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The man only glances at me briefly when I approach, still seemingly carved out of stone.
“You sure?” I ask him in a low tone.
“Positive,” he grumbles. “The thing you wanted is there, just like you described.”
I nod. “Let’s go.”
Chapter14
Rose
Itap my fingers on my arm as I stand in the kitchen of Nikolai’s Venetian home.
His empty home. Apart from, you know, the usual goons he keeps about.
He’s making a plate ofcicchetti, the Venetian appetizers; bites of nothing, as Mr. Belucci explained. It’s hard to be mad at a man so tired-looking, so crumpled and rumpled, like he got about two minutes of sleep in his clothes, and harder still when he looks so fucking gorgeous and carries a plate of heaven.
But I try.
“You,” I call.
Nikolai raises a brow, his black T-shirt shows his muscled arms. It’s creased, and his hair’s a mess—he’s clearly only just returned. Injeans. He owns them, but he rarely ever wears them out of the house.
My heart thumps hard.
It’s also hard to stay mad at the man you inexplicably missed so much. He was only away a night. What’s wrong with me?
Love, my brain whispers bitterly.Hopeless love.
“Me.” He holds out the plate. “Hungry, Rose?”
“What is—” I snatch my hand away as I start to reach out. “Where is everyone? Rush? Mia? Genius?”
He raises his eyes to the heavens. “Your little friend didn’t tell you?”
“She did.”
“Then—”
“I want you to tell me.”
He sighs. “I’m fucking tired, Rose, and I’m trying hard not to rip your clothes off and punish you. I’m also hungry. It’s a very narrow margin, but I need food to fuck you, so…”
“Nikolai.”
“They’re outside of Sicily, preparing for the wedding.” Safe; he means safe. “I’d have sent you, but you’re such a fucking pain in my ass, you’d turn up again.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re not charming your way out of this, Nikolai.”
He picks up a small piece of bread, topped with something fragrant. “You have fucking issues, Rose.”
“I know. It’s you.”
He just grins. “Come eat with me, sweet Rose.”
I move to the table as he sets the plate down. “Where did you go?”
“I had to take care of something.” He picks up another bite. “Honeyed fig and walnuts with brie. Try it.” Opening my mouth, he smears it over my lips before popping it in. “Oops.”
