“But it’s been better than the others, right?”
I sigh and nod. “Remarkably.”
“I wish you had come to me.”
“Maybe I would have avoided a lot of bullshit if I had. I care about you so much more than I do the other guys. You’re just…” I trace his cheekbone with the tip of my finger. The look of surrender he grants me is so deeply satisfying that I can feel my heart sing with the rightness of the action. “…you’re so much better than them.”
He circles my waist and presses his lips to mine, devouring every moan that surfaces from me. Comfort, security, protection—these are the things that Lev can offer. Our life could be a spectacular one if only we could try.
When he drifts back from the kiss, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small white box. “I got you something.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because I thought you would like it.”
The smile on my lips feels like it belongs. I pluck the ribbon, toss it aside, and lift the covering off the box, revealing a silver cow charm hanging from a black cord.
“It’s a choker,” he says. “You know, not a necklace, but…”
I chuckle. “Lev, I know what it is.”
“Do you like it? I know you have those cow figurines in your room.”
“You noticed that?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, I did. I mean they’re kind of everywhere, Alex. A man could go crazy with those beady eyes looking at him all the time.”
“Is that you trying to tell me that you don’t want those figurines in your home?”
“I’m not saying not to do it. I just think—”
I smirk playfully. “That you’re afraid of cows.”
“Hey, I didn’t say that.”
“No, but you didn’t have to.”
He shakes his head. “Shut up.”
“Make me.”
The excitement that glitters in his eyes makes me sigh. I could get lost here forever. “Lev?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Even if I did find my father’s killer, I don’t want to die trying to even the score. I’m not cut out to be a Mafia wife. I want love and security, not to play these games of power.”
He squeezes my hand. “So, we won’t.”
“You mean that?”
He nods. “I do, baby.” He pauses for a second, seeming to struggle with something. His forehead becomes a mess of worry lines while he whispers, “Parker did it.”
My eyebrows rise as my heart sinks. “What?”
“Parker snuck into the room and took your virginity.” He lowers his head and adds, “I blame myself for not stopping it. I should have known he would play dirty.”
I cup his face gently. “That’s because you’re honorable. It would never occur to you to be sneaky like that.”