With This Ring

“I should leave,” I said.

He nodded without even looking at me. “Go ahead.”

His words hurt and I sank my teeth into my lower lip with fury at my own weakness. How appealing he looked in that moment under the star lit night. If only, in another life, under different circumstances.

Before I could stop myself, I found my lips moving. “Do you want to marry me? Or are you just doing this because it is a request from your father?”

“It is a request …” he began, then trailed away, his gaze fluttering down to my lips.

All of a sudden, my mouth felt dry. I pulled my gaze up to his. His eyes bore into mine. He knew. He knew about the sizzling attraction that existed inside me for him. I felt exposed and almost mocked.

“It is a request… that I do not mind,” he finished softly.

“Why?” I asked. “We don’t even like each other.”

“You do not like me,” he corrected. “I don’t have a problem with you.”

“Oh.”

Suddenly I couldn’t bear it anymore. The scent of the flowers mixed with his luxurious cologne, the nearness of his body, the look in his eyes, the way my body was responding to that look. I felt as if I was a mouse being hypnotized by a massive, highly colored snake. I was being drawn into his lethal spell. A spell from which I could never recover.

With a shake of my head I took a long backwards step away from him.

His mouth opened to say something, but I didn’t wait to hear it. I couldn’t. He was too dangerous to my sanity. I fled as if the hounds of hell itself were chasing me. I arrived back at the dining room to see that my dad had risen to his feet and seemed like he was ready to leave. He gave me a look of extreme disappointment, but he did not say anything. I’d never felt more relieved. We didn’t speak, but I did politely say my goodbyes to Maxim’s father, Levan, and Bianca.

“Let me know if you need any help with your wedding,” I said to her.

“Actually,” she said sweetly. “I will. I want to wear your jewelry on my big day. I saw a really gorgeous necklace when we were at your place. Perhaps I can pick out that piece for me and some other stuff for my bridesmaids?”

“Really?” I breathed.

“Yes,” she said. “I’ll come to your office and we can go from there.”

I tried to get myself together. “That would be awesome.”

“And we’ll try to get them photographed and carried in some publication.”

I was so shocked I looked from Bianca to Levan. “Are you guys trying to bribe me?”

“I’m not,” Levan replied. “Bianca just likes supporting everyone.”

“Take my phone number,” Bianca said.

In a daze I took her phone number, accepted her embrace, and soon we were on our way. The ride back with my father was not at all comfortable. Not one word left his lips. It would be much better if he had screamed and condemned me. The complete silence made me feel horrible. From the time I was a child I always knew, in our world, every minute with each other could be our last. That I should never squander it.

I hated feeling that one day I could be regretting this car ride.

“The plane is ready,” he said to me, as we arrived at the house. “You can leave when you want.”

I got down from the car and he was driven away into the night. Where I did not know.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Freya

The moment the taxi pulled up in front of my apartment, I experienced a feeling of relief. I had escaped my father’s tentacles in one piece.

I had survived and made it back, still unmarried and with my freedom intact. I was extremely exhausted but I knew Britney needed assistance. We had scored rooftop access at a residential property in Soho, and she was supposed to be managing a quick photo shoot with some model friends she had managed to convince to work for free. Really, she needed me there so I thanked the driver and hurried on to the house with my luggage. If I was quick I could be with her in less than an hour.

I put the key to the lock and the door pushed open. The door had been left unlocked. Or more accurately, as I looked closer, the door had been broken open. I listened. There were no sounds at all.

Dropping my bag on the floor, I reached into our storage basket by the door and grabbed an umbrella. Then I began to walk as quietly as I could into our apartment. My heart was pounding in my chest. My entire system was alert to the possibility that whomever had broken in might still be there. Perhaps even have a gun. No matter how fast I was, I couldn’t outrun a bullet so I shouldn’t be taking one more step forward, but I couldn’t stop myself because I was an idiot who wanted to see my enemies.