Page 34 of Born into Blood

“I pieced it together when I saw you at La Dolce Vita. I didn’t know who you were when you helped me up after I’d fallen.”

He doesn’t say anything, just nods and shifts into reverse, turning us around so we can get back onto the street.

“Would you mind if we just enjoyed a nice supper together before we get into all the heavy shit?”

His hand is still gripping the gear shift, so I reach over and rest mine lightly on top of his. “Sounds good. I don’t know what you ordered, but it smells amazing.”

He smiles over at me and lifts his thumb, wrapping it around mine. “My Uncle Vitaly, the guy you saw me with at Dominic’s, he’s the one who made Pink into the success that it is, and one of the things he did was employ a chef, a really damn good one. I promise you his food is better than anything you’ll find in one of those uptight, ritzy restaurants.”

I believe him. The scents filling the car are making my mouth water.

“So do you go to Pink a lot?” I don’t want to ask the question, but I can’t help it.

He grabs my hand and brings it to his lips, kissing the back of it. “No, kisa. I have no desire to hang out in strip clubs, and none of my uncles go there either. They’re all happily married and would rather cut off their own dicks than cheat on the women they love.”

It’s not at all what I’m expecting him to say, and I wish I could introduce him to my mom. She’s so damn wrong about his family, and I wish she could see that.

When Luka pulls into another underground parking garage, I look over at him and ask, “Where are we?”

“It’s just a private place where we can eat supper.”

He parks in a reserved spot near an elevator. “Is this where you live?”

“No.” Grabbing the bags from between my feet, he opens his door and steps out. “I’ll explain on the way up.”

I follow him to the elevator and watch as he pulls out a private keycard that unlocks the doors for us.

“Wow,” I whisper. “I had no idea that was even a thing.”

He pushes the button for the penthouse, and as we begin to rise, he starts to explain.

“One of my younger cousins is a genius with computers. Nikita is only fifteen, but I swear he could hack into anything at this point.” He smiles when he says it. “We all grew up together, and we’re all like brothers and sisters. I’m the oldest by a few months, and Maxim, Nikita’s older brother, is just a little bit younger than me. Valentin is the same age as us, and when we all three turned eighteen, we decided we needed a place where we could come and hang out and just get away from it all, so Max asked Niki to hook us up with a place.”

As if on cue, the elevator stops and the doors open directly onto the most gorgeous apartment I’ve ever seen.

“He syphoned money and bought the place under a fake name.”

I look around at the spacious open floor plan and windows that overlook the city. Skyscrapers are lit up and so is the bridge in the distance. It’s impressive as hell, and I can’t help but compare it to the cramped apartment I share with my mom.

“So this is where you bring all the girls,” I tease.

He sets the food down on the counter and steps in front of me. Reaching a hand up, he gently runs his fingers through my hair, pushing it back from my face while his fingers graze my cheek, setting my whole body on fire with that one touch.

“I’ve never brought anyone here but you.”

“How is that even possible, Luka?”

“Believe it or not, kisa, I don’t let people get close to me. My family is everything to me, and I’m very protective of them and of what we do.”

He’s so close we’re almost touching, and the heat in his gaze is enough to make me feel like I can’t breathe.

“Then why did you bring me here? I don’t understand.”

“I already told you.” His fingers drag along my jaw before ghosting along my neck in a featherlight touch that pebbles my skin in goosebumps and sends a warmth through my chest. “I like you, Lara Swan.”

Bringing his hand up, he drags his thumb along my lower lip and adds, “Probably more than I should.”

I’ve barely sucked in a breath before he lets me go. Walking around the island, he opens a cabinet and grabs a couple of plates and glasses before he divvies up the food. Once the bags are opened, the scent is enough to get my feet moving. Standing next to him, I watch as he puts one of the steaks on a plate next to the grilled veggies and loaded baked potato.

---