Page 91 of Toxic Temptation
“Remember that chocolate affogato I made you after finals?” Waylen asks with a wry grin.
“Oh, God, that was sinful. Most decadent thing I’d ever put in my mouth.”
“Surely there are exceptions,” I murmur.
Her cheeks flame red, the color spreading to her ears. She nearly knocks over the salt shaker in her flustered state. Then, forcing a smile, she delivers a swift kick to my shins under the table.
“Let’s focus on Luka,” she suggests quickly. “You had questions, Waylen?”
“Yeah,” he says. “I do.”
For the next twenty minutes, he grills me. About Luka’s needs, his personality, his trauma. And despite my irritation, I realize this asshole might actually know what he’s doing.
“I believe in learning through play,” Waylen explains. “Field trips, outdoor activities, hands-on experiences.”
“Any excursions need my approval.”
“He’s a child,” he counters. “Children need freedom.”
“This child needs protection.”
“That might do more harm than good.”
“You haven’t even met him. How could you know what’s best?”
“Because Vesper tells me everything. She’s noticed things about the boy.”
My grip tightens on my fork. It’s tempting to put it to use on his smug face. “Funny. When does Vesper have time to tell you anything? She’s either working or with Luka and me.”
He bobs a shoulder. “Vesper always makes time for people who matter to her.”
“Okay, enough.” Vesper holds up her hands. “Easy with the gorilla chest pounding, you two, yeah? We all want what’s best for Luka. Kovan, Waylen is an incredible teacher. Luka would be lucky to have him.” She turns to Waylen. “And Way, Kovan is an amazing uncle who doesn’t deserve your scorn.”
Waylen doesn’t look convinced, but he shrugs again. “If Vesper vouches for you, and you’re offering the job, I’m in. Not for your sake, though. For the boy’s. For hers. Not for you.”
Vesper stares at me with pleading eyes. She wants this more than he does.
“If I hire you,” I grit out, “you’ll undergo security training. I need to know you can protect Luka.”
“If it’s necessary, then of course I agree.” He blinks, unfazed.
“So be it.” I slap the contract on the table. “Preliminary agreement and NDA. Sign it.”
Waylen picks up the papers and stands, unhurried, unbothered. “I’ll take my coffee to go so I can look through these.” He kisses the top of Vesper’s head, and I have to grip my chair to keep from lunging at him. “Talk later?”
“Of course.”
The moment he’s gone, she explodes. “For fuck’s sake, did you have to be so confrontational? You practically raised a leg and pissed to mark your territory.”
“I wasn’t far from it,” I growl. “How do you know him?”
“Unbelievable.” She starts to tell me, then stops and shakes her head. “Actually, aren’t you the big, bad mob boss who knows everything about everyone? Go figure it out yourself, asshole.”
With that, she’s gone, leaving me alone at the table with nothing but my thoughts and the stained remnants of an affogato cup.
One of these days, I’m going to snap. And when I do, one of two things will happen.
Either I’ll break her.
