“Doug and I make it known we’re your uncles and we look after you,” Carlton announced.

Azelie was back to laughing or nearly crying. She loved these older gentlemen and the merry widows. How could she not? They were incredible, and they’d adopted her when she wasn’t paying attention. They made her feel as if she had a family after all.

“That’s so sweet. Although, thinking about it, that means you’re running men off.” She tried to scowl at them but knew she wasn’t successful.

“Obviously, we didn’t scare Andrii,” Doug said, looking anything but pleased.

“Were you trying to scare him?” Azelie was shocked that she hadn’t noticed the men posturing at Andrii.

“We only saw him the one time, when he first came in with his friend,” Carlton admitted. “We saw both looking at you. As usual, you weren’t looking back. Even so, we tried to give them the stare-down.”

A smile slipped out. “Aren’t they wonderful?” she asked the merry widows.

“You must not have understood him, dear,” Penny said. “They were trying to keep your Andrii from taking notice of you.”

“I heard.” She flashed a smile at the two men. “Thank you for looking after me.”

“Attempting to look after you,” Doug corrected. “Evidently, we failed. You’re going out on a date with him.”

Azelie’s smile widened. “That I am. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Where are you going?” China took the conversation full circle in hopes that Azelie would tell them everything.

“I actually don’t know,” Azelie admitted. “He likes to surprise me. On our last date, he took me to a bookstore where Celine James was giving a master class on writing thrillers and murder mysteries. I have no idea how he managed to get last-minute tickets, but he did. The master class was sold out months ago.”

Doug and Carlton exchanged a long look. “Andrii took you to a bookstore on a date?” Carlton wanted clarification.

She nodded, resisting the urge to burst into laughter.

“How could we be so far off base?” Doug asked. He narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you making this up?”

There was no resisting. Her laughter might be soft, but it moved through the coffee shop, turning heads. The merry widows laughed with her. Carlton and Doug reluctantly smiled. Azelie turned her head as the door to the coffee shop opened. The laughter died in her throat. There was no controlling her reaction, and both Doug and Carlton swiveled in their seats to see who had evoked her sober reaction.

Billows’ man sauntered in, his gaze sweeping the room as he approached the coffee bar. Instantly, Carlton and Doug froze and then exchanged knowing looks.

*   *   *

“They knew,” Azelie told Andrii. “They knew that man was following me and had been. Both took out their phones and snapped pictures of him when he was giving his order.”

She was dressed in the long skirt and camisole top Andrii had given her. It fit like a glove. She knew it would. The color was a vivid royal blue, falling to her ankles in a series of ruffles. The camisole top matched the color and came to a V below the waist. She knew it flattered her figure, clinging to her curves, the soft material moving with every step she took in the most comfortable, beautiful boots she’d ever imagined. Dark-blue leather with a ruffle going up the back, the boots were not only stylish but so soft she felt she was walking on air.

“I don’t know how long they’ve known he was following me, but they’ve clearly documented it. They’re sharp, Andrii. Both were in the military for a long time. I don’t know what either of them did, but they’re very intelligent. I can’t have them confronting Billows’ man.”

Andrii took his eyes off the road long enough to give her a narrowed glance. “Don’t even think about going near that man, Zelie.” He had poured command into his voice, and she instantly lifted her chin.

“You don’t understand, Andrii. Doug and Carlton have taken on the role of my guardians. So have the merry widows. I know they’re aware of Billows’ man following me. They probably think he’s a stalker. It isn’t like I can tell them about my job and what a scary boss I have. Maybe I could explain Billows is using him for security to keep me safe. What do you think?” Deliberately, she added the last to include him for two reasons. One, he was highly intelligent, and security seemed to be one of his specialties. Second, she didn’t want him to think she was deliberately defying him and that his opinion didn’t count. It did.

He took one hand off the wheel to take hers and place it on his thigh. “Babe, I was aware of the way Doug and Carlton felt about you the moment I entered the coffee shop. The two of them glared daggers at me. They definitely gave clear warning signs that I was to leave you alone.”

“They did? Where was I?” The two men had admitted they had tried to dissuade Andrii from showing any interest in her, but she truly hadn’t noticed.

“You were too busy pretending you weren’t in the least interested.”

She glared at him. “I wasn’t interested. I thought you were the hottest man I’d ever seen, and it was scary to feel that kind of chemistry when I hadn’t felt that for anyone before, not even a mild version—but I wasn’t about to act on it.”

He sent her a small approving smile. “I love your honesty. You’re always so direct with me. No games. It makes me feel very secure in our relationship.”

She loved the fact that he had enough confidence to tell her he needed to feel secure. Most men wouldn’t have admitted it. Being with Andrii, seeing the way he focused so intensely on her, hearing the honesty in his voice, and his sharing things about his emotions and past all added to the feeling of intimacy. She craved that closeness between them. She needed it in a relationship.

“I had to work to get you to deign to acknowledge me,” he conceded. “I planned out my strategy carefully. Fortunately, I had the merry widows on my side. Also, Shaila and David. I was careful to cultivate a relationship with them so they would side with me and not with Doug and Carlton. I was also fortunate in that the two men didn’t come into the shop when I was there after that first visit.”

Azelie was stuck on his strategy. “You actually put together a plan to get me to go out with you?”

He sent her another quick grin. “Absolutely. I wasn’t taking any chances that you would slip through my fingers. I was very aware Doug and Carlton would try to persuade you not to go out with me.”

“They didn’t know I was dating you until today.”

He brought her fingers to his mouth, nuzzled, bit down gently and then kissed the tips before returning her palm to his thigh. The action sent little sparks of electricity dancing over her skin and down her spine. She was so susceptible to him, but she realized he was just as vulnerable to her, and he didn’t mind her knowing.

“What was their reaction?”

Her laughter invited him to share her amusement at the situation. To her joy, it worked, Andrii laughed with her.

“That bad?”

“They had multiple reasons for me to consider not going out with you.”

“Did you tell them we’re already in a committed relationship?”

“We were still talking when Billows’ man came in.”

“His name is Andrew McGrady. He’s scum. I really don’t want you anywhere near him. He isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He plays video games on his phone when he should be doing his job. He has a record a mile long, mostly for domestic violence. He doesn’t mind hitting women. It wouldn’t end well for him if he ever struck you.”

A little shiver went down her spine at the menace—and honesty—in Andrii’s voice.

“I don’t want to get anywhere near him, but he’s getting bolder. He’s never come into the coffee shop before. I didn’t like the way he looked at the merry widows and Doug and Carlton.”

“You have good instincts, Zelie. What was your gut telling you? Why did it make you nervous to have him see you with your friends?”

His voice was amazingly soothing. Calm. Steady. Andrii was a rock she could rely on. She thought back to the moment Andrew McGrady had turned around to stare at her group at the table. He had a look of satisfaction on his face. He leered at her, something she thought he would never dare do just in case she complained to Billows.

“It was the way he looked at them and then at me.”

“Did you feel threatened?”

She had. Her fingers pressed into his rock-hard thigh. “Yes. But not because I thought he would report to my boss that I had friends Billows could threaten to harm if I didn’t cooperate with him.” She’d felt as if a snake slithered over her skin, giving her chills.

“He’s wrong, Andrii. Billows is clearly a criminal with no code or remorse. He wants money and power and is determined to get it at any cost. He rules through bullying and intimidation. I don’t think he would hesitate to kill someone simply because they were in his way.”