"You're not," he assured her. "I'm glad you came to me." Realizing this was the chance he'd been waiting for, he snatched it. "Let's get out of here. Let's find a quiet place to talk."
Her lips parted almost immediately and he tensed in anticipation of a rejection. She stunned him by agreeing with a little nod. "Okay. Let's go."
Hope flared to life deep inside him. The night was young and anything could happen now.
Chapter Two
I still couldn't quite believe I was sitting in the backseat of one of Yuri's ridiculously expensive private cars. The sexy as sin Russian billionaire sat mere inches from me. His body heat amplified the subtle citrus notes of his cologne. The seductive scent matched his personality.
Try as I might, I couldn't deny my attraction to Yuri. He got under my skin in a way no man ever had. I was really starting to understand what Erin and Benny meant when they described the instant attraction to their Russian hunks. Like his best friends Ivan and Dimitri, Yuri possessed that striking ability to be both commanding and incredibly alpha without being controlling or overbearing.
It infuriated me. I desperately wanted a reason not to like him. He presented too many challenges. Yuri was used to buying what he wanted and I was so not that girl. I'd worked hard to get an education and make it on my own. I sure as heck didn't need a sugar daddy in my life who thought he could keep me happy by buying me nice things.
Yet here I was, driving through the busy streets of Houston on a Saturday night with him. What the hell are you doing?
My cell phone rang and rattled around in my purse. It was the third time that particular ringtone had blared since I'd climbed into Yuri's car but I wasn't in any hurry to answer it.
"Are you going to get that? I don't mind."
I glanced at Yuri and shook my head. "No."
His eyebrows arched with surprise. "Is it someone you want to ignore? A boyfriend perhaps?" There was no mistaking the hint of jealousy in his voice.
"I'm not seeing anyone." Uncertain why I'd confessed to the sad state of my personal life, I grabbed my bag. As I muted my phone, I explained, "It's my cousin, Tommy. He probably wants to borrow money."
"I see."
He didn't, I was sure, but I let it go. My thoughts traveled back to Chains at 716. What had he said? Tommy had screwed up a job. I groaned inwardly and prayed my dad wasn't involved in whatever had gone awry.
For the last few years, my dad had been grooming Tommy to take the reins of the illicit family business. There was only one man in Houston who dealt in pricey stolen goods—and that was my father. It wasn't a fact I advertised. Like much of my family history, it was a detail I kept deliberately vague and quiet. Only Vivian knew the absolute truth of my crazy, sordid family tale. In that department, at least, she had me beat.
Not wanting to open the door to a discussion of my dysfunctional family, I asked, "So what are we doing?"
"I don't know," he admitted with a surprisingly nervous smile. "What would you like to do?"
My belly did a little somersault at the sight of his lopsided, boyish grin. "I wouldn't mind a bite to eat."
Yuri pushed up his cuff and checked his watch. My gaze lingered on the outrageously expensive timepiece. The rich chocolate-brown leather of the wrist band complemented his tanned skin. With that fleet of yachts at his disposal, I wasn't surprised that he kept a tan year-round. "Samovar is still open. I'm sure Nikolai wouldn't mind seating us."
The Russian restaurant owned by his friend Nikolai was firmly in Yuri's comfort zone. I wondered what it would be like to have him on my turf. "You know what? I have a better idea. It'll be my treat."
Interest sparked in his hazel eyes. "Your treat, huh? My goodness, it's been a long time since I was wined and dined."
Laughing softly, I tapped my phone screen to bring up my Twitter timeline. It took me a few seconds of scrolling to find what I needed. My favorite food trucks moved their late-night parking spots every week. This was the only way to keep track. Armed with the address, I sat forward to give the driver directions. "I think you'll like where I’m taking you."
He murmured something in Russian and I narrowed my eyes. With a wag of my finger, I playfully warned, "None of that, Yuri. Erin and Benny might find it cute when their guys do that but not me."
Yuri smiled. "You don't think I'm cute?"
Nervous, I glanced toward the window. "I'm not sure cute is the word I'd use to describe you."
"Lena?"
"Yes?"
"What happened tonight? It wasn't simply the sabotage that brought you to my club."
For a long moment, I stared out the window and watched the bright lights of the city whiz by us. Finally, I said, "I really hate my job."
"What?" He sounded so surprised. "But you're so good at it."
With a soft sigh, I turned to face him. "You can be really good at something and not like it."
"Is it PR that you don't like or is it the environment of the firm?"
I considered his query. "The firm," I decided. "It was such a great place to work when I started there as an intern and even at first when they hired me on as a full-time rep."
"But something changed?"
I nodded. "My mentor, Lisa, decided to follow her husband to Atlanta where he'd been hired as a big-time neurosurgeon. They didn't promote from within to fill her spot but hired someone from outside the company. I think the cracks started then."
"Why have you stayed so long?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "I ask myself that same question all the time. Heck, two months ago, I was having a conversation almost exactly like this one with Benny."
"And what did she suggest?"
"That I use my connections, my blog and my huge social media following to strike out on my own."
"And why didn't you?"
I shrugged. "Money. Fear."
"For what it's worth," Yuri said, "I made some of my biggest gains in wealth when I had deals on the table that terrified me. People always say to listen to your gut but sometimes you have to just close your eyes and jump, Lena."
While I mulled over his advice, he reached out to tap my knee. Our gazes locked in the shadowy backseat. I held my breath and waited for him to speak.
"You're brilliant, Lena. You have great instincts and innovative ideas. People like you. You're funny and witty and you know how to work your contacts. Will you fall flat on your face if you strike out on your own? No, definitely not. Will you be an overnight success? No. Can you build something successful with a year or two of hard work? Yes. Absolutely."
I swallowed hard at his vote of confidence. "You seem pretty sure."
His sexy grin made my tummy wobble. "I'm never wrong."
I arched an eyebrow. "Never?"
"Never."
The car slowed and made a turn into a parking lot bustling with the late-night crowd. Some of the city's hottest chefs ran food trucks on the weekends to cater to the hungry folks coming out of the theaters, art galleries and clubs in the area. Over the last few years, I'd become friendly with Tai and Chuy, two chefs who owned a pair of the city's hippest restaurants.