Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Then came the hard part.
Getting the ring off his finger.
Thankfully, he was lean and limber, so he didn’t have bulky knuckles like some men…like Axel.
I grabbed it and pulled it off in one swift motion. I swapped it with the fake ring, the ring that would fool him for a short while, long enough that he would have a difficult time reconstructing the events that led to its loss.
Once I had the ring, I grabbed the drink and immediately walked off, my heart racing so fast I thought I might pass out. I forced my head back and took a big gulp, needing the alcohol to take the edge off. I moved next to a crowd of people to blend in and look busy. In reality, I only looked at the painting on the wall, my back to him, making sure I didn’t make eye contact at all. Because once he looked around, he would look for someone looking at him, and I wouldn’t be caught doing that.
“I like that dress.”
I turned to see Axel beside me, handsome in a tuxedo, that charming smile plastered on his face.
He must have seen my flustered expression because he said, “You look like you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar.”
“You just caught me by surprise.” The ring was tucked inside my dress, the diamond cold against my flesh.
“Who are you here with?”
“My father.”
“I didn’t realize he would be attending.” He looked at the painting I admired. “This is the ugliest shit I’ve ever seen.”
I hadn’t actually looked at the painting. I stared at it but didn’t see a single color. All I could see was the bar and the Russian I’d just stolen from. “Yeah.”
“You know who likes art? Pricks.”
“My father loves art.”
“What a coincidence…” He grinned.
I couldn’t tell whether he’d insulted my father on purpose or not. “Are you here with anyone?”
“I told you I don’t do dates.”
“Why?”
“Because if I bring a date, I can’t pick up a date.”
“Gotcha.”
“Is that jealousy I hear?” He watched me, eyes narrowed, that smirk still there.
I looked at the painting and covered my expression by taking a drink.
He continued to stare at the side of my face. “No denial. Interesting.”
Talking to Axel had slowed my heart rate. Brought it to a quiet standstill. The redness left my cheeks, and my skin felt cold again.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said confidently. “Why?”
“Your eyes look different.”
I turned to look at him head on. “Got a lot on my mind.”
“Saying you’re tired is a more believable excuse,” he said. “But I’ll accept your answer.” That cocky, knowing smile moved across his lips. “Enjoy the party. My old violin teacher is here. I should probably say hi.”
“You played violin?”
“Yep. Piano too. I was lame as shit.”
“I don’t think that’s lame.”
He looked at the painting again. “Goodnight, Scarlett.”
“Wait.”
He turned back to me, sliding his hands into his pockets as he regarded me. He kept several feet between us, like we were two strangers talking rather than two…friends. “Yes, sweetheart?”
All I knew was I wanted to talk to him, but I had no reason to. I had nothing of substance, no questions that needed to be answered. I’d brushed off his advances because of my commitment to Ryan, and that had ended up being a complete waste of my time. Axel was still off-limits, violated the rules my father had set for the business, but the attraction that had always burned there…suddenly burned hotter. “Have a good night.”
He continued to watch me, like he knew that hadn’t been what I wanted to say. He waited for more, but when nothing was forthcoming, he gave a nod and walked away. “You too.”
My father held up the diamond in the back seat of the car, examining its clarity as he rotated it left and right. Even the eyes had been carved out of the material. Every little move he made resulted in a spectrum of light. “Good job, sweetheart.” He lowered the diamond and looked at me, the pride so deep it made me melt. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” He pocketed the diamond then patted my hand where it rested on my thigh.
“I thought my heart was about to sprout wings and fly away.”
He smirked. “Fooled me.”
I had been utterly terrified to follow through with the plan, but when my father looked at me like that, it was all worth it. “Now what?”
“We get the last ring,” he said. “Then we’ll be done.”
“And what will we do when we have these rings?” He asked me to do this, trained me to do this, but he never told me why. Eager to prove that I had what it took to oversee the company in his stead, I’d jumped at the opportunity.
“You’ll see.”
After a long week, I went out to the bar with some friends.