Caught in His Gilded World

Which probably shouldn’t be a woman’s first reaction when she was cosied up in his arms.

She looked up. He was already looking down.

Gigi’s breathing quickened. They were so close she could see the golden striations in his dark eyes and something of who he actually was as opposed to who she’d imagined him to be. A highly intelligent man who was perhaps insightful enough to see some worth in their cabaret. And perhaps if he recognised that he’d have second thoughts about throwing them to the wolves.

Only the longer they stood there the more uncomfortably aware she was that he could possibly be seeing a little more in her than she would be happy for him—or anyone—to know.

Instinctively she shied away and pulled back.

He unexpectedly took hold of her hand again, curling his fingers around hers. She tried to tug herself free, because it all felt far too intimate, but he had started walking, pulling her along with him.

‘What are we doing? What’s going on now?’

‘We’re moving,’ he supplied gruffly.

She got that part. Where were they moving to?

He produced a mobile phone from his back pocket, thumbed a few buttons and released some Russian to whoever was on the other end.

‘Thanks to your big mouth we’re both going to be all over the internet,’ he shared calmly as he re-pocketed the phone.

‘What? What are you talking about?’

But she knew. It sank through her like a stone. She’d stuffed up.

From out of nowhere a group of men swarmed.

Kitaev’s arm came around her again. ‘It’s all right—its Security,’ he shared with that same masculine certainty that made her hold on to him as she was hustled in a phalanx towards a smoke-windowed limo that had also come out of nowhere and pulled to the kerb.

Without a word he pushed her forward into the car. She scrambled across the luxury seating, not really being given much choice in the matter.

‘I’ve had some security issues since I arrived in Paris,’ he informed her as the car shot forward.

‘Issues?’ she parroted weakly.

‘The usual. Breaches of my privacy, photographers—as you’ve just seen—approaches from people with axes to grind.’

Gigi pursed her lips and remained silent on that one.

His attention returned to the traffic. ‘The truth, if you’re interested in it, is that I own some property in the South of France and several companies with holdings in and around Paris. There is no grand plan. L’Oiseau Bleu was an unexpected windfall that has turned into something of a catalyst for all the xenophobic feeling in this city.’

He was watching her broodingly.

‘And, for your personal information, Gigi, Solange Delon was publicity. I have a PR team who thought a photograph of me with a French showgirl in full rig and the Danton brothers would put a cap on all the negative publicity doing the rounds.’

And just like that Gigi felt about an inch tall.

‘Oh...’ she said in a small voice.

He gave her an impatient look. ‘Think about it—would I be prowling after showgirls with public opinion being what it is?’

‘I guess not.’

The silence between them simmered with the unspoken question—given ‘public opinion’—as to why he’d taken her with him on that run and courted the risk of exposure.

‘Where are we going?’ she voiced, not sure of her footing around him any more.

‘My hotel,’ he said.

CHAPTER SIX

‘I’M SORRY ABOUT all the trouble,’ Gigi said awkwardly, struggling out of her seat belt. ‘I misjudged everything.’

Yes, she had, Khaled thought, but so had he. The chemistry between them was very strong. It was going to complicate things.

Thankfully the rear entrance to the Plaza Athénée was the scene not of a paparazzi scrum but just a couple of vans making deliveries.

If they were discreet there shouldn’t be a problem getting inside and upstairs.

He noticed she was out of the car at lightning speed but slow in approaching the service entrance. She clearly didn’t want to go inside.

It raised his ire.

‘Keep moving.’ He put his hand in the centre of her back and gave her a gentle push forward, because hanging around out here was just inviting trouble.

They were in the middle of the busy lobby when she unexpectedly decided to drop down onto one knee.

He almost tripped over her.