The door closed and I removed my clothes, and wrapping a fluffy burgundy towel around me, I turned the knob, threw the clothes, and called out, “Thank you.”
A moment of silence, then, “You’re welcome.”
Lev left me in peace and quiet while I filled the tub with hot water and men’s scented body wash. I glanced down at that tub before looking back at myself in the mirror.
I was dirty. Grimy.
As much as I wanted to slide down into that bath, I decided to shower first, and from the moment I too warm water hit me, sluicing down my bare body, warming the chill from me, something crossed between a laugh and a sob escaped me. Lifting my face up into the spray, I let myself be consumed by the feeling of ecstasy as I reached up and massaged shampoo through my hair. And I did this smiling, although it was wobbly.
I resumed washing away four months of filth. To say it felt good would have been understatement of the century.
It felt divine.
Showering as quickly as I could, I made my way out and moved to the tub, carefully stepping into the near-scorching water and bathed away lonely nights in a cold alleyway.
And true to his word, Lev didn’t intrude.
Chapter Six
Mina
Mirrors did not lie. They could boost an ego, but they could just as easily be cruel and punishing.
Lev’s bathroom mirror was a heinous bitch.
It showed every bruise, every line, and every protruding bone in a way that left even me shocked. But my hair was clean, and I might’ve smelled like a man, but I no longer smelled offensive. I scrubbed my face clean, and although my face was a nice shade of pink, I didn’t have three-day-old makeup congealed and stuck to my lashes, which was great.
It came time to leave the bathroom, and I quickly realized I had no clothes. I opened the door an inch and peeked out, letting steam waft out around me. “Lev?”
He stepped back inside the room and, uncomfortable at my nude state, I slammed the door shut. He knocked lightly. “Mina?”
“Hey,” I started. I looked at the door, wringing my fingers. “Hi.” I rolled my eyes at my muddled mind and took a deep breath. “I just realized I have no clothes and I…” I swallowed hard, passed the apprehensive lump in my throat, and finished softly, “I need clothes.”
He didn’t respond for a long while then he knocked again. “I don’t have any women’s clothing, but this should do for the night.”
I opened the door, hiding behind it, and his large hand popped inside. It was gripping a white shirt. Thanking him, I took it. I threw it on and did the buttons up. It saddened me the way I swam in it. Once upon a time, I had curves that would’ve filled this shirt out nicely. It looked more like a freaking sheet on me. I glanced down at my legs and wondered what I ever thought wrong with the extra weight I used to wear. It was so disappointing to see large knobby knees through the thin pale skin there.
I felt ugly.
When I let out a long sigh and straightened, I nearly swallowed my tongue. My small breasts stood pert and my nipples were visible through the thin material of the shirt.
Oh, hell no.
I looked down to see the dark patch between my thighs also making itself apparent.
Um…double hell no.
I tiptoed to the door and called out softly. “Excuse me, Lev?”
He was there in a second flat. “Problem?”
“I was wondering if you have a darker shirt I can wear?”
He paused a moment then asked in disbelief, “You have a color preference?”
Tonight I did, dammit.
I realized I sounded needy, but I didn’t want him to see me like this. “I’m sorry. It’s okay. I’ll make it work.” I added a contrite, “Sorry.”
Holding my head in my hands, I gave myself a mental pep talk.
This man has been extremely kind to you tonight, Mina. In a few measly hours, he’s given you things you could’ve only dreamed of. Don’t be ungrateful.
A light knock at the door then it opened a few inches. His hand came through holding something dark. I took it and the door closed. I held it up.
It was a black shirt.
Tension I hadn’t known was there unfurled from my gut as relief had me laughing softly. I called out, “Thank you.”
He replied softly, “You’re welcome, mouse.”
I redressed, holding the white shirt in my hand as I walked out of the bathroom. The lights were off, but Lev had switched on two tall lamps, one beside the sofa, which was now folded out to make a bed, and one beside the nightstand, next to the bed.
