Page 57 of Scarred (Russian Sinners 2)

“Nothing yet. I promise,” he claimed. “I couldn’t even find out her name.”

My phone rang and I answered without looking at who it was.

“Yes,” I was still on the edge.

“Nikolai,” Olivia’s voice reached me and my step slowed down. Her voice, her whole being, soothed me.

“Yes?” I answered.

She took a deep breath as if looking for courage. “I don’t want to go to dinner.” The words rushed out of her like she couldn’t wait to get them off her chest.

“Why not?” I asked calmly although my whole body twitched at her refusal.

“It’s not a good idea,” she started hesitantly.

“Why not?” I repeated my question. She wasn’t really telling me why.

“Because,” she muttered softly over the phone. “Because it is not a good idea.”

“Have you eaten?” I asked her instead since she was unwilling to provide an honest answer.

“No,” she told me in that soft voice of hers. My cock twitched at imagining her soft words as I made her come.

“Then it is settled,” I told her firmly. “We are going to go eat. Nothing more, nothing less.”

I could just imagine her frowning those delicate eyebrows of hers. She kept herself surrounded by walls in her little world, and if I have to, I’d use a jackhammer to get through them. I said I’d give her time but not so she could close herself in. I’d give her time to explore this attraction slowly. She was mine and I was hers.

“Be ready on time,” I told her and hung up before she could say anything else.

I turned my attention back to the situation at hand.

* * *

Two hours later, I waited for her in the foyer. I sent Ilya for her, knowing she would not want to argue with him. Tasha told me she secretly called him the hulk guy, which I found hilarious.

I heard a slight click of heels on the marble floor and I knew she was coming. Not wanting to seem too eager, I waited a few seconds before I lifted my gaze.

She did not disappoint. She wore a creamy white dress that came down to her knees with thin straps and matching shoes. Her fire red hair stood out even more against the creamy dress. Tasha trailed behind her, jumping with excitement while Ilya was in front of Olivia, his face blank. He must have had a hell of a time making her come down.

When Olivia’s eyes narrowed on me, I could clearly see the defiance in them. I smiled inwardly. She was definitely pissed off.

“Doesn’t she look beautiful, Uncle Nikolai?” Tasha exclaimed. “She is wearing Chanel. It is her favorite, she said. Ilya made her mad because she didn’t want to come.”

I tried to keep my face expressionless. Considering the completely blank stare on his face, I think it was safer to say he was probably pissed he had to deal with it. While he appreciated the beauty and warmth of women, he thought they were usually more trouble than they were worth. But the day would come when he'd meet the woman that would change that opinion of his, and I hoped I'd be there to see it.

“Ok, Tasha. Get to bed on time and don’t give Andrey or Ilya a hard time. Ilya had a rough day already,” I told my niece, and Ilya’s dead stare confirmed it.

I turned to Olivia and motioned with my hand, “Ready?”

“No,” she gritted through her clenched teeth.

“Yes… you’re ready,” I teased her playfully and motioned again for her to proceed. She walked by me with her back stiff and I followed closely behind her. I had to hinder my smile at her subtle rebellion. I loved the rebel in her and wanted to see more of it.

She stopped abruptly and turned around.

“Good night, Tasha,” she told her softly and my niece ran to give her a hug. Olivia hunched over and returned it. That was probably why my niece loved her. No matter how mad Olivia was, she still made sure she was considerate to my little niece. She murmured something into Tasha’s ear before leaving.

We got in the back of the Range Rover, and as soon as the driver put the car into drive, I closed the divider between us for privacy. Olivia scooted another few inches away from me, and I swore another inch, she’d be one with the door.

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