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“Havel put her in the basement because she was threatening to shoot up the entire club unless you were found, but I picked the lock after he left.” Havel shook his head at Saskia and she continued, “Now she’s upstairs bullying Ali into giving her the CCTV footage from every camera in the city. I think she’s taking your disappearance personally.”
Leeza grinned. She couldn’t help herself. A few weeks ago she’d been utterly alone, on the run with her child, not knowing if they would be okay. Now she was surrounded by people who actually cared about her and it felt good.
“I’ll call off her search after I settle you in bed,” Havel said, guiding Leeza away from her posse. She savored the feel of his fingers where they touched the bare skin of her back.
As they rode the elevator, Havel wrapped his arm around Leeza and she rested her head against him, closing her eyes, a contented sigh slipping from her lips. Her head was pounding, her stomach was queasy, and her mouth tasted like something had died in it, but she was happy.
“Come here,” Havel said gruffly, bending to pick her up, careful not to jostle her too much.
“I can walk,” she murmured half-heartedly, resting her head against him and closing her eyes again.
He ignored her weak protest and carried her to their apartment. Leeza was half asleep when Havel set her on her feet in the bedroom and bent to remove her shoes. She leaned against him, her hand on his shoulder as she sleepily lifted one foot at a time.
He stood and pulled the zip of her dress down, his knuckles brushing her skin, sending a pool of warmth to her lower belly.
He tugged the dress off, then pulled her panties down. Everywhere his hands touched sent waves of pleasure through her. He kneeled at her feet, his bald tattooed head bent to his task. An ache in her belly grew as she slid a hand over it. How had she ever thought she’d removed him from her heart?
She touched his ear then slid her fingers down to the stubble at his jaw.
He looked up at her with such naked worship, it stole her breath.
The moment passed as he stood. He opened the door to his wardrobe and pulled out a T-shirt, which he tugged over her head and down her body.
“Bed,” he said gruffly, giving her a push.
That was all the encouragement Leeza needed. After eating her weight in fried breakfast foods and assuring herself Kris was well taken care of, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in the sunbeams spilling across her bed and sleep until her hangover went away.
She slipped beneath the sheets and closed her eyes.
Havel climbed onto the bed, sitting on the covers with his back against the headboard. He slid his hand under the T-shirt and up her bare back, sending a wave of shivers through her. He continued to touch her, raking his fingertips up and down her back in a soothing pattern as she drifted into sleep.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Anne glanced around the market square, searching for her date. It was their third time meeting in person and things were going very well so far. She was both nervous and exited to spend more time with him.
She’d started using the love finder app a few months earlier, and he was the first guy she’d swiped right on. They’d had a few promising conversations online and one phone conversation before agreeing to meet. He was always pleasant if a little distant, but she was hopeful the more they met, the better she would know him.
“Anne?” The voice came from behind her, startling her.
She turned around, forcing a smile past the flutter of disappointment that went through her each time she saw him. He was shorter than his bio had indicated, and his hair was grey rather than the brown he’d said it was, though perhaps it was still brown when he’d created his profile. His skin was pale with dry, flaky sections and he sweated almost constantly. And he wore thick glasses that made his eyes look small.
How he looks doesn’t matter, she told herself.
He was a man with a good job and he was interested in her. And she wasn’t anything special either, so she shouldn’t be judgmental. She was 44, average height, weight and looks. The lines around her eyes and on her forehead were starting to deepen. She’d never been beautiful, like her soon-to-be cousin-in-law, Leeza. Or passionate and vivacious like the younger Koba sibling, Saskia. Or cool and elegant, like the doctor, who was now also part of that family.
When he offered her his hand, she slid her fingers across his, squeezing, then letting go quickly. “Adam, so good to see you,” she said. She surreptitiously smoothed her hand down her skirt. His hand was quite clammy.
She had hoped maybe they would have progressed to kissing, but Adam hadn’t made any moves during their previous two dates.
“Should we go to the cafe?” she asked with a smile.
They’d agreed to meet in the market square and walk to a nearby bistro for lunch.
“It’s too noisy there at this time of day. Do you mind if we go someplace more private?” He gave her an apologetic look.
She thought about his suggestion. She knew better than to go to an undiscussed secondary location with a man she’d met online, but nothing about Adam had alarmed her during their previous dates and she was ready to take their budding relationship to the next level. “Sure, that sounds nice.”
“My place is close,” he told her, taking her arm gently and leading her.
