"Tomorrow I'm helping you with that," Yuri announced as he stepped out of the shower and fastened a towel around his waist. "If anyone is going to rub their hands all over you, it should be me."
As I shimmied into my panties, I laughed but accepted his offer. "Deal."
Standing side-by-side at the double sinks, we brushed our teeth. While I worked moisturizer into my face, Yuri started to shave. As I applied my makeup, I kept stopping to watch him methodically scraping the razor over his skin.
"What?" He shot me an amused smile. "You've never watched a man shave?"
"No."
"Not even your father? I thought that was something little girls did. Watch their father's shave."
I shook my head. "My dad actually had a pretty crazy beard when I was younger. He only went for the clean-shaven look when I was, like, fifteen or sixteen."
Yuri swished his razor around in the sink of water he'd prepared and then held it out to me. "Here."
My eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"I don't know. What if I nick you?"
He glanced at my legs. "You didn't cut your legs while shaving in the shower. That's infinitely more difficult that standing here at the sink and shaving my face."
He had a point. Intrigued by the offer, I moved closer and accepted the razor. Yuri grasped me by the waist and placed me on the marble counter. It put me at a comfortable height to shave him. I studied his foamy face and tried to figure out how to begin.
"Start here." Yuri touched the spot where he'd last swiped. "Hold the skin taut for the closest shave."
Feeling a little nervous, I did as instructed and dragged the razor across his skin. I expected him to jump or shout with pain at any moment but he held incredibly still until I'd finished my first pass. As I rinsed the razor in the hot water, he gave me another set of directions.
"A little more pressure this time and a bit faster," he suggested. "Do this piece again. Run your fingers over it to make sure it's smooth."
With a nod, I tried again, following his directions to the letter. While I rinsed the razor a second time, Yuri checked the patch I'd shaved and smiled approvingly. "Very good."
Renewed with confidence, I continued to shave his handsome face. There was something oddly soothing about sharing this morning ritual with him. The trust he'd put in my hands spoke volumes. I very carefully shaved around his mouth, holding my breath as I drew the razor across his skin as steadily as possible. His neck was easier and less nerve-wracking.
As I wiped away the traces of shaving cream with a damp wash cloth, I ran my fingers over his skin to ensure it was nice and smooth. "What do you think?"
"That I've found the perfect job for you every morning. What do you say?"
"Well, I guess I am technically your personal assistant."
"And what's more personal than shaving a man?"
"I suppose there isn't much that would qualify."
"Exactly." After kissing me, he lifted me off the counter and set me on my feet. All the playfulness fled his demeanor as he finished up his morning routine. "Listen, you shouldn't talk about this mess with your father to anyone."
I glanced at him with surprise. "I don't want to worry Benny but I can't keep this from Erin or Vivian."
He frowned. "Why don't you want to worry Benny?"
It suddenly occurred to me that Dimitri hadn't told him about Benny's condition. Playing it off, I shrugged. "She has a lot going on with the launch of the bakery. I wouldn't want her to stress out over me."
Yuri narrowed his eyes. I could tell he didn't believe me but he didn't push for the truth. "I suppose you can tell Vivian and Erin. I'm sure Ivan will have heard and I know Nikolai will likely put an armed guard on Vivian, just in case." He snapped the lid back onto his antiperspirant. "Which reminds me—you'll be taking Jake or Derek with you from this point forward."
"What? No! I don't need a bodyguard."
Yuri fixed me with one of his no-nonsense stares. "This isn't up for discussion. You will take a bodyguard or you won't leave this house."
"Look, I agreed to work for you but that doesn't mean you can order me around, Yuri."
"With me," he corrected. "You're working with me, Lena. And I'm not trying to order you around because you're an employee. I'm trying to keep you safe. After what happened last night, I absolutely cannot allow you to go anywhere alone. Now that the cartel knows I'm willing to go to bat for your father, they're going to realize how incredibly important you are to me. They'll see dollar signs."
My gut clenched painfully. "You think they'd kidnap me?"
"It wouldn't be the first time those monsters tried something like that. They're already holding your father hostage. They know I'd move heaven and earth to get you back."
He said it so easily. I was reminded of what he'd said last night about proving that he would always be there for me. He meant every word he said—and it scared me. The very thought of giving into the hope he inspired frightened me. I knew how badly it hurt when my father broke a promise. My soul would be crushed if Yuri hurt me.
But a wisp of bravery invaded my chest and wound its way around my heart. I would never know if Yuri was all the things he promised if I didn't give him a chance. If he proved me wrong, I'd be the happiest girl in the whole world. If he proved me right and shattered my trust in him, I'd probably never crawl out of bed again.
"All right, Yuri. I'll do what you've asked. I'll take the bodyguard."
He visibly relaxed. Taking a step toward me, he opened his arms. I slid into his warm embrace and enjoyed the feel of his strong arms wrapped around me. "Thank you for not fighting me on this. I only want to keep you safe."
"I know." Looking up at him, I asked, "How the hell am I supposed to go about my day pretending nothing has happened?"
Yuri cupped my face and traced my mouth with his thumb. "Do you remember yesterday when we talked about feeling like frauds? About wearing masks and faking it to fit in?"
"Yes."
"That's what we do until this mess is cleared up and your father is safely home. We pretend everything is fine. We don't need outsiders poking around in our business."
Secretly, I was thrilled by the way he said our business. For the first time in so long, I didn't feel alone. I didn't have to face something scary on my own. I had Yuri to lean on and help me through it.
"So—what are you doing today?" I kissed his freshly shaved cheek and unwound myself from his embrace.
"After breakfast, I'll head into the office. I promised Vivian I'd stop by her studio this afternoon to sit for some photographs for new painting series."
"Have you seen any of the finished pieces yet?"
He shook his head. "Have you?"
"Yes. They're amazing. I've been lucky enough to watch her grow as an artist since we were in high school together and this collection is—well—it's awesome. I can't wait until the show next year." I touched my finger to my lips. "But I won't spoil the surprise for you."