Page 7 of Defiled Innocence

“Yes.” She cranes her neck to see me and her frown deepens. “I’ll be done here shortly then I’ll head right over. Thirty minutes, I think.”

After another short conversation regarding legal documents, she hangs up and takes another calming breath. When she turns all the way back to me, she’s steady again. Her shoulders are rolled back, her chin thrust forward as before.

“I don’t have time for a long discussion. I’m not sure what happened or why my brother lost his mind before he put that stupid stipulation in his will.”

“The last time I saw Lucas he was very much his usual self.” I fold my arms over my chest.

The inheritance clause in his will was a little surprising. For many reasons, but at the moment none of it matters. I want to see her blush again, and the more annoyed she gets, the redder her cheeks become.

She huffs. “I don’t even know why Lucas would know you, at least not closely. Why would he even think that someone like you?—”

“Someone like me?” I cock my head to the side. “What does that mean exactly?” I thicken my accent as I question her. “Is it because I’m Russian? I was born there, but I have lived in this country for many years now.”

“What? No.” She shakes her head. “I mean a man of your… well, what you do.”

“I own this club,” I answer, enjoying the way her eyes widen.

Her lips are nearly white as she pinches them together while eyeballing me. She’s unsure how to deal with me.

“I understand Lucas had some sort of business with you. I’m not sure what it was exactly, but we can sort it out later. You have to see how insane it is for my brother to arrange a marriage on my behalf.”

A ghost of a smile touches her lips as she waits for me to agree with her.

Except I don’t. “It happens all the time, arranged marriages.”

“It’s barbaric.” The hint of a smile is gone, and a fierce, hardened expression replaces it.

Before I can answer, her phone rings again. Her annoyance switches from me to the screen, but she accepts the call. Once again, her back is to me and she’s muttering into the phone.

I approach her, taking in the soft smell of lilacs as I get closer to her and reach for her cell phone.

“Sarah, I’ll be back as soon as I—” Her words cut off as I slip the phone from her grasp. She spins around, mouth dropped open in shock and fire burning even brighter in her eyes.

I put the phone to my ear.

“Sarah, Amelia will return to the office within the hour. She’s unavailable until then.” I end the call without waiting for an acknowledgment.

“You took my phone.” The words are barely above a whisper as she stares at the device cradled in my palm.

“I did.”

“Give it back.”

“Not until we get a few things straight,moyo dikoye plamya.”

Amelia

He’s an absolute caveman!

With his squared jaw covered in a salt and pepper beard, the neatly combed lush hair brushed away from his face, and the dark brown eyes filled with storm clouds, he gives off the impression of a modern businessman.

But he’s stuck in the stone age.

“Yes.” I nod. “Let’s get a few things straight.”

I take a step toward him, expecting him to retreat a step, but he doesn’t move, and I end up stepping on his shoe.

His left eyebrow peaks, and he looks down where my ballet flat-covered foot presses against his highly polished, probably tailor-made Oxford.

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