Fall(Romanian Mob Chronicles Book 2)(21)

She smiled slightly but then shook her head.

“I’m serious, I really am tired. So I’ll stay here, but you have to promise to behave,” I said, looking at her seriously.

She smiled a little bit brighter this time. “I did two shifts yesterday and today. I won’t be good company.”

“You’re never good company. And I told you, I’m tired, so I’m going directly to bed.”

She laughed out loud this time. “I’m always good company, Sorin. And if you insist,” she said as she raised the key she held tightly and lifted her hand toward the door.

I watched her jiggle the lock in the doorknob and then open the door. She went inside, flipping on a light for what I assumed was my benefit.

“Come on in,” she said, hand still on the doorknob. “This is a little tricky.”

She closed the door behind us, lifting slightly to move it over the slope in the foyer floor, and then turned the big lock. Then she plodded down the hall and sat on the edge of the chair in the hall before she reached down toward her heavy boots.

I rushed to her and smacked her hands away, carefully untying the boots and then lining them up on the floor. As I did, I wondered what the fuck was wrong with me? I was helping a woman take off her shoes. Not sexy heels, but heavy steel-toed boots. And I was loving every minute of it. I shook my head.

She chuckled and said, “Do my feet smell that bad?”

“No. But you smell like a hardware store,” I said as I pulled her to her feet.

“I do work in a hardware store,” she said, a little flash of her sparkle coming through.

I pulled her onto her feet. “I don’t like that. You shouldn’t do that kind of work.”

She smiled even brighter then, though that smile dimmed when she looked at my face. “You were really serious about that?”

I nodded.

“Oh my God. It’s not the fifties, Sorin. A woman is perfectly capable of working at a hardware store,” she said, shaking her head.

“Capable or not, I don’t like it. You should do something nice and quiet. Safe.”

Her smile dropped completely on that word, and she stiffened.

“And are you?” she asked, her voice dipping.

“Am I what?”

“Safe.”

I held her gaze, tightened my grip on her arm. “I’m anything but, Esther. Do you understand what that means?”

“I’m not sure,” she said quietly.

“Fair enough, but I am who I am. And that’s not going to change. Ever.”

She continued to look at me, her expression solemn, the internal war she waged evident on her face. Then she finally nodded. I took that as a sign.

“Change of plans. You need a shower,” I said.

After a moment, she laughed softly and then stepped aside. “Lead the way.”

I did, pulling her behind me as I headed to her bathroom. And once we reached it I pulled off her dirty apron, heavy jeans, and long-sleeved shirt, and then peeled her underwear off until she was completely naked.

And as I removed my own clothes, she watched me, completely unabashedly, no hint of shyness or discomfort. So very Esther and a great test of my resolve. But though she watched me, I could see the exhaustion in her frame, the way her eyes drooped. Using self-control I hadn’t known I possessed, I cleaned her, but kept my hands to myself, and once we were done, I led her to the bed.

“I’m serious, Esther. Keep your hands to yourself,” I said as we lay down. “Or better yet…” I turned so that I was lying behind her and then wrapped my arms around hers. “Now go to sleep,” I said.

She chuckled and in moments, her breathing had fallen into the deep, even sound of sleep.

And as I lay there with Esther in my arms, I realized I had never felt so content.





Ten





Sorin



“Yeah, I’m still here,” I said the next morning.

“How do you know I’m awake?” she asked, her husky, sleep-deepened voice spreading over me like velvet.

“I see you checking me out,” I replied.

She laughed, her body vibrating in my arms. “I’m not even facing you, Sorin,” she replied as she burrowed closer to me.

“Let me fix that,” I said, turning her so that she faced me. Her eyes were soft with the remnants of sleep, as gentle as I’d ever seen them except when she looked at Maria. Her looking at me like that, the heat of her skin against mine set off a flutter in my chest that took all of my will to ignore.

Instead, I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips against hers, the kiss sweet, not at all passionate. It had the opposite effect I’d intended. Rather than quiet the flutter, the kiss only intensified it as did her softly exhaled breath, the way she tightened her hand around my forearm and then moved down and laced her fingers with mine.