Her body was warm and he stared at her all flushed and aroused and he was tempted to put scruples on ice as, bold now, she made her move.
‘We could go back to the hotel.’ Oh, my God, Alina couldn’t believe she’d just said it, but she had, she had and she meant every word.
‘Alina,’ Demyan cut in—he could be very blunt when he needed to be. ‘I’m not going to be here for long.’
‘I know that.’
‘I shall be leaving Australia soon and I have no intention of ever coming back.’
Okay, a little too direct at times but it was necessary because he could see the wrestle in her eyes as she made peace with that.
‘I get that.’
‘Alina, I’m not someone that you should be cutting your teeth on.’ He saw her blush when she didn’t need to. He was simply telling her the truth, he was bad, he had no soul and he never looked back. ‘Back to business on Monday.’
He walked her to the car and although usually he’d walk off, this time he actually climbed in.
‘You are not to let me out of this car,’ Demyan said in Russian to Boris. ‘My order is to make sure she gets safely home. Alone.’
‘What did you say to him?’
‘To avert his eyes.’
He forgot he loathed kissing and Alina forgot her own address as he kissed her all the way home. Indecent kisses and not just from Demyan, her mouth telling his what she wanted now.
‘You,’ Demyan said to her as Boris tapped on the window, ‘are amazing, and way too good for me.’
He turned it all around, he turned her whole word around.
‘You’re having a party?’ He frowned at the music.
‘My flatmate’s having a party.’
It offered them an excuse to go back to the hotel.
He resisted.
‘Bed,’ Demyan said. ‘Alone and safe from this wolf. Consider it forgotten by Monday.’
She’d never forget.
Alina stepped in and closed the door. She was a little high from a very nice kiss, a little confused from a very unexpected night, and then, as she headed to the relative quiet of her room and checked her phone to see if her father had made contact...
...more than a little devastated.
CHAPTER FIVE
DEMYAN WASN’T IN the best of moods on Monday because he still could not get hold of Roman.
Nadia blocked his attempts to meet with his son at every turn.
‘Did you meet with the estate agents?’ Demyan asked Alina.
‘Just one,’ Alina said.
‘One?’
‘I didn’t get past the receptionists with the others.’ Demyan held in a very irritated sigh. Why hadn’t she just insisted?
‘What did the one you did see say?’
‘She gave me a brochure and said that at the prices I was discussing everything was negotiable.’ Alina looked at him and he could see her blotchy, swollen eyes and he was arrogant enough to assume that he was the cause of them.
He wanted to get up from his desk and shake her and tell her not to wear her heart on her sleeve.
Give that girl a shot of confidence, he felt like shouting to the bar, except it was just the two of them here and it didn’t make proper sense, because she’d had plenty of confidence the other night.
No. Demyan refused to think about the other night.
‘I think Libby, the agent, thought I was a bit mad,’ Alina said, and he tried not to smile. ‘That you were my imaginary boss.’
‘Call her,’ Demyan said. ‘On speaker.’
Alina did so and she could picture Libby’s tight smile when she was put through.
‘Ah, Alina, how are you?’
‘Very well,’ Alina said. ‘My boss has a few more questions.’
‘Such as?’
It was Demyan who answered. ‘How many clients you have on your books that would be looking in that price range.’
There was a very long pause. ‘Several?’
‘How many?’
‘Two, possibly three, though that’s before I put out feelers.’
‘Names?’ Demyan said.
‘Not at this stage.’
‘One name,’ Demyan pushed, and there was a long hesitation.
‘Not at this stage.’
‘Alina will call you back.’ He clicked off the phone.
Alina did call her back but not till five o’clock, and Libby answered her phone on first ring. When Alina confirmed that, yes, she was speaking about Demyan Zukov she suddenly found herself with a new best friend, and the next afternoon she showed Libby around the penthouse and they discussed what they could do to enhance perfection.
Alina was loving this part. Being a PA had been more her mother’s vision than hers. She was never going to make much selling her artwork, but it felt good to be using that part of her brain again—working with colours, adding details that possibly didn’t matter but which to Alina mattered a lot.
As for Roman’s room...
‘God!’ Libby came up behind her. ‘Did the cleaners miss this?’
‘It’s to stay like that.’ Alina borrowed Demyan’s words. ‘If a guitar on the floor and a few chewing-gum wrappers are going to dissuade anyone, then they are not serious about buying.’
‘Can I bring someone through on Saturday?’
‘Someone?’
Even Alina blinked when Libby said a very famous couple’s name. ‘They’re in Australia now but only till Sunday.’
‘I’ll check,’ Alina said.
The door to Demyan’s bedroom was closed when she returned to the hotel and, glancing at her phone, Alina realised she had missed a text from him, telling her to book him in to see his dentist tomorrow.
