Page 69 of Sinful Promise

The man might be a literal mountain, but he’s also very attractive, though not in the same way that Danil is. He doesn’t have the chiseled features or the clean-cut look that reduces me to an Emily-shaped puddle on the floor.

“Ms. Mullens?”

“Huh?”

“Is everything all right?”

“That is yet to be determined, Alek. Thank you for driving me.”

Alek says nothing, but he also makes no move to get back in the car, which means we’re both just standing on the sidewalk looking like the most awkward couple ever.

I’ve never had a bodyguard before, so I’m not sure of the protocol. But I feel weird making him wait in the car while I stuff my face with pasta and wine. “Do you…want to come too?”

Alek frowns at me. “I’ll be outside.”

I take that as my cue to head inside.

The restaurant is heaving, so I scan the tables, trying to find Jana.

I eventually spot her at a small table for two at the back of the restaurant, but she’s not looking at me. She’s glancing nervously to her left, and I follow her gaze.

“Oh, you havegotto be kidding me.”

Sitting at the neighboring table, Danil has his eyes locked on mine, but he doesn’t smile.

Crostini’s is a fairly small place, so the tables are quite cramped together, which means I’m about to embark on the most awkward dinner of my life.

I purposefully ignore Danil as I weave my way through the tables to get to Jana. I waste no time slipping into my seat and picking up my menu, trying to hide the fact that my cheeks are a raging inferno.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” Jana snatches my menu out of my hands and tosses it down on the table.

“I need to see the menu, Jana.”

“You’ll have the mushroom tagliatelle like you always do.”

Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t so damn predictable.

“Can we at least order drinks before we get to the interrogation?”

“Already took care of it. Didn’t want to risk your fake ID not working, and from the look on your face and the fact that Danil is sitting less than four feet away and not talking to you makes me think that we’re going to need some alcohol.”

When I say nothing, Jana narrows her eyes at me.

“Okay, what the heck is going on?”

“It’s a long story…”

“I gathered as much.”

I can feel Danil’s eyes on me, but I refuse to look at him. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of even acknowledging his presence.

The fact that he’s still following me despite how I reacted yesterday pisses me off even more. How much clearer could I have been?

Thankfully, our waiter arrives with our wine and the moment he’s finished pouring me a glass, I practically snatch it out of his hand and down half of it in one gulp.

“She’s had a rough day.” Jana smiles at the waiter, who’s looking at me with a very concerned expression.

I set my glass down on the table. “Keep it coming.”

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