Page 46 of Taken By Him

“Leave it open for us,” I say, as a slow melody begins to play. Kasia leans forward to see around me toward the dance floor. She’s left her long, blonde hair down but I see the pearl earrings dangling. A constant reminder of who she lost. I wonder if she’s wearing them because she misses her mother or if she’s trying to punish herself by never forgetting.

Jakub walks off to tell the staff to leave the room open for me and I tug on Kasia’s hand, pulling her toward the dance floor. She hesitates, but it only takes a small tug to get her compliance. I may not have punished her for talking with her father, and for keeping her secret, but things haven’t changed. If I want her with me, she’ll be with me.

Once on the dance floor, I spin around to face her, putting my arms around her waist and pulling her to me. She looks uncertain but wraps her hands around my neck. It’s been years since I’ve moved on the dance floor with a woman, but I find my feet quickly. Kasia, to my surprise, follows my lead easily as we make our way around the floor.

She turns her cheek and presses it to my chest. The music pours over us and all I can feel is her against me. There’s so much more to this girl than being a pawn for her father to maneuver. For men like me to move about.

I tuck her under my chin and continue to move to the beat. She’s not wearing high heels like the other women in the club. Even though she’s so much shorter than me, and fits perfectly in my arms, she wears flat shoes. Such a contradiction, my wife.

We turn once more around the floor and I’m distracted by two men standing near the stairs leading up to the VIP section. I tense. I wasn’t looking for a meeting tonight, but it seems business follows me everywhere.

“I have to speak to someone, Kasia.” I stop our dance and slide my hands down her arms until I capture one hand in mine.

She follows my gaze to the men and frowns.

“Okay.”

I kiss the top of her head. “Do you want to wait down here at the bar, or do you want to go to the office. It won’t be long.” A few minutes only. Enough to get the information I’ve been waiting for.

She looks over at the bar. “I’ll wait out here. I’ll get a drink. “

I walk her to the bar, settle her on the high stool and gesture for the bartender. “Anything you want, Kasia. But not too much of it, okay?” I kiss her temple and move my mouth down her to ear. “I have plans for you when we get home.”

She bites down hard on her lip. “I don’t know, Dominik. I might be tired. It’s been a long day,” she teases me, and the simpleness of it lightens my chest.

I cage her against the bar with my arms, and bite down on her earlobe. “Try to deny me, Kasia. I dare you.”

It’s loud in the club, but I still hear the little gasp my words have caused. My cock is already steel hard in my pants.

“I won’t be long.” I kiss her once more, and gesture to the bartender she’s ready to give her order. Straightening up, I pull the cuffs of my shirt from under my jacket.

Jakub meets me at the edge of the dance floor, and we take the men up to the VIP room. I’ll be able to keep an eye on Kasia from there. She’s a grown woman, and I have men in the club watching out for her, but I don’t like the darkness rolling through me at the idea of leaving her at the bar.

“What can I get you?” Jakub asks as we all sit down at the table.

“Nothing.” I put my hand up and set my firm gaze on the Kominski brothers. “What do you have for me.”

“I talked to my father this afternoon,” the older of them, Christopher, says. “You know he’s ill.”

“I do.” I nod. The old man is on death’s door, but that’s not what interests me.

“He wants to be sure you understand we had no idea the Garska girl was promised to you.” He continues, adjusting his tie.

“No formal announcement was made.” There hadn’t been any reason to; it was a simple marriage for alliance.

“Okay, just—” He glances at Jakub then back at me. “As long as you know, we had no idea she was connected to you in any way.”

“Understood.” I give a firm nod. Whatever he’s going to tell me is bad. He wouldn’t be so damn nervous if it was nothing.

“When we heard you were asking around about it, we came right to you,” James, the younger brother interjects. The Kominski family has a small territory on the south side. There’s no rivalry or competition here. But to offend my father could still cause them trouble. Our community isn’t large; word spreads like wildfire between families.

“I appreciate that.” I glance over the railing to where Kasia sits at the bar. She’s nursing a glass of wine, swirling it around the glass, seemingly lost in thought.

“So?” Jakub knocks his knuckles on the table. “What do you want to tell us.”

Christopher eyes him briefly then concentrates on me. “My father’s accounting is that he was ordered to take out that car,” he says, switching to Polish for this part of our conversation. Christopher leans back in the chair, as though getting the words out has lifted some weight off his chest.

“Take out the Garska car?” I clarify, schooling my features.

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