She brought out my hair to cover the earrings, but I tucked my hair back behind my ears and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “They can’t be hidden.”
“Just try to make it through the night without losing your temper and beating someone up,” she said with a smile.
“Hey, this is me you’re talking to. I don’t beat people up. I leave that to you.”
A waiter passed by with a tray of canapes. She lifted one and put it into her mouth. “The truffles are amazing,” she said. “And there’s bound to be caviar coming later on. It tastes like shit but make sure to have some for the stories later on.” She grinned at me. “Okay. My work here is done. I gotta go. I still need to get paid for tonight. I’m not working for nothing. Love ya.” With a wave, she turned and disappeared down the hallway.
Seeing Charlotte changed everything. I got my strength. I didn’t feel small or inadequate anymore. I felt strong. It was Charlotte I wanted to emulate, not these shallow people.
I returned to my table, head held high, and saw Yuri. He was already seated, but his eyes were roving the place. I knew he was looking for me.
The MC announced the Prime Minister’s arrival at that moment, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the man who had turned my life upside down. Dashing was a pitiful word.
Dressed in a black tuxedo, his hair was brushed back away from his face in thick effortless waves. Under the bright lights of the room, his skin was like burnished gold. I noticed the ever present and tiny furrow between his brows, but you could only see them by staring too much at him. He was so beautiful. So mysterious. So unreachable. I almost couldn’t believe he had been inside me.
He stood out in the room, unmistakable, incomparable, intimidating…
From afar, he was Mr. Volkov, billionaire extraordinaire. However, to me, he somehow became Yuri, the ravishing brute that seemed to have been created not only to blow my mind but to jumble up my emotional state.
I ran my gaze down his clothes. Underneath was the sculptured chest I had trailed kisses down countless of times, and thick biceps built with raw primal strength I had dug my nails into. My gaze went back up to my second favorite place on his body. No prizes for guessing what was first on the list. Those lips. I had kissed them feverishly and they had in turn returned the favor on me—everywhere.
I slipped into my seat and smiled politely at the others at our table, but I was so aware of the man beside me I feared that I would jump if he were to even touch me. I wanted to look into his eyes to again see that primal lust which set me ablaze. Was it still there? I took the champagne flute on the table and gulped down the golden liquid until I nearly choked. I covered my mouth as a small cough escaped me. Yuri leaned into me, his body heat automatically frying my brain.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I couldn’t respond. Just gave a nod.
An orchestra performance started to play. It was a full philharmonic orchestra of not less than 60 members. I listened and allowed the heavenly sounds to soothe away my nerves. It worked, so by the time they were finished, my applause was heartfelt.
The night wore on with speeches, most of which I couldn’t fully decipher but it was all for some good or the other, so I applauded in the appropriate place. Food arrived and I played with it until expressionless waiters came to clear my plate.
Eventually, it was time to dance. Both Yuri and I stayed in our seats. People came to speak to him, but he seemed to cut off conversations quickly.
When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I turned to him. “Where’s Yulia?”
His response was simple, “She’s not here.”
“You told me that she would be,” I said.
“I’m allowed to change my mind.”
“She was never supposed to come, was she?”
He looked deep into my eyes. “No.”
We both went quiet. Just then, someone came up to me and when I looked up, I saw that it was the young woman who’d come in with my mother. I didn’t know who she was. Maybe she was my sister? I felt sad suddenly. She didn’t even know she was my sister, but even worse, if she did, she would have been horrified to have a nanny for a sister.
“Could I whisper something in your ear?” she asked, her smile bright.
I nodded.
“My mother said that she already spoke to you in the bathroom and you understood. I would like to sit beside Yuri.”
It took a moment for it to sink in. And it was unbearably painful. My mother knew who I was. She had recognized me. Otherwise, she would never have dared to ask me to give up the opportunity of a lifetime for a stranger.