Page 7 of Disgraced (Russian Sinners 3)

Was it overboard? Yes, a tad bit. But I was in the habit of protecting what was mine. And she was mine. She just didn’t know it yet.

“Scarlett, let’s go.” A woman’s voice had both of us raising our heads. They were her friends, I recognized. The redhead that called her was watching her with a raised eyebrow while the other young woman never even looked up, focused on a little travel guide in her hand.

They definitely stood out as tourists, I smiled inwardly.

“I got it,” the other woman exclaimed victoriously. “It is five blocks away, south of here.”

She raised her head, a beaming smile on her face. She was beautiful too, with her green eyes and dark hair. All three of them were beautiful women but Scarlett was the only one that mattered to me.

“C’mon, Scarlett,” the redheaded woman rolled her eyes, “stop swooning. Let’s go.”

I had to stifle my satisfied smile. Or was it smug? Either way, I was glad her friend thought she was swooning over me. Today had turned so much brighter and better. I had run into my fiancé, and didn’t even have to stalk her. Although she didn’t know I was her intended. But no matter, I’d sweep her into my arms.

Scarlett groaned next to me.

“Those two are going to kill me with all the sightseeing,” she muttered under her breath.

I chuckled, and her lightly flushed face turned back facing me.

“Sorry for crashing into you,” she added apologetically. “Gotta go. Another torturous sightseeing day on the agenda.”

Without thinking twice, I spoke, “You could take a raincheck and have dinner with me.”

Her dark eyes flashed with surprise and excitement. Yes, this young woman was adventurous for sure. She’d keep me on my toes once we were married.

She curved her full lips into a smile, then answered in a soft, teasing voice, “Maybe on dinner.”

I liked her playfulness. There was something alluring within her. In a weird way, her easygoing, soft voice calmed me.

I wasn’t willing to give up. If I was anything, it was relentless when it came to what I wanted. And I wanted Scarlett O’Brady. Her father and I had a deal, but suddenly, it was important to me that she liked me and wanted me. Damn it, it was like I reverted back to being a damn teenager.

“I’ll wait for you down here at seven p.m.,” I told her.

Her soft chuckle was like music to my ears.

She briskly walked to her friends’ side, my eyes glued to her back. She glanced over her shoulder and caught me staring after her, instantly blushing harder. I smiled wider, and I’d be a liar if I would pretend I wasn’t ecstatic about the turn of events today.

“C’mon ladies,” a guy joined their group. From the information I got, he was their security protection. All the information I got was solely focused on Scarlett so I didn’t know much of anything else about her travel group. “Let’s try not to get in trouble today.”

“Brian,” Scarlett beamed at him, and I hated the guy already. “We never get in trouble.”

Scarlett joined her friends and their bodyguard. I wondered if that was the bodyguard provided by her father, although he didn’t quite seem the type that O’Brady would assign. All three women started chatting, one of them pointing to her guide book, then all three of their heads came together. I wondered what they were studying there to need all three of their attention.

I forced my eyes away from Scarlett to her friends. Each one of the women were pretty in their own way. But to me, Scarlett was the gem among the three. My eyes gravitated back to her, noting she was again wearing a light, peach colored summer dress. When I saw her back at her father’s house, she wore a dress too. Although this one was longer than the one she wore last time I saw her.

I headed for the exit of the lobby. I still had work to handle although I intended to be back here at seven p.m. Would Scarlett meet me?

At the lobby door, I looked back one more time to my future wife, and caught her curious eyes on me. Realizing she was caught, she blushed again and quickly averted her gaze.

Yes, she would meet me.

That meant, I better handle business fast today because I had no intention of being late. I stepped outside where my driver waited and entered my car. As I waited for the driver to go around the car, Scarlett and her friends came out through the same door I just had.

All three of them were laughing, and speaking vividly, ignoring everyone around them. Neither one of them noticed me, nor anyone else that was looking at them. Whatever her redhead friend said had Scarlett throwing her head back and laughing out loud. They seemed close; they must have been to spend the entire summer together. But sometimes appearances could be deceiving.

A possession hit me unexpectedly, seeing her wrap her arms around both her friends and laugh. I wanted her hands on me and her laughter only for myself.

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