“Why do you care?” Marius asks curiously. “You can’t stand Dmitri. Don’t tell me you actually want him glowering at you for the next few weeks.”
“That’s beside the point,” I snap. “There’s something fishy about him not traveling.”
I mull it over, again scanning the venue. I nod and smile at those I make eye contact with. I pass over Jackson Gale as he stands at a table ten feet from me and Marius. He’s in a tux, and I have to say, he wears it well. Because he’s not supposed to look like security, he has a drink in hand, but I’m sure there’s no booze in it. Deception at its finest, but admittedly, he looks like he belongs.
He looks very fine indeed.
I grit my teeth at the unbidden thought.
“What if Dmitri’s refusal to accompany you has nothing to do with your parents but has something to do with Dmitri himself?”
My head quickly turns his way, brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
Marius shrugs noncommittally. “I’m just saying, we all know the rumors—”
I can’t help but snort. “You mean that he’s former KGB?”
“Why is it you can’t possibly consider that?”
The expression on his face looks almost sympathetic.
Piteous.
As if I couldn’t possibly understand the ways of the world, and it’s the saddest thing he’s ever seen.
It’s true… I’ve led a sheltered life, much of it on this island surrounded by a stone wall. It’s why this trip to the United States—my first ever—is so incredibly exciting. All the wonders of the Land of the Free. The great melting pot of the world.
Granted, my parents let me go to Switzerland for university. They’ve allowed me to travel across Europe with friends and family.
But every bit of that was done with heavy security and a long list of rules. To my parents, the United States seems far more dangerous and unpredictable, and they’ve always been hesitant to let me visit.
“Darling,” my mother would say, “it’s so big and full of so many walks of life. We would fear for your safety.”
I thought this was ludicrous because everywhere I go, my safety is an issue. It was a constant debate, my parents feeling like Europe was safer for me, but after pressing my case for a few years, they finally relented.
I’m going on my dream trip. Two solid weeks traveling across the United States, taking in every bit of touristy crap I can while working in some philanthropy and business for our mines at the same time. I’ll see the intensity of the Big Apple, the warm beaches of the Florida Keys, and sunny Los Angeles where the stars abound. I’ll even do some skiing in Wyoming—which I’m quite good at—and take in my first-ever rodeo. I’ll see more in two weeks than I will probably have seen in my travels so far.
I really should quit worrying about Dmitri and his reasons for not coming. As Marius points out, I don’t really like the man, and I should be grateful not to have him breathing down my neck. In fact, I bet it will be easier to give this guy Jackson the slip than it ever would Dmitri.
Should I have an inkling to do so.
My eyes move back to Jackson Gale. He’s not looking right at me, but I can tell by the way he holds his body, he’s completely aware of me and every person within a twenty-foot radius. I recognize that because it’s how Dmitri protects me. It means Jackson is very good at what he does. Maybe it won’t be so easy to give him the slip, but that’s not something to ponder right now. I generally follow the rules when I’m outside the compound—I’m no idiot. I know the value of my life to determined kidnappers.
It’s going to be weird having this stranger in my presence for the next few weeks. Awkward, really. I may not like Dmitri, but I’ve known him for almost thirteen years. There is a level of comfort there that I’m going to miss, despite his brutish ways.
“This party blows,” Marius grumbles. “Why do I even bother coming to these things?”
I roll my eyes, pulling away from him so that his arm around my waist disengages and instead I link our arms at the elbows, all without spilling a drop of my drink.
I lean my head on his shoulder, let it rest there a moment, and smile in fondness over such a stupid question. He knows the answer, but I provide it anyway, looking up at him. “Because, you know damn well you’re going to hook up with some heiress or waitress—you’re not picky—and you’ll go to sleep with a smile on your face. All this boring stuff will have been worth it.”
Marius snickers. “You know me way too well.”
“Come on,” I say as I give a tug of my elbow against his. “Let’s go walk along the docks and get away from all these stuffy people.”
“Best idea I’ve heard in years.” Marius slugs down his drink, and I place mine on the platter of a passing waiter. Marius slips his hand in mine and turns to lead me toward one of the exits.
I make it no more than three steps before something grabs hold of my free hand and jerks me to a stop. I gasp in indignation, tugging free of Marius to face whoever grabbed me.
It’s Jackson Gale, and he’s staring down at me with a thunderous expression.
I can’t even think why he’s looking at me like this, as if I’ve done something wrong, but I kick myself metaphorically for taking a moment to get lost in those fabulous eyes of his. If you broke them down with the mix of green, gold, and brown, you’d call them hazel. The truth is, they’re the lightest shades of those colors mixed in bands and striations. From a distance, and because of his dark hair providing contrast, his eyes are so light, they almost look unholy. But when you get up close and are able to see past the luminescence to the actual colors, you realize you’re looking at a work of art.
I blink to dispel the magic of his irises and my ridiculous poetic ruminations, instead cocking