“Let’s hope it stays that way,” she said, staring at the TV screen. “Are you about ready to go? I lost my appetite.”
“Sure.” He signaled the waitress for the check. “One thing, though.”
“Hmm?”
“How do you plan on getting out of your seat?”
She gave him a questioning look, and he pointed at his feet, pressed up against her thighs all snug and cozy. She looked down, and her mouth dropped open. Her eyes darted from his face to his feet. He waited patiently for her to get over the shock. Julie set the check down on the table, and he nodded at whatever she said, but didn’t break eye contact with Lily.
Lily gasped and nearly had a small heart attack right then and there. Nikoli had managed to press his feet against her and she’d never noticed. How had she not noticed this? She could feel them like a hot iron burning through her pajama bottoms now that she saw them, but God only knew how long he’d been like this. She’d been too distracted to realize he’d pulled another sneak attack on her.
Strange thing was, she wasn’t about to hyperventilate. It could be because it was just his shoes and not technically him. There was no skin to skin contact. Did this even qualify as touching? Her brain screamed yes, especially when he rubbed his foot back and forth. She felt it, and it felt…nice. It was such a foreign sensation, she reached out and pushed his foot away from her without thinking.
Nikoli let out a low hum of satisfaction. Lily wasted no time in scrambling out of the booth and fleeing the diner. She went straight to his car and stayed there, trying to focus. She did it. She’d touched him. Oh. My. God. She did it! Relief swept through her. She’d been terrified she couldn’t do it, scared that she was too broken to fix, but she touched him!
Sure it was only a shoe, but even yesterday, she wouldn’t have been able to do that. His sneak attacks were working, making her more comfortable with him. Nikoli could distract her like no one else, and maybe that was the key to learning to touch and be touched. She could do this. For the first time since she was sixteen years old, she had hope. Hope.
Nikoli was smart enough not to say a word when he unlocked the car. She climbed in, buckled her seatbelt and smiled. “Tell me about Russia.”
Nikoli put the car in gear, and then started them moving again. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.” He laughed and spent the remainder of the car ride telling her about growing up in Russia with his brothers, about their favorite places to play when they were little, and then about their favorite hangouts when they got older. He told her about the castles, the architecture, and the culture. Everything he could fit into an hour, anyway. He did promise to tell her more when they pulled onto the dirt road leading to Jasper Moore’s house and his Mach 1.
The house was a bit run-down, the paint peeling, and he could see several shingles on the roof that needed replacing before winter set in. His beautiful car sat in the driveway, prepped and ready to go. When they pulled up, he could see what it cost Lily not to jump out of the car. She was a smart woman, though, and understood you didn’t just go wandering around a stranger’s property. Nikoli honked the horn, and they both waited for the guy to come out.
Jasper Moore was just as run-down as the house. His clothes were messy. He had a hole in his shirt, and he looked like he hadn’t showered in days. Nikoli debated telling Lily to stay in the car, but the way she was eyeballing the Mach 1 said she’d stab him if he tried. Suppressing a smile, he got out, and Lily followed close on his heels.
“You Kincaid?” Jasper had a raspy voice that sounded like he smoked one too many cigarettes. He ran his gaze over Lily from head to toe, eye fucking her as he did. Lily wasn’t even paying attention; her focus was all on the car.
Nikoli stepped in front of Lily, cutting off Jasper’s access to her ass. He did not like the way his eyes had zeroed in and stayed there. “I am. I’ve got the check. Keys?”
Jasper pulled them out of his pocket. “You want to start it up first?”
“Always do. Lily?” He tossed her the keys when she turned around. “Pop the hood and start her for me?”
She ghosted her fingers across the top of the car, never touching the paint, before opening the door and sliding in. She popped the hood and then cranked the ignition. It came to life, and relief swept through Nikoli. He’d been afraid the car wouldn’t start. It was obvious Jasper had no clue how to take care of it since he didn’t understand how much it was worth. “Rev it up for me, will ya, Lily Bells?” Nikoli said as he propped the hood up. The engine roared, and he grinned. This was his four hundred thousand dollar victory car. He might need to tweak it a little, but this one was gonna take it home.
“It still runs like the day my uncle dropped it off here,” Jasper said. “He died a couple years back and left me the car.”
“How long has it sat idle?” Lily asked. She was already checking the interior for flaws.
“Nearly four years.” Jasper moved closer to the car.
“How often did you start it?” she asked.
“I started it up a few days ago before I put it up for sale to make sure it still ran.”
Lily gaped at him, and Nikoli chuckled. Jasper here was not a car buff. “Well, that explains why it’s almost out of gas,” she grouched. “It might make it to the station.”
Shaking his head at her disgusted tone, Nikoli turned his attention back to Jasper, who was standing much too close to Lily, even if she was safely in the car. There was something about the guy, something off, that rubbed Nikoli the wrong way, and he definitely didn’t like the way he stared at Lily. If she was paying attention, she’d be freaking out. For once, Nikoli was glad her car lusting made her oblivious.
“If you’ll get the title, I’ve got the check.” He pulled out his wallet and fished out the certified cashier’s check.
Jasper turned and disappeared back into the house. Nikoli waited impatiently while watching Lily. She was going over everything, finding imperfections and clucking like a mother hen. The fact that she could lust over a car and not him still blew his mind. It was sexy as hell.
“Is there enough gas in that thing to make it to the station?” Nikoli asked to get his mind off things that would drive him insane on the four hour trip back to school.
“I think so, but barely,” she said, frowning. “The passenger seat’s leather is ripped in two places. There’s a crack in the dash, and there’s a tiny dent back by the back fender.”
“Are you okay driving it back?” he asked. “You said it’s been a while since you’ve driven anything like it…”
“Does that mean I can drive your car?”
“Hell, no!”
“Then, yes, I’m good driving this one back.” She looked up at him and winked. “Just try to catch me.”
His eyes widened at the challenge, but before he could say anything else, Jasper was back with the title and a bill of sale. Nikoli made sure the title was signed, then handed over the check.
“Good doing business with you.” Jasper nodded and went back inside the house.
Nikoli turned his attention back to Lily. He crouched down in front of the driver’s window. “Are you sure about this? I can always bring Luther back to…”
“I’m fine, Nikoli,” she told him. “I’m more comfortable behind the wheel of a car than I am anywhere else. I’m not going to crash her. I promise.”
“Okay, follow me to the station. Let’s hope there’s enough gas in there to make it. I’d hate to leave it on the side of the road even long enough to go get gas.”
Lily nodded and obediently followed him to the station. Once the tank was full, she grinned. The boy had no idea how well she could drive. Her dad may have died, but she loved cars and had spent her teenage years learning all sorts of tricks. This baby had all the bells and whistles she could ever want. Not only was she in the driver’s seat of one of the most awesome cars ever created, she’d managed to actually touch Nikoli. That still made her smile from ear to ear. It wasn’t major to most people, but it was to her.