Robert.
Stan’s eyes moved from me to Robert and then finally rested on me again. “Fine.”
I watched him move through the crowded little café before finally getting enough courage to turn back around and face Robert.
“Everything okay?” he asked, one of his eyebrows raised as he glanced at Stan who was keeping an eye on me from the other side of the room.
I sighed. “No. I mean…yes.” A growling noise escaped my throat due to my frustration.
Robert’s hand moved to my shoulder. “Who is he, Lilah? Do I need to take care of him for you?”
“Take care of him?” I asked.
Those piercing blue eyes of his studied me for a moment. “Yeah. You know, like kick his ass or something?” He smirked.
“Oh.” I exhaled loudly. Take care of to me would mean get rid of, kill, end existence—at least that’s what it would mean had I heard it come from Nicky’s mouth. “No, no. He’s my…bodyguard.”
Robert’s eyebrow arched even higher.
I didn’t know what to say.
“Is someone trying to hurt you?”
I shook my head back and forth. “No, nothing like that.” I let out a small fake laugh. I decided just to change the subject and fluff off the bodyguard thing. “Should we get in line?”
He gestured for me to go in front of him.
Such a gentleman.
Robert’s hand brushed against mine as he brought it up to his face. I smiled at him awkwardly.
“Lilah?”
I turned to face him at the same time I stepped forward to move up in line. “Hmm?”
Robert’s face grew serious then. He glanced in the direction of Stan and then back at me. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “I think you’re very beautiful. Can I take you out sometime?”
God, he was handsome. But the moment I thought things like that, the guilt crept right in. Nicky. Nicky Cain. My boyfriend Nicky Cain. The freaking head of the mob Nicky Cain, who was equally as handsome and even more so frightening than the man standing by my side.
I swept back the tiny hairs that the wind had unraveled and pressed my lips together, giving Robert a small smile. My eyes also wandered over to Stan who was staring directly back at me. So he was flirting with me. “Robert,” I began, “I’m flattered. Truly flattered. I really am, but I can’t.”
Robert’s light brown eyebrows drew together. “Give me a good reason why not.”
“You’re a very attractive man…”
“But?” He looked down, then back up. “I’m not seeing a ring. Are you married?”
My left thumb touched my empty ring finger. For so many years, I had worn the cheap wedding band given to me by Mark. I’d thrown it in the trash the night Nicky had shot and killed him. I hadn’t realized until this very moment how naked that particular finger felt. I shook the feeling off.
I shook my head as we neared the front of the line. “No, I’m not married.” More like widowed and fucking the man who killed him.
“Women don’t usually say no to me, Lilah.” A grin spread out over his face. “Then again, there aren’t many women I ask out. Very few actually.”
My breathing quickened knowing how true those words probably were. This man did have a demeanor about him, one that drew me in. I bit my bottom lip—hard.
“I’m not going to give up, you know.” His mouth curled up into a half smile that had me darting my eyes away. They glanced back at Stan, then to the front of the line. I could at least pretend to be interested in looking at something other than Robert Simeon.
I sighed then. “I am with someone, Robert.”
“Who?”
“Nicky Cain,” I blurted out, looking his way to see what kind of reaction he’d have. To my surprise, he didn’t even flinch, his facial expression never altering one bit.
“Never heard of him.”
I almost laughed. What? Who in Haven hadn’t heard of Nicky?
“What’s he do? Who is he?”
I shook my head again as the woman behind the cash register asked me what I wanted to order. “Cappuccino for me please.” I began
Stan’s eyes moved from me to Robert and then finally rested on me again. “Fine.”
I watched him move through the crowded little café before finally getting enough courage to turn back around and face Robert.
“Everything okay?” he asked, one of his eyebrows raised as he glanced at Stan who was keeping an eye on me from the other side of the room.
I sighed. “No. I mean…yes.” A growling noise escaped my throat due to my frustration.
Robert’s hand moved to my shoulder. “Who is he, Lilah? Do I need to take care of him for you?”
“Take care of him?” I asked.
Those piercing blue eyes of his studied me for a moment. “Yeah. You know, like kick his ass or something?” He smirked.
“Oh.” I exhaled loudly. Take care of to me would mean get rid of, kill, end existence—at least that’s what it would mean had I heard it come from Nicky’s mouth. “No, no. He’s my…bodyguard.”
Robert’s eyebrow arched even higher.
I didn’t know what to say.
“Is someone trying to hurt you?”
I shook my head back and forth. “No, nothing like that.” I let out a small fake laugh. I decided just to change the subject and fluff off the bodyguard thing. “Should we get in line?”
He gestured for me to go in front of him.
Such a gentleman.
Robert’s hand brushed against mine as he brought it up to his face. I smiled at him awkwardly.
“Lilah?”
I turned to face him at the same time I stepped forward to move up in line. “Hmm?”
Robert’s face grew serious then. He glanced in the direction of Stan and then back at me. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “I think you’re very beautiful. Can I take you out sometime?”
God, he was handsome. But the moment I thought things like that, the guilt crept right in. Nicky. Nicky Cain. My boyfriend Nicky Cain. The freaking head of the mob Nicky Cain, who was equally as handsome and even more so frightening than the man standing by my side.
I swept back the tiny hairs that the wind had unraveled and pressed my lips together, giving Robert a small smile. My eyes also wandered over to Stan who was staring directly back at me. So he was flirting with me. “Robert,” I began, “I’m flattered. Truly flattered. I really am, but I can’t.”
Robert’s light brown eyebrows drew together. “Give me a good reason why not.”
“You’re a very attractive man…”
“But?” He looked down, then back up. “I’m not seeing a ring. Are you married?”
My left thumb touched my empty ring finger. For so many years, I had worn the cheap wedding band given to me by Mark. I’d thrown it in the trash the night Nicky had shot and killed him. I hadn’t realized until this very moment how naked that particular finger felt. I shook the feeling off.
I shook my head as we neared the front of the line. “No, I’m not married.” More like widowed and fucking the man who killed him.
“Women don’t usually say no to me, Lilah.” A grin spread out over his face. “Then again, there aren’t many women I ask out. Very few actually.”
My breathing quickened knowing how true those words probably were. This man did have a demeanor about him, one that drew me in. I bit my bottom lip—hard.
“I’m not going to give up, you know.” His mouth curled up into a half smile that had me darting my eyes away. They glanced back at Stan, then to the front of the line. I could at least pretend to be interested in looking at something other than Robert Simeon.
I sighed then. “I am with someone, Robert.”
“Who?”
“Nicky Cain,” I blurted out, looking his way to see what kind of reaction he’d have. To my surprise, he didn’t even flinch, his facial expression never altering one bit.
“Never heard of him.”
I almost laughed. What? Who in Haven hadn’t heard of Nicky?
“What’s he do? Who is he?”
I shook my head again as the woman behind the cash register asked me what I wanted to order. “Cappuccino for me please.” I began
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