more than she’d hated any man before. But unlike the last time she’d been set up ten years ago, there wasn’t a way out. At least, not an obvious one. She was dealing with a much more determined character this time. A force of nature let loose on her Achilles heel. Her grandfather.
‘Three months. Not a day more,’ she reiterated firmly.
‘Yes.’ His Russian accent, which had softened as he’d whispered his terms in her ear, was suddenly very distinctive again.
‘And when do you propose this fake engagement to start?’ That choice of word wasn’t lost on her as she wondered how her brothers and sisters would take the news of her engagement. Especially Allegra, who knew all the sordid details of the prom and why she’d sworn never to get involved with men. How could she tell her it was all for show, that in order to get the bracelet Grandfather so desperately wanted, she was bargaining with her reputation?
She thought again of how tired and worn out Allegra had looked in Geneva and knew that, whatever happened, she couldn’t confide in her. Not now. This was something she would have to face alone.
She looked directly into Liev’s cold grey eyes, determined not to let her unease show.
‘It will start right now.’
LIEV WAS CONVINCED the fiery woman who had just challenged him so passionately hadn’t really agreed to his terms. Not completely. Her dark eyes met and held his defiantly, and he knew she was still trying to figure an alternative way out. Playing for time.
All he needed was to discover why the bracelet was so important, why she would even agree to such a drastic deal for a piece of jewellery. But that wasn’t so urgent now. He needed to set the stage for their engagement and it would have to be convincing.
‘Right now we could certainly pass for lovers who have had a tiff, but you are going to have to do better if we are to convince everyone that we are madly in love and have just got engaged.’
‘Madly in love?’ The surprise in her voice echoed that in her expression.
‘Yes, Bianca, madly in love. That way my acceptance into society is more guaranteed. Do you think you can portray a woman in love?’ He lowered his voice and taunted her mercilessly, enjoying all but whispering in her ear. Her scent filled him, knocking his heightened senses off balance.
‘Don’t worry about that, Mr Dragunov. I’ve spent my life in the limelight. I can act my part.’ Bianca’s words, once again, cut short his runaway thoughts.
He nodded his approval. ‘In that case, you will have no objection to me putting my arm around your shoulders as we leave and, naturally, as we are in love, you will welcome it. You will look happy. Ecstatic. I have, after all, just bought you an expensive gift—and, most importantly, you will call me Liev.’
‘Where are we going?’ For a moment she looked startled and again his conscience snagged on something, but he quickly reminded himself this icy beauty was agreeing to his proposition for a frivolous trinket. Diamonds and emeralds it may be, but it was frivolous nonetheless. She was exactly the kind of woman he despised and there was only one reason for being here with her—the revenge he had to exact on the company her brother now headed. The one that was responsible for his family’s ruin.
He smiled and moved closer in the way a lover would do, pushing back the hurt from the past in order to play his part. He caught the scent of her perfume again and this time inhaled, closing his eyes momentarily, enjoying the scent of summer roses. There were going to be parts to this revenge he would enjoy immensely.
‘First of all, as we leave we will have to pass the press that will most probably have gathered to find out who it was that made such an outrageously high bid on the bracelet. Then we will find a quiet bar to finalise the finer points of our deal.’
‘Don’t worry, Mr Dragunov. I can handle the press.’ Her flippant tone made him smile, admiring the fight that still raged in her.
‘I have every reason to believe you can.’ The slight widening of her eyes, which turned into a deep blue, reminding him of the dark waters of the ocean, suggested she hadn’t thought about the possibility that the press would be outside, despite her bravado. But he had. And he intended this to be the first time they were noticed together as a couple. ‘It will set things up nicely for an engagement announcement.’
‘You’re actually serious about the engagement?’ Incredulity filled her voice.
‘I am nothing if not serious, Bianca.’
The use of her name sent a rush of awareness through him, probably because of the way she drew in a sharp breath, her luscious lips looking ever more kissable. The inconvenient pull of attraction to the woman who was the key to successfully avenging his parents was not something he’d considered. Nor would he do so again. Complete focus was all he needed to maintain. Any other emotion was surplus to requirements—just as it had always been.
‘There is a bar on the next block that will be quiet enough for us to discuss the finer details of our arrangement.’ He took her hand and felt her hesitation as she allowed him to wrap his fingers tightly around it.
‘What about the bracelet?’ So she didn’t trust him.
‘It is quite safe and will remain that way until our arrangement is complete.’ Without further comment, he walked towards the main doors of the auction house. As the door was opened for them, he let her hand go and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her snugly against his body.
It felt good to have her there, where he could feel every step she took and every curve of her body. The flash of the cameras lit up the early evening and satisfaction raced through him. What would make the headlines? The highest bid so far this year at the auction house or Bianca Di Sione out with a Russian billionaire? Either way it suited him. He walked Bianca through the throng and hailed a taxi.
* * *
Bianca quickly got into the back of the car, glad to be out of the glare of the flashlights. Being the focus of press attention wasn’t new for her. She’d been all but hounded by them for as long as she could remember. Such attention certainly hadn’t been courted, but was more something she’d learnt to deal with—and avoid where possible.
She looked at Liev as he got in beside her, still unable to believe what had happened. He calmly gave an address and sat back next to her, seemingly happy that they had been photographed together. Having him so close was distracting and she had to resist the need to slide along the seat, further away from him. Her heart also thumped a little harder, making her feel light-headed. What was the matter with her?
‘So you’ve been photographed as my companion. What’s next, Mr Dragunov? Have you already chosen a fake engagement ring?’ She couldn’t keep the flippant tone from her voice. Was it born out of panic to her reaction to being near him or was it the situation she now found herself in? Her anger rose once more, fired up by her confusion, and together they made a heady cocktail. How could she find a man attractive and hate him at the same time?
‘As a matter of fact, I have.’ He startled her from her thoughts and she looked at him, the golden sunshine of New York’s summer evening playing across the sculpted contours of his face, lending him a dangerous edge. He dominated the very air she breathed as she sat next to him, trying to ignore the tingle of awareness from
