seen the actual expression to know he wasn’t faking. “Topped with Milk. Chocolate. Ganache.” He hit the table with each word as if he was coming in the middle of the restaurant.
“You’re killing me.” She giggled.
“Please do not deny me.”
“Oh yeah, like I’m really good at that.” She lowered her lids. Sex and chocolate. If those were his only two vices she could definitely deal…’til Sunday. She bit her lip.
He held her hand. Adriana’s heart lurched into an excited rhythm as they touched. What those fingers could do to her body, and those eyes did to her soul, a flutter skated over her limbs just thinking about it.
“Cold?” Val rubbed her hand in both of his.
Adriana wet her lips. “Not exactly.”
Val grew still. The waiter took that moment to serve their steaks. The food was good and they’d worked up a serious appetite. A few times Adriana caught Val watching her.
The waiter cleared away their lunch and brought their dessert, and it was every bit the way Val had described it, decadent beyond words. They savored each bite.
“Wish we were alone. I could think of a few things I would like to do with this ganache that doesn’t call for an audience.” He took her hand again.
“Oooh.” She raised her brows. “Is that on your list?”
“Maybe.” He closed his eyes briefly. “Thank you. You brought fun back to me. You do not know how much that means to me.”
Adriana shifted in her seat and drew her hand back. “Doesn’t look like you required any help in that department.”
A frown creased his brow. “You would be very wrong.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Barinov?” A boy, about nine, was standing at their table with a pad and paper. Two of his friends were crowding next to him.
Val startled, his face flaming, his uneasiness palpable. Abruptly he let go of her hand, as he seemed to steel himself.
“May we please have your autograph and can we take a selfie with you?” The child proffered the pad and pen to Val.
Val wouldn’t look at her. “Of course. What are your names?” He picked up the pen. To the outside observer he was calm, but there was no trace of peace in his eyes.
“Alex, sir. This is my friend Scott and my little brother Charlie.”
The other two boys grinned. The youngest was missing a tooth.
Val signed three pieces of paper. “Thank you so much.” Alex jumped and handed Adriana his camera sheepishly. She took their picture while the boy continued talking. “I hope you’ll be back to racing soon. We miss watching you. You’re the best.”
Toothless hopped. “We fight over who’s going to play you when we’re racing each other.” He had a lisp which would probably clear up once the tooth came in.
“Only play yourself.” Val poked him in his chest. He handed the boys the signed papers. “Be the best you that you can be, and you will be great. That is what I do.”
“Thank you.” They called out in unison and ran off giggling.
Val scanned the room warily. The side of his temple throbbed and his eyes lost their luster. The realization that no one else was around seemed to calm him. As his pulse eased, he picked up his wine and drained it.
Tipping her head, she whispered, “Who are you?”
Val twitched as if he’d forgotten she was there, then sighed. “I think you know that by now.” His sudden change of mood was disturbing.
“Yes, of course, but you know that’s not what I meant.”
His hand flexed restlessly on the table. “Valentin Barinov,” he said boldly as if she should know, but she didn’t. “And you?”
“Adriana Gallo.”
“Pleased to meet you.” His raw smile sent an ache through her every muscle and bone.
Chapter 7
‡
Valentin Barinov . The boy said he was a racer. That made sense, but why didn’t he have the same ski jacket and patches as the others at the table yesterday? Did he have a racing accident and get kicked off the team? Was that what the nightmare was about? But what did his father have to do with
“You’re killing me.” She giggled.
“Please do not deny me.”
“Oh yeah, like I’m really good at that.” She lowered her lids. Sex and chocolate. If those were his only two vices she could definitely deal…’til Sunday. She bit her lip.
He held her hand. Adriana’s heart lurched into an excited rhythm as they touched. What those fingers could do to her body, and those eyes did to her soul, a flutter skated over her limbs just thinking about it.
“Cold?” Val rubbed her hand in both of his.
Adriana wet her lips. “Not exactly.”
Val grew still. The waiter took that moment to serve their steaks. The food was good and they’d worked up a serious appetite. A few times Adriana caught Val watching her.
The waiter cleared away their lunch and brought their dessert, and it was every bit the way Val had described it, decadent beyond words. They savored each bite.
“Wish we were alone. I could think of a few things I would like to do with this ganache that doesn’t call for an audience.” He took her hand again.
“Oooh.” She raised her brows. “Is that on your list?”
“Maybe.” He closed his eyes briefly. “Thank you. You brought fun back to me. You do not know how much that means to me.”
Adriana shifted in her seat and drew her hand back. “Doesn’t look like you required any help in that department.”
A frown creased his brow. “You would be very wrong.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Barinov?” A boy, about nine, was standing at their table with a pad and paper. Two of his friends were crowding next to him.
Val startled, his face flaming, his uneasiness palpable. Abruptly he let go of her hand, as he seemed to steel himself.
“May we please have your autograph and can we take a selfie with you?” The child proffered the pad and pen to Val.
Val wouldn’t look at her. “Of course. What are your names?” He picked up the pen. To the outside observer he was calm, but there was no trace of peace in his eyes.
“Alex, sir. This is my friend Scott and my little brother Charlie.”
The other two boys grinned. The youngest was missing a tooth.
Val signed three pieces of paper. “Thank you so much.” Alex jumped and handed Adriana his camera sheepishly. She took their picture while the boy continued talking. “I hope you’ll be back to racing soon. We miss watching you. You’re the best.”
Toothless hopped. “We fight over who’s going to play you when we’re racing each other.” He had a lisp which would probably clear up once the tooth came in.
“Only play yourself.” Val poked him in his chest. He handed the boys the signed papers. “Be the best you that you can be, and you will be great. That is what I do.”
“Thank you.” They called out in unison and ran off giggling.
Val scanned the room warily. The side of his temple throbbed and his eyes lost their luster. The realization that no one else was around seemed to calm him. As his pulse eased, he picked up his wine and drained it.
Tipping her head, she whispered, “Who are you?”
Val twitched as if he’d forgotten she was there, then sighed. “I think you know that by now.” His sudden change of mood was disturbing.
“Yes, of course, but you know that’s not what I meant.”
His hand flexed restlessly on the table. “Valentin Barinov,” he said boldly as if she should know, but she didn’t. “And you?”
“Adriana Gallo.”
“Pleased to meet you.” His raw smile sent an ache through her every muscle and bone.
Chapter 7
‡
Valentin Barinov . The boy said he was a racer. That made sense, but why didn’t he have the same ski jacket and patches as the others at the table yesterday? Did he have a racing accident and get kicked off the team? Was that what the nightmare was about? But what did his father have to do with
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