Page 26 of The Debt

“Your table is ready, Mr. Farrel,” he announced with a slight bow.

Nodding his acknowledgment, he firmly gripped her elbow and gestured toward the door. “Shall we?” Not waiting for a response, he guided her alongside him to their table.

Jarek

Nikolai's Roof Restaurant…

Jarek leaned back as he watched Tatiana dab her lips after savoring Chef Stephanie’s signature Blue Point Oyster dish. Each graceful movement displayed feminine grace. She might be beautiful, but it wouldn’t sway him, of course. Revenge, in the end, would taste sweeter than any dessert Nikolai’s restaurant could prepare. The obscure comment she had made at their last encounter at the club echoed through his mind.

“I pray that you will tread with care on the path we’re about to take.”

“Did I make the right assumption after our last scene at The Pearl Icon?” He kept his voice low as he watched her.

Her eyes widened at the mention of the exclusive club. He smirked inside at her reaction.

Perfect. Her grandfather definitely wouldn't approve of her frequenting such establishments.

“That depends on what assumption you made and what you based it on,” she responded. Her voice hinted at a steely undertone as she considered his choice of a dinner topic.

The transformation fascinated him. The corporate ice queen melted under his gaze, revealing a vulnerability he could… and would exploit. However, through it all, there was a quiet strength within her that continued to shine through, except now it slightly bent toward him like a flower seeking sunlight.

He captured her hand and traced her palm with deliberate slowness. “That your complete surrender that night meant opening yourself to me... for a more permanent relationship?” His thumb pressed against her wrist. “Or, as you said... the path we’re about to take.”

“You remember that?” Her voice strengthened, but her fingers trembled beneath his touch.

“I remember everything about you, Tatiana.” The truth in those words surprised him. He had memorized her kinky tells, her preferences, and her fears—all to use to his advantage in executing his plan. But somewhere along the way, those details had carved themselves into his mind unbidden.

She drew a shaky breath. “And what path do you envision?”

“Marriage.” He delivered the word like a verdict. “I don’t share what’s mine, and if we’re going to wander on that path, it’s not negotiable.”

For moments, she just stared at him with a shocked expression. He could almost taste victory—and Gregor’s future anguish—on his tongue.

“That’s... quite a leap from where we are now,” she finally responded.

“Is it?” His fingers tightened around hers. “Your words that night hinted at something more. Be honest, Tatiana. Tell me you haven’t thought about a more substantial relationship between us outside of The Pearl Icon club.”

“I’d be lying if I said no.” She looked around as she formulated the appropriate response. Her eyes drifted back to him. “But marriage? We don’t know each other from a bar of soap, Jarek. Yes, I am attracted to you… more than just physically, but I’m not the kind of woman who would leap into the fire.”

“Marriage isn’t going to be the jump start of our journey, love. Rather, it’ll be the goal at the end of the road. We have time to get to know each other, explore more than the physical chemistry we have… but…”

“Ah… there’s a but,” she said with a teasing glint in her eyes. The rosy bloom on her cheeks told him that although she was caught off guard by his suggestion, she was curious enough about what was coming next.

“Neither of us are that young anymore. I’m the kind of man who knows what he wants from life, and once I make a decision, I go at it full throttle.”

“What are you saying, Jarek?”

“I agree we need time… but I’m not prepared to drag it out for years… or even one year. We’re grown-ups. We’ll know when we’re ready, and when we are… even if it’s as soon as a couple of months from now, we leap into that fire together.”

“You sound very convincing.” She tilted her head sideways. “Why me, Jarek? What is it about me that changed the mind of a man who the subs at the club named the forever bachelor?”

“You need to ask?” His fingers traced patterns on her palm. Each touch was deliberate to keep the sensations alive, and her sharp mind muted. “You’re not just beautiful, Tatiana. Your mind challenges me. Your spirit matches my own darkness.” He paused, watching as she considered his words. “When you walk into a room, you command it without saying a word, even at the club. That power…” His jaw relaxed. “It mirrors my own.”

The restaurant’s soft lighting caught the gold in her hair, reminding him of another time, another woman who had worn her strength like armor. But where his wife had been gentle spring sunshine, Tatiana was winter’s first frost—beautiful, dangerous, and perfectly suited to the man he had become.

“With you, I don’t need to hide what I am.” His voice dropped lower, ensuring he couldn’t be overheard. “The darkness that drives me, the control I need—you don’t just accept it. This afternoon in your office proved just how much you crave and demand it in return.”

Her pulse jumped beneath his fingers. “And what makes you so certain?”

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