“Queens,” he told me.
I laughed gaily as he twirled me about some more. “This is turning into a damn cotillion set!”
He laughed with me, “You are a born natural.”
He did something fancy with his legs and went down on one knee, balancing me precariously on his bended thigh and raising me high in a wide showy arc with his hands. I didn’t realize everyone was watching us now until they began to applaud.
Alexander deposited me back onto my feet with a charming grin on his face as he did so. “You really are a natural,” he said.
I saw Nick watching us, his face blank and expressionless and I jerked my gaze from his. “I would like to have some snacks now,” I told Alexander.
As he led me towards the refreshments, I didn’t have to turn around to feel Nick’s dagger glances digging into my back.
Alexander plucked a fat, ripe strawberry from a plate and held it to my lips, his eyes promising sensual delights and deliciously wicked treats.
“Open up,” he coaxed, rubbing the strawberry against my lips.
I looked at him, my heart thudding in my chest. Handsome as he was, I wasn’t attracted to Alexander and I only intended to use him to pay Nick back for his perfidy. But he did seem to be taking things a little too far.
“I—” I started, but my words were interrupted when Alexander used the opportunity of my partly open lips to push the strawberry into my mouth.
“Now chew, my pretty. Don’t worry, he will only get angrier if you seem to be enjoying my attentions,” he said, mischief lighting his eyes.
My mouth fell open. “You. you—” I sputtered.
“Of course I knew. It’s in your eyes when you look at him, how much you love him and how much you’re hurting. Plus I overheard what that old biddy said to you before you went out on that balcony. Now tell me, what did you see?”
I swallowed, my throat closing with anger as I recalled once more how that blonde bimbo had wrapped her hands around Nick and held him while they kissed.
“I hate you,” I whispered, laughing up at him.
“Indeed. If your intention is to make Nick jealous, then I’m just the man for it.”
“Why are you helping me?” I asked, chewing on the strawberry in my mouth.
“Oh lots of things; sibling rivalry, fun.”
“Fun?” I repeated incredulously.
His blue-green eyes twinkled at me. “Of course. Nick is so smooth with the ladies it’s really fun seeing one take him down a few pegs.”
“Mm. Well his torture has probably gone on long enough. Don’t you think?” I asked.
Alexander nodded. “It was great meeting you, Oksana. You’re good for him.”
I nodded and turned to walk away but he detained me with a hand on my arm. “For what it’s worth, Oksana, Nick would never cheat on you. He’s too honorable and from the way he’s crowing so loudly about you he obviously loves you.”
“Thank you,” I said sincerely.
I watched as he walked away and then an achingly familiar voice said in my ear, “Dance with me?”
I stiffened, all my anger returning as I faced forward. If I looked at him, I would probably slug his handsome face.
“Or do you prefer my cousin?”
“Why don’t you ask your blonde friend to dance?” I spat, my voice low and vicious and trembling with wrath.
“Blonde friend?” he asked, doing a double-take. “You mean Gina?”
I rounded on him, the sound of her name driving me half-crazy with anger. “Who cares what her name is? I saw you kissing her!”
“Then you’re probably seeing things because she kissed me!”
My hand swung, the sound loud and sharp as it drew every eye towards us.
Nick’s face darkened with anger as red welts appeared where my hand had struck. “I’m sure you didn’t mean that, Oksana. But obviously, you’ve had enough of me for one night. I’ll take you home,” he added through clenched teeth as he grabbed my arm.
I glared right back at him as I wrenched my hand away from his grasp. “I can damn well find my own way back, thank you very much!”
I spun on my heel and strode from the room, every nerve in my body alive with angry energy as I left.
* * *
“That was ill-advised, Oksana. You shouldn’t have hit him,” my mother said, shaking her head in reproof.
“I know,” I said, dropping my head down.
“Then why did you do it?” she asked, her gaze trained on me as she carried her coffee cup to her lips.
We were sitting in my kitchen and it had been two days since I saw Nick or heard from him. My mother had come back from her honeymoon and come straight to see me which was just as well because I really needed company right now.
“I was angry. Plus he deserved it.”
“Did he now? I never raised you to be violent,” she reminded me reprovingly.
I shut my eyes in sorrow. “No you didn’t. I’m sorry.
My mom’s hands quickly covered mine. “I know, baby. Have you tried telling that to Nick though?”
“No I haven’t. I miss him,” I admitted wearily.
“Then why haven’t you called him yet?”
“I don’t know,” I said pouting.
“I’ve never known you to hesitate,” she said, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You always go after what you want.”
