Kaz waved a hand. “No problem.”
When the woman was gone, Violet asked, “What’s the usual?”
“Something you can’t go wrong with. Burgers. Fries. Coke. I can change it, if that’s not—”
“It’s great,” she interrupted quickly. “How often do you come here?”
“Are we playing twenty questions now?”
Violet glanced away from the teasing, light grin he sported. It didn’t help the walls she was trying to keep up. At least if she tried to keep them up for a while, it might be harder for this man to tear them down.
Her father had always said she made friends too easily, and without care.
“Hey,” he murmured.
Violet kept staring at her hands on the table. It was only when she felt a finger slide under the line of her jaw, stopping at her chin and pressing a little to make her turn her head, did she look at him. “What?”
“You’re acting stiff. Why?”
“You’re not worried, not even a little?” she asked. She wasn’t ready to admit that she actually thought she liked him—not even to herself.
Withdrawing his hand, Kaz seemed to study her before giving an answer. “I’m cautious by nature, Violet, but that doesn’t mean I’m foolproof. So of course, there’s a part of me that wonders what will happen if someone walks in here, but what is life without risks? I’m willing to risk it.”
And more, Violet thought. While she wasn’t completely sure of what her father was capable of, she knew if he ever caught her with Kaz, it wouldn’t end well for him.
“Are you telling me to relax?”
Kaz winked. “Live a little, krasivaya.”
Violet couldn’t help but notice how that Russian word seemed a lot more affectionate than the one he had called her earlier—whatever it was.
“What does that mean?” she dared to ask.
For the first time, he managed to look slightly uncomfortable. “It’s a term of endearment.”
“That doesn’t tell me what it means.”
Kaz chuckled. “Good, you’re quick, too.”
Violet pretended like he hadn’t said that. “Stop deflecting. Why won’t you tell me what it means?”
“It’s not that I won’t. It means you’re a beauty, or beautiful. Take it either way, depending on how it’s used and said.”
Oh.
Violet hadn’t thought it would mean that. “And the other thing?”
Kaz eyed her from the side. “I didn’t—”
“You did. Before you put your hands around my throat.”
His lip curled up at the side as he said, “Can I just apologize for that one without an explanation?”
“Not now.”
Kaz sighed heavily. “Bitch.”
Violet tried not to glare—she really did.
And failed.
“I’m sorry,” Kaz said quickly.
Violet wasn’t sure it helped. “So basically you called me a spoiled, rich bitch.”
“And now I’m taking you out to eat. Do you see how these things work out?”
“You called me a bitch and then you kissed me,” she muttered.
“You’re not making this easy right now,” he replied.
“No one ever said I was easy, Kaz.”
Kaz laughed, deep and heady. “Fair enough. I am sorry.”
“I’m not sure that’s enough …”
“What do you want, then?” he asked, resting his elbows on the table as he leaned toward her. “What can I do to make it up to you?”
She matched his posture. “What are you offering?”
Kaz smiled and the sight of it, so brilliant and open, made her return it. “Ah, there’s the Gallucci in you.”
Usually there was some derision to his tone whenever he made reference to her family’s name, but this time, it sounded almost complimentary.
Violet tapped her chin with a nail, pretending to think over her answer though there was really only one thing she wanted. “How about another kiss, but without the bitch this time?”
A surprise burst of laughter left him, but it was over in a second as his face turned serious. Curling a hand around the side of her face, he pulled her closer, his face just a breath away. She waited, more than a little ready for what he would do next, but he didn’t come any closer.
Then, he whispered, “Take what you want.”
A flood of heat swept through her at his words, but she didn’t waste a second thinking on his words—she just did exactly what he said.
This time, it was her kissing him, pressing closer, wanting to eliminate all the space between them. Despite how hard the rest of him was, his lips were soft, but unyielding. For a time, she was the one in charge, taking what she wanted, but very soon, he was taking over, tilting her head to the side as he deepened the kiss, putting her exactly as he wanted her.
His other arm slipped around her waist, drifting beneath the edge of her shirt, the heat of his palm almost shocking. In one firm pull, he had her closer as their lips found a familiar rhythm that shouldn’t have been familiar at all. His fingers pressed into her skin, teasing and promising at the same time. She hummed a contented sound against his mouth.