With This Ring

The last time I had seen her had been at our place in Spain a few months earlier, just before Levan had been sentenced to life in prison and thrown into jail. “Great,” I responded.

She nodded and sat back down. Then I turned to Freya.

“Hello,” she greeted politely, and suddenly I couldn’t speak. I was only able to give a nod in response. I turned around and headed towards Levan’s study. If I had not I would have been exposed.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Freya

The arrogant bastard.

My mouth was hanging open. I couldn’t believe how rude he had just been.

“What is it?” Aldie asked.

“Did he just ignore me?”

“Uh, I think he nodded,” she placated.

“Is that good enough? Do you just nod to a fully worded salutation?”

She snickered and I tried to feel amused too, but I just could not. I was actually hurt. I had never stopped thinking of him and all the while he couldn’t give a shit. Hell, he couldn’t even say hello.

“Don’t mind it too much,” Aldie said, “that’s how he is. He barely says anything.”

“Oh no, he speaks,” I corrected bitterly. “Just not to people that he feels are beneath him. Isn’t that just plain arrogance?”

“Uh,” her eyebrows furrowed and I realize that I was ranting to someone I’d just met for the first time a few minutes earlier.

“Ignore me,” I said with a forced smile. “I’ve known him a while and I was just being touchy. Rough day.”

“Perfectly fine,” she said with a genuine smile as Levan and Bianca returned to the room.

The dessert tasting soon began, but Maxim didn’t join us. “He’s not one for sweets,” Levan explained.

I resisted the impulse to roll my eyes. He definitely needed some with all the bitterness he carried in his twisted cold heart.

Bianca’s assortment of desserts for her wedding were exquisite. The stars of the show were mini cannoli, golden cupcakes, blended mochas in shot glasses, and the cutest caramel apples dressed in tuxedos. Almost an hour later, the tasting came to an end and the final choices had been made.

“I need to run,” Aldie said, rising up. “Early morning tomorrow.”

“We’ll walk you out,” Levan said and he and Bianca stood.

Looking around at the loads of used plates, I decided to help them get a head start on the cleaning. I was pretty sure they had some help, but it was my habit not to leave a mess for the morning. I began to gather the small dessert plates and forks we had used and took them over to the sink. They had a dishwasher, and I was about to give them a rinse when Maxim emerged from wherever he had crawled into.

I completely ignored him as he came over with a used cup of coffee and placed it on the counter. I glared at the dirty cup as he turned to leave and couldn’t hold back any more.

“Why are you so impolite to me?” I asked. “Is it because you see me as beneath you?”

He turned and gave me his full attention. “Excuse me?” he asked, and just like that my brain was scrambled again, at his gaze, at the melody of his voice, and most definitely at the fine specimen of a man he looked clothed in his charcoal suit, black shirt and white tie.

I turned away before I embarrassed myself. “Forget it.”

Out of nowhere his hand closed around my arm.

My heart gave a nervous jump I whirled around like a cut snake. Hissing with aggression. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Why do you always want to provoke me?” he asked softly.

I stopped breathing. He was too close, his scent of musk and lemon, twirling all around me, and those eyes on mine… and then on my lips. My knees became jelly.

“Let me go!” I tried to pull my hand away but he wouldn’t let go.

“Are you attracted to me?” he asked.

My mouth dropped open with incredulity. The next few moments were of me puffing air and unable to form a coherent sentence to defend myself. I settled on an outraged insult. “Get over your fucking self, Maxim.”

“Kiss me,” he ordered, his gaze fluttering down to my lips.

I felt my cheeks burn.

“Let’s see if this attraction between us is really as potent as it seems.”

His gaze lifted to mine with the challenge and I wanted to defy him. By God that was all that I swore to myself I wanted, but the truth was a whole different matter. I wanted something even more.

My voice weakened but I gave it my best shot. “Let me go,” I croaked, like a helpless Victorian damsel. I tried again to pull away, but by now my willpower was feeble, reduced to nothing in the presence of the beast.

He let go, but then his hand slid around my waist and in the next breath, his lips were on mine.