The Russian's Furious Fiancee Page 0,7
“I don’t need to be teased, sir. I don’t know who you are or what your relationship is with my father, but leave me out of it. If you’re trying to get ahead in my father’s company, good for you. He definitely appreciates an ambitious worker as long as you’re smart to go along with that ambition. But I’m not going to help your advancement by putting in a good word for you with my father, so you might as well stop the act and just move on to better ideas. Maybe stay late at work or something to prove your value would be a better use of your time?”
He smiled at her retort but she couldn’t see it because a group of clouds covered the moon, eliminating her only source of light. The more he talked to her, the more interesting she became. There was just something about her tone, perhaps the sarcasm or the defiance that he rarely encountered. Finding it in a sexy little female was unheard of. “I don’t work for your father.”
That startled her since most of the men her father introduced her to were his vice presidents or had some sort of affiliation with his company. It was one of the main reasons she was so easily able to reject their advances so this man not falling into a well established category just further irritated her. “Well, whatever business deal you’re working with him, I’m not part of it.”
“Family is always part of any business. It cannot be avoided, nor should it be. Family and social connections are what make good partners, add a good faith type of essence to the deal.”
She didn’t agree with him there, thinking that good business should be done with sound logic and business acumen, but she didn’t think she would win an argument with him. “Not in my mind. My father can just go it alone. I’m not for sale.”
“Good to hear. But why do you assume your father is in control in our relationship? Perhaps he is trying to get something from me by offering you up as incentive.”
She snorted. “Sure. My father’s a good businessman and has made a lot of money over the years. You’re a little young to be claiming that you have something my father wants. Save that claim to fame to that horrible Damon Kelopatros or whatever his name is.”
There was an odd hesitation before he said, “I take it you don’t like Mr. Kelopatros?”
She shook her head, wondering about the amusement she heard in his response. “I don’t care one way or another for the man. I’m just saying the old fart is probably the only man my father would sell me to. Not that I’d allow it, mind you.” She stood up and moved towards the path that would take her back to the house when he moved closer. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m done for the night. Enjoy the night air, sir.”
He stopped her by grabbing her arm and pulling her back around. “I want you,” he said, surprised that he wanted her so strongly. This was supposed to be a business deal but he found he was intensely attracted to the woman who apparently disliked him enormously since she was referring to him as an “old fart”. Not the worst name he’d been called, but having it come from his fiancée made it a bit more awkward. Even if she didn’t know she was going to marry him yet.
She wanted to pull her arm out of his grasp, but was afraid he wouldn’t allow it. She ignored the thrill of power and excitement that shifted through her body at his words, and focused on the arrogance and conceit of him. How dare he say something like that when they’d barely spoken and hadn’t even been formally introduced? What gall!
She peered up at him curiously, wishing her heart wasn’t pounding in her ears. “How could you know if you want me or not based solely on this short conversation? And equally intriguing,” she replied with her head cocked to the side, “how arrogant of you to think that simply saying something as offensive as that could make it so. I don’t even know how to respond to something so outrageous.” She continued to glare at him, hoping he could see her anger in the moonlight. “Please release me.” She held herself with as much dignity as possible, but she was shaking inside, the man’s touch making her feel things