Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
He is suspicious and fishing, so I give him a wolfish smile. “Oh, stories tend to exaggerate, do they not? The truth is, I’ve been far too busy winning the bid for the redevelopment of the Northgate parcel to do much else.”
“Winning, eh?” He flashes an easy smile at a passing woman in a tight, sequined dress. “Last I heard, you were still in the running. Aren’t you counting your chickens before they hatch?”
“It’s only a matter of time.”
That is a fact, and the slight rise of the man’s eyebrows tells me he believes me.
“Holy shit.”
An unusual expression crosses the DA’s face, his eyes fixed on a point across the large room. His mouth lifts, his tongue sweeps his bottom lip, and something almost predatory flashes in his gaze.
Curious about what has caught the man’s attention, I follow his line of sight to a vision in flowing red, drawing the eyes of nearly everyone she passes as she slips through the crowd.
My breath catches, and for a moment I can’t breathe. I’m uncharacteristically caught off guard, frozen, and I can only stare at the woman approaching me.
“Who the hell is that?” I dimly hear the DA’s appreciative question.
My mind takes a moment to realize what my heart already knows. The woman is Eva.
She’s dressed in an incredible red gown that stands out among the darker blues, purples, and blacks the rest of the crowd wears, like a beacon on a foggy night. The color makes her olive skin glow, the deep plunge of the neckline showing just enough to hint at what’s underneath without revealing too much. The full skirt swells and flows as she floats across the floor to me, her dark hair in a long, sleek ponytail cascading over one slim shoulder.
Her dark brown eyes, rimmed in smoky black, meet mine, and I’m suddenly on fire from the inside out.
Dmitri told me Eva would knock my socks off, but I wasn’t prepared for this. From the corner of my eye, I see the DA’s gaze lock on Eva as she comes closer, and possessiveness joins the fire.
The DA thinks Eva is approaching him, so he steps forward, his hand held out in welcome. Yet her dark eyes merely slide his way before finding my gaze again, her full lips curving into the sexiest smile I’ve ever seen.
“There you are,” she says, standing on her toes to press a kiss to my cheek. I move my head at the last moment and kiss her soundly on the lips. Surprise flashes in her eyes, but only for a moment before I slip my arm firmly around her waist and turn to the DA.
Mine.
“Trevor Morris, may I introduce Eva Volkova. Eva, sweetheart, this is Trevor Morris—”
At my use of the endearment, Eva stiffens against me. Outwardly, she reaches for the DA’s hand, a warm smile on her face.
“The L.A. County DA,” she finishes for me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
It’s clear she’s caught the man off guard. I added the “sweetheart” more for his benefit, setting a very clear boundary. But it also felt right, and after her momentary surprise, Eva settles more decisively into my hold.
“Well, well,” DA Morris says faintly, returning Eva’s handshake, a deep line still between his eyebrows. “I would never have guessed the beast would find a beauty.”
“The beast?” Eva asks, angling her head toward me before turning her question back at the DA.
Not entirely recovered, he manages a weak smile with a nasty flash in his eyes. “That’s how he’s known in our circles. Didn’t you know?”
“Because I’m a beast to deal with.” I don’t keep it a secret that I revel in the nickname, using it to my full advantage to gain the upper hand in many circumstances.
“Oh.” The clouds lift from Eva’s face, and I nearly smile at the thought. She would have been angry if the nickname were for my scars and not the beastly side of me she’s witnessed on many occasions. Then she surprises both of us with a cheeky smile as she glances up at me. “I can’t say I don’t agree.”
DA Morris, for once, is at a loss for words, and I let a chuckle slip at his discomfort and Eva’s quip. Is he shocked she knows who and what I am? Or who and what he suspects me to be?
“Let’s go.” Eva slips from under my arm, gesturing toward the dance floor. “I want to dance. It was nice meeting you, DA Morris.”
The man manages a muddled reply that might be goodbye. Either way, we turn resolutely from him, and I place my hand on Eva’s lower back to steer her toward the designated dance floor.
“You look stunning,” I bend to murmur in her ear. Eva smiles over her shoulder, her cheeks slightly red at the compliment.