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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ARIANA SLID INTO THE backseat beside me, bathing the enclosed space with her soft vanilla perfume. Her make-up was freshly done and she looked like she'd just walked off a modeling set as opposed to spending several hours at work. A closed partition separated us from the driver's seat.
"Nice day at work today?" I asked as a conversation starter as Lev turned on the ignition.
She dropped her purse between us, a snort escaping her lips. "Far from it. This is your warning to never take me on an impromptu trip ever again."
"It wasn't exactly my fault. You'd passed out and couldn't give consent, and we had a flight to catch."
"Really? What happened to just leaving me at home while you go without me?"
"Then you wouldn't have met those people irritating enough to make you break your silence."
"Trust me, that's the only reason you still have your head attached to your neck." She leaned in conspiratorially, her lips twitching as she fought back a smile. "I know a few people."
"Who knew you had a sense of humor?" I said dryly, my gaze heavy-lidded as I appraised her. "You were gone by the time I woke up this morning. That's usually my thing."
"I guess even godly, larger-than-life beings get tired too, huh?" She teased, her full mouth curved into a smile.
I switched my gaze to her eyes before dirty thoughts filled my head, each one featuring the dirty things I could do to her mouth. "Godly beings? You're not helping my ego here, darling. You think I'm a god?"
She shrugged, leaning back against the leather seat. "You feel like it."
I did the same, turning my head to face her. "I'm guessing you won't expatiate on that."
"You catch on fast, Mr. Tarasov. Where are we having dinner?"
"Moissanite. Russian cuisine."
"I've never had Russian food before. I'm guessing you're a big fan?"
"Because I'm Russian?"
She smiled sheepishly.
"Not particularly," I said in answer to her earlier question. "I'm meeting with a potential business partner and his wife."
"Oh?" Her brow raised.
"I've been trying to seal a deal with him, but he's playing hard to get. I'll see if I can get it finalized tonight."
I saw the moment her expression closed off. The easygoing smile on her face vanished, and she nodded. "Oh, okay."
"Are you okay?"
Something was off, and I couldn't quite place my fingers on it, but I knew it deeply unsettled me. Something happened just now and it had changed Ariana's demeanor. Worse yet, she was trying to hide it from me.
