Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 21964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
“Funny, because last time I checked, I was here on a date with you, and you’re the only one I’m interested in making a connection with.”
Okay, it was like the world seemed to slow down and fade out as she looked over at Isaac. She didn’t know if he was referring to sex. That was how connections were made, wasn’t it? Being a twenty-four-year-old virgin wasn’t fun, and she didn’t want to lose it to just anyone.
She looked at him and felt a little panic, but at the same time she couldn’t help acknowledging the spark that took place within her. For ten years, she had developed a crush on this man, and in the last few years, it had grown and flourished.
Marge told her she should throw caution to the wind, but there was a sane part of her brain telling her to be cautious. She didn’t want to keep being cautious. Cautious was boring. She wanted to be daring. To live her own life however she wanted.
Would it be stupid and naive to ask what kind of connection he was referring to? She hadn’t realized how out of her depth she was. Instead, she ate more chicken.
The music was a good distraction, and before they had even finished, Isaac wiped his hands on a paper napkin and grabbed her hand.
“Come on, you’re thinking way too much.”
Before she knew what was happening, he’d pulled her onto the dance floor. She looked at him, smiling and laughing, and it felt good to get lost in that feeling. The dance floor was chaotic, but they found a place, and Isaac gave her a twirl. The heavy beat song came to an end, making way to a slow dance.
She didn’t know if he was going to stop the dance, but instead he pulled her close, and Lucy got lost in his arms.
“Stop thinking,” Isaac said. “It’s a date, we don’t have to learn each other’s secrets right away. We can take our time. Enjoy ourselves. There’s no rush.”
She couldn’t help but glance down at his lips, because in that very moment she wanted more than anything for him to kiss her. It felt so consuming and scary at the same time. Lucy wanted him to kiss her. But wouldn’t that spoil everything?
In the back of her mind, she heard herself saying, “just kiss him,” but instead she looked into his blue eyes and lost herself in the moment.
Chapter Three
Issac was not a gentleman. He had fucked many women. He’d killed a lot of men and women during his time. He was not a man to be messed with. In his past life, being nice got you killed.
At no point during their date had he lied to Lucy. His parents had died in a hit-and-run. It was the hit-and-run that would change his world forever. Ever since he was a kid, he had known his father was a reluctant small-time crook working for the Russian Rostova Bratva. Through his laundry business, he ran the money that the Rostova Bratva needed. It was good business, at least at the time.
As for him, he had a history of violence—one his father knew showed great promise, so he sent him to an exclusive training ground where all Bratva soldiers were trained. He excelled more than anyone else. His name, from a young age, had been feared among their enemies. His father had been proud of him, as he worked his way up through the Rostova Bratva, being the man known for getting jobs done. No one dared to fuck with him.
Only, the Rostova Bratva ended up fucking with him.
He arrived at the scene of his parents’ shooting. It had all been planned, to take out his father, as the man had become too strong, as the Bratva saw it. He wasn’t true Bratva, and there was no place for a cocky civilian. That day, the Rostova made an enemy of him, and Isaac had made the streets run red with blood. He removed every trace of the Rostova Bratva, turning all the violence they had reveled in against them. No one was safe. They were all killed, and he turned his back on that life.
His father had told him one day he would find a woman, settle down, and want a simple life. It was strange how he thought about that now.
Nearly eleven years ago, he had gone to his parents’ home for Sunday dinner, as he did every week. Regardless of who in the Rostova invited him for dinner, Isaac never forgot his family. He loved his family.
After eating, he offered to do the dishes, as his mother cooked the delicious meal for hours. It was then, in the kitchen, his father surprised him by apologizing.
“I didn’t have a choice with the position I was in. You did, and I should have left you to live your own life, Isaac. You should have a future.”