Page 54 of Keeping The Virgin

Cage laughs. “Exactly.”

The owner, Igor’s friend, brings another round of vodkas and chats with him in Russian for a moment. Cage joins them, and his command of the language isn’t surprising, just impressive. But I just can’t drink more. Yet I have the feeling that all I have to do from this point on is fade into the woodwork and let Cage do his thing anyway. I hope that’s all…

I feel something vibrate in the handbag that I’ve set next to me on the seat. A text?

Dear god, I think as my nerves screech. Please keep Liam away for the next couple of hours.

“If I might ask,” Igor says as his friend leaves, “how did the two of you meet?”

I’m probably the only one at the table who sees Cage’s defenses notch up slightly, but I’m still thinking about what that text might be about, so I’m not sure.

“I was in Colorado Springs on business when I was walking into a coffee shop,” Cage says. “There was a woman sitting alone at a table by the window, looking out of it with big gray eyes and a dreamy expression that made me stop in my tracks…”

Cage is looking into my eyes as he says it and, once again, I can almost believe it’s true. And when he reaches over to tuck a stray bit of hair back over my ear, my heart tilts.

“Those eyes,” Cage says. “They had me even before I went inside to say something to her.”

My heart completes its rotation as I think about how his eyes had me on that day he opened the door of his vacation house in Miami. The memory is enough to shake Liam and whatever the new text might be out of my mind, because that was the day I started falling for Cage.

Igor breaks the moment with another question. “And Miss Lively’s family? What did they think when she introduced them to a man such as Cage Bryant?”

As Cage tears his gaze from mine, the muscles in the lining of my belly tremble. I press an arm against myself, wishing he didn’t affect me this strongly.

Cage grins. “‘A man such as Cage Bryant.’ Are you referring to the fact that I’m rich or that I used to be known for my interest in various women, to put it mildly?”

Used to be known, I think. My belly shivers even harder, and I put down my fork.

Igor’s laugh rings through the restaurant. “Both, my friend. I’m referring to both!”

“Well,” Cage says while lavishing another adoring gaze on me, “her family was resistant at first. They didn’t trust my intentions, thought I was toying with her and would break her heart. They had no idea that I was already in love.”

God. It’s so hard to just sit here while he says these things. It’s starting to tear my heart open because he’s saying the very things I want to hear.

“And your family, Cage?” Igor asks.

The only change in Cage is his gaze—from lightness to darkness and quickly back again.

“My mother passed away a while ago,” he says, “but my father can’t wait to meet Karini.”

Igor smiles at me, his fingers wrapped around his vodka glass as he responds. “I am certain your mother would have loved her.”

“I agree.”

I summon the brightest smile possible. I even take another sip of cold vodka, just so Igor sees I’m enjoying it, along with this conversation.

The twinkle returns to the man’s eyes as he lifts a brow to Cage. “And your plans for the future? When is the wedding?”

“I don’t want it to be very long but the time has to be right,” Cage says.

Igor raises his tumbler, and we all clink over the table, then drink more. I keep the smooth vodka in my mouth, not knowing if I can stand another swallow.

Then Igor says, “If you do not mind my saying this, the two of you will have beautiful children some day.”

“I’m banking on that,” Cage says.

And that’s when my heart finally rips in two. He’s trying to make this evening go well—his business depends on it—so that’s why he’s lying about getting married and having a family. But I can’t deny any more that I’m falling in love with a man who’s only using me for his own ends.

As I finally swallow the vodka, tears suddenly well in my eyes, and I try to swipe them away before Igor notices.

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