“It’s always going to be you, Andrii,” she admitted. “There’s no one like you in the world. I know I don’t want anyone else. I’ve never looked at anyone else.”

He swept his hand down the back of her head. “You have to stop running from me. I’m doing everything I can to show you what you mean to me. Maybe it isn’t enough. I’m new to relationships, but I swear, baby, whatever you need so you’re absolutely certain of us, I’ll find a way to give it to you.”

“I think you just did, Andrii.” She sounded breathless, choked up, mainly because she was. There was a lump in her throat she couldn’t quite get around.

“Your parents programmed you to believe you aren’t worthy of love. I may not go to counselors, but I’ve heard Blythe telling her children that they were programmed by the people who took them. When you meet her, you’ll see that Blythe makes sense. Once we broke out of that school and were out from under Sorbacov, I never wanted to view myself as a victim, so I tried not to hear her. But she makes sense. We’re going to run into these glitches sometimes, not through our own fault, but because past experiences shape us. I know I’m going to need reassurance at times. I know I’m going to be a moron and test you, but I’m aware that I do that shit and it isn’t fair to you, so I’ll fight those tendencies.”

Her heart melted at his admission. She loved that he would let her know he expected to fail at times. It made her feel as if her continual battle with self-esteem could be acknowledged and hopefully overcome.

“You could let me know when you’re having a difficult time, Andrii.”

“I think that’s a very good idea. A wise man once told me good communication is the key in a relationship. When you need extra reassurance that I find you the most beautiful woman on this planet, inside and out, you let me know. We can do this, Zelie. I know we can. You just need to believe in us the way I do.”

Azelie found it interesting and a little sad that he was all in, seemingly without reservations, and she was such a coward she kept throwing roadblocks in their way. There were reasons. She was intelligent enough to know Andrii was holding back something huge, but at the same time, she found that she did trust him. Something in her responded to him.

She knew she had good instincts when it came to judging people and their motives. She could determine whether they were liars and what kind of character they had. The bottom line was she believed Andrii and she wanted to be like him—taking a deep breath and jumping in with both feet.

She nodded her head slowly, determined she was going to let go of her fears.

*   *   *

“He wrote a song for me,” Azelie announced as she flung herself into the chair beside China. “Andrii plays in a band, and he wrote a song and played it for me. Right there in the club. He told everyone the song was for his lady.”

She couldn’t help sounding breathless. Andrii made her breathless. He’d been so loving and sweet, holding her all night, whispering the most outrageous things to make her laugh. There were no nightmares when Andrii slept in her bed with her. There was no room for them because Andrii made sure of it.

Penny’s breath exploded from her throat. She patted the tabletop beside Azelie’s hand. “A band? He plays in a band? And wrote a song for you? Musicians are the best lovers. It’s their artist’s soul.”

Doug groaned and slapped his palm against his forehead. “Don’t tell her such nonsense, Penny.”

“What are you doing encouraging her to be a groupie?” Carlton demanded. “And musicians aren’t necessarily the best lovers. Any man who pays attention to his partner’s needs is a good lover.”

Penny rolled her eyes. “You don’t understand the significance of a man with a poet’s soul. His very artistry gives him a superior skill right off the bat.”

Doug made a noise in his throat that sounded like a cat dying of strangulation. Then he began a coughing fit. Azelie politely pushed the glass of water she hadn’t yet touched to him in the hopes of saving his life. He had turned an alarming shade of lobster red.

China and Blanc hid their smirks behind their hands. Azelie glanced toward the counter, where Shaila was serving a customer. At least she acted as though she were serving a customer, but in reality, she was listening to the conversation right along with half the coffee shop. The discussions between the merry widows and their two male friends were legendary.

“Penny.” Carlton did his best to sound reasonable, but his voice shook with the effort. “That is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing that’s ever come out of your mouth. And over the years, you’ve managed to spew a lot of insane nonsense. It’s a wonder you haven’t been committed.”

“Ha!” Penny returned. “You’re just jealous because I took an entire year and followed several of the top bands.”

“You didn’t follow them,” Carlton objected. “You had sex with all the band members.”

Penny nodded, completely without one iota of remorse. “Which, may I point out, makes me an expert when it comes to musicians and their sexual prowess.”

Doug choked some more. He took another drink of water and glared at Penny. “You will not encourage our girl to follow bands and sleep with the members.”

