Page 64 of The Bratva's Christmas Bump
As stressful as it is, none of it matters when I’m back here with her.
A woman I shouldn’t be getting close to.
But I can’t help it. Coming home to this place knowing someone is asleep a few doors down brings me a warmth I’ve never experienced before, and it plays on a loop in my mind just like the kiss I stole in the car. If we hadn’t been interrupted, myhand would have ended up somewhere deeper than just past her waistband.
But a busy life and Hollie working to get back into her own schedule leaves me with limited time to see her, and no time at all to bring up what that kiss meant. Was it something sweet and stolen? Or a treat from her, taunting me because she can read me like a book and knows what I want?
There’s so much to unpack. So I cook and hope the meals I leave her speak loud enough for the words I never get a chance to share.
With the chicken now in thin strips, I add them one by one to a pan with minimal oil, then slather them in an array of spices and ground garlic cloves. While they fry, I check the pasta and double-check the peppers aren’t burning.
I stand with cheeks warm from the gust of air from the oven and flinch ever so slightly.
Hollie stands in the doorway, dressed in the silky top and shorts she’s been wearing ever since Toto brought her clothes from home yesterday. She yawns, rubbing one eye. Several hair strands stick up in an array of directions and when she catches my eye, a brief smile twitches across her lips.
“Was I too loud?” I turn down the heat under the pasta to control the boil. “Sorry if I woke you.”
“You did, but it wasn’t the sound, it was the smell.” She approaches the counter, places both hands on it, and leans over to try and glimpse what I’m cooking. “What are you making?”
“Something my mother used to make when she knew I wouldn’t be home.”
“Because you’d eat it all?”
“No, so I could grab it on my way out and think of her.”
“Hmm. Homey. So, what is it?”
“Just some stuffed peppers. I was making them and was going to set some aside for you when you woke up.”
“How considerate.”
Lifting one shoulder, I return her smile. “I’m full of surprises.”
“So I’m learning.” Hollie perches on the stool and yawns briefly again, sighing. “Can I have some now?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
An amicable silence falls between us while I tend to the chicken. Hollie drums her fingers on the countertop and softly sucks on her teeth. “So…”
“If you want to ask me something, just ask.”
“It’s less an ask and more… I got a new client.”
Was she wary of sharing good news with me? “That’s great news. Toto mentioned you got a last-minute booking from Tiffany yesterday.”
“Does Toto tell you everything?”
“Only when it involves deviation from the normal routes.”
“Why?”
“Routes outside the norm need approval and security.”
Her eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
“Did you think I was letting my wife dart around New York City without the appropriate security measures?”
