Page 56 of The Pakhan

He was wearing a dark suit and from behind, I couldn’t help but think he was the most handsome man on the face of the earth.

When he stiffened seconds later, slowly turning around, the ache in my heart and my stomach was worse than ever.

I’d heard stories that when a man looked at a woman, especially his woman, you could read exactly what was on his mind from the twinkle in his eyes.

What I noticed was that Vadim’s expression was one of shock at first, his eyes slowly making their way down to my heels. When he pulled them back to mine, he shook his head beseechingly slowly.

But there was no mistaking the looks of lust, need, and possession.

When he finally noticed his daughter was also in the room, he totally shut down, masking his emotions completely.

“Ladies. I want to thank you for helping Caroline get ready, Sofiya. I do appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule.”

Sofiya folded her arms across her chest, staring at him haughtily. “No problem, Daddy. Anything for your main squeeze. You kids have a great time but don’t be out too late.”

Her voice was teasing yet held complete darkness. She spun around, heading out of the room without looking back.

And I’d never felt so awkward or more like I’d betrayed someone in my entire life.

“Are you ready?” he asked quietly, his heated gaze returning.

“I think so?” I wasn’t certain I was ready for anything else odd to happen in my life.

“You look beautiful. For tonight, you need a fake name. Whatever you’d like.” He rounded his desk and I was already swooning. The man looked like a walking, talking glimpse into perfection.

He might be in his forties but Jesus Christ, he could rival any model, any actor in the world in the looks department.

“How about Sunny, for my sunny disposition?”

He didn’t seem to appreciate my teasing. “Sunny is fine. Just remember that.”

“Where did we meet?”

He stopped short just before he closed the distance, but I was already intoxicated by his aftershave. He’d chosen something different, the scent much more exotic. Was I swaying because of it?

Holy crap, I think I was.

“We met at an auction event a few weeks ago and started having coffee then drinks.”

“Plausible,” I told him.

“Do you feel confident you can handle this?”

I laughed and remembered some things about my childhood I’d never wanted to really think about. “My father wasn’t the warmest of men and there was no doubt he wanted a son. I learned early on that if I wanted to garner any attention from the man, I had to pretend to be something I wasn’t. Part of the adopted persona included becoming a tomboy, literally throwing away my stuffed animals and dolls. I learned to play baseball, not softball, at seven. I was even on the little league for a little while until I broke my arm. It’s one of the reasons I never fell in love with dresses. So, the short answer is yes, I can pretend to be anybody you want me to be, including a doting girlfriend.”

His smirk was almost the kind I wanted to wipe off his face. “I’m curious. Did it work?”

“What?”

“Garnering attention from your father?”

I laughed more bitterly than before. “My father cares about nothing but himself. But I certainly gleaned a few helpful techniques from my experiences. I might be a few years your junior but don’t underestimate me. I have talents that would shock you.”

Vadim lifted an eyebrow. “Of that I have no doubt. Come on. We’re already going to be fashionably late. Not that I give a shit about that. A word of warning. There are venomous snakes who will be at this party tonight, the kind of men who feed off gossip, blackmail, and inflicting emotional pain. Be wary of their advances. No one is to touch you. Period. And do not disappear from my view even if pulled away by some wayward guest. Am I clear?”

“Why, yes, sir. I wouldn’t want to receive your version of harsh punishment.” My caustic mouth had returned but he was certainly doing his best to remain at arm’s length. That’s what I needed to do. Who knew. Maybe I’d flirt a little bit right in front of him. It wasn’t a behavior Caroline would consider, but Sunny?

Hell, yes.

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