It wasn’t sucking up, not entirely anyway. They weren’t just passionate about the successful business they built together; they couldn’t shut up about their kids, and they made sure their hands touched whenever they walked past each other.
“My wife might need a little help,” Rurik said, winking at me when it was my turn to try to get that little white ball from point A to point B without falling on my butt.
He chose my club and stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me and clasping his hands over mine as he helped me find my grip. I was already fighting the blush that rose every time he called me his wife, sounding so proud and possessive like a true newlywed. With his big body pressing against my backside, it felt like the sun had just dialed up the heat by twenty degrees.
“Doing all right?” he murmured in my ear. “Erina looks happy.”
“She’s honestly really sweet,” I said quietly.
“So are you,” he told me. “Brace yourself.” I thought it was time to swing, but instead, he dropped a kiss on top of my head.Of course, it was just for show, but it must look so real to the Koboyashis; it was such a natural move. “Turn your head,” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.
I did, and he planted a kiss on my mouth. A mere peck, but it had me melting backward against him. Shin laughed and called for us to get on with it.
My swing went wild, and it took four more to get it anywhere near the hole, but each time Rurik was there to help me, offering real golf advice while putting on the show for our prospective clients. I actually liked both.
“How did you start playing golf in Russia?” I asked to distract myself from the feel of his rock-hard pecs against my back as he leaned over me to perfect my grip. “Is it even popular there?”
“Not very, but I spent many winters here with my American cousins, and they assured me it would come in handy to learn. And now I actually like it.”
“I think I do, too,” I told him, leaning back a little more.
His low chuckle heated me up even more. It was a hard line to walk, putting on the act without letting myself start to believe it.
He was too hot; that was all that was going on there. Anyone would have been flustered with Rurik as their teacher.
It had nothing to do with the fact that the Koboyashis were exactly how I might have wanted to be one day. The riches and success were secondary, but their happiness and sincere affection for each other were blazingly obvious even though they weren’t showy about it. The trust Erina had in Shin was something I could hardly comprehend.
He was the man he showed himself to be, and after ten years, they were still blissfully happy. No monster hiding under a facade, he was the real deal. Talk about luck, or maybe Erina had something I lacked that gave her the ability to see what I missed.
What would my life have been like if things had been different? Could I ever be in a relationship like that? Have what Rurik was acting out, but for real? It didn’t seem possible when I had to keep my head on a swivel, always wondering if the next shady guy was the one I had to keep running from. Or if the perfect man was merely biding his time to show his true colors.
The next time Rurik reached for my hand to help me into the golf cart, a wave of sadness hit me. Anger followed. I could never have a future remotely like this, not with my past always hanging over my head.
Chapter 12 - Rurik
In spite of being horrible at golf, Clem managed to charm the Koboyashis, and I lost by just enough to make Shin feel like he had achieved a worthy victory. They had a late-afternoon meeting with one of our competitors, but Clem got Erina hyped about a live-music club because she knew from her research that they were both big fans of classic American jazz.
After hurrying back to the office to change, we showed up at the club, staking out a table that had a view of the entrance as well as the stage. The dusky lighting and low, smooth music would have been perfect for a date with Clem if we weren’t both so impatient to see if the Koboyashis would ditch their previously planned dinner to spend more time with us.
“If they’re meeting Holden-Clayton Industries, they’ll be here,” I said, waving for the server.
“Are you having them followed?” she asked, but in a teasing tone, so I didn’t answer.
Of course I was. This was my company’s big break, and in a way, it was Clem’s too. The confidence she put forward was an unstable facade she kept propped up with hard work and determination to never give up. As much as I wanted those hundreds of millions that would pour in once we started importing the new game system, I wanted to see Clem truly feel proud of herself and stop worrying.
It wasn’t just her job she worried about, although I knew she still had money problems. Those would soon be over, as well as her housing woes. It bugged me that she kept spotting my guards and that they were inadvertently scaring her when they were only there to keep her from harm.
Was it the normal fear of living in a bad area in a huge, crime-ridden city, or was it more personal? I could only hope that if something was wrong, she’d soon confide in me. Either way, she was close to being completely safe and where she belonged.
“Look,” she squealed in an undertone shortly after we started sipping our first cocktails.
Her hand clapped onto my arm, and as soon as I saw the Koboyashis coming in behind a crowd of newcomers, I couldn’t help but drag her close for a quick, celebratory hug.
She turned her face as I pulled her against me, and my lips brushed hers. Why not? I had been starving for her. Every peck at the golf club only made me hungrier. Her hands brushed my chest as I let my mouth slide to meet hers more fully. Her lips were soft, tasting slightly of fruity lip gloss and a hint of martini.
With a sigh, her fingers tightened around the lapel of my jacket. The bass strumming as the next band warmed up thrummed in my ears. In a moment, my hands were in her hair, feeling the silky strands as I ran my fingers down the length. She sighed again, soft against my lips.
We could have been anywhere, all alone instead of a crowd. All thoughts of deals flew out of my mind. I yanked her closer, her lush body tight against mine as I locked my arm around her back. Our tongues met, and a growl rose up my throat.