Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“No,” I answered shortly, glaring at my phone. I knew I should silence it, but...I liked hearing it ring, liked to imagine that it was the sound of the Russian billionaire begging my forgiveness. “Anyway, let’s not talk about him—-”
“What? No, we have to,” Alyx protested. “He’s the most interesting thing to have happened to you, and you’ve been so closemouthed about him. Seriously, it’s like the paps know more about you and Sergei Grachyov than we do.”
“Which isn’t right,” Anneke added primly, “since we’re your best friends.”
I made a face. “You guys are horrible.”
“Come on,” Alyx wheedled. “There must be some deets you can share with us.”
“What do you want to know?” I asked helplessly.
“Have you hooked up with him yet?” my cousin asked right away.
I gasped. “No!” But I couldn’t help turning red at the same time, and my friends crowed at seeing my expression.
“You’ve made out,” Anneke said slyly, “haven’t you?”
“No.” But my face turned even redder as I uttered the lie.
“Oh my God,” Alyx half-moaned, half-laughed. “I can’t believe it! You, my super-conservative cousin, actually made out with one of the world’s greatest heartbreakers!”
“Don’t confuse him with other billionaires,” I immediately protested. “He’s nothing like Yanna’s husband!” And by that I meant Constantijin Kastein, a billionaire married to one of Alyx’s high school friends, and who had once been known as Netherlands’ #1 Playboy.
“Whatevs.” Alyx simply waved my protest away. Leaning forward, she asked eagerly in a whisper, “Did you make it to second base? Third base?”
Again, my flushed expression gave me away, and Anneke and Alyx gasped simultaneously.
“Really?” Alyx looked stunned and impressed at the same time.
“And to think,” Anneke murmured pensively, “you kept telling us you were never going to have anything to do with a younger guy.”
“It was just once, okay?” Both of them sent me dubious looks, and I groaned. “I’m not lying. It was really just once. Okay?”
“What makes him different from the rest?” Alyx asked with undisguised curiosity. “I mean, that Russian professor you were crushing on was hot, too, wasn’t he? Why didn’t that push through?”
I responded with a tight-lipped look, determined not to say anything that could incriminate me.
“Is it because he’s huge?”
“Alyx!” My phone rang at the same time, and the three of us started, looking at each other guiltily even knowing Sergei Grachyov wasn’t around to hear us talking about his package.
My phone continued to ring, but before I could cancel the call, Alyx completely took me by surprise as she reached for my phone and pressed the answer button.
“Alyx,” I hissed, but it was too late.
The call had connected, and Alyx only flashed me a sly grin, mouthing, Loudspeaker please.
No way, I mouthed back furiously. My gaze flew back to the phone, and with the time counter still running, I knew Sergei still hadn’t dropped the call. I reluctantly reached for my iPhone, mumbling, “Hello?”
“I’m sorry, pchelka. I would have been there if it were possible.”
“I understand,” I said very, very brightly. I had my pride, too, and I didn’t want him to realize how much his absence hurt.
“We had an emergency at the company, and with Papa still in Moscow, I was the only one who could take care of it.”
“I really understand.” I knew he wasn’t the type to lie about things like this, but even so.
“S dnem rozhdeniya.” The billionaire’s voice was soft but thickly accented, tender and fierce.
Damn him. The sound of his voice, combined with the birthday greeting, made my knees go weak under the table, and I hated it.
I hated this.
I hated him.
“I miss you, pchelka.”
No, you don’t, I thought. If he had, then he should have been here with me.
“I’ll be there tomorrow—-”
“Please don’t bother,” I heard myself say in a sweet voice.
“Fredericka—-”
“I think it’s good we spend a bit more time apart anyway.” In front of me, Alyx and Anneke gawked openly at my words.
“Is that so?” The Russian billionaire’s voice had become stiff.
I forced a laugh, asking, “You do know the paparazzi has taken to calling me Attorney Moneypenny, right?”
My “nickname” was due to the fact that my platonic-on-the-surface relationship with the Russian billionaire reminded people of James Bond’s friendship with M’s secretary, and as one tabloid had spun it, ‘I was the only woman to make the billionaire smile, the only woman Sergei Grachyov trusts because he knew my career meant more to me than being his girlfriend.’
They were right in a way, but they had also missed the pertinent fact that the Russian billionaire was exactly like me. As tonight had proved, work also meant more to him than our friendship did.
“I am aware of it.” The Russian billionaire seemed to be picking his words with care. “Does it displease you?”
“It does, actually. No single guy’s tried to approach me ever since people think I’m your Miss Moneypenny.”