Page 14 of Loved By the Hacker

“You okay, Cora?” Bash’s voice cut through, and I glanced at the kid who had been like a brother to me.

“I’m great.” I smiled and didn’t try to mask how happy I was.He is here.“Oleg.” I turned my attention to him. “Can I buy you a drink?” I offered. His lips twitched. Oleg glanced at Bash, who was watching the whole interaction with amusement.

“Can I have a water and whatever the special is tonight from the grill? And I’ll start a tab, mine and anything she’s already ordered or wants, on this from here on out.”

“Okay.” Bash grinned. “I got you, man.” Bash pushed off the counter and went to put in Oleg’s dinner order.

“You didn’t have to do that.” I blushed.

“I know.” He winked. “You look incredible, by the way.” His eyes skated up and down my body with appreciation. “You’re so beautiful it almost hurts to look at you.”

“Almost?” I asked, undeniably flirting back with him since it was my lips’ turn to twitch.

He leaned in closer, his hand moved up, and to my surprise, I didn’t flinch or move away like I would have with any other man. But Oleg wasn’t just any other man. He wasn’t even just someone I had a one-night stand with once. What we shared had been more intimate and beautiful than anything I had ever experienced with Jack for over a decade.

“Not looking at you would hurt more.” There was something in his words. Almost like a double meaning. One that I would have caught if I hadn’t been so entranced by the man I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.

“You’re a flirt,” I muttered. My stomach flipped in my belly as butterflies took flight when he winked and smiled with confidence that only made him sexier.

“Takes one to know one,” he responded, taking me by surprise and making me laugh. “Mind if I join you?”

“I think we’ve established I’m more than okay with spending some time with you,” I countered, and he nodded, taking the seat next to me. I hated that he wasn’t pressed to my side. It took me off guard how much I wanted his body heat back, but I liked that he was comfortable enough to have our knees touch.

“Just not in the early morning?” he asked. It was ballsy of him to bring up the way I had stupidly run away, but again, I appreciated it. I wasn’t someone who liked playing mind games, and running out without a ‘see you around’was something I had immediately regretted.

“Hmm,” I sighed, pressing my lips together. “I should apologize for that.”

“That’s not necessary,” he cut me off, and I didn’t like it. My hand covered his, and when our eyes locked, a rush of heat flowed through me. It was electric yet smooth. Like a really great shot of expensive whiskey.

“It is.” I hardly recognized the tone of my voice. “I shouldn’t have run out like that.”

“Why did you?” he asked quietly and again without judgment. Something about his fathomless dark gaze made me want to tell him everything. Every secret to every boring detail about myself.

“Honestly?” He nodded, and I licked my lips. Heat washed through me with how he watched me. Like he was determined not to miss a thing. “Up until our night together, I’d never had a one-night stand.” He simply stared at me, not saying a word. “And if I’m being honest, umm… you were the second person I’ve ever, umm…”God, why am I stuttering when it comes to this like some kind of virgin?

“Spent time with?” he guessed. It was silly. I was a grown woman. Why was I pussyfooting around talking about sex?

“That I’ve slept with.” I spelled it out. It was sweet of him to try to make it a little easier, but he didn’t need to. I was over thirty years old. His thumb stroked my hand, and like two magnets, we leaned closer.

“If it makes you feel better, I hope it wasn’t a one-night stand.”

“You do?” I asked. It was obvious we were both severely attracted to one another. The air felt almost electric around us.

“I do.” The raspiness in his voice made my thighs press together. “I want to see a lot of you, Coral. If you will let me, that is.” I blushed because I had no idea how much more of me there was for him to see. I was pretty sure he had seen all I had during our night together. Before I could come up with a response, one of the new waitresses came by with our food.

“Wow,” I whispered. Bash hadn’t been kidding. Whoever this guy in the back that Onyx had hired seemed to really know what they were doing.

“Bash said if there is anything else you need to let him know.” She smiled, and before I could stop myself, I asked, “Do you think we could get a booth?”

“Of course.” She took the plates, and Oleg looked at me. “I mean, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” He nodded, getting down from the bar stool. I took the hand he offered to help me down. I didn’t even have to try to get my drink because he had it and his own, and we both followed the waitress to a cozy booth in the back. I slipped in, and Oleg followed me, sitting close enough to where our thighs touched. Our waitress set our food in front of us with a polite smile.

“Here you go. I’ll pass by in a little bit to check on you,” she said before she walked away and left Oleg and me all alone.

I hadn’t loved the shape of the booths when I first came to see my brother’s brewery. But sitting with Oleg so close to me, the light dimmed perfectly in the back, I didn’t hate them. I liked the sense of privacy the high leather backs afforded. It made you feel like it was just you and the party you were with.

“This is private,” he noted, almost as if reading my mind.

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