My eyes widened as I saw Lev’s back to me.
His bare back.
Oh, dear me. His muscled bare back.
He turned at my light gasp. Even though he still wore his dress pants, he’d removed his shoes and socks, leaving his large feet free. Lowering my flaming face, I rushed over to the bed and threw myself into it, covering myself up to the chest with the heavy covers.
He looked closely at me, searching my face. His eyes took me apart bit by bit and it was unnerving. Discomfort forced me to avoid his eyes. Quiet surrounded us then he stated quietly, “You don’t like people seeing you.”
My eyes met him then. “I beg your pardon?”
His eyes roamed my fresh face. “You can’t hide behind makeup. You can try, but you won’t succeed. Not with me.” He paused then said, “I see you.”
It was not something a normal person would have said. It was relentless and calculated and very much to the point, almost as if he didn’t know of the discomfort his words stirred within me. Almost as if he didn’t care.
But I saw he did care. He said the words in a gentle manner so as not to frighten me. He stated what he saw, and that was all.
My words chosen carefully, I spoke slowly, “Any mask on the street is a good mask.”
He sat on the sofa bed, moving himself back until his legs were stretched out in front of him. He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Masks don’t suit a person with your face.”
“My face?” I asked with a narrowed glare. I knew I wasn’t gorgeous, but I didn’t think I was unattractive.
He clarified, and my heart skipped a beat. “A face like yours makes men stumble over themselves.” He tilted his head to look at me through a new angle. “Faces like yours are carved into statues, immortalized in stone for the world to see over the ages.” He let in a deep breath then exhaled slowly. “You…are art.”
My skin broke out in gooseflesh as a flush stole up my neck. My lips parted and my ears burned.
What the hell did he just say?
“I’d like to know more about you, Mina, but the hour is late and I have an appointment in the morning.”
I wondered whether he would leave me alone in the house or if he would take me with him.
He got under the covers then turned off his lamp. I heard rustling and realized he waited until he was covered before he removed his pants, which landed on the floor with a soft thud. I was sure that was for my benefit rather than his own. After all, he had no issues removing his shirt in front of me.
The small gesture turned my manner. Some of the standing tension slid out of me. He really seemed like a nice guy. But still, I didn’t know this man, and after all he’d done for me, my mind warned me to be weary of him. After all, no one was that selfless.
Finding the switch, I turned off the lamp by the bed and snuggled into the covers. It was so warm and cozy that I could’ve cried. I hadn’t had a bed in months.
My eyes became heavy and I blinked slowly. It was then that words escaped me without permission. “Lev?” He grunted sleepily in reply. “If you try to sneak into this bed tonight, I will scream bloody murder, and I scream loud.”
He sounded amused when he responded, “Ah, but Mina…” he paused for effect, “Who would be around to hear you?”
***
Morning broke and, like most days, I woke with the sun.
I hadn’t slept so well since??
?well…ever. I felt rested and refreshed. I couldn’t seem to find the strength to leave the warm covers of the bed, but the bathroom called my name in a semi-urgent way. I thought about waking Lev to ask him where the toilet was since there hadn’t been one in the en suite but decided against it. I didn’t want to be a pain.
Removing the covers without a sound, I slipped out of bed and made my way on my tiptoes to the door. I pressed on the lever, but it stuck. Frowning, I looked down to see a key inside the lock.
Why was this door locked from the inside?
I didn’t have time to think about it. I gently turned it, heard the latch click over, and thankfully the door opened without a squeak. I slipped through undetected.
I walked delicately down the hall, attempting to open doors as I went. The first two were locked. I got lucky on the third. It was exactly what I needed and I took my time, grateful for a moment to myself.
My time on the streets meant I was used to my own company. It felt weird to be around people. I supposed that was something I would have to get comfortable with quickly, seeing as I was going to be working serving drinks to people. Bartenders were expected to be social, and I mentally vowed to do my best to not come across awkward.