“Of course not.” Penny turned her entire focus on Azelie and gave her a very straight-faced lecture. “Honey, you don’t sleep with musicians, you have sex with them.”

China and Blanc both erupted into giggles. Half the customers in the coffee shop followed suit, although they tried to muffle their reactions.

Carlton threw his hands into the air. “That’s it, Penny. I’m officially banning you from talking to Azelie. You’ve spent half your life corrupting the young.”

China sobered quickly. “That’s going way too far, Carlton, and you need to apologize.”

“That’s so true,” Penny said. “I only managed to corrupt a few other girls, introducing them to a rollicking good time with the best lovers ever.” She blew on the tips of her fingernails. “I like to think I’ve made women aware of the differences between bad sex, decent sex and fantastic sex. All women should know.”

“There’s no talking to you, Penny,” Doug declared. He switched his gaze to Azelie, his features softening. “Half the things she says are pure bullshit designed to make our heads explode, Azelie. It gives her great joy to watch Carlton and me lose it over her nonsense.”

“If you know I’m spewing nonsense,” Penny challenged, “why does your head explode?”

Azelie thought that was a very good point. She was very aware everyone in the coffee shop was listening to the conversation. She was glad they were no longer discussing her date. She didn’t want to answer questions about Andrii in front of everyone. She still feared there was a good chance word would get back to Billows and he’d find a way to harm Andrii.

She considered Billows’ odd behavior at the club when he’d come in with his supermodel trophy displayed on his arm. When he’d come over to the table, he hadn’t been looking at Azelie, he’d been looking at Lana. He’d all but ignored the fact that there was a man at the table. There didn’t appear to be jealousy or anger toward Kasimir at all. When she went back over every detail, she realized he’d barely glanced at Azelie.

Carlton sighed very loudly. “Someone has to keep you in line, Penny. The statements you make have grown outrageous.”

Penny’s eyebrow shot up. “Now you’re my keeper?”

Doug and Carlton exchanged another look. It was Doug who assented with a nod of his head. “Yes, Penny, we look after you, China and Blanc. Your antics could get you in trouble. You perform at that seedy little theater the three of you seem to love. It’s not in the best part of town. You’re attractive, funny and very vocal. It isn’t like anyone could ignore your presence. Each of you lives alone, and if someone follows you home and breaks in, what then?”

The merry widows had mixed reactions to Doug’s revealing statement. He sounded very matter-of-fact, but it was clear the two men knew the women’s habits intimately.

“Do you follow us around?” Blanc asked. “Like stalkers?”

Azelie decided it was time to intervene before the merry widows worked themselves up. She leaned across the table toward Doug. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” Smiling at the women, she indicated the two men. “It sounds like they’re your personal bodyguards. Coming from their backgrounds, you three are so lucky to have them. And you don’t even have to pay them.”

The women closed their mouths on a protest, looking mollified. China was the first to recover. “Now that you put it that way, Azelie, you’re right. We are lucky. Thank you, Doug. Carlton. It can’t have been easy keeping track of us.”

“You really were being sweet,” Blanc added.

The door opened, bringing in a draft of cold air. Andrew McGrady waltzed in as if he owned the coffee shop. Azelie’s heart dropped. They couldn’t continue their conversation in front of him.

“Stop,” she whispered. “Don’t talk, not with him here.”

Both Doug and Carlton had already noted him the moment McGrady opened the door. They seemed to always be on alert. The merry widows ceased their laughter, heads coming up, eyes following Billows’ man’s progress as he sauntered to the counter. The entire length of the room, McGrady kept his gaze fixed on the table where Azelie sat with her friends. He had the expression of the cat that ate the canary.

Azelie’s first inclination was to get up and leave, hoping McGrady would follow her out. She bunched the straps of her backpack into her fist in preparation. McGrady pulled out his cell phone, held it up and began taking photos of the merry widows, Doug and Carlton and her together at their table. Her heart went into overdrive.

“I’ll see you later,” she told the others and dragged her backpack from the floor. If McGrady didn’t follow her out, she could always return on the pretense she’d forgotten something. She was determined to have a few words with him one way or the other.

“Put that away,” Doug snapped. “You have no right to take our pictures.”

“Shut up, old man,” McGrady ordered.

Azelie rose instantly when Doug and Carlton stood up. “Don’t you dare talk to them like that.”

McGrady’s laughter was sneering, not at all humorous. He sounded as if he was deliberately goading the older men.