Page 70 (1/1)

"Does my brother usually call his clients beautiful?"

"What?" I jerked ently and then said a word in Russian "It means beautiful," she said She nodded in the direction of Nikolai and their mother "My mother thinks you are very handsoh to describe you"

As Elena got distracted by soer tasting any of the food in lance at Nikolai and saw hi me even as his mother spoke to him My body reacted as it always did Shivers of anticipation shot through me just like they had when I'd awoken on top of Nikolai's broad chest Between his delicious scent and the softness of his chest hair againstbefore I'd been fully awake I hadn't even really realized that I'd taken advantage of Nikolai's half-asleep state until after the rush froasm had started to wane

I forcedthe food onwhen I’d first started eating was gone The need to escape was greater than ever

As Nikolai's mother and sister stood, I fully expected to help them clear the table but to my surprise, Nikolai'sto lanced worriedly at Nikolai

There was so soft in his eyes that s

"You cohed down by her accent "You come with me," she repeated with a smile as she motioned in the direction of the kitchen and then took my hand in hers

I followed Anna to the kitchen I couldn't i to be able to have any deep, ful conversations Once we reached the kitchen, the sweet scent of so enough to go to the oven and pull out a round cake

Anna worked quickly to remove the cake fro knife from a drawer and then pointed at a stack of plates "You cut, yes?" she said

She went to the refrigerator and pulled out a pastry bag I fully expected her to spread the contents of the bag onto the cake, but before I knew it, she was handing"You do," she said as she pointed to the cake and the bag

"No, I don't kno," I said as a streak of nerves overtook me

Anna once again pointed to the cake and the pastry bag

"No, I'll mess it up," I tried to explain My voice sounded unnaturally high and I knehy I was a terrible helper in the kitchen Many of the foster fa the table and doing the dishes, but it hadn’t taken long for them to discover that I broke more dishes than I cleaned

I tried again to point to the cake and explain nonverbally that I was the last person she should trust with her beautiful cake, but the older wo up next toand put it in ers aroundin Russian as she applied pressure to laze out of the pastry bag and onto the cake

I did my best to pay attention as she showed me how to ice the cake and the pattern she wanted, but"Really, Mrs Falkov, I can't—" I began, but she cutwidely and saying so She pointed at the cake and then the pastry bag and ht erator to get a pitcher full of some kind of red juice

I drew in a deep breath and didthe cake But try as I laze still ended up scattered all over the cake and the plate just like the thoughts that were scattered in my head

I fully expected Anna to be horrified when she returned to ood," and pattedfrom me and placed it on the counter and then handed me the plate with the cake on it