Defiant. Sweet. Alluring.
A business deal gone wrong brought me to her doorstep.
She's everything I shouldn't want; everything I was against after watching my mother's obsession destroy her.
Still, I can't stop myself from craving her.
I should know...
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COOL BREEZE DANCED over the skin of my exposed thigh as I climbed out of the car with the help of Aleksei. My feet had barely touched the ground before the cameras went off, and the bright flashes and shutters that followed attacked my senses.
A huge hand skimmed my hip, guiding me down the path to the building. Even though I was still temporarily out of it from all the bright flashes and loud voices, I'd recognize that brandishing touch anywhere.
I sent an uneasy look Aleksei's way. I knew he said it was a fancy party, but I didn't expect it to be this fancy with paparazzi everywhere, taking pictures and asking questions.
Is she your wife?
Are the rumors that she's dumb true?
Who's the mystery lady?
Are the rumors true that you two are married?
I heard you married her because she tied you down with a pregnancy. Is this true?
Did you two elope to get married?
It was all overwhelming, and I didn't know how to react to it.
Aleksei squeezed my hip, bending to whisper in my ear, "Just a minute, baby."
Something inside me caught fire at his touch and the reassurance in his tone. I nodded, forging ahead with him. Guards I didn't know he'd brought with us fought off the paparazzi to prevent them from shoving the cameras in our faces.
We finally walked into the building where I felt at least a hundred eyes on us, silently judging.
Huge golden chandeliers hung from the tall ceiling, casting a soft light over the room and the decorations.
Servers circled the room with trays containing drinks - champagne, wine, martini, sparkling water. Others had trays containing a potpourri of hors d'oeuvres the guests could pick at while conversing. Clearly, no expense was spared during the preparations for this party.
Aleksei was used to these kinds of people, and I couldn't help but feel like I was under scrutiny.
He noticed my distress, and he squeezed my hip again. "You're with me."
Somehow, that one sentence succeeded in taming my nerves.
"It's been long since I visited events like this."
Aleksei and I both turned at the voice behind us. Mikhail and Amedeo had successfully made their way into the event.
"It's a circus show as usual. I was this close to breaking one fucker's camera." Mikhail pinched his fingers together to demonstrate just how close.
Aleksei shot him a warning stare. "Behave. No fucking married women in the restroom."
Amedeo burst into laughter, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "He is never forgetting that."
