Lyosha opens his mouth to argue—
“I’m already thinking about having you pay for your own auto insurance.”
—and shuts it with a click.
I give him a look full of sympathy. It’s going to be painful driving a minivan. He’s going to have a hard time dating.
On the other hand, he’s going to college and he has a dad who loves him. So he should consider himself lucky.
“Would your parents force you to drive a minivan?” Lyosha’s tone is pleading. Help me, please. Get my dad to change his mind!
I shrug, not wanting to get involved. “I wouldn’t know. I never totaled a car, and they passed away when I was eighteen.”
His face falls. “Oh crap. I’m sorry.”
“Now we’re even.” I give him a small smile. “And it’s totally okay. Like with you, it was a long time ago.”
Tolyan clears his throat and gives Lyosha a pointed look.
The boy sighs. “Thank you for another car, Dad.”
“You’re welcome.”
We finish the breakfast in silence. Tolyan cleans up, refusing my offer to help, as usual.
Lyosha and I head to the living room. He takes a couch, and I take a love seat near it.
“So.” He casts a quick look over his shoulder at the kitchen to make sure Tolyan’s busy. “We’re cool, right?”
“Cool how?” I’m not sure what he’s going for. Although he was polite to me during breakfast, I haven’t forgotten his attitude earlier before Tolyan showed up.
“No hard feelings?” He frowns a little. “It’s just… I don’t know. I feel like you might stick around for a while. And I…” He shakes his head. “I was annoyed. I just came back to filch the fob for his Audi. I didn’t think he’d still be lying around in bed so late. He normally isn’t.”
He’s trying to smooth things out, but not very well. But then, he’s a boy who’s dealing with the fact that his dad has a libido. If I were in his place, I might not do as well, especially if my dad hadn’t been with a woman for a long time. I nod. “We’re cool.”
“Good.” A relaxed smile splits his face. “So. Are you going to be around for a while?”
It’s a good question. Initially, I was thinking just until Roy was dealt with. But now, I’m not sure if that’s the end date I want. Sex changes things, but maybe they only changed for me. You never know with men…
“I guess,” I say, since I’m not going to quit my internship at the foundation regardless of what happens with Tolyan. The opportunity’s too good, especially if I can renew or switch to a full-time position.
But I can’t ignore the voice in my head that whispers, The real reason you want to stay in L.A. is Tolyan.
Chapter Thirty-One
Angelika
I put
my feet up on an ottoman and relax, a bottle of water by my side and my phone clutched in my hands. It’s a quiet Thursday evening and I’m letting a wonderful dinner digest. The Greek takeout we grabbed on our way home was incredible, and I probably overate.
Tolyan’s in his favorite armchair, vodka in one hand, a lit cigar in another. He’s undone the top two buttons of his shirt and rolled his sleeves up to the elbows, showing his well-muscled forearms. He puffs the cigar fondly, coffee-and-spice-scented smoke spreading like clouds. The dogs are sprawled around his feet, forming glossy, dark, furry valleys.
Just looking at him makes my body tight and wet. It hasn’t been that long since we started sleeping together, but my libido’s been trained to flood my system every time I’m near him or think about him. It’s so bad I’m seriously considering taking spare underwear to work.
I look at my phone. There’s a brand-new social media app just waiting for me to tap it. Lyosha stayed the weekend, and he saw me try some more Doberman latte art. He was impressed and asked me if I wanted to post my work.
“Post it?”