“We’ll go after dinner. First, you need to eat.”
Her appetite was lacking, diminished by the emotional rush that followed in the wake of their lovemaking, but Lann seemed unaffected. Or maybe for him it was the opposite. Maybe the large amount of energy he’d expended demanded replacement.
He obviously needed plenty of food to fuel his body. Eating with abandon, he polished off a large quantity of grilled vegetables and fish, and then a fruit salad. She only managed to peck at her food, drinking more wine than what was good for her.
After the fruit salad, Alfonso served her a bowl of her favorite ice cream—vanilla drowned in chocolate sauce. She dipped the spoon into the dessert, but lacked her usual enthusiasm.
“Not hungry?” Lann asked, concern lacing his voice.
“Um, not when I’m…” She wasn’t going to tell him making love always left her feeling emotional. That was the kind of information guys didn’t want to hear.
He frowned.
She fumbled with the spoon. “It’s all a bit sudden.”
“Katherine,” he said gently, “I made love to you before dinner so you could relax and enjoy your meal.”
“This is just how I am. I’ve had an experience that was really intense and I won’t have an appetite for a while.”
His expression softened. “What would you like to do tonight? Watch a movie? Go out?”
“I think I’ll turn in early. I’m thoroughly exhausted.”
Immediately, his demeanor changed. Desire transformed his face, darkening his eyes. “Of course,” he said, staring at her lips. “Anything you want.”
Who was her lover? He seemed so mysterious. She knew he liked to fly, was loaded, owned a monastery, collected old books, and was even better in bed than in her wildest fantasy. She stirred sugar into the espresso Alfonso had served, observing Lann silently. She wanted to know everything about him. She wanted to see his baby photos, know his dreams, his fears, where he’d gone to school, and what the future held for him.
“You’re Russian,” she said, “but your name isn’t.”
“It’s Celtic,” he said in a cool voice. “It means sword. My mother gave me a name from the place where I was conceived.”
“Do you have siblings?”
He tensed. “Like you, I’m an only child.”
“Your family, are they also in South America or do they live in Russia?”
The heat evaporated from his gaze. “I have no family.”
“So, your parents, they’ve passed away?” Kat probed carefully.
“My mother died giving birth to me,” he said matter-of-factly. “My father never forgave me for her death. He abandoned me at birth.”
Her heart contracted. How horrible that had to have been for him. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said, the deep golden color of his eyes now flat and frosty. “I don’t miss them. You can’t feel something for someone you don’t know.”
She reached over the table to take his hand, but he pulled away.
“Did you grow up with a foster family?” she asked, trying to pull him back to her.
“I grew up in the streets.” His face was hard. “I learned to trick and steal from a young age. I learned to fight for what I want, and to get it. Always.”
His words sent goosebumps over her arms even as compassion for the beautiful man facing her constricted her chest.
“Come.” He got to his feet. “I’ll drive you to your apartment.”Kat put on her crumpled dress and followed Lann downstairs. A black Jaguar with tinted windows was parked in front of the monastery, the engine idling. The driver opened and shut the passenger door for her, but he went back inside while Lann took the wheel.
During the drive, neither of them spoke. It unsettled her that he didn’t have to ask for her address, but then she remembered the deliveries of earlier. Of course he knew where she lived. She’d given her address when she’d signed up at his library.
“Should I say thank you for the coffee and ice cream?” she asked with a smile.
He glanced at her before changing gears. “Only if you want to.”
“It was delicious.”
His lips tilted. “You’re welcome.”
She sent Diana a text message to let her know they were on their way. She didn’t want to surprise her roommate if she was at home.
When they arrived at her building, Lann parked on the yellow line right in front of the main entrance. He came around to open her door, and held his hand on the small of her back as he guided her inside and into the elevator. Diana opened the door the minute they exited on her floor.
She hugged Kat briefly and peered over her shoulder at Lann. “Hi,” she said with a warm smile. “I’m Diana.”
Lann followed Kat inside and shook hands with Diana before pulling Kat under his arm.
“Would you like a drink?” Diana asked.
“Lann?” Kat looked up at him. “Do you mind if I have a word with Diana in private?”