Page 49

As she turns to go change, my eyes drop to the curve of her ass in the fabric. Flawless.

When she returns in her regular clothes, she suggests I get something to match.

I give her a flat look. “There is no way in hell I’m wearing a red suit, solnyshko.”

She giggles. “Okay, thinking about it now… that is ridiculous. What about a red tie?”

“No.”

She opens her mouth again, but I cut her off. “And no red shirt either.”

“Come on, we need to match somehow.” She asks the attendant for the tie section and disappears for a moment. When she returns, she’s holding a black silk tie with subtle red patterns woven through it.

It’s not something I would normally choose. I prefer solid black. But the hopeful look on her face as she holds it out to me softens something in my chest.

“Will it make you happy if I wear this?” I ask.

“Very,” she answers immediately.

“Fine. I’ll wear the tie.”

As I agree, she smiles at me again. A strange, unfamiliar warmth settles in my chest as I watch her. This is the happiness of having someone so lovely, isn’t it?

By the time we finish and return to the car, I notice her mood has dropped again. I know she wants to talk about last night. She already tried bringing it up but I still don’t want to have that conversation.

Admitting I’m staying away from her on purpose would open doors I’m not ready to walk through. Still, I hate seeing her like this.

“How about we go let off some steam before the gala?” I suggest.

She looks surprised. “Don’t you need to go back to the office?”

I should. I’ve already spent far too much time away from work today. But I don’t want this time with her to end yet. Being near her is a contradiction to everything I’ve been trying to do, yet her presence softens the darkness inside me, even if only temporarily.

“I'm the boss.” I turn to the driver. “Take us to the shooting range.”

We arrive at the private shooting range I own on the outskirts of the city. It’s a secure, fully equipped facility. Concrete walls, multiple lanes, reinforced targets, and complete privacy. Only some of my men are present today, standing at a respectful distance.

I lead Aurora inside and pick up a handgun from the table.

“Do you know how to handle one of these?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No. My father never allowed Audrey or me anywhere near a gun. He never taught us any form of self-defense either.”

I glance at her. “None at all?”

“Of course not,” she says with a bitter edge. “All he ever cared about was selling us off to the highest bidder to expand his empire. Whether we could protect ourselves or not never mattered to him.”

I load the magazine. “I’m surprised at how archaic his thinking is… though considering the kind of man Lorenzo is, I shouldn’t be. All he cares about is lining his pockets.”

I set the gun down for a moment and look at her properly. “If I ever have a daughter, she’ll know how to defend herself. Everyone should, especially in the world we live in. Male or female.”

For a brief second, an unbidden image flashes through my mind: Aurora pregnant, her body soft and rounded with our child. The thought hits harder than it should. When I look at her, I can tell she’s thinking something similar.

"I completely agree," she says softly.

A quiet tension passes between us before I force myself to focus again.

I show her how to assemble the weapon, how to load a magazine, how to check the safety. Then I place the gun in her hands.