Page 64 of Devil In A Suit

He then takes her hand and kisses it. Where does he think he is? The Tsar of Romanov’s court? Idiot. But for some reason,Lara indulges him and allows him to kiss her hand. His charm, seemingly, is hard to resist. Even Lara is not immune to it. I control my rising irritation.

He gazes at her, his eyes sparkling with mischief, and lies blatantly. “I’m Ivan’s older brother, Nikolai. We share the same father. I’m sure he’s told you nothing about me, but I’ve heardsomuch about you.”

“Oh, really?” Lara says, playing along with his lie.

I can’t believe her. My hands clench and itch to sock his pampered, good nothing jaw, but I’m not here to spoil my mother’s pride and joy, grand gala. I let the interaction continue without stepping in.

“I hope it’s all good,” she says.

“All good and then some.” Nikolai grins, still holding her gaze, flirting openly with her. “You’ve got quite the reputation.”

A light chuckle escapes her lips. The sound that gets under my skin. It’s not for me. “From the looks of it, nothing compared to yours,” she says.

Nikolai laughs, an assessing glint in his eyes.

I know that look. An unfamiliar sensation tightens my chest. I want to protect her, to take her away from this parasite, from all these people who consider her to be beneath them. But Lara, to her credit, has handled herself well so far and doesn’t want to run away, and neither does she seem intimidated.

“You’ve been holding out on us,” Nikolai says, looking at me with mock accusation. “Ignoring calls, pretending you’re too busy. Have you finally decided to live it up a little, hmmm?” His eyes flick coquettishly again to Lara.

“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?” I mock.

But Nikolai’s skin is thicker than a crocodile.

“Oh, for sure,” he agrees with an easy laugh, his eyes twinkling amiably as he returns his attention to Lara. “Well, it’s good to finally meet the woman who managed to melt mybrother’s heart. Be good to him. He works too hard. And Ivan, don’t be a stranger. We’ve got to catch up soon. Family reunions are not the same without you.” He nods toward a table nearby, where a few familiar faces are looking our way with interest. Then he steps back, his movements as graceful as a male ballet dancer, his smile still in place. He waves, a romantic gesture. “See you both later.”

Lara smiles again—this time, genuinely. It’s the first smile I’ve seen from her tonight that isn’t guarded or tinged with sarcasm. She bought his bullshit. She thinks he’s one of the good guys. For a second it makes me feel like an outsider, as if I’m watching something from a distance.

The announcement for the ceremony to begin echoes through the hall, cutting off all conversation. I lead Lara to our table, but my eyes stay fixed on Nikolai as he moves to his seat. I notice with a jolt that he’s on the other side of her. That, I know for sure, is not an accident. The annoying little shit asked the planners to seat him there.

I pause, weighing my options. The thought of Lara sitting next to Nikolai all night is enough to spoil my mood, so I act before anyone can question it. “Let’s switch seats,” I tell her.

“What? Why?” she asks, surprised.

I don’t answer directly, just pull out the chair next to mine instead, gesturing for her to sit down. “I want you next to me.”

Lara hesitates, and I glance over at Nikolai, who merely shrugs at me. Lara nods and slips onto the chair. I have now ruined the male-female arrangement. Instead of me sitting next to Natalia, Lara will be. Natalia gives me a sideways glance. She doesn’t like it, but I keep my attention on Lara.

Everyone at the table has witnessed what I have done and the curiosity in the air is palpable, but I don’t care. Nikolai is experienced and has spent many years perfecting and turningseduction into an art. Under no circumstances will I allow Nikolai to prey on Lara.

Chapter Forty

LARA

"You know, whichever way I sat, I still would have ended up next to you," I say, glancing at Ivan. My voice is light, but the edge in it is clear. I’m not trying to make a fuss, but it wasn’t exactly nice to be moved away from Nikolai in that horrible manner. Everyone was looking. He behaved as if Nikolai was poison. He’s a little over-the-top, sure, but there is something about him that made me feel like I could loosen up a bit, and maybe even enjoy myself. And just as I was starting to, Ivan stepped in and stopped it. I start to wonder if he is worried Nikolai will reveal dark secrets about him or their family to me.

“Don’t sulk,” he says as the rest of the venue settles in for the event to begin.

“Why did you do that, anyway?” I mutter quietly.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he says shortly.

That really annoys me and I glare at him. “I see,” I hiss. “I suppose you don’t really want me sitting next to your family.”

He turns to me, but I don’t meet his gaze. I’m whining like I actually care when I should have no business whatsoever in doing so.

“The one beside you is also family,” he says. “That’s my sister Natalia.”

My heart jumps into my throat then. For a moment, I wonder if he is joking with me, but he looks deadly serious. This makes the atmosphere even more awkward. The proud woman sitting next to me looks like she has been carved from a block of ice. She is by far more intimidating than his mother. She refuses to even engage in eye contact, turning her body firmly away from me, she converses with the person on her left. I sneak another look, unable to help myself, but her indifference is complete. She is determined not to acknowledge me.

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