Page 70 of Captivated By Him

“Pork chops and pierogi. You’re definitely a carb girl.”

“A carb girl?” She laughs.

“Mashed potatoes, chips, noodles, you love them.”

Her cheeks flush with the acknowledgement I’ve been paying attention. It’s not hard, noting the details of her desires, when she’s the only thing around me that draws my focus.

The restaurant is crowded, but I’m always watchful of our surroundings. So when the front door of the diner opens, I glance toward it.

My back locks.

Nicole, seeing my reaction, checks over her shoulder. “What are they doing here?”

I put my hand out to still her. “Don’t react. Look at me, Nicole.”

She turns back around, placing her hands on the table. Piotr Kaczmarek walks through the tables with that prick, Henry, waddling behind him, straight toward our table.

“Sir, your dinner will be right out.” The waiter stops at our table on his way to the kitchens. He must sense something’s off and looks over his shoulder. “Sir?”

“It’s fine,” I tell him and he shuffles off to the kitchen.

“What are you going to do?” Nicole whispers.

“Nothing.” I loosen my shoulders and grab my beer, taking another sip. “We’re here for dinner.”

While sipping my drink, I watch them as they maneuver around a table and keep coming toward us.

“Ahh, I see we have the same tastes.” Piotr steps up to our table, Henry flanks him to his right, standing right in front of Nicole. She doesn’t give him so much as a peek, but rather keeps her focus on me.

“Imagine that. Polish men enjoying a meal at a Polish restaurant,” I say, not fighting my sarcastic side.

Piotr clenches his teeth. He’s used to men scrambling to give up their seats for him, to bend a knee to his power, but I’m not that sort of man. And he doesn’t have that sort of influence here.

“Hello, Nicole,” Henry dares to say to my wife.

“You don’t talk to her,” I say, moving my glare up to Piotr. “I see you found him.”

“I did. We’re celebrating tonight, and he’s headed back to New York in the morning.”

“That is something to celebrate,” Nicole says, lifting her glass of wine and toasting the air before drinking. I press my foot on top of hers beneath the table. Her mouth isn’t helping.

“I’m getting married,” Henry says, still staring at my wife like she’s a piece of veal cutlet he wants to devour. My irritation is quickly morphing into outrage that he dares to disrespect me so openly.

“My condolences to your future wife.” Nicole turns a saccharine smile up at him. Henry’s eyes darken.

Piotr laughs and nudges Henry. “You thought you’d capture this one? She’s strong, much like her father.”

Nicole’s bravado drops at the edges when her father is mentioned.

“Don’t let us stop you from your meal,” I say to Piotr.

He shrugs. “That’s all right. We’re still waiting for a guest. Victor Stephenson is joining us.” He jerks his hand outward and looks at his watch. “He’s running a little late.”

The hairs on my neck stand up. This fucker is having a meeting with the union rep he was told to stay away from.

“Then I suppose you don’t want to come to an agreement with my family.” Victor Stephenson is on the board of directors in charge of new construction at the Willis Tower. My father and Dominik have been in talks with him for months.

“We’ll see what he has to say. Maybe a deal is worth the trouble, maybe it’s not.” Piotr turns his beady little eyes toward Nicole. “It’s such a shame you didn’t see through your agreement with Henry. Your father was such a loyal soldier to the Kaczmarek family. I wonder what he would think about this new arrangement you’ve made for yourself.”

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