Page 74 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

I glance over at Nikolai. His eyes have darkened and his lips are parted. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s as affected by this whole situation as I am.

“That was incredible,” I murmur, dabbing the cloth napkin on the corners of my mouth.

“It certainly was,” he agrees. “And I learned something new about you.”

“Which is?”

“You’re single by choice.”

I snort. “And you can tell that because I ate a dumpling?”

“I can tell that because if you can make eating a dumpling look sexy, you are more than capable of getting any man you want.”

I’m shocked by his candor. Between his surprising warmth and the delicious food, I feel my guard lowering despite my better instincts.

“You’d be surprised how many men are turned off by emotional baggage.” I scoop another dumpling off the plate and eat it. My eyes flutter closed as I savor it.

When I open them, Nikolai is watching me. “Trakhni menya,” he growls under his breath.

Fuck me.

This time, it’s difficult not to smile. I solve the problem by eating another dumpling.

“I see,” Nikolai says. “We’re learning so much about each other.”

“Yes, we are. Like how I learned that you kidnap your employees and bring them here to seduce them into compliance. How many other unsuspecting women have you brought here?”

“None.”

I nearly choke on my bite. “None? That’s a lie.”

“I don’t go on dates.”

I shake my head. “What does that mean? Everybody dates. Unless… oh God. Are you married?” The question bursts out of me before I can stop it. “No, wait. I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me. Just… I’d rather not—”

“Relax. I’m not married.”

I catch my breath. “Really?”

He holds up his ringless left hand. “Still waiting for ‘the one,’” he jokes.

The relief that floods me is almost overwhelming. I don't want to stop and question why that is.

“You make that sound silly.”

“Because it is,” he says with absolute certainty. “Have you ever noticed that most people find ‘the one’ within a fifteen-mile radius of where they live? Convenient, isn’t it?”

“Long distance is hard.”

I’ve never dated anyone long distance, but living away from Elise during college was torture. I tried to keep in touch and know what was going on in her life, but it was different when I couldn’t be there with her. When I couldn’t see her face when she came home from school or hold her tightly when Mom was high and passed out on the couch.

“And thank goodness fate takes that into consideration by assigning everyone a soulmate within walking distance.”

“Wow. Okay. I just learned something else about you. You’re a cynic.”

“I’m a realist,” he says. “Most successful people are.”

“There’s more than one way to be successful.”

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