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"You know which one. That pretty little one I've seen in the kitchen? It will drive Momcrazy."
I may have to kick his ass after all.
I’m thinking, though.
Not only will it drive her crazy, it’ll give me a chance to talk to Eden outside of the club. I don't want to introduce her to my mom, but at the same time this could be a good way to see how she is outside of the little bubble we've created atBella Notte.
“Call her a chick again and answer to me.”
“Okay, okay,” he says, knowing I don’t make idle threats.
Stepping inside the club, I head to the kitchen to talk to Eden. She's not there. Interesting.
I look inside the club, my temperature rising while I wonder if she had the audacity to come back in here after I gave her a warning and told her that she's not allowed without me. But I don't find her there either.
I have no idea where she is, and it doesn’t help that I'm interrupted a hundred times in my search for her. I'm starting to get a little worried when I see Gino. He stops when I flag him down.
"Where's Eden?"
"Nice to see you too, Boss." He grins, flashing his golden tooth at me. I'm about ready to knock that golden tooth out.
"Where. Is.Eden?"
Forget that just last night I was looking for her and found that she'd come in here without my permission. Forget that I almost saw my best friend killed in a car accident. Nobody's gonna fuck around with me right now, I am not in the mood.
Gino holds both of his hands up in the air. “All right, all right, chill.” Then he clears his throat and thinks better about his attitude when I raise my eyebrows at him, a little shocked that he's giving me shit like this.
"Yes, sir. I'll tell you where she is. But you have to know that I escorted her myself, I didn't show her any of the club’s other private rooms, and I took her there because she asked me to."
Obviously, it's time to have another meeting with my staff.
"If you don't tell me where she is by the time you blink your fucking eyes one more time—”
"This way, Boss." He gestures for me to follow him. "Private Room 217. She's waiting for you."
I have to hold myself back from taking off at a run. She had him take her to a private room to wait for me? What is she doing?
But I have to admit I’m curious. He said he escorted her himself.
I slide my key against the security entrance, and the door to Room 217 slides open.
I stare. I blink. I'm vaguely aware of stepping in the room and the door closing and locking behind me.
Eden kneels on the floor in front of me, dressed in… What the fuckisshe dressed in? The skirt is way above her knees. Hardly a miniskirt, but this is no Amish girl kneeling in front of me. She wears a cropped white top that reveals the faintest sliver of her belly, so fitted it underscores the swell of her breasts, the gentle slope of her shoulders, the delicacy of her collarbone.
She looks nothing like the women that come to the club, but she looks nothing like a homeschooled Amish girl ready to can vegetables, either.
I take a minute to appreciate every detail, because I want to imprint this on my mind.
A faint light illuminates her features. Her hair is loose, hanging about her in long waves. Her hands are gently folded in her lap, her nails painted a glossy blush. Her head is bowed. She’s beauty personified. A painting brought to life.
I walk to her silently, and she doesn't raise her head. I can see the way her breathing hitches, and the pulse in her neck accelerates, so she obviously knows I'm here. "You look beautiful, Eden.”
She smiles and looks up at me.
"Thank you." I can see the hope in her eyes. If she dressed like this back where she came from, I don't even want to think of what would happen to her. I know how much my approval means to her.
I get down on one knee next to her. I stroke my thumb across her cheek, and her eyelids flutter closed. I cup her jaw, absorbing the details with ease. I take my time. I run my fingers through her hair, from her scalp all the way to where the glossy tendrils touch the floor.