“I love him,” I admitted plaintively.
A beaming smile broke out across her face. “That’s not exactly news, Oksana. It’s plain as the nose on my face.”
That was my mother. Sometimes she spoke such old English it was a wonder she didn’t have cobwebs on her hair and knitting in her hands with an old Victorian bonnet on her head.
“Mom, I—”
A loud knock sounded at the door. “I’ll get it,” I said and my mum subsided into her seat.
“Coming,” I yelled towards the door.
I opened the door and gaped in disbelief. Nick was standing on my door bearing a bouquet of roses.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, the words flying to my lips unbidden.
“I would have been at your doorstep first thing yesterday but I was on call all day and all night.”
“What do you want?” I asked now, my eyes hungrily drinking in the sight of him.
He looked at me gravely. “I’m sorry you had to see Gina kiss me. But I swear, there’s nothing going on between us.”
“Who is she?” I asked through dry lips.
“We dated in medical school. Long ago,” he replied.
“And now?” I demanded.
“I’m not certain why my grandmother seems bent on shoving her down my throat. Nothing for you to worry about though,” he added with a roguish grin that reminded me of Alexander.
“Why not?”
He looked at me as though it should be obvious. “Because I love you, Oksana. Only you.”
I stared into his eyes, unable to believe my ears. He loved me?
He must have read the surprise on my face because he repeated, “I love you, Oksana Davies.”
With a cry of joy I flung myself into his arms, crushing the tender buds of the flowers between us as I peppered his face with several kisses.
Oksana Davies
“Ms. Davies? There’s a gentleman here to see you,” my new secretary chirped over the intercom.
“Who is he?” I asked, my gaze trained on the documents I was drafting on my laptop.
“He won’t say,” she replied. “But he acts like I should know him. He had about three dozen roses,” she repeated in a hushed voice.
Yeah, three dozen roses was fast turning into Nick’s trademark. “Send him in.”
The door swung open almost immediately and I smirked without looking up from my laptop, “Couldn’t stay away huh?”
“No, Oksana, I couldn’t.”
That was the last voice I expected to hear. My head jerked up in shock; it was Jake! My eyes rounded with surprise that I
couldn’t hide; what in the blue blazes was he doing here?
“What—What are you doing here?” I got out.
He looked away, licked his lips nervously and then looked back at me, a tortured expression on his face, “I got these flowers for you, Oksana.”
I leaned back, rolling a pen around in my hands. “I see. Whatever for?”
He heaved a sigh and slowly deposited the flowers onto the coffee table as he sank uninvited onto the seat in front of me.
“I made a mistake, okay? Please. I’m sorry,” he said reaching across my desk to grasp my hands.
I jerked my hands away. “You have some damn nerve,” I snarled.
“I was an idiot.”
“Yes you were, but you’re an idiot who’s better off without me.”
“How can you say that?” he asked in clear consternation.
“Because, Jake, I still have baby rabies,” I informed him dryly.
His face was ashen. Good.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I am so sorry, Oksana. Please, baby, forgive me.”
My gaze jerked away from his to the three dozen roses currently dwarfing my coffee table and the lawyer in me shot another question at him, one that had been nagging at me since Jake walked in the door.
“Why three dozen roses?” I demanded.
“Why not? I had wanted to do something nice for you,” he said, tugging at his earlobe.
That was a lie; he had obviously been at the courthouse the last time I received three dozen roses from Nick.
“Mm. I hate to break this to you, Jake, but you’re a horrible liar with a million tells. I’ll ask you for the last time, why three dozen roses? Lie to me one more time and I’ll call security and have you thrown out.”
He looked at me. “You’ve changed. Gotten even tougher.”
I didn’t bother to dignify that with a response.
“What do you want?” I asked instead.
“I want you, Oksana. I regret everything I said to you, and I know I hurt you. But please, take me back.”
“Straight to the point. I like it,” I mocked, leaning back in my seat.
“I should never have broken up with you. I have regretted it every day since and I’m back, if you’ll have me.”
“I’m not a dog, Jake. I don’t go back to my own vomit,” I whispered. “Now get out.”
He rose to his feet, his expression grave, “I deserve that. But please, think about it.”
“I’ve moved on,” I said slowly, holding his gaze.
His expression fell, looked ashen and then he straightened and said, “I know. I just want you to know that I’m sorry and I’m here. And I don’t care if you love someone else. I love you, now and always.”
I didn’t respond, just stared at him, my gaze direct, unblinking and distinctly bored.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked.
