear them?”
“That’s what I said. Tell me, how is work?” he asked, changing the subject. She began to demand he tell her but hesitated.
“Busy. Lots of people like to get ink around Valentine’s Day.”
“Romantic gestures they’ll have to get covered up in a year?”
“I thought I was jaded,” she said.
He blushed and she couldn’t help the way it moved her.
“I’m not jaded. I can see the appeal of getting ink for your sweetheart. I know several people with horror stories, but they’d have horror stories either way, I suppose. The bakery does a brisk business for Valentine’s Day too. This year Evie is making heart-shaped vatrushka and she uses strawberry in the center.”
Oooh! “Did you bring one of those? It doesn’t have to be shaped like a heart as it’s already a pastry and I’d just eat it anyway.”
“I didn’t. For our second date, I’ll bring you some to go with the roses.”
That the normally easygoing Vic was coming back to the second date thing clued her in to the fact that he also could be like a dog with a bone when it came to getting what he wanted.
Damn it. Every second that passed he just got sexier.
Thankfully, since she wanted it too.
The moment stretched out between them as they finished brunch. Rachel tried not to jump up to clear off the table and clean the kitchen, telling him since he cooked she’d clean. It gave her some physical space and something to do while she processed the way he made her feel.
Vic eased back, watching her. Giving her silence but not taking his focus away. Once he’d fully stepped into her world, he apparently wasn’t going anywhere.
Which, she had to admit, was a nice thing. She wanted to be wary of it. Look for ulterior motives. But...he wasn’t that guy.
“Ready to go? I took what I needed to drop off next door on the way here so I can take you straight in. My mom isn’t home or I’d take you over there first,” he added.
“Really?” A flush of happiness hit that Irena wanted to see her and say hello. Vic’s mom had become more and more involved in the lives of the Dolan sisters.
Actually, it was more that Rachel and Maybe had been involved in their lives. The Orlovs and their wonderful, giant, loud family who’d begun to treat them as if they were family too.
“Yes, really. She likes you and Maybe. You listen to her stories and let her teach you things in her kitchen. That means a lot to her.”
It was totally mutual. Being able to hang out in Irena’s kitchen had been a reasonably new experience in her life. Rachel loved it there. Vic’s mom knew so much about so many things and was always happy to share her expertise. She was hilarious and nurturing and in general, a lot of fun.
“It’s the other way around. She’s always so patient even when I’m terrible at something.” Rachel grabbed her things and made one last check to be sure the stove was turned off before they headed out.
Vic said, as they reached her front door, “It’s what moms do.” It must have been her snort in response because he paused and then said, “What they should do.”
Even though he’d reassured her that she had nothing to apologize for after that scene with her parents, it still embarrassed her that he’d witnessed it.
She used the excuse of locking her door to get herself together again. But when she turned, he was there, a hand out to stay her.
“Wait,” he murmured as he bent to zip her coat. “Don’t want you getting cold.”
It was so unexpectedly sweet it knocked her off balance a moment. “Thanks,” she managed to say right before he gave her a quick kiss. Right there on her front porch.
His hand, warm and sure, sat at the small of her back as he steered her to his car and opened the door for her.
On the way to the south end of downtown that made up Pioneer Square, where Ink Sisters was located, she could have told him she didn’t need a ride to work. She could have driven. She could take the bus and still make it on time.
But the truth was, she wanted to spend more time with him. He smelled good and it was really cold and parking was expensive.
And she wanted to be able to be honest about her life with someone other than Maybe and their best friend, Cora.
He lightened her mood just by being around. Accepted her without expectations that felt like a burden.
“If it helps any, my mother is bossy and nosy and insufferably meddlesome sometimes,” Vic told her, surprising a laugh from her lips.
It used to feel sort of rusty when she laughed. Like an old hinge on a door not often used. But it didn’t feel like an act to laugh with him, didn’t feel unnatural to guffaw or snicker.
“I may have noticed that a few times,” Rachel told him, deadpan.
* * *
HE DUG HER sense of humor. Dry and sarcastic with a sense of darkness he undeniably clicked with.
“What time do you get off tomorrow? For our date.” He figured it was time for another pass at nailing down details.
She blushed, ducking her head slightly so her hair slid to partially screen her face. “Tomorrow is Wednesday so I’ll be done by seven.”
“I’ll drop by the shop at seven, then, to pick you up. I’ll drive you home and then you can come to my house when you’re ready.”
“I’m fairly sure you must have gotten this bossiness from your mother. I can just get home and meet you after that. Or we could go straight to dinner from Ink Sisters.”
“I know you can. I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow night but I’m sure I’ll see you before that.” He hoped.
He pulled to a stop in the loading zone in front of the shop.
He wondered if she was going to argue and then wondered whether it would be a disappointment or not if he had to coax her into the plan. Coaxing her was rather pleasurable. And her crankiness was hot.
“Fine,” she agreed at last. “Thanks for brunch and the bread delivery. And the ride.”
“Wait just a moment,” he told her, reaching back to grab the bag he’d placed there for her earlier. “Shortbread cookies made this morning. Just in case you get a craving for something sweet later.”
Her mouth curved up into a smile before she leaned in to quickly brush her lips over his and scrambled away and out of the car. She held the bag aloft. “Thanks for these too.”
With a grin, he waved before heading back into traffic once he got an opening.
* * *
NEEDING TO TALK to Maybe immediately, Rachel hurried through the shop to the back where the lockers were.
“He gave me cookies,” Rachel told Maybe over the phone the moment she answered. She was so giddy she was past being embarrassed at how giddy she sounded.
“Who gave you cookies?”
“Vic! He came over and made me food and then grilled me sort of and then he told me we were going on a date. Our second one. Which we are tomorrow night and I’m not sure how it all happened. He’s very smooth and possibly he mesmerized me with his forearms. Maybe, have you seen the man’s forearms?”
Her sister laughed. “Took him long enough. I honestly was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to jump to it or if I was going to have to manufacture something to get you together. Jeez. And of course I’ve seen his forearms. They’re like art. They need to be appreciated.”
“So say we all,” Rachel told her. “It’d be a crime not to.”
“So you have a date. A second date, which means you declared brunch a date, which means there was at least some smooching today. Tell me everything right now,” Maybe demanded. “Did you do below the underpants stuff? Or is that what the second date is for? Probably second date.”
Rachel laughed so hard people in the shop most likely heard. “He made me food and kissed me stupid and gave me a ride to work and when we got here, he handed me a bag of cookies. You know, if I wanted something sweet today. It’s pretty hard to resist,” she admitted.
“So don’t. Why resist at all?” Maybe’s voice had softened.
“Well, you’re right. I’m not going to.”
“Duh. Save me two cookies. I want to hear every last detail about the brunch but I’ve got to run, my client is here. Don’t tell Cora first or she’ll lord it over me forever.”
The sisters had been close, but in the years since she’d been kidnapped, they’d become best friends. Without Maybe, and then later, Cora, Rachel wasn’t sure she’d have made it through some pretty rough spots as she recovered.
The three women had a deep bond and connection that included plenty of teasing and ass-kicking along with the love and support.
“I’ll tell her you said that. She’s going to ask me what happened the minute she comes in.”
“She’ll understand. Tonight how about we catch up on some shows, eat pizza and hang out? You can fill us both in then. Alexsei will be here until ten and then he and Vic are having drinks afterward so we have plenty of alone time to gossip,” Maybe said. “I gotta go. Love you. See you tonight at home.”