Page 12 of Worshipped by the BRATVA Grump

“Why? Five minutes ago you were asking to go again, and now you can’t get out of here quick enough.”

She takes a breath and collapses onto the end of the bed.

“We barely know each other,” she finally says, her shoulders slumped. “What if when you get to know me, you don’t like me anymore?”

I frown, then sit beside her. “I know your dream is a bookshop on the corner. I know you work hard at your job. I know you drive me insane between finding you up an unsecured platform cleaning a ceiling and balancing on precarious walls to get just the right photograph. I know I want my future with you and I’d do anything to make it happen. But I also know that I don’t want you to ever be unhappy.” I lift my hand to push a tendril of her hair away from her face. “And if you believe I can’t make you happy, not just in the bedroom, then I get it.”

She is watching me, looking for something.

“It is great sex,” she says. “But it’s not just that. You make me feel like…like…” she shakes her head and drops her eyes to her hands which are twisting in her lap.

“Like what?” I press, noticing her eyes flickering over my body every so often. I suppress the grin. “Like I’m the most amazing person you know.”

“You are.” I say it plainly, because it’s true. “You should trust me.”

“I should get to the store. I want to see the shelves go in.”

“Give me ten minutes, I’ll take you.”

When we arrive at the shop Bodhan is already there, measuring out the shelves, and Daisy’s eyes light up with excitement.

Something strange fills my chest. Something that feels like happiness.

I want to make her light up every day.

Daisy

The shop on the corner, the shop I never thought I’d actually turn into my dream, is slowly taking shape right in front of my eyes.

Bodhan’s men have punched a hole through to the café, much to Lucifer’s disgust, and are currently fitting a doorframe. Delilah has poked her head through three times already, the first time with a coffee for me, the second time with cake, and the third to ask me why I’m wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

I know she was making a joke about me staying in the shop all night working…but that doesn’t stop the flush of guilt creeping over my skin.

She frowns, but is thankfully pulled back into the café when a customer asks for a latte.

Mechislav left shortly after we arrived when Eduard rang him about an issue with something that I don’t think I want to know about.

“Hey lady,” Kimmie’s face peeks around the corner of the new doorway. “Can I see you for a second?”

“Sure,” I smile and head through to the café. “What’s up? Everything’s okay, right?” I ask, suddenly worried about the baby.

Kimmie smiles and nods. “I just wanted to apologize for the other day. You were trying to figure stuff out with the shop and I hijacked it.”

I laugh lightly. “Don’t be silly! You had the best news ever and everything worked out with the shop anyway…” I trail off as Delilah approaches with a coffee for me while pinching her nose.

“I’m starting to struggle with the smells in this café,” she says. “How did you resolve the rent issue by the way?” She pulls out a chair and sits in it, looking at me expectantly.

I can tell she is already starting to put two and two together.

“I went to the freight yard and spoke with Mechislav directly about it. We came to an agreement.”

Delilah grins. “Right, an agreement.” She wriggles her eyebrows at Kimmie who tries to hide her smile behind her own cup of tea.

I bury my face in my hands and groan. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” I confess.

“Oh,” Delilah starts with a coaxing wink, but changes her tone when she realizes I’m serious. “Oh, sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“It’s just…I didn’t expect…I don’t know.” I heave a sigh and Sammie appears from the kitchen and joins us. “How do you three do it? Being married to…you know.”