I still didn’t respond, just continued to stare him down. In a fit of frustration, he slammed his fist into his palm before jerking the door open and slamming it behind him—hard!
I rolled my eyes; typical. Jake always threw a tantrum when he didn’t get his own way and I couldn’t quite be certain how I had managed to remain with him for so long.
The door shoved open again and Jake poked his head around the door as he snarled, “And don’t be thinking your new guy would stay with a woman who couldn’t have kids!”
Then he slammed it again.
I looked at the closed door again and two words came to mind: good riddance!
At dinner the next night, I was still distracted, my thoughts returning occasionally to Jake and his last parting shot. I loved Nick and he loved me but sometimes I could have sworn I saw some wistful longing in his eyes.
“Is something bothering you tonight, honey?” Nick asked now, his hand reaching out to cover mine on the tabletop.
We were dining at an exclusive restaurant complete with red tablecloths and tuxedoed waiters. The ambience was romantic with understated elegance and smooth sophistication. The waiters all seemed to know Nick by name and his tastes in wine were ‘divine’ as the maîtred’ kept declaring.
He was so handsome tonight, in his navy sports coat, conservative tie, and cream colored pants. His hair fell rakishly over one eye, lending him an even more appealing air.
“No, I’m fine.”
He stared intently into my eyes, assessing the truth of the statement. Then he said gruffly, “Do you like the food and wine?”
“They’re divine,” I said deliberately mimicking the waiter’s tone.
He laughed as I had intended for him to do, the sound warm and velvety. “I suppose they are. How was work?”
“Work was… work,” I said evasively.
He regarded me astutely. “Something happen?”
“Oh the usual. Two cancelled appointments, three new clients.”
“In a day?” he interrupted.
I nodded, laughing.
“Damn, I gotta get into law,” he teased.
“I guess I’m just good at what I do,” I murmured. “Hence the referrals.”
“That’s one of the things I love about you, you’re smart as hell. That brain you’ve got there is seriously sexy.”
I stared at him; if I hadn’t already been impossibly in love with him, I would have slid helplessly in love right there and then. It’s one thing when someone compliments your looks; it’s quite another when they compliment your brains. I’m one of those women for whom compliments to my intelligence work far better than anything else.
Nick took in my pleased look and he laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t know how I got so lucky that it was my hospital you walked into that day.”
Now that was the sort of thing that turned a woman’s head.
I didn’t realize I had spoken aloud, until Nick said, “But it’s also true.”
We finished our meal in companionable silence and as we rose to leave, a little girl ran across the restaurant and flung herself against Nick, her little hands wrapping around his long legs as she giggled, “Daddy.”
Nick grinned, bending down to immediately swing her up into his arms, “I’m not your Daddy, honey-bunny. You’re a cute little girl. Anyone missing a kid?” he asked, raising his voice as he looked around the room.
A woman at the end of the room sitting with about six other ladies signaled and rose to her feet laughing as she said chidingly, “Ella, how did you get all the way across the room? Every tall man isn’t your Daddy, honey,” she scolded as she came hurrying up to us to get her daughter off our hands.
“It’s alright, ma’am. She didn’t cause any trouble. She’s just tired and she’s a little girl,” Nick said as he gently pecked the top of the little girl’s head before returning her to her mother’s arms.
“Thank you both,” the young mother said before turning to leave with her daughter.
Nick watched them leave, an indescribable expression on his face. As his gaze rested on the little girl’s face, she waved bye-bye with all the enthusiasm common to children her age. Nick’s hand lifted in return but the expression on his face tore my heart to shreds; it was one of naked longing.
* * *
“I need a drink,” my best friend Adanna laughed as she emptied the contents of her wineglass down her throat in one gulp.
I rolled my eyes at her. Adanna could drink like a fish; she did drink like a fish but what was staggering was that no matter how much liquor she consumed she was always stone cold sober. We had been friends since we were kids but I had still not been able to figure out that part of her to date.
She was extremely beautiful with a keen eye for fashion and when she had started business as a designer of her own haute couture line, no one had been surprised. She was doing very well too, setting the fashion world on its ear with her bold, unconventional designs. Most of her pieces were made of colorful African fabric and sewn in such eye-catching and unique styles that people frequently bought up her designs months in advance
before they even hit the shelves.
She was slim with ebony-black skin that glowed with good health and a little extra, close cropped curly hair, expressive large brown eyes, model cheekbones and long supple legs up to her armpits. She could very easily model any of her designs in my opinion and I frequently tried to get her to do that rather than spending a fortune on models with less… presence than herself.
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