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Zoe waits expectantly for my answer, and I feel the heat of embarrassment climbing up my neck.
“Not since the night I got pregnant with Sarah.”
Zoe gasps like I’ve just told her some unimaginably horrible secret. “Okay, we need to fix that.”
“We do not! My sex life is not something we need tofix.”
“You can’t pretend like you no longer have needs just because you have a daughter. Come on, Heidi. You deserve to enjoy life too.”
Zoe’s eyes shift toward the front door of the bar, and from the gust of cold air, I know someone just stepped in from outside. Her eyes follow the person for several moments, and a devilish smile curls her lips when her eyes land on me once more.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” My voice drops into a worried tone.
“Because I’m about to fix this dry spell of yours with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome who just sat next to you.”
“Zoe, no,” I warn, leaning close to grasp her wrist.
But before I can stop her, she hops off her stool and skirts around me to tap the stranger on the back.
“Zoe!” I hiss as he casts an irritated glance over his shoulder at her.
“Excuse me, but my friend and I were just talking about how positivelyfityou look, and we made a bet as to whether you’re strong enough to bench press her,” Zoe says cheekily.
Turning, the man studies Zoe coldly, and I widen my eyes at her as I mouth for her to knock it off, but she’s entirely undeterred.
“Or maybe you would prefer to justentertainher for the evening? My friend is a great conversationalist.”
“Zoe, I can’t stay out all night,” I remind her through clenched teeth.
“Oh, but you can. It’ll be good for you!” She snatches her coat from the back of her chair with a flourish and twirls toward the exit. “Meanwhile, I have a babysitter to relieve. You two have fun!” she singsongs.
Then, she flounces out the door before I can follow her.
Mortified by Zoe’s behavior, I turn to apologize to the stranger, who seems even less amused by her antics than I am. But with the words on the tip of my tongue, I freeze as I get a good look at the square, masculine jaw and steel-gray eyes for the first time.
The dark-haired man is wearing a deep scowl, confirming his irritation, but that’s not what steals my breath away. I recognize him immediately, and my heart stutters.
It’s Maks.
And he looks as dangerous and as devastatingly handsome as ever.
10
MAKSIM
Lips parted as if about to speak, hazel eyes widening in shock, the beautiful young woman’s expression wipes away my irritation in an instant. I recognize her immediately, and it only takes a second to recall her name from four years ago. Though we only spent one night together, I don’t think I could ever forget it—Angel.
Just like the fleeting godsend she was to me.
I regretted making it a one-time deal as soon as she got in her taxi that night. I even went back to the club where she worked to try and find her the next day. But the club had told me she quit, and they were unwilling to give out her personal information, so I’d let it go and moved on.
But seeing her here, now, makes my heart skip a beat, and my bad mood after a terrible day vanishes as I take in her flowing honey-blonde locks and striking figure. She’s wearing a fashionable long-sleeved, navy-blue dress that ties around her middle and dips into a low V neckline. Professional, classy, but just suggestive enough to hint that her breasts are fuller than I remember them. Still, she carries her curves in an entirely natural way.
Where she was still wavering on the cusp of being a young woman when I met her, she’s blossomed into a fully mature and gorgeous one now.
“It’s you,” she breathes, her soft, musically accented voice mirroring her stunned expression.
And though I rarely smile, I feel one corner of my mouth tug up into a crooked grin. “It’s me. Were you expecting someone else?”