I flushed the toilet, washed my hands, and then opened the door and shrieked. Loudly.
Lev stood there, dressed only in a pair of grey boxers, leaning against the wall, blinking his eyes sleepily.
Clutching my heaving chest, I panted, “I needed to use the bathroom.”
His voice heavy with sleep, he muttered, “I can see that.”
My cheeks began to burn. “You didn’t show me where the toilet was last night.”
He blinked again. “I realize that.”
My palms began to sweat. Eyes wide, I blurted out an anxious, “I wasn’t stealing anything.”
His eyes roamed my shirt-clad body. “No, it doesn’t look like you were.”
I then felt the need to remind him, “I left your watch on the bathroom counter.”
He gestured with a jerk of his chin down to his wrist…where the watch was, secured tightly.
“Okay,” I whispered in relief. I swallowed hard then nodded once. “Okay then.”
Pushing himself off the wall, he stretched languidly in a feline manner. I spied the muscles of his abdomen tighten in a most delicious way. My eyes were drawn to the small smatter of hair leading from his bellybutton down lower still.
It was then I noticed I was looking directly at his material-covered crotch. With a light gasp, I turned my face to look straight up and stared at his chest.
He scratched lightly at the stubble on his steely jaw. “We should dress for breakfast.”
Yes! my mind yelled. Clothes are good!
I followed him back into the bedroom and saw my clothes neatly folded on the nightstand. He must have taken them out of the dryer in the middle of the night.
The pile was small. I went through it, my brow bunching in confusion. “Where are the rest of my clothes?”
Walking into the closet, he replied coolly, “Where they belong. The trash.”
Anger ignited, but I spoke calmly. “They were all I had.”
“I know.”
Irritation clear, I pulled on my one clean pair of panties underneath the long shirt. My black jeans followed, and with my back to the closet, I slipped off the black shirt to replace it with my white tee. I looked down and cussed softly.
My nipples had come out to say hello. “Where’s my bra?”
He walked out of the closet, still in boxers, and going about his business without looking at me, he uttered, “I told you. The trash.”
Lifting the black shirt to hide my lady lumps, I gaped in shock before sputtering, “It was the only one I had!”
“It was threadbare.”
“It did the job,” I returned, falling into hysteria.
Hearing my prickliness, he turned his face up to look at me then eyed my chest before raising a brow. “You don’t need a bra.”
My face flamed. I hugged my arms around myself as tight as I could without folding into myself.
Well, that was rude. He should’ve just told me my tits were tiny and one needed to pull down my pants to make sure that I was, in fact, female.
Man, this guy was doing wonders for my self-esteem.
“I need to shower,” he stated. “And you will wait right here.”
My surly response of ‘Sir, yes, sir’ was cut off as the bathroom door closed behind him.
Great. Just great.
I waited obediently on the edge of the bed and silently wondered whether putting my faith in a man I didn’t know was a terribly good idea.
Chapter Seven
Mina
Lev, freshly showered and dressed in a gunmetal grey three-piece suit over a crisp white shirt, led me out the back door of his house, down a scenic path to an even larger house.
We walked in complete silence, but as we approached the front door, he ordered quietly, “Don’t talk.”
Repositioning the giant cashmere sweater he lent me, I nodded, allowing him to take me by the hand and lead me down a near identical foyer to his own and to the right, into a large dining room. A tray of fruit sat in the center of the table with two vases full of decorative greenery on either ends. A man sat at the long table in the well-lit room, reading the newspaper, his ankle resting across his knee. He was also dressed in a suit, but, unlike Lev, he was kind of scary-looking.
I recognized him instantly. It was the man I’d stolen the wallet from the night before. This was Lev’s brother.
“Sasha,” Lev said in way of greeting as we stepped into the room. I tried to pry my hand from his, but he held it tightly. I pulled a few more times and finally, compromising, he placed my hand into the crook of his elbow.
