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Lev needed to make sure he brought the most important men to his side. He had his eyes on Daniel and Matteo. They were more influential and made good business partners.
But he needed to discuss it with Mikhail.
“Does the boss know about this new development?” Konstantin asked, rising to his feet and popping one hip on the desk in front of him.
“I’m having dinner with him this weekend. I’ll inform him about the war when we meet.”
It was for formality’s sake. Mikhail knew the war was inevitable. It’d been looming since he took down Dostoevsky. It was time for Lev to unleash the wrath of the Bratva on those Irish rats.
Chapter 19 - Zia
Zia’s stomach churned. She’d been anxious since Lev told her about the dinner with his family two days ago.
She’d agreed to the dinner invitation. She’d also been curious about what Lev’s brothers were like, and she’d wanted to meet them, but it didn’t make her any less nervous.
She’d grown up without a family. She had no idea how family behaved around each other. How was she supposed to talk and smile around them? Did she need to act classy or comfortable?
She had too many questions that she didn’t have any answers to.
The closest she’d come to meeting the family of someone she loved was with Owen, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience, to say the least. His mom had been a control freak who expected her to worship the ground she walked him. And his dad didn’t show the slightest interest in her. He didn’t even care to know her name or get to know who she was.
They’d looked down on her and her self-esteem took a big hit after the first meeting. So big that she decided she wouldn’t be meeting them again and Owen surprisingly agreed to it.
Two years later, here she was, nauseous about meeting her husband’s family. She rummaged through her closet, searching for a decent outfit to wear out of all the expensive dresses to the slacks and shirts. It wasn’t that she couldn’t find anything decent, she was just too nervous to settle for any of the clothes she found.’
What if they were too slutty, or too short, or even too casual? They had to leave for dinner in an hour, and she feltlike she was going insane trying to decide what outfit would be perfect.
The door opened and Lev sauntered into the walk-in closet. The scent of oakwood and cinnamon followed him in. He’d chosen a dark gray suit, which clung to every muscle on his body, and his tousled, dark hair caught the shimmer of the overhead light.
Her eyes remained on him for a moment, admiring him. He looked like a runway model ready to take the stage, and just the sight of him calmed her. But it didn’t just calm her; it made her want to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in and feeling every inch of his muscles.
God, what was she thinking?
One of his brows quirked as he scrutinized her face. “Are you okay?”
Her anxiety returned, but not as bad as it was before he walked in. She sighed. “No, I’m not. I can’t decide what to wear.”
His gaze darted to the clothes hanging on the racks behind her, and then his brows furrowed with confusion.
She understood that look because there were more clothes in her side of the closet than she could wear in three years, but she somehow had nothing to wear. “I don’t want to wear something that’ll make your family disapprove of me.”
His lips spread and his dark eyes crinkled. He closed the distance between them and took her hand, brushing the back of her hand softly with his thumb. “You shouldn’t worry about what my family thinks of you, Malyshka. They won’t care. Wear whatever you’re comfortable in.”
“But—” She trailed off when he brought his fingers to her lips, tracing it softly. Her body tensed to his touch. The heat from his finger seeped deeply into her skin, working its way to her stomach and simmering there. Her cores came alive, and her nipples hardened under the sheer white dress she was wearing.
She leaned into his touch and her breath quickened. She licked her lips as a wave of electricity rippled through her.
Lev’s gaze met hers. His eyes were dark with lust, and the intensity of it drew her in like fine whiskey.
With a deep breath, Zia leaned in closer, her heart pounding in her chest as Lev's fingers left a trail of fire on her skin. The air crackled with tension, desire swirling between them like a tempest, ready to break loose. In that moment, all thoughts of the impending dinner with Lev's family went away, leaving only the magnetic pull between them.
Without breaking eye contact, Lev slowly brought his other hand up to cup her cheek. His touch was tender yet tinged with a hunger that sent shivers down her spine.
Zia felt a rush of emotions swirling inside her—desire and longing.
As if sensing her internal turmoil, Lev leaned in closer, his breath mingling with hers. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in their own bubble of tension and raw emotion.
His thumb grazed her lower lip, his touch igniting a fierce longing within her. Without breaking eye contact, he leaned down slowly, his breath mingling with hers.
