Page 69 of Shattered Vows

My eyes widen, and my mouth drops open. “I did not!”

He chuckles. “You did. And it was cute as fuck, so don’t stress about it.”

I smile, looking at the meal and back at him. “I can’t believe you noticed that.”

He doesn’t blink as he says, “I remember everything when it comes to you.”

I look away from the intensity of his eyes. “Thank you, this is wonderful.”

“Bon appétit.” He sets his napkin over his lap and picks up his burger, taking a bite.

I do the same with my napkin. I feel a little silly as I bring the burger to my lips, this dressed up and eating something so unsophisticated, but the moment I bite into it, I stop worrying. This is better than the two I shared with him previously.

“Mmm, that’s so good.”

“I’ll tell the chef you said so. Do you want some wine?”

“With my burger?” I laugh. “No, thank you. I’m still reliving the memories of the last time I drank.”

He looks at me with amusement. “Fair enough.” We quietly enjoy our meal before Kol speaks again. “What do you think you’d want to do if you could do anything?”

I finish chewing my fry. “Work-wise?”

He shrugs. “Sure. How would you spend your time?”

I ponder his question for a minute. “I’m not sure. I’ve never had the option to think about it before, but I suppose it’s something I need to consider.”

My stomach clenches. So many possibilities. What if I choose wrong?

Oh god, I’ve been so presumptuous, haven’t I? Assuming I was free to stay here for as long as I wanted without contributing anything.

“If you’re asking because I’ve overstayed my?—”

“Stop.” Kol frowns. “That’s not why I’m asking. I’m asking because I want you to be happy here.”

The tension in my shoulders lessens. “I am happy here.”

“For now. But eventually your excitement about this newfound freedom of yours will wear off. I don’t want you to want to leave in search of something new and exciting. I’d rather you found that here.”

Where is this coming from? He said something similar about me leaving at Black Magic Bar, but why?

“Kol”—I reach across the table for his hand—“I’m not going anywhere. And if anything changes with how I feel, I’ll talk to you about it.”

He studies me for a long while. I don’t flinch, don’t even blink until he gives me a small nod.

“The question stands. What would you want to do?”

I put another fry in my mouth since that’s all that’s left on my plate. Kol was correct, I do inhale burgers. “The only thing I really love to do that I know about is painting. I guess I could try other things. I’d have to. I’m not talented enough to be a professional painter.”

“That’s bullshit. I’ve seen your paintings. Especially that new one you’re working on. It’s a masterpiece.”

My head tilts. “You think so?”

“I know so.”

I’ve been dabbling in something other than landscapes lately—erotic art. I enjoy painting the body and mimicking the way it moves, the stretch of the muscles, and since Kol always has me hot and bothered, the erotic nature of the paintings just kind of came out.

Kol sets his napkin on the table and stands, walking over to the easel. “This is really good. And it’s fucking hot.”

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