She wanted to knock so badly.
More than that, she wanted to go in and it had nothing to do with finding out his dentist of choice!
Instead, she called Marianna. It was the early hours of the morning in the States.
‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Why?’ Marianna said, because she was far more used to Demyan’s strange world than Alina was.
‘I’m to book Demyan in for the dentist tomorrow. He just didn’t specify which one.’
Marianna actually laughed. ‘Of course he didn’t.’
It was the most ridiculous conversation of her life but Demyan had meant what he’d said that first day and did not want to be bothered with minor details.
‘Dr Emerson.’ Marianna gave her the number, not the number of the receptionist but Dr Emerson’s number. ‘Oh, and Demyan will want to be seen at eight a.m.’
‘Thanks.’ Alina called the number and got voicemail, and she smiled just a little to herself as she wielded some of Demyan’s power. ‘This is Demyan’s PA, Alina. I’d like to make an appointment for him tomorrow at eight—a.m.,’ she added, because Demyan could no doubt have both. ‘If you can confirm, that would be great.’
He called to confirm two minutes later and Alina sent Demyan an email to bring him up to speed before she went home, though she’d have loved to linger.
She wanted to be behind that bedroom door and loathed that tonight someone else might be.
She could not stand that thought.
* * *
Demyan woke close to midnight.
His mind was black.
He felt like ringing Nadia or his lawyer and demanding to know the location of his son.
If he was his son.
Demyan dragged in air, but it did not calm him.
He picked up the phone to call Nadia, but what purpose would that serve? Maybe he should just go around there, but wouldn’t Nadia just love that.
She was probably half hoping for it, baiting him to do
just that.
Sex with your ex or a night in a cell for breaking her door down? Your choice, Demyan.
He might head to a casino.
He walked out to pour a drink and checked his email and saw, amongst many, that there was one from Alina.
He opened hers first.
I hope you had a nice rest.
Demyan found himself smiling and then raised his eyes as he read on because it would seem he had European royalty visiting his house at the weekend.
Go, Alina!
Libby agrees that the main bedroom is too masculine. I have a large watercolour painting that would look very nice on the main wall opposite your bed. It is too big for my apartment and lives in the wardrobe. I’ll bring it in tomorrow, but please don’t worry if you don’t like it, I shan’t be offended in the least. The colours are nice, that’s all...
Demyan blinked as he read on—it was a magnum opus of an email.
I was thinking about Roman’s bedroom. Again, please don’t be offended, I might not be being very sensitive or politically correct. Why don’t I take a photo of it with my phone, tidy it up and then put it all back, exactly as it was?
I have made you an appointment for the dentist tomorrow at eight a.m.!
Demyan didn’t understand the exclamation mark and was pondering it as he replied.
Saturday is fine for the inspection.
I don’t need to see the painting—whatever you think.
As for Roman’s room...
Demyan hesitated, just sat there for a very long moment and then resumed writing.
...I am not offended at your suggestion. However, my mother said that if you touched the room before the other reached their destination, planes would fall from the sky, the earth would crack open and disaster would be wreaked so it is probably better to leave it as is.
Demyan.
Instead of the casino he headed for bed and lay there for a very long time, remembering the confusion of his childhood and the terrifying rituals his mother kept changing while insisting that they were adhered to. There could be no empty bottles on the table, no half-filled glasses were allowed either...
Just an endless circle of rituals, and for what? It had changed nothing anyway.
His mother had ended up in hell.
He got up and sent a further email, now, before he changed his mind. It was ridiculous to be selling his home and not tidying the bedroom.
Alina, do whatever you think best with Roman’s bedroom.
Then he lay on the bed and thought about her and wondered if she’d think it strange to get two conflicting emails.
Tough, Demyan thought, heading back to the computer, she was going to get three.
Just don’t tell me if you do.
PS Why didn’t you like high school?
CHAPTER SIX
‘THERE WERE GOOD times, Demyan.’
Just back from the dentist, Demyan hadn’t even taken his jacket off and he closed his eyes to Nadia’s voice and then opened them to Alina, who was pretending to concentrate on something—though it didn’t matter anyway as they were speaking in Russian. ‘I can’t remember any,’ Demyan said.
He glanced at his computer and read the email Alina had sent him.
Okay, I will sort out the paintings and a few cushions and things.
Alina
PS I was always hungry.
It was sweet, unlike the buzzing of Nadia in his ear, and the dentist’s anaesthetic was starting to wear off.
‘Demyan,’ Nadia persisted
‘What the hell do you want?’
‘Our family together.’
‘Given what you told me, I don’t know if I have one.’
‘Demyan, please, I just said that in an argument.’
‘No, because I don’t argue with you, Nadia. And the reason I don’t argue is because I don’t care about you enough to enter a debate.’
