The Prelude (A Musical Interlude Novel) - By Kasonndra Leigh Page 0,14
ear too far away with me.”
“Oh, Nikolai, that’s such a sweet thing for you to say,” Adriana gushes.
“Yes, Nikolai, maybe you can give my son a pointer or two on how to keep a woman satisfied outside the bedroom,” Mother chimes in.
I’m about to say something to retaliate, but my heart skips a few beats when the usher leads a group of two men and two women dressed in all black toward a table across the room from ours. Erin Angelo. I straighten up and try to calm my thudding pulse. I’ve had women falling at my feet for as long as I can remember. Hell, I just broke up with one. But Erin has the uncanny ability to take me to a place I’ve never been before. I can feel that about her. And she reminds me of someone I can’t quite place at the moment. Sure, the way we met wasn’t normal, and the way we keep running into each other leaves me with memories I can’t shake, but there’s much more to this thing. It has to be.
Both Nikolai and Adriana follow my gaze over to where she sits with both Martuccio brothers and the mousy-haired girl named Carla who runs behind Erin like a desperate puppy.
“Excuse me,” I say to my family.
“Where are you going, Aleksandr? We’re not done with this discussion,” Mother blurts as I stand up and head over to where the group has been seated.
What will you say to her? You don’t have a reason to crash her dinner party. But I can’t stop myself. It’s like this invisible force has taken over me. I have to speak to her, and I don’t even know why. Maybe that’s not entirely true. There’s something about seeing a woman expose herself in the way it happened with Erin. I am still a red-blooded male. I don’t want to disrespect her with my crude thoughts. She’s worth so much more than that, even if she did flat out refuse my dinner invitation.
About halfway to the table, I experience a change of heart. I stop walking. No one notices me standing there looking like a desperate fool. Something, or rather, someone collides into me from behind. Adriana.
“What are you doing?” I ask her.
“Duh! Following you. Are those the designers? The ones you hired to make the costumes for Nikolai’s dance troupe?” Her face beams with excitement.
“What makes you think they’re designers?”
She rolls her eyes and says, “They’re wearing all black, my dear brother. So am I right?”
“Yes, they’re the ones.” Glancing into Adriana’s face is like looking through a mirror. We have the same features. The only differences being that she’s twenty—three years younger than me—and her eyes are a deep sea blue like many other Russians.
“I want to meet them.” She steps around me and heads over to the table before I can do anything to stop her.
She prances right up to where Luca Martuccio’s sits. ”Hello, I’m Adriana Dostov.” She holds out her hand for him to take. He stands up at once, his gaze locked on my sister’s face. I smirk and hold back a laugh.
“Luca Martuccio,” he answers, looking lovesick and stupid. I steal a glance at Erin whose gaze is locked on me. I shake off the image of her lying on her backside. Instead, I choose to focus on the hot pink scarf she wears. She averts her eyes almost as soon as I turn toward her.
Rafe Martuccio stands and shakes my hand. After I introduce my sister to all of them, we briefly discuss our enthusiasm over our proposed business arrangement. I pretty much have to force Adriana to end her conversation with the younger Martuccio brother who gushes over my baby sister. I remind myself to keep an eye on him in the future. Guys like Luca have mastered the hook, charm, and throw them in the sack move. I would know because I’m one of them.
“Have you considered an answer?” I ask Erin who has kept quiet the entire time. Her eyes briefly scan the others sitting among her group.
“To which question, Sir Maestro?” she answers, smirking. She’s the smart ass type. I love it. “There were a couple of things you asked me about, remember?”
Shit. This is definitely the kind of woman I like, strong and witty. “I have an excellent memory, Ms. Angelo.” Blush rushes into her cheeks. “Do you have the answers to both questions now? Or just the one?”