She touched a sweater. “Beautiful.” She breathed the word in a whisper. “Andrii, you have amazing taste. I love them. Thank you so much.”
“We aren’t quite done. I’m returning your silver dress and shoes, along with the jewelry. You may need those for another evening out. The jeans are for a couple of dates I have planned. I’ll tell you when I’m surprising you, and you can choose what you’d like to wear. I might suggest one or the other, but that doesn’t mean you have to wear what I suggest.”
“Again, thank you, Andrii. I’m sorry I hurt you when I tried to give back the clothing. I’m uncomfortable with you giving me presents. I’m not with you to get anything.”
“Which is why I choose to give you things. It makes me happy. Not only that, Zelie, but it was obvious to me that you had no idea I had money. It feels good to have a woman who wants to be with me for me. Not for what I can give to her.”
He pulled out a royal-blue skirt that fell to the ankles in a series of long ruffles. The matching-colored top was a camisole that came to a V at the waist, hugged her breasts, but again was more sensual than showy. It was a classy outfit. He’d paired it with a soft pair of leather boots in a darker blue. A wave of ruffled leather crept up the back of each boot.
Andrii watched her face as he shook the skirt and camisole out to show her. Her eyes went wide and soft. Her lips parted, her expression showing absolute delight at the clothes. He was grateful he’d taken the time to search for the exact color and style he wanted for her. It had taken an extra day to get them to her, and Lana had helped him find the right boutiques to shop in, but that look was well worth his time.
When he pulled out the boots, she shook her head, covered her face and burst into tears. It wasn’t exactly the reaction he was going for, but he’d take it. Setting the boots aside, he lifted her into his lap and pressed her face into his chest.
“What is it, Solnyshkuh? Talk to me. Let me make this right.” He kept his voice low and soothing as he brushed kisses into the thick mass of wild hair.
She struggled to pull herself together. He liked the way her fists gripped his tee. He rubbed her back and massaged the nape of her neck, waiting patiently for her to stop crying. It didn’t take long. Her lashes were wet and spiky surrounding her liquid-filled eyes, changing the color to a deeper blue.
“No one has ever done anything like this for me, Andrii. It’s too much. Too overwhelming. I don’t know why you’re being so kind to me.”
“Baby,” he objected.
“No, you don’t understand. I don’t know what to do to thank you. Or to even things between us. I don’t have a clue how to give you this amazing feeling you’ve given me.”
He bent his head and rubbed the bristles of his short beard along her wet cheek. “I told you, Zelie, giving you gifts and watching your face to see if you like what I chose for you makes me happy. I’d know if I got it wrong. A large part of our relationship will be about trust, communication and my ability to read you.”
Her long lashes fluttered and then he was looking directly into her eyes. “Why would it be necessary for you to read me?”
“I told you, babe, we’re going to have a unique, intense relationship, and I’ll need to know instantly when you’re not happy with anything I ask of you.”
Her eyes moved over his face, studying him carefully. She had a way of looking at him with a little bit of hero worship. There was no doubt that she was attracted to him. She didn’t bother to try to hide it, although he knew it embarrassed her that she was so open with him. That was a good part of her personality that he loved.
“What kinds of things are you going to ask of me?”
“We’re going to shelve that for a little while, just until you get to know me more. I’ve told you enough to intrigue you, but at the same time, you’re freaking out just a little. I don’t want you to get to the point where you’re ready to run again.”
Her chin went up and color crept up her neck into her face. Those blue eyes glittered like twin jewels. “I didn’t run, Andrii. You did.”
He couldn’t help the grin that welled up out of nowhere. “There you go, calling me out on my shit. You’re right. I acted like a child.”
“I’m not trying to bring it up, Andrii. You apologized, and as far as I’m concerned, the incident is behind us, but it’s important to me that when we discuss any issue, we get the facts correct. You implied I ran from you when it was the other way around,” she reiterated. “I don’t know what I did wrong other than try to give you back the clothes and jewelry.”
“You scared the holy hell out of me, baby,” he admitted. He was going to have to avoid many questions she would eventually ask, so he was determined that he would give her truth whenever possible, even if it made him look bad. “I have just as many trust issues as you do, and when you appeared to be so perfect for me, I struck out at you to drive you away. The moment I was in my ride and tearing down the freeway, I knew what a mistake I’d made.”
The soft look on her face told him he had done the right thing in confessing. She really had forgiven him and put his entire idiotic reaction behind her. That only reinforced his belief that he’d found a woman he had a chance of being compatible with.
Using the pad of his thumb, he gently wiped at the wet trails on her face. “You have amazing skin, Solnyshkuh. It’s even softer than it looks.”
Her long lashes fluttered again. “You’re going to have to stop giving me compliments. I don’t know what to do when you say nice things about me.”
Words mattered to her. She was a woman who dealt in words. The world might think she was all about numbers if they knew she did bookkeeping, but Azelie heard music in words. She wrote stories that played in her head. She saw the world differently because of her affinity for words. He loved that about her.
“Babe, you’ll have to get used to me telling you the truth about yourself.” He rubbed his jaw along the top of her head. Strands of her hair caught in his beard, binding them together. It was ridiculous how much he liked that. He was supposed to mesmerize her, keep her focused and centered on being with him, yet he was fast falling under her spell. It made no sense to him, and panic flooded his system for a brief moment before he could get it under control.
“You bought me three outfits.” Her voice was soft, creating intimacy between them.
“I’ve planned three outings for us.” He stroked caresses down the back of her head, deliberately tangling his fingers in the thick strands. Her wild hair was sexy to him, especially because she had such an innocent aura clinging to her. “I tried to find things I think you would enjoy. When is your next free day? It can be anytime during work hours, up until nine. The place I want to take you to closes at nine.”
“I have my classes tomorrow. And I have to call Billows back and make an appointment with him.”
Maestro could hear dread in her voice. It made him want to take her back to Caspar with him and stash her somewhere safe until his club had taken Billows down. Having her in the line of fire was becoming abhorrent to him, and they were just getting started.
He needed her keys. Various Torpedo Ink members had looked through her studio apartment, which was very small, and yet they hadn’t found them. The members of his club were very adept at finding objects hidden in people’s homes, no matter how big or small the place was, yet they had been unsuccessful despite several attempts. She didn’t appear to carry keys on her person.
Was it possible she didn’t have the keys, and Billows admitted her to his underground office when she made an appointment with him?
As if Billows could hear his thinking, the intercom blared. Azelie leapt off his lap, a look of alarm on her face.
“It’s him. Billows. I should have answered him.” Her fingers went up to her throat, stroking nervously. “It would be better if he didn’t see you, Andrii. He’s not always rational.”
The fact that she tried to protect him endeared her to him even more.
She went to the intercom. “Yes?”
“Let me the fuck in,” Billows demanded.
“No. We had an arrangement, Alan. I agreed to continue working for you, but you weren’t to come to my home or try to intimidate me.”
Andrii could see that she was shaking, but her voice was very steady.