The man, Sasha, did not look up from the newspaper. “Morning.” He picked up his cup of coffee and sipped at it. Still reading the paper, his brow furrowed. “Where did you go off to last night? And where did you find my wallet? I didn’t realize I dropped it until Anika gave it back to me.”
“You didn’t drop it,” Lev responded. “Mina stole it.”
And my heart stopped.
What the fuck, Lev?
Oh, God. I was in trouble.
“Who the fuck is Mina?” Sasha uttered as he lifted his face. Spotting me, he looked me up and down before turning to Lev. “Any reason we’re discussing this in front of…whoever that is?”
Lev clarified, “Yes, and this is Mina.”
My palms began to sweat. I almost fainted dead away, but dug my nails into Lev’s arm to anchor myself.
“Ah. I see.” Sasha sipped at his coffee again before sneering at me. “Sit. Please.”
His please did not sound like a request, more of a command, and yet, he spoke softly.
My brow felt suddenly clammy. I looked up at Lev with wide eyes and whispered, “Is this a set-up?”
Looking down at me, he patted the hand at his elbow, pulled out a chair, and helped me sit. “Relax. We’re just talking.”
Sasha folded the newspaper and set it down in front of him. “So, Mina, is stealing wallets a habit of yours?”
“No,” I answered quietly through the thickness in my throat.
Lev spoke then. “You had seven hundred dollars in your wallet.”
Sasha glared at his brother. “I’m well aware of that fact.”
Lev reached over to the fruit platter in the center of the table, carefully took a handful of grapes, and threw one into his mouth. Chewing, he nodded toward me. “She took a single hundred.” He threw another grape into his mouth. “Left the rest behind.”
Sasha’s brow rose in a similar fashion to times I had seen his brother do it. He eyed me harshly. “Not a very good thief.”
Lev tilted his head to look over me. “Not a thief at all.”
“I see,” Sasha muttered as he absently scratched at his chin. “Okay, so why is she here?”
My brow furrowed. I didn’
t like being spoken about as if I wasn’t even there.
“She’s staying with me until she gets back on her feet. I hired her. She’s the new bargirl. And what with her background, I’m hoping she’ll be able to spot trouble before it starts. She’d be assisting me.” Lev looked to his brother and laid it out there. “Mina’s homeless. She took the money because she was hungry.”
“I see.” But Sasha looked as though he didn’t. On top of that, he looked at me like I was a cockroach that needed to be squashed. He spoke directly to Lev, “You take responsibility for her. She fucks up, it’s your ass, moy brat.”
Lev looked to me. “She won’t fuck up. She has too much to lose.”
I wanted to protest. I wanted to explain that a person with nothing had nothing left to lose. But I kept quiet. This conversation was about me, not including me. Clearly.
It was then Sasha spoke directly to me. “I think you’ve already gathered that my name is Sasha. And although Lev is in charge of the floor at Bleeding Hearts, I’m the boss.” Picking up a fork, he pointed it at me. “There is no ‘three strikes and you’re gone’ bullshit, little one. One fuck up, and you’re gone. No second chances.”
I didn’t respond, simply because I didn’t want to tell him to take that fork and shove it up his ass. But at the continued silence, I realized a response was necessary. “I understand.”
Sasha smiled then, and I got a glimpse of how handsome he was. “I’m glad. Welcome to the team.”
He and Lev looked similar, only Lev was slightly taller, but Sasha was more muscular. Both had dark brown hair, styled neatly. Both had hard eyes the color of cognac. Both had generous lips, and both wore a suit rather well.
Sasha ignored me from then out. He did, however, speak to Lev. “I need you today. Can you spare some time after lunch?”
Lev ate another grape and my mouth watered. “Yes. Have you given any more thought to the first aid course I put forward?”
I hadn’t eaten fresh fruit in a long while. I wanted to sample the sweet juice to see if it tasted as I remembered.