“Oohhhh, she’s ready.” Kartini laughed. “Just give him that innocent, oh I’m just blushing because I’m a shy virgin look, and he’ll be all over you.”
“Not a virgin,” I pointed out.
She leaned in. “Duh, because dear little Maksim stole that from you the minute you said the word science.”
I shoved her with a laugh. “Shut up.”
“Nobody else stood a chance.” Serena sighed.
“Biology!” Kartini shouted.
“Oh God, there, right there!” Serena pressed a hand to her chest and started to pant.
“Astronomy!” Kartini said next.
Serena threw herself down against the bed. “Talk dirty to me!”
“Hypothesis!”
“Daaaaaamn it!” Serena writhed.
I rolled my eyes while both girls burst out laughing. “We aren’t that bad.”
“Suuuure.” Serena sat up. “Whatever you say.”
A hard knock sounded on the door, then it burst open. Both Tank and Junior were standing there, fists clenched, eyes wild.
“You boys okay?” Serena asked.
Junior narrowed his eyes. “We heard things.”
“Lots of things.” Tank clenched his jaw.
“We were talking about science,” Serena said innocently. “Right, Kartini?”
“Science just does stuff… to a woman.” She blinked her eyes innocently.
Junior frowned at Tank, then muttered, “I like science.”
“Me too,” Tank said quickly. “I even did a science fair before.”
It hurt to hold my laugh in while both guys cluelessly exclaimed their love for science all because they heard words and orgasmic screaming.
While the girls hugged on them, I looked back in the mirror and ran my fingers through my hair, then grabbed some pink lip gloss.
I was ready.
This would be my armor tonight.
And Maksim Sinacore would fall at my feet.
“Dinner!” A loud voice announced that sounded like Nixon.
It was now or never.
I followed the group down the hall, smile tentative as I rounded the corner and walked into the massive gourmet kitchen. Different types of pastas and salads were laid out, along with homemade bread and rolls.
I was starving.
Mostly everyone was sitting. Andrei and his wife, Alice, were at the head of the table, and Nixon and Trace were across from each other too. Phoenix and Bee were sitting together, but none of the other bosses had come, which was fine. We didn’t need everyone there in order to discuss what had happened. I heard talking in the other room, so assumed maybe the rest of the bosses were meeting or just drinking wine first.
Serena and Junior quickly took seats next to Kartini and Tank, leaving only one seat available next to Maksim.
We locked eyes.
His widened like he’d never seen a girl before—or so much skin.
Success!
I started walking toward the chair.
His eyes widened further as his skin paled.
Right in front of me, before I was a foot away from the chair, another hand came out and jerked it back. A whiff of toxic perfume hit my nostrils.
Blond hair bounced as she sat.
Jenna.
My stomach dropped, taking my heart along with it.
Maksim looked away from me right away, guilt lining his face.
And I lost it.
I lost my mind.
Because how dare he touch me, make me feel like I was important all over again after I nearly die in a fire to bring her into his house!
“What the fuck!” I yelled before I could stop myself.
Maksim cursed, looking down at his empty plate.
“Language,” Phoenix said in a bored tone.
“I’ll get you an extra chair.” Alice, Maksim’s mom, jumped to her feet and started going into the other room.
“I’ll stand,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Oh, but—”
“Shhhh.” Andrei shook his head at his wife, then pulled out her chair again.
“Or I can sit at the bar and contemplate chopping weak little balls.”
Junior snorted into his wine glass while Serena looked like she was trying to figure out how much ammo it would take to destroy Maksim’s face.
Kartini shot him equally terrifying looks.
And I still stood there.
“Sorry I’m late,” I said.
Jenna was still as a statue in her seat in front of me.
“Should we bless the meal?” I offered.
“Oh, I don’t think—” Trace started as the sound of someone getting kicked filled the room. “Go for it, sweetheart.”
“Great!” I said a bit too loudly. “Dear God, thank you for making it so abundantly clear how much you take care of us by revealing chickenshit little losers with tiny dicks when we ask for a sign. I’m so thankful that you’re always looking out for us in an attempt to keep the whores of this world with syphilis and who knows what other STDs away from your flock. Bless this food. May it only poison two. Amen.”
The table went silent.
I grabbed a plate and started piling on the food while people watched. My appetite was gone. I rounded the table and stopped right in front of Maksim, then dumped my entire plate on his head, and when some of the pasta go stuck, I kicked his chair back, grabbed the front of his jeans and shoved the plate down the waist and whispered, “For later, when she sucks your limp dick and gets hungry because you can’t get hard.”