Page 5 of Defiled Innocence

“Have I met the girl?” Nikolai asks.

“No.” My jaw tenses. Girl? Amelia is young, yes, but she’s all woman. Forced to grow up much faster than most, she’s done an impressive job at such a young age.

“I remember her brother. Lucas was a good man.” His tone turns somber.

“He was,” I agree. “We made a lot of money together.”

Nikolai’s brow arches. “Money? Haven’t you been working with the man for something like fifteen years?”

“I did. Yeah.” I shrug.

“And Charlotte says I can be cold.” He laughs. “What do you know about his sister?”

“Not much.” That I’m willing to tell him anyway. The last time I saw Amelia other than Lucas’ funeral, she was twenty years old and angry as hell at Lucas for making a boy she wanted to date turn her down.

Lucas had been right to get involved. The man in that situation wasn’t worth the dog shit on the pavement. Justbecause he came from money didn’t mean he had anything of value to offer.

She’d ignored me in the office entirely while ranting at him to stay out of her personal life. With her cheeks flushed red and her hands had fisted at her sides, I waited—impatiently—for her to stomp her foot at him.

She wanted to, I could tell, but she managed to tamp down the urge.

I remember being disappointed.

“Didn’t you talk with her at the funeral?” Nikolai prods.

“No. She had a lot to deal with and she hadn’t been told about the arrangement yet.” So instead, I watched her from across the service.

She hadn’t cried. At least not while I was watching her. She kept her back straight, her shoulder rolled back, and her chin thrusted forward as though she were enduring a battle instead of mourning her older brother.

“When are you meeting with her? I assume she’s been told by now.” Nikolai rolls his shoulders back, stretching.

“The attorney was supposed to meet with her yesterday, but I haven’t followed up with him yet.”

His eyes widened. “I don’t understand you, cousin. So, are you going to marry this woman or let her off the hook?”

“Let her off the hook? Why would I do that?” I shake my head a little. “I have to get married eventually, and this arrangement comes with business opportunities.”

“You really are a cold bastard, aren’t you?” Nikolai sighs.

Before I can answer my cousin, the door to my office flies open, bouncing off the wall from the force.

Amelia Moreau barges into my office with her hazel eyes ablaze and her cheeks bright red. From frustration or the slight chill outside, I’m not sure.

Nikolai jumps to his feet and spins to face her.

She takes one look at him, narrows her eyes, then moves on to me.

“You’re Dmitri.” It’s an accusation.

“I am.” I nod slowly, still sitting in my chair. Her fluster, the wild eyes, the windblown chestnut hair, and that clenched jaw have me intrigued.

And hard.

My reaction must not be what she was expecting. With my admission, she seems to relax. Her shoulders drop and she takes a slow breath.

“This is my cousin, Nikolai Romanov. We were in the middle of a meeting.”

She swallows, looks back at Nikolai.

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