‘Please, just think about it. I’m not asking for for ever. I just want us together...’
His head hurt from speaking in Russian, when it used to be the other way round.
As he terminated the call, Alina blinked.
She’d learnt a couple of Russian swear words working with Demyan. He glanced over at her pink cheeks.
This time it didn’t sit right with him that she had heard that. There was a part of him that wanted to explain, except, he reminded himself, he chose not to explain himself to anyone.
Yet when Alina got up and headed to the butler’s kitchen he could still feel her displeasure so he sent her a text.
You shouldn’t have had to hear that.
He headed to his room, closed the door and lay on the bed and waited for her text.
Perhaps you’re saying sorry to the wrong person?
No, Demyan texted back.
I am not sorry for what I said. The first text was correct.
He closed his eyes, again waiting for her response, planning his.
Getting hard.
God, but he loved the chase. He picked up his phone; she still hadn’t answered him.
Alina was, in fact, speaking with Marianna. Now the world knew Demyan was in Sydney the invitations were coming in thick and fast and Marianna and Alina were going through them.
‘Demyan still hasn’t given a response to the new casino for their opening night. They really want him, especially now that they know he’s here. Just prompt him.’
‘I will,’ Alina said.
They actually worked quite well together. Marianna had taken one look at Alina on a video call and decided there was nothing to worry about, and Alina had taken one look at Marianna and wanted to be her.
‘This one it’s probably best to run by him before turning it down,’ Marianna said, and Alina blinked.
‘A mental health–awareness charity dinner?’ That was one Alina would have ticked no to. ‘I didn’t realise Demyan supported—’
‘Royalty are attending,’ Marianna broke in. ‘The guest list is like a who’s who .’
Of course, Alina reminded herself as Marianna continued, it would be about networking, her boss didn’t have a social conscience.
‘I declined for him a couple of months ago, explaining he wouldn’t be in Australia at that time, but, of course, they’ve heard that he’s back and are only too eager to have him attend. It’s tonight.’
‘I’ll tell him as soon as he gets up,’ Alina said before saying goodbye. ‘Oh, and I’m sorry for calling so late about the dentist.’
‘As I said, no problem.’
‘Why doesn’t he call the bloody dentist himself?’ Alina grumbled, assuming Demyan was still in his room, and Marianna laughed and signed off.
‘Ah, so it was a passive-aggressive exclamation mark.’ Demyan’s voice from behind her had Alina nearly shoot out of her skin.
‘It was,’ she admitted, and there was no choice but to laugh.
‘If I had the time to do things like book the dentist...’
‘I know, I know.’ Alina put her hands up. ‘Then I wouldn’t have a job. How was it, by the way?’
‘Why do people even ask how the dentist was?’ Demyan scowled. ‘I’m going to bed.’
With Demyan back in his room Alina took a few minutes to search for her father’s profile again.
Since Friday night she hadn’t been able to find it.
Maybe her father was just overwhelmed, Alina told herself.
Perhaps he hadn’t even got her request; maybe he’d just decided to take his profile down and she had nothing to do with it?
Alina glanced over at Demyan’s computer, a small swallow in her throat as she wondered if she dared. She listened at his door for a moment and was soothed by the sound of silence.
&
nbsp; She simply had to know.
Alina went to his desk and clicked on an icon. All she had to do was type in her father’s name and—
‘Alina!’ Demyan’s voice made her jump and she scurried to hide the page.
‘I’m just...’
‘Just what?’
Her face was purple, her eyes shining with terror, and, instead of being cross, Demyan was actually bemused. He even tried to ease her horror with a joke.
‘If you want some decent porn then I am sorry to disappoint. I like it on the big screen at home...’
She was almost in tears, Demyan realised. In fact, she was actually crying and desperately trying not to. ‘What were you...?’ he tapped in for browsing history and gave a small shrug when a social networking site came up. Demyan really only used it to check on feedback about his hotels but he knew how it worked all the same.
‘I tried to contact someone and I can’t find their profile on my computer or phone...’ Her voice was shaking. ‘I’m so sorry. I wanted to see if they came up on yours.’
‘Did they?’
‘Yes.’
‘So.’ He shrugged. ‘Someone blocked you. Don’t take it so personally, I block people all the time. And,’ he warned as Alina went to sit at her desk, ‘don’t snoop on my computer again. You could have just asked,’ Demyan said. ‘We could have had a play...’ He hesitated, reminded himself she was off limits, but when he sat down, curious, he clicked on the page and all joking stopped for another reason entirely.
Poor baby! The thought came to him again as he stared at a man who, not just by his surname, was surely related to Alina, and definitely old enough to be her father.
The Only Woman to Defy Him Page 6