If I hadn’t gone to see my mom earlier, none of this would have happened. I would have been in my office, Jack wouldn’t have got his dirty little fingers on Safi and I would have already known exactly what she needed me to do to set her world right. But what nobody else knows right now is my mom is taking over the casino. I’m signing the whole thing over to her and becoming nothing more than a silent partner while I concentrate on the investments that make me happy. It makes perfect sense, she’s a qualified accountant, but it will also cause ripples in the Volos “family”. My father gave me the casino because he needed to put himself at arm’s length, but he still thinks of it as his.
And he and my mom aren’t exactly the poster couple for amicable divorce.
As I head across the golf course, I make a silent promise to myself that I’ll tell my father all about what’s going on before it becomes common knowledge. I need to get the last few details ironed out, but in the next few days I should be in a position to make the deal public.
And deal with the fallout.
When I push open the door to the guesthouse, the first thing I see is the open suitcase. Then the tears.
Shit, I hate to see her like this. I step into the room, my instincts kicking in, wanting to go to her and soothe away all her cares, but she still shrinks back from me like I might be circling for the kill.
Fucking Jack Maine.
I have absolutely no doubt he’s the reason for this reaction, but as much as it hurts I stop, standing still and hoping not to frighten her. Like a wolf trying to calm a bunny.
“Everybody out,” I say, raising my voice for the removal guys I hired. They’re doing as I told them and keeping their eyes off her, but I need us to be alone.
“Mr. Schalk?”
“Take the rest of the day off. Come back tomorrow.”
Her eyes are wide and dripping as she looks up at me from her place on the sofa. Beautiful. Even sobbing, with those golden circles surrounded by red, puffy flesh, she looks like an angel. The tears seem to shimmer with a light of their own, like she’s crying pure starlight.
I can’t help myself. Despite the fear I see, I have to be near her. I cross the room and take a seat beside her, the sofa creaking under my weight. Without thinking, I reach out, but she flinches back and my heart cracks in response.
“Safi…”
“I know I messed up. I only came to the casino to find you. I wanted to ask…” She shakes her head. “What does it matter now? I’m packing up my things. I’ll go. You don’t have to say anything.”
“You’re not going anywhere, sweet treat.”
She meets my eyes, confusion written in the slant of her brows. “What do you want from me?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I don’t know the words, but…” I reach out again, and this time she finally doesn’t move away. She lets me take her chin in my massive paw, stroking a thumb under her eye, wiping away the tears. “What did you need the money for?”
“I wasn’t stealing it from you.”
“I don’t care about that. I’ve fired Jack. I know you weren’t stealing it. I know you. You wouldn’t. And can’t—you can’t steal what’s already yours.” I reach into my jacket pocket with my free hand, take out the money and put it on the sofa between us. “Is it enough? Do you need more?”
“Aren’t you firing me?”
“No, sweet treat. I’d never fire you. What’s the money for?”
“My brother. He’s…well, he was in an accident. A few years ago. It left him with difficulties, but he’s still my brother, you know?”
I nod. If there’s one thing I know about, it’s families.
“He finds it difficult to do some things for himself now, but he was always good to me. He took care of me when we both had nothing, saved the small amount of money our parents left for us and gave it to me when I needed to pay for my course. I…I have to take care of him. I want to. So my sister-in-law and I…we hired a private nurse. We pay half each towards his care, but she—” Safi meets my eyes, as if just realizing I’m there. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. It’s unprofessional.”
I turn her chin up so that she’s staring into my eyes, and just drink her in for a moment. How can a beast like me ever think he would stand a chance with beauty like hers? It doesn’t matter. I can’t stop now.
“So is this,” I mutter.
Taking her lips with mine, I let her know who she belongs to. The kiss isn’t hesitant or gentle, it’s needy and forceful. Our teeth clash as I lean into her, listening to her struggle for breath as the kiss deepens, feeling the softness of her lips, the eagerness of her tongue as it glances against mine then tangles, electricity firing through me at the contact.