Page 124 of Claim Me
A gambler’s haven.
A place where adults came to play and children loved to experience the flashy neon lights and amusement park atmosphere.
While I’d never call the city my home, I didn’t mind alternating my time between two cities when I wasn’t in concert in Rome or Paris.
I giggled from the thought as the rumble of the GTO’s engine pulsed between my legs. The evening was still hot as Hades, wind snagging my long hair as Kazimir rolled around the desert curves.
In the two weeks that I’d been staying with him at his house, I’d learned quite a lot about the man.
He was a true music lover, his tastes mirroring mine.
He was clueless about decent art, his walls filled with cheap replicas that I could swear he’d purchased at swap meets. His taste in food was eclectic from grilled salmon to sausage pizza as well as chocolate milkshakes. He adored muscle cars, owning three including the fabulous GTO convertible in Hugger Orange, and he was a consummate romantic.
He’d lied about that.
When he pulled up to a traffic light, I sensed he was staring at me. I adored keeping him on edge and chose to ignore him. As usual, that didn’t bode well. He always made his presence known by simply walking into the room.
The other aspect of the man that was a bit unexpected, but a favorite trait that had helped me fall even more deeply in love with him was the way he treated his employees. They adored him and he ensured they were happy in their job.
Every day was a surprise with the man including on such a glorious evening. When he squeezed my leg, a series of chills drifted down my spine while jolts of electricity soared deep within my core.
“Where are you taking me?” I finally asked, giving in since I was tingling all over.
“Our second date.”
“Ah, I was wondering about that. In the desert, huh? A horseback ride? Maybe hang gliding.”
“Maybe something better.” He swept his hand under my dress and between my legs. The man had spent hours exploring mybody and I’d done so with his, yet we still couldn’t seem to get enough of each other.
“But you won’t tell me.”
“Nope. Just relax.”
Around him that was impossible. He was very much larger than life, more relaxed than I’d ever seen him. Granted, the fact Popov had been arrested and was facing at least twenty years in prison while also having his illegal holdings destroyed helped. But I honestly believed the substantive reason was trusting me enough to tell me about Jasmine.
He’d opened up more and while some women might feel jealous about hearing about another woman, I was honored that he trusted me enough. He was working through his demons so he could be mine.
How giddy I felt from the thought.
When he slowed, I paid more attention to my surroundings, finally noticing a faded sign from years if not decades before. A huge surprise and a tingle of excitement drifted into my stomach. The road was much more rural than anything close to the heart of the city. While there were a few commercial buildings and a couple of housing developments, this was definitely not the most populous part of town.
Kazimir slowed down even more and I realized where he was turning.
“A drive-in theater?” I didn’t think he could surprise me any longer, but this was… amazing.
“You said you wanted to watch a movie under the stars. Why not?” He was grinning from ear to ear. As soon as we drove in, I was immediately suspicious.
“How curious. There aren’t any other cars here.”
“Not true. See over there. Those are employee vehicles. Now, where do you think is the best place to park?”
“You rented this out just for me?”
He pulled to a stop, allowing the massive engine to idle. “Well, technically for us, but yes. Why not?”
“Oh, right. Because you’re one of the richest men in the world. You can buy anything.”
“If that will make you happy.”
