Chapter 14
Fourteen
NATASHA
I’m so embarrassed.
I love that Julian didn’t punish me or even make me feel bad for the epic failure that was dinner, but still.
Ugh.
“Way to make a first impression, Natasha.”
Rolling my eyes, I finish drying the last dish. The casserole dish had to be thrown away. There was no saving it. I tried.
It died an honorable death.
There’s a short knock on the front door, and then it opens, and a man roughly the size of a car strolls in carrying the takeout food.
“Uh, hi.” I feel uncomfortable because I’m not exactly dressed for company. I don’t usually show much skin. I’ve always been a little self-conscious of my curves, and I prefer to not show too much, especially to Julian’s men.
“Mrs. Stavros,” he says with a nod. “I’m Jack, Julian’s number two.”
“Jack, can you do me a favor?”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Sure.”
“Do you mind if, in the future, you just text me to let me know the food’s here and leave it by the front door?”
“Like DoorDash?” he asks as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing. His face is so . . . cold. Shit, I’ve pissed him off.
“Yes, please. It would make me feel safer.” Who am I right now? I’ve never been this outspoken, but Julian insists that this is my home, and damn it, I want to be comfortable here.
“You heard her,” Julian says, surprising me as he walks into the room. “Unless it’s an emergency, or I ask you to come inside, you don’t.”
Jack looks over at me, and for a second, I think he’s going to argue, but I lift my chin.
“This is my home now, too, Jack.”
“You’re right,” he says with a nod. “May I please have your number, so I can text you in situations like these?”
“I’ll text it to you,” Julian says. “Thanks, Jack.”
The other man nods, and then he leaves, and I let out the breath I’d been holding.
“Don’t apologize,” Julian says before I can do just that. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”
I blink rapidly, taken aback. “What? Why?”
“Because you spoke up for yourself, and that’s sexy as fuck, Angel. I want you to do that all the damn time. Tell all of us exactly what you need.”
I feel my cheeks heat. “I wasn’t comfortable with him here when I’m dressed like this, but I thought you’d get mad at me for giving your man orders. Also, I think I pissed him off. He looks so grumpy.”
Julian’s gaze travels down my body, and I flush even more. At this point, I probably look like a lobster.
“First of all, you were respectful in how you asked, Natasha. Your request wasn’t unreasonable. Second, Jack isn’t mad at you. That’s just how he looks. Also, we’re in agreement. You can wear whatever you want, but I like that you don’t want to show this spectacular body to anyone but me.”
He smirks as I bite my lip and lifts the bags of food, then offers me his free hand. I immediately slide mine in his, and he gives it a squeeze.
“Let’s go eat this in the office,” he suggests, and I nod, walking with him.
“Did you build this house?” I ask him.
“About five years ago, yes. I inherited the land from my father and never bothered building out here before that because it was thirty minutes from any of my businesses in the city, so it wasn’t exactly convenient.”
He doesn’t walk around to sit behind his desk. Instead, he sits in one of the two visitor’s chairs, and I sit next to him, helping him dig into boxes, and once everything is open, we each take a set of chopsticks and dig in.
“Oh my God, it’s so good,” I say around a bite of egg roll. “I was hungry. Okay, what changed? Why did you build it five years ago?”
I glance over and find him watching me with somber eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re gorgeous when you eat.”
I cover my mouth with a paper napkin and shake my head. “I eat like a linebacker. I like food. Tell me more. I’m trying to get to know my husband.”
His eyes heat at that word, and he takes a bite of beef with broccoli. “I needed a sanctuary out of the city. I kept my building with the penthouse, so I could crash there when I had late nights at work, but this is home. Elliott always hated it out here. He prefers the city.”
I nod, chewing slowly. “Where is Elliott, Julian?”
He doesn’t even look my way. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
“I just—”
“Are you disappointed?” he counters, his voice calm as can be, but his eyes are not calm.
“That I didn’t marry him?” I ask, and he simply holds my gaze. “Fuck no. I don’t want to insult you, but your son is . . . horrible.”
He winces and then nods. “I’m aware. He didn’t used to be. Since he’s become addicted to gambling and alcohol, he’s gotten worse. He’s learning his lesson.”
“What does that mean?” I whisper.
“Exactly how it sounds. Now, tell me about you. Did you go to college?”
The subject of Elliott is obviously closed, so I take a deep breath and reach for the beef with broccoli and pop a bite in my mouth.
“Yes, I graduated from high school at sixteen and immediately started college. I have an MBA.”
Julian stares at me for a full ten seconds. “You’re twenty-two, and you’re telling me you already finished your bachelor’s and then got an MBA?”
“Yes. All from UNLV. I wasn’t allowed to go away for school. In fact, I’ve never left the state of Nevada.”
Now he scowls. “Your father just kept you here? No vacations, no sightseeing?”
Shaking my head, I reach for the box of sweet-and-sour chicken and take a bite.
“No. Here’s the thing with my father: Children, girls in particular, are pawns.
I was never under the illusion that my life is my own.
I knew that one day I’d get married off to someone for the betterment of my father’s business.
I went to business school so that if I never did marry, I’d be an asset to him. ”
“Is that what you wanted to do?”
I scowl and reach for another egg roll. I really am hungry. “Of course not. It’s boring as hell. But I’m smart, and I’m good at it, and that was the only option I was given.”
Shrugging a shoulder, I take a sip of my water.
“What would you like to do?”
“What do you mean?”
Julian lets out a humorless chuckle. “Angel, if you could choose anything to do, what would it be?”
“Like, for money?”
“No, for fulfillment. You don’t need money. I have more than we’ll ever use. I want to know what you’re passionate about. What do you enjoy?”
“It’s not cooking.” I cringe, and he laughs out loud, making my whole body come alive.
He has the best laugh.
“Playing the piano.” I look down in embarrassment. “I’d like to teach children how to play.”
“Done. I’ll buy you a building tomorrow.”
I scoff and shake my head. “Yeah, right.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You’re not a prisoner here, Natasha. If you want to teach music, that’s what you’ll do.”
“I don’t need a building. Most music teachers go to the client’s home to teach.”
He’s already shaking his head. “I can’t have that. It’s too risky. Puts you in dangerous situations. But I’d love to arrange for your own space. The clients will have to come to you, and you’ll have guards with you at all times. That’s my compromise.”
My jaw drops and then closes again.
“Nothing to say?”
“I—you’d do that for me?”
“Without hesitation.”
I search his face, but he’s not bluffing.
“Can I have some time first? I’ve had a lot of changes, and I’d like to settle into this new life before I add on a music school.”
“That sounds fair.” Julian reaches over to wipe something off the corner of my mouth, and I don’t flinch.
Progress.
He sucks the sauce from his finger and then takes another bite of beef and points at my necklace.
“That’s beautiful.”
I fiddle with the pendant and smile softly.
“It was my babushka’s. My grandmother. Papa gave it to me the other day, told me she’d want me to have it.
I was kind of shocked because he’s not typically the sentimental type, but I didn’t ask questions because I loved my babushka, and now I have something of hers. ”
Julian nods thoughtfully.
“Can I ask a personal question?” I set the Chinese container down and lean back in the chair, stuffed from the delicious food.
Julian does the same, and then we’re just sitting in this big, masculine office, facing each other in these soft brown leather chairs, as if we’ve known each other for a long time.
“There’s nothing you can’t ask me, Angel.”
“I have two, actually.”
He reaches over to take my hand and threads his fingers through mine, and it sends a thrill up my arm.
I love his touch. It’s been one day, and I already really love the way he touches me. It’s the biggest surprise of all.
“Only two?” His lips tip up into a wry smile, and I can’t help but smile back at him.
“Okay, to be fair, I’ll likely have way more than that as time goes on, but for now, it’s two.”
“Shoot.”
“Oh, wait, three.”
Julian laughs and nods. “Okay, let’s hear them.”
“Well, when you said shoot, it reminded me. Can I learn? To shoot, that is.”
His smile fades and he narrows his eyes. “Why?”
I blow out a breath and squeeze his fingers.
“Because I’m married to Julian Stavros. My father is the head of the Bratva.
I’m a smart girl, Julian. At any given moment, I could be in a scary situation and need to know how to get out of it.
I don’t know how to shoot; my father wouldn’t let me. But I think it’s a good skill to have.”
“Agreed. Lulu and Scarlett work with all of us learning the same thing you’re talking about. You can join them if you want.”
“Oh.” That makes me nervous. My stomach turns at that, and Julian frowns because apparently I don’t have a poker face around this man.
“You don’t like Lulu?”
“No, I do. She’s very sweet and was so good to me today.”
Did the wedding really happen today? It feels like so long ago.
“But I’m not great with people, and making friends is hard. I don’t mind learning by myself.”
“Why don’t you give it a try, and if you’re still uncomfortable, we’ll work something out.”
I nod in agreement. “We’re good at the compromise thing.”
He smiles softly, and it hits me in the feels. “Okay, next question.”
“Does our age difference bother you?”