Whiskey Sharp: Jagged. Lauren Dane

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СКАЧАТЬ placed a pitcher of juice on the table, nudging it his way.

      “You’re a good host,” he told her as they sat.

      “You did everything. All I had to provide was a table and some plates. I think I win.” She shook her head as she peppered her food. “And I also have to admit Alexsei is the one who grocery shops most often so I can’t even take credit for the juice.”

      This private Rachel was one he craved. She was open with those closest to her. He loved it when she teased him. Her dry sense of humor had been a delight to discover. And the sexy flirting, a new addition to their interplay, had been a really great surprise.

      “I bumped into Evie at the grocery store yesterday. She showed me pictures for a tattoo she wants,” she told him.

      He withheld—barely—an eye roll. His sister was trendy. She had the latest shoes and clothes and now wanted a tattoo. But she was so picky it had been at least a year since she came up with the idea of getting one and hadn’t pulled the trigger on it because she couldn’t choose.

      “It’s nice that you’re so close with her,” she said.

      “She’s a pain in my ass with shit taste in men.” He shook his head. “But no one makes a cinnamon roll like her so I suppose we’re stuck with each other.” His little sister was the heart of their family. Especially since Danil had died.

      “Little sisters are the best. Don’t tell Maybe I said so. I like to keep her guessing.”

      Vic snorted. “I’m fairly sure your sister already knows you have a soft spot for her.”

      “Someone needs to,” Rachel muttered.

      Vic reached across the table and squeezed her hand, surprising them both. But she smiled, squeezed back and then pulled away.

      “So. Our second date. What should we do? Dinner? Movie? Drinks? All three?” he asked.

      She looked at him awhile. Not speaking. He looked back, wanting her to see he was serious.

      “I’m weird.”

      “Huh.” He cocked his head a moment. “I was not expecting that. Like at all.”

      She laughed. “I’m told I can be unpredictable.”

      He leaned closer, pleased at the way her pupils grew larger as he did. “I like unpredictable.” He took a bite, thinking over what else to say. “Are you trying to warn me off? List your supposed negative attributes so I’ll see you’re not worth my time? Because after those kisses I should warn you it’ll take more than you telling me you’re weird. In case you hadn’t noticed, my whole family is weird.”

      She paused and he watched what had to be a dozen thoughts flit over her features. So expressive when she decided to share that part of herself with him.

      He challenged her.

      It made her feel like he knew she was strong enough to own her shit. So he called her on it because she was worth the energy.

      “I’m just saying I come with a lot of baggage.” She shrugged. He was an excellent cook. The eggs were buttery soft, the saltiness of the ham a perfect addition.

      He eased back, eating once again, but keeping his focus on her. “You’re attracted to me. We have some major chemistry. Are you saying I’m imagining it?”

      She was a lot of things but she wasn’t a liar. Not even to herself.

      “No. You’re not imagining it. Zing.” She waved a hand between them, indicating their attraction. “We’ve got it big time.”

      His smile sent a shock of desire through her. “All right, that’s established. So why hesitate about coming out with me?”

      “To be clear, I’m not hesitating about going out with you. I just wanted to be clear up front that I’m damaged goods.”

      He sat back to take her in, all feline and powerful. He moved like music, caught her up in him like magic.

      “You’re not damaged, Rachel. You’ve had life happen to you. And some of it was a nightmare.”

      A nightmare she wasn’t entirely done with. Some scars never healed.

      Most people wanted to save her. Pity her while being fascinated by the gruesome details.

      He just was. When he was around her, he expected nothing more than what she wanted to give. She’d never really given thought to what it might feel like to be doing this slow dance into romance with someone like him.

      Easy. Alluringly so.

      “Look at you having such an intense discussion in your head.” He began to eat again.

      She could have told him it was too risky. His cousin was now living in her house. Utterly besotted with her sister who adored him right back. Vic also happened to be close as brothers with Alexsei so if things went very badly between them it would impact pretty much every aspect of their lives. His parents lived next door, along with his sister. He only lived half a block up. They saw one another at the various events the bakery had booths at, as well as at the barbershop Alexsei owned and Maybe worked at too. Which was four minutes door-to-door from the tattoo shop Rachel worked at.

      But she didn’t say any of it. Because he knew all that already.

      “It’s just dinner. We can work our way up from there. If you were going to try to talk yourself out of it, you should have done it earlier,” he added.

      “You’re right.” She snapped free of her internal argument and snorted. “Fine. I just want to be sure you’re going into this realizing what you’re doing.”

      “I always know what I’m doing, Rachel. I’m deliberate. I always have been. I’ve wanted to go out with you for quite a long time,” he said in an infuriatingly calm voice.

      She tore off a piece of toast and jammed it into her mouth, chewing a while before finally asking the question that’d been nagging at her. “So why now? What changed from yesterday? Or the day before?”

      She couldn’t deal with pity. Not from him.

      “I let you have yesterday because after that fuckery on Sunday you needed a break. I also knew you and Maybe took the day off to hang out and I left you alone. But Sunday is when I knew. I’ll give you all the reasons why when you’re ready to hear them.”

      “When I’m ready to hear them?”

      “That’s what I said. Tell me, how is work?” he asked, changing the subject. She began to demand he tell her but hesitated.

      “Busy. Lots of people like to get ink around Valentine’s Day.”

      “Romantic gestures they’ll have to get covered up in a year?”

      “I thought I was jaded,” she said.

      He blushed and she couldn’t help the way it moved her.

      “I’m СКАЧАТЬ