Page 54 of Forced Mafia Bride
“That dress was made for you,” he said, his voice dangerously low and husky.
A flush rose to my cheeks as he approached me, his eyes never leaving mine. He reached out and gently adjusted the strap of my dress, and his cool fingers brushed my shoulders, his touch sending shivers down my spine.
He smelled like soap and aftershave, and I wanted to bury my face in his neck.
After a brief count of fifteen minutes, he was dressed in a plain black dress shirt, matching pants, and chestnut brown Italian leather soles. Then, he walked up to me. Undeniably handsome and drool-worthy.
He offered his arm.
“Shall we?”
****
We were both laughing until a teardrop slipped from my eyes.
An hour since we’d arrived at the famousLa Coeur de la Vie, and we were already having a most splendid time. I couldn’t remember the reason for our laughter. The memory was vague, but I recalled pieces.
It started from the menu. I didn’t know what to order, couldn’t even pronounce the words, butof course,Nikolai was fluent. He was fluent in English, Russian, French, Spanish, and Mandarin. So, he painstakingly helped me, patiently waiting while we went through the specials, and that ended with me insisting on ordering a cuisine I’d never tasted in my life.
To cut that short, I couldn’t eat through a quarter of the onion soup andfoie graswhen it came.
Then, Niko said something that scared off one of the waiters, and while he was eating, he nearly choked on a bitten chunk of buttered croissant. I didn’t expect a man as strong as him to turn beet red in the face, but he did.
I was scared while we handled the situation, but afterward, a laugh worked its way out of my mouth.
A series of small chats followed right up, one after the after, each one more lively than the mild banter we’d had on the jet. And when I found out that he’d owned a garage full of superbikes, the Timberlands made more sense.
I enjoyed my meal and his company, and he admitted that the feeling was mutual.
He asked me my favorite color, my favorite meal, what I liked, and what Ididn’tlike. He ventured into topics that didn’t remind me of home, and I knew it was deliberate.
Our dinner, an exquisite blend of French and Italian cuisine, seemed to fade into the background as the sunset’s beauty mesmerized me. The glass of champagne in my hand sparkled, reflecting the colors of the sky.
As we talked and shared fleeting memories, harmless ones from our past lives, time passed quickly. Fading sunlight danced across the Parisian skyline. Nikolai’s hand brushed mine multiple times, and I struggled to ignore the tingling signals it sent to my brain.
Soft pink and peach hues melted into deep blues and purples, casting a romantic glow, and lights began to twinkle like diamonds scattered across the city.
I set the champagne glass down and sat upright. “Okay, another one.”
“Another question?” He took the full fork to his mouth, smiling through a mouthful ofCoq au Vin.“You’re not going to get tired, are you?”
“Nope.” I drew my lower lip between my teeth. “This is it: If you had the chance to be anything else but a criminal mastermind, what would you be?”
He chuckled, folded his napkin, and inclined backward on his chair with folded arms. He pointed at me and then himself. “You think I’m a criminal mastermind?”
I exhaled. He just wouldn’t let the pride go. “That’s not the question, but yes. Compared to my brother—even if I probably shouldn’t be talking about the dead—you are better at what you do.”
“Hm.” He nodded once, musing. “I’m impressed that you’re impressed. But I am not a criminal mastermind. That’s just fucking low. I am a very diligent businessman and a genius.”
“Is that what they call it these days?”
Again, we shared a laugh, and he cleared his throat, feigning seriousness. “To be honest, I haven’t exactly given it a thought, but now that I’m thinking about it, I believe…real estate. I have a knack for those types of things.”
“Real estate?”
“What, you thought I’d say a teacher? Fuck, no.”
“What? Teachers make pretty decent wages. Plus, they educate our future leaders. Being a teacher would be more of an achievement than a job.”