He zipped up his trousers. “We’ve got all night.”
Samira buttoned her dress. “We have. I just need to freshen up. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“Alright. I’d better tell my brothers I’m leaving. I’ll meet you out there in five.”
Chapter Ten
Ivan asked the front desk to call a cab, then he made his way back to the bustling room where his brothers were still celebrating their win. Adam was chatting with the blonde he’d met earlier, and Dylan was talking to a couple of suited business as**sociates. Ivan decided it would be better to interrupt Dylan.
He grabbed his brother’s arm and pulled him out of the conversation. “Hey, you guys don’t mind if I get outta here, do you?”
Dylan raised his voice against the hubbub. “No. You taking Samira somewhere nice?”
Ivan grinned. “Uh-huh.”
Dylan chuckled. “Oh, you just did, right? I thought you looked a little flushed.”
“She sure is one hot woman.”
“She’s great, Ivan, seriously. I can tell you like her a lot, huh? And I think mom would like her, too. She’s strong-willed, beautiful… a little bit kooky.”
“She’s not kooky!”
“She thinks she’s a fortune teller.”
Ivan laughed, feeling his affection swell. “She’s unique. Listen, I’ll see you when I get back to New York, alright.”
“Sure.” They hugged boisterously.
“You take care of yourself,” Ivan said. “And make sure Adam stays outta trouble.”
Dylan shrugged. “I’ll do my best – as always.”
Ivan squeezed him firmly on the shoulder. “Congrats on the award, seriously – you guys are awesome. I’ll be seeing ya.”
Ivan strode away from his brother, already looking forward to getting Samira back in his arms. But his jovial mood disappeared as he stepped into the busy lobby and saw that she was being pestered by a white-coated waiter. The waiter was coming on to her, which was bad enough, but on closer inspection, Ivan realised he was the guy from the beach yesterday.
“Danny, leave me alone,” Samira said. “Why don’t you take no for an answer?”
Danny reached out and tried to grab Samira’s hand. “Because I know what your ‘no’ means, sugar.”
She pushed him away. “Get off me.”
He laughed and reached out to grab her again.
Ivan strode over and grabbed him by the shirt, ready to fight. “You again? Didn’t you get the hint that she doesn’t want you anywhere near her? And neither do I.”
Danny smirked at him, apparently more confident than yesterday. “Tell it to someone who cares, loser.”
Ivan let go and realised there was another guy standing with them. He was dressed in a sharp suit and looked like a spoiled brat. He had one brown eye and one green eye, and a grey streak in his jet-black hair, which he probably thought made him look cool.
“Have we got a problem?” the brat asked.
“This guy was hassling me at the beach yesterday, Jeremy,” Danny said. “He threatened me to stay away from Samira.”
Jeremy raised a cool eyebrow. “Oh really. Well, Mr Tough Guy, Danny’s my friend and I’ve just instructed him to tell this young lady that it’s her lucky night – she gets to be the meat in our sandwich.”
“Don’t be disgusting,” Samira said. “Come on, Ivan, let’s go.”
Jeremy held up his hands. “Not so fast. My dad owns this hotel chain. It means I own it and everything in it. He said I can use the free rooms whenever I feel like it. And, lucky lady, you’ve caught my eye.”
Jeremy reached out to touch Samira.
Ivan stepped between them. “Leave her the f**k alone, you piece of shit.”
“Make me.”
“Don’t f**king tempt me, as**shole.”
“Mind your own business, idiot,” Jeremy said. He turned to face Samira. “Come on, baby, I’ve got some friends in high places who could easily send you back to where you came from. I could make things very tough for you – I could probably get you kicked out of college. So why not just you let me show you a good time? It’s best for everyone.”
Samira faltered. Ivan could see she was scared about being deported. She shot Jeremy a submissive look and Ivan was worried she was about to acquiesce. She reached out and rested her hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and gazed deep into his eyes. Then she leaned forward, as if she intended to beg him not to threaten her education or her life in America. But Ivan’s heart surged with pride as Samira’s expression morphed into contempt. “Listen, idiot, I don’t care who you know or what power you think you might hold over me. I told you where to stick it. And it won’t be in me. Come on, Ivan, let’s just get out of here.”
? Also By Julie Farrell
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