Lev: a Shot Callers novel - Belle Aurora Page 0,139
whined. “No nap. No nap.” Then she stomped one little foot.
Mirella followed her in. “Lidi, sweetheart, you’re tired. And when you’re tired, you need a nap.” Mirella rolled her eyes slightly and smiled in a way that read ‘kids, huh?’
Lidi was already at my side, holding up her arms and without hesitation, I picked her up, rocking her from side-to-side and kissing her forehead lovingly. Her eyes were already starting to close when Lev walked in from the back door. And when he spotted me, holding Lidi, rocking her grumpy self to sleep, his eyes went warm.
He made his way forward and kissed her chubby cheek before turning to me and kissing my lips, feather soft. A now sleeping Lidiya dropped her sippy cup to the kitchen floor with a clang and clap and she jolted but didn’t wake.
Lev pulled her out of my arms, held her close and walked her to her bedroom where she could nap in comfort. I followed him upstairs so I could watch him undress and when I arrived back to our bedroom, he already had his tee off.
“We have the night off,” he threw out into the silence.
My nose bunched. “What? Why?”
Lev looked over at me, his hands on the waistband of his sweat pants. “Because you deserve it.”
I liked the club. It was my home away from home. I enjoyed it there.
With a light shrug, I uttered a sincere, “That’s okay. I don’t need a night off. I love club nights, besides, it’s only three days a week.”
He blinked over at me, seeming surprised that I wouldn’t want a night to myself. “I thought we could go to dinner. To that Russian place you like.”
Ooh.
Blini and Pelmeni. I didn’t think I could pass that up but it was a work night. We could go anytime.
The he added something that would have me giving up my fight. “Like on our first date.”
My smile was slow to form and catlike. “You want to have a date night?”
He nodded. “Yes. Just the two of us.”
Shit, that was sweet.
How can I say no to that?
“Okay.” I smiled harder. “But, just so you know, for you, I’m a sure thing, baby. Always.”
His lip twitched and he threw down his sweats, leaving him in the nude. I let out a low whistle of appreciation and his body shook in silent laughter. Then I followed him into the bathroom to watch him bathe because… well… I could.
Arriving at our dinner destination, Lev talked to the woman at the counter, speaking in rapid fire Russian, getting more and more frustrated with every additional word, he slapped his hand down on the counter and turned to me, his face hard, his lips thin, “They’re booked for a private function.”
It didn’t bother me that the short journey was wasted. I was just happy to be there with Lev. “That’s okay, sweetie. We’ll go eat somewhere else.”
He looked down at me, his voice clinical. “No, it had to be here.”
I blinked at his unlikely tantrum. “Well, here isn’t available. So we’ll go somewhere else.” I took his hand and led him out of the restaurant, running my thumb along his knuckles. “It’s no big deal, Lev. We’ll come back another time.”
His jaw tight, he nodded but I could tell he was upset, and I didn’t understand why. I couldn’t believe I was saying it but, it was just food.
When we got into the car and Lev asked me where we should dine, I was brutally honest with him. “Honey, all I want to do is go home, watch movies and eat pizza with you. Follow that with getting naked for playtime and that would be the best date night ever.”
He looked over at me a long moment before he took my hand, lifted it to his mouth, pressed a soft kiss to the back of it and sighed, “If that is what you wish, mouse.”
We came home to an empty house and I kicked off my shoes, holding them and walking them up the stairs with me. Halfway up, I squeaked as Lev hefted me up into his arms and walked me the rest of the way and into the bedroom.
Someone had cleaned up the mess I’d left in the form of a pile of clothes by the sofa, the bed was made immaculately and the bathroom light was on, a wonderfully sweet smell coming from inside.
Lev took my hands in his and looked down at me, his eyes warm. “I wanted tonight to