He spoke, but I could sense his trepidation. Since Fawn’s attack and Maria’s early birth, he’d loathed leaving them alone, especially at night. Which made his presence here now a question.
“Why aren’t you with them?” I asked.
He shrugged, the move out of character for him. “I need to be here.”
“No you don’t.”
“I do,” he said with certainty. “They need to see me, know that I’m here, still on top of my game.”
I couldn’t disagree, so I would help how I could.
“Any issues with Clan Constantin?”
“No. Christoph’s not well, but he agreed to our terms. Petey is…Petey,” I said, and then cut off to nod a greeting at several soldiers who’d come in. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle,” I added quickly.
“Good. At least for now, I want to stay close, but I feel better with you looking out,” he said.
I nodded, ignoring the sense of pride that welled in my chest. I’d never wanted to be the leader, supported Vasile entirely, but hearing him say that he trusted me was something I treasured.
Vasile turned his attention from me and focused over my shoulder, and I turned to watch as Natasha Florescu, the daughter of one of my father’s most trusted lieutenants, approached. Her clinging black dress, heels, flawlessly applied makeup, everything about her, including her sultry steps, was designed to garner maximum attention. And it did, every male eye save Vasile’s glued to her as she walked toward us.
And on a normal day, I’d be staring at her as well, confident in the knowledge that if I so chose, I could have her as I had so many times before.
But tonight was different, and I knew why.
As I watched Natasha approach, instead of being thralled by her sensual spell, I couldn’t dislodge the image of Esther. She’d never gone out of her way to get attention, walked like she didn’t have a care in the world and certainty didn’t give a damn if anyone noticed. And that casual uncaring made it impossible for me to look away from her, no matter how much I wanted to throttle her at any given moment.
It made no sense. She made me crazy with her pushy intrusion, and though she was attractive enough, there was nothing about her that should have stuck with me except how damn annoying she was.
But Natasha didn’t have the allure to distract me as I hoped in this moment. I could see only Esther, her tall, shapely body, the fire that always sparked in her eyes when she looked at me, and fuck if I wasn’t rock-solid by the time Natasha reached us.
And when she reached us, stood close enough her small but nicely shaped breasts brushed against my arm, I waited for Esther’s image to fade to be replaced with Natasha’s.
That switch was not forthcoming.
In fact, when I gazed down at her, smelled her perfume, all I could think of was Esther.
I ignored the thought and looked directly at Natasha.
She smiled quickly and then let her gaze linger on Vasile.
“Fawn?” she asked.
“Fine. The baby too.”
“Good,” Natasha said.
And then she waited, and after a beat, Vasile bade her to sit.
“You look good,” she said to Vasile.
He shrugged and an awkward silence fell.
The recent changes had been an adjustment for Natasha. She’d been one of the few women, the only, in fact, in our circle and accustomed to a certain amount of Vasile’s attention, which was now directed at Fawn and Maria. She’d never said anything, but I couldn’t help wonder if she resented the change.
“I’ll be back,” Vasile said.
He stood and left us, and silence reigned in his wake.
“You look good too, Sorin,” she said, letting her gaze linger on me, her plan clear.
Ordinarily, I’d have her in the back room bent over by now, but I stayed still. Natasha wouldn’t do.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said, tracing a finger along my forearm.
I shook my head. “Not tonight.”
Her eyes widened, then narrowed, but she recovered quickly. “I understand. Business comes first,” she said. Then she smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe later?”
When I said nothing, she nodded and stood and left without another word.
So I was alone with my raging hard-on and Esther on the brain. A few moments later, a smile curved my lips.
Inspiration had struck.
Three
Esther
I’d gotten the job at the hardware store, and hadn’t been fired or even reprimanded in the week I’d worked there, so all was good in my world as I walked home from Fawn’s house, enjoying the cool night air.
Part of me could hardly believe she was back in my life, believe the happiness she had found.