Page 5 of Rebellion

“Well, we better get back to work,” Oleg said. “Come on,Kulkolka.”

“It was good to see you again, Colm,” she said.

“You too, Sofia.”

Sofia? Not lass?

Ouch. That hurt, but she got it.

She understood it all too well.

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“Sofia, let me help you with that.”

Sofia looked up. A long way up. She smiled gratefully at Colm as he grabbed the heavy crate from her hands.

Her back instantly thanked her. She really shouldn’t have been lifting the crate, but it had to be moved.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. “Don’t you have employees to handle this? Where’s Oleg?”

Sofia bit back a sigh of longing at the way his muscles contracted as he lifted the crate higher and carried it through the backdoor of Solnyshko, the restaurant she co-owned with her cousin.

Solynshko meant sun in Russian; it had been her father’s nickname for her. Her father had emigrated from Russia when he was thirty-four, but he’d done his best to keep his native language alive in their house, even though she’d been born here in the states.

Sofia had never known her mother. She’d died after giving birth to her. And her father had hated talking about her, claiming that the pain was still too raw.

Colm wore a short-sleeved, tight T-shirt, giving her an excellent view of his thick biceps. She swore his biceps were thicker than her thighs.

What would it be like to be wrapped up in those arms?

Safe. She would feel safe.

Colm wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her. She gently touched her wrist, making sure her sleeve covered the new bruises.

“Sofia, where do you want this?”

She startled, glancing up at Colm. A frown of concern scrunched his forehead as he watched her cautiously. He was so large that he dominated the small storeroom. It should have frightened her, having someone so big in such a tight space with her. Especially as no one else was around. He could do anything he liked.

But it wasn’t the size of someone that made them a bully. And Colm had never once tried to harm her. He’d never once grown angry with her.

In fact, he’d been nothing but kind and caring.

“Sofia, what’s wrong?” He stepped forward and she took a hasty step back.

“Oh, nothing,” she said with a smile. “Just daydreaming.” She half turned. “If you could just stack it on top of this one, that would be great.”

Colm frowned. “If I put it up there, you won’t be able to reach inside.”

“That’s okay. I’ll use a step stool.” Being five-foot-one meant she had quickly gotten used to climbing up and down step stools to reach things.

“I don’t like that idea.”

“What idea?” she asked, confused.

“The idea of you having to use a step stool. You could fall off.”

Holy heck.

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