Mr Handsome, Will You Procreate With Me?

13

Natalya

I watch Dominic’s broad shoulders disappear inside the house with my mouth still hanging open. I hadn’t expected him to just smile and say, well, okay there, sweetheart. I’ll sneak you in no problem, but I also hadn’t expected him to dismiss the idea so quickly. I thought he might at least think about it for a few seconds, but it’s obvious after talking to him that he was never going to entertain the idea of helping us.

I’m still staring into the house, even though he’s long out of sight, remembering the way his skin had felt beneath my fingers. I hadn’t meant to reach out to him. It had just happened, but once I’d felt the heat of his skin, I hadn’t wanted to let go. He’d tensed when I’d touched him, but he hadn’t pulled away. Instead, I’d been the one to let go when I’d met his eyes and seen what was behind them. He’d looked hungry, damn hungry, and I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve had boys at school stare at me and I’ve gotten looks while out and about, but no one has ever looked at me the way Dominic just did—like he wanted to possess every damn inch of me, like he wanted to own me body and soul. I’d been so stunned I’d let go, but now I’m wishing I hadn’t. It’s stupid and pointless since he’s way too old for me and working with my dad and uncles, but I can’t help but be intrigued.

What would it feel like to be possessed by a man like Dominic? I have no idea, but I’d like to find out. With my head swimming with thoughts I shouldn’t be thinking, I make my way back inside, following the sounds of laughter into the large room at the end of the hall. There’s a couple of leather couches and chairs and a pool table that my family is currently standing around. My cousins are sprawled out on the couches, watching the game. Svetlana’s just finished her shot when her eyes meet mine. I give her a small shake of my head to let her know the mission has failed. She frowns, but I have no doubt she’s already coming up with a Plan B.

When I take a seat on the nearest couch and look around the room, my eyes meet Dominic’s. He’s standing on the other side of the room, one broad shoulder leaning against the wall, looking completely relaxed and sexy as hell. His tattooed forearms are still on full display, and I’d give just about anything to run my fingers over his olive skin again. His brown eyes linger on mine for longer than necessary before slowly turning his attention back to the pool game.

It’s only after he’s looked away that I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I’m used to dangerous men, I’ve been surrounded by them since birth, but there’s something different about Dominic. He’s an unfamiliar danger. I don’t know what he’s capable of, but I want to find out.

After Svetlana and Uncle Vitaly lose the game, she comes and sits next to me while my dad and Sasha step up to play next.

“No luck, huh?” She keeps her voice low so only I can hear.

“Nope,” I say, nudging her shoulder with mine while I huff out a soft laugh. “He didn’t even think about it.”

“Plan B it is.”

I look over and meet her honey-brown eyes, immediately comparing them to the much darker shade of Dominic’s. “Do I even want to know what Plan B is?”

She laughs. “Probably not. Once I get the details all sorted out, I’ll let you know. Just be ready to go next Saturday.”

We sit back and watch our Uncle Matvey and Aunt Alina win every game of pool they play. We all know it’s Uncle Matvey doing it, but the way he smiles at her every time she manages a good hit or sinks a ball, you’d think that she was the one carrying the game.

When they’re undefeated, Dominic looks at his watch and smacks my dad on the shoulder. I’m too far away to hear what he’s saying, but it’s obvious he’s leaving, and I’m surprised by how badly I don’t want him to. I’ve enjoyed stealing glances at him all night, and I’m not ready for my eye candy to leave.

“He’s old enough to be our dad,” Svetlana whispers in my ear, reminding me of what I already know.

“Yeah, but he isn’t,” I whisper back.

She laughs and shakes her head. “You’re lucky I can keep a secret and that I love you so much.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” I remind her.

She just lets out another laugh and says, “Not yet there isn’t, but I saw the way he was looking at you. I think someone wants to taste some forbidden fruit.”

I bark out a laugh before I can stop it, and when I raise my eyes again, Dominic is staring at me, head tilted ever so slightly with one dark brow raised as he watches us with open curiosity. I swear the dark stubble on his face has gotten even thicker since he arrived, and my fingers itch to touch him, to feel the coarse hairs against my skin.

He turns away from me when Uncle Roman says something to him, and then a few minutes later, he’s saying a quick goodbye and giving a wave to my mom and aunts. Before he turns to leave the room, his eyes meet mine one last time, and then he’s gone.

“Maybe you should run out and tell him goodbye?”

Keeping my eyes on the empty doorway, I say, “That might draw a bit of attention, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, probably. They were already asking where you were when you were talking to him on the deck. I had to tell everyone you were making him more coffee. Our family is way too observant.”

It’s a common complaint between us, but we both know there’s no changing it. There are certain things our family isn’t going to budge on, and safety is one of them. Leaning down, I slip my new heels off and grab her hand.

“Come on, we need chocolate.”

She gives me one of her big smiles. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

When we step into the kitchen, Luka and Max are already raiding the cabinets, Val and Yelena are sharing a large bowl of ice cream, and Sasha is pulling out a bottle of root beer so he can make a float.

“Keep that out,” I tell him, already grabbing a couple of large glasses in case anyone else wants one.

Luka laughs at the amount of ice cream I scoop out and tosses a bag of marshmallows on the counter next to the graham crackers Max found.

“Rough night?” he teases, leaning against the counter next to me. He has a playful glint in his green eyes when he looks down at me. My cousins are gorgeous, there’s no denying it, and all the girls in school went crazy for them, but even though we’re not related by blood, I’ve only ever thought of them as my cousins. They’re my best friends, the guys I go to when I’m stressed or pissed off or just wanting to hang out and have a good laugh.

I grab one of the marshmallows while my other hand pours root beer over my ice cream. “Don’t judge, Luka.”

“I would never.” He grabs a handful of marshmallows for himself and then takes the bottle of root beer from me so he can have a drink.

“So did you get all your Bratva talk done?” I stab a straw into my float and take a big drink, letting out an appreciative sigh. “God, that’s good.”

Max tosses a marshmallow at me, hitting me right between the eyes. He points a long finger at me. “You know he can’t answer that.”

I grin at him and eat the marshmallow he socked me with. “I know, but it’s not going to stop me from trying.”

“Seriously,” Svetlana says, grabbing the last cannoli that her dad must’ve somehow missed. “We’re not ever allowed to know anything?”

Luka grins. “Nope.”

Svetlana turns her eyes to me and rolls them. “We don’t get the cool tattoos, we don’t get to carry guns or shoot anyone, and we don’t get to know all the cool secrets. Being in a Bratva family is a lot less exciting than I thought it’d be.”

Val laughs and hands Yelena the cherry from their sundae while Luka says, “Perks of having a dick.”

Svetlana fakes a dry heave. “Gross. You do know what year it is, right? You can get rid of the loin cloth and drop the club from your hand.”

He just shrugs and takes another drink. “That’s just the way it is.”

I finish my bite and ask, “But you guys are going to be taking over, right? Can’t you just change the rules?”