She lifted a shoulder. “I’m Russian enough to love ballet, Shane—” Breaking off, she nibbled on her lower lip. “It’s just…you once said it would be a long time before you trusted me enough to let me leave the grounds. Do you trust me now?”
Looking a bit pensive, he hesitated. “I think so. Besides, I’m going to be with you the whole evening.”
“What’s to stop me from screaming for help the minute we get into public?” Mia couldn’t believe she’d uttered that question and mentally kicked herself. Was she trying to sabotage a chance to get away from his home for a while?
His lips twitched. “I can think of two good reasons why you aren’t going to do that.”
“Oh?” She braced herself for threats, though he hadn’t shown her that side in days.
“The first is Aldo Peretti. If you aren’t with me, he’ll find a way to get to you.”
She inclined her head but didn’t confirm or deny his supposition. He was right, but he didn’t need to know she agreed with him. His sense of confidence was already massive. “And the other reason?”
Shane pushed aside his empty coffee cup as the maid came to claim their dishes from the table. She was a small black woman with a friendly smile and seemingly no propensity to deliberately scald Mia with hot coffee.
Remembering the incident sent a twinge of pain through her shoulder, where a blister was starting to fade. She ignored it and asked again, “Well? What’s the second?”
With a wicked glance at Charla, who was about to exit the dining room, he said, “No one else gets you off like I do, baby. You’d miss my cock if you ran away.”
The maid stumbled and issued a sound like a smothered giggle as she left the room.
Mia rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t suppress her own snort of amusement. “You’re such a crude ass, Shane. And if your ego gets any larger—”
“It’ll give my dick some serious competition.” He grinned at her as he got to his feet. “Doll yourself up and be ready to go at six. We’ll have a late dinner after the show.”
Mia nodded. “Where are you going?”
Shane’s amused expression slipped and darkness shadowed his eyes. “I have a meeting.”
“With Cormac?” she guessed.
He scowled. “Higher than that, but not the main boss.”
She stood to walk out beside him, her hand on his arm as they neared the staircase to part ways. “Are you in trouble, Shane?”
Shane winked. “Ah, baby, I didn’t know you cared.”
Mia gave him a stern look. “Stop trying to distract me. Are you going to be okay?”
He arched a brow. “Worried about me or yourself, Mia?”
She lifted a shoulder, too uncertain of the answer to give one. “I just want to know if I should prepare for the ballet or your funeral?”
His mouth curved upward. “Ever the smartass, baby girl. That’s one of the things I love about you.”
She blinked at that word but tried to pretend it hadn’t freaked her out to hear him say something like that, even casually. “You still haven’t answered me.”
He sighed, his expression serious. “I’ve spent a busy week going after Peretti. I’ve been hitting him in the pocketbook, and some of those targets are more visible than my bosses like. So, I’m probably in for some heat, but I don’t think they’re going to measure me for those concrete shoes we discussed.”
“But you don’t know?” Anxiety shot through her.
He half-shrugged. “I’ll find out soon enough.”
She nodded, deciding not to keep prodding. Mia accepted the light kiss he pressed to her lips, surprising both of them when she drew him closer to deepen it. They were both breathing heavily when he pulled away a minute later. “Be safe, Shane.” Mia went for a light tone. “I’m counting on you to protect me from Aldo.”
He grinned, though his razor-sharp gaze seemed to dissect her and see below her forced carelessness. Whatever he saw made his grin grow. “And give you at least a million orgasms.”
Heat flared in her cheeks as she looked around to see if anyone had heard. Bruno and Wallace stood near the front door, but probably weren’t in hearing range. “A million, huh?” At his smug nod, she smiled. “I’m going to start counting and hold you to that.”
