“Um, why not? Aren’t you the head of security for Lennox’s team?”
“Yes.”
I start walking. “Mark, I’ll be taking my break now. Please advise if anything unusual occurs or should you need my assistance.”
“Break?” he asks in confusion. We don’t take breaks in my business.
“Yes. Call in a replacement. Use Tucker. He’s the alternate on standby.”
“Yessir.”
There’s a small tug on my grip. I look down to see Violet trying to peel my fingers away from her wrist.
“Sir, I belong here. I’m Smooth’s assistant. If you just look me up. It’s Violet C—”
“I don’t need to know that,” I cut her off again.
“But last names are important,” she protests.
I open the door to the suite at the end of the hall and pull her inside. “I know,” I tell her once the door is shut behind us. “But yours will be Sokolov soon enough so it doesn’t matter what your name is now.”
“Sokolov? Who is that?”
“Me.”
Chapter 2
Violet
“What’s with men always trying to marry me?” I absently ask the question. First my father tried to marry
me off and now this man thinks out of nowhere that I’m going to marry him. It is the strangest thing. I have enough problems remembering to do things I need to do for myself, let alone a husband. Never mind the fact that I don’t even know this man.
“I do not try to do things,” he responds. It’s direct but his face looks like he ate something he doesn’t like. It can’t be one of the appetizers at the bachelor party because we have one of the best chefs on staff. I might have taken the liberty of trying one of everything before it was delivered. Don’t judge me. It’s my job to make sure everything is good and that includes the food. My boss Smooth says I’m just doing a quality check. Sure. We can call it that if everyone wants to. “I do them.”
“Me too!” Well, I try my best, at least. Sometimes I take on more than I can handle and a few small things slip through the cracks but I always fix them. Okay. Maybe I would be able to handle a husband. I am good at handling things for other people. That is my job though. I don’t think a husband is supposed to be a job. This wall standing in front of me sure looks like he’d be a lot to handle, yet for some reason I have the urge to try to do it. If my dad had offered me to someone who looked like Victor. I might have taken him up on that one.
“Who else thinks to marry you?” His hand that is still holding mine tightens. I look down to see it engulfs my whole hand. The man really is a giant.
“You’re big.” My eyes roam over his body. Not big like the guys who hang out at the pool or down by the gym. He is a whole other level of big. He’s massive. That’s the right word to describe him. I reach out and poke his barrel stomach. It’s hard but I don’t think there are abs. He’s solid like a mountain. I bet he could lift one.
“You did not answer my question.” My eyes travel up his large chest to meet his dark gaze.
“What?” I try and think. What did he ask me?
“Who is trying to marry you?”
“Oh!” I roll my eyes. “My dad.” I lean in. “He thinks I need a man to keep an eye on me. That I'm always getting myself into trouble. Maybe he’s right.” My shoulders drop. “That’s why I’m here. He put me into the dad witness protection program.” My hand flies over my mouth. I'm not supposed to say that. I haven’t even told Smooth why I am lying low at her resort.
Victor’s eyes narrow on my face. His whole body goes tense. Maybe I’ve said too much. He could go digging for information. That is, after all, his job. He could probably know everything about me in a few seconds if he wants to. My eyes meet his dark gaze. Yeah. I’m not sure that anything will be able to slow him down.
“Please don’t tell anyone that I’m hiding out,” I whisper. We’re alone in a suite he pulled me into. I know no one can hear us but it seems like something I should whisper. “My dad told me I’d be safe here. Everyone thinks I ran away.” I worry my bottom lip between my teeth.
“O-kay,” he agrees.
“Okay?” Well, that was easy.
“For a kiss.” My mouth drops open. Maybe not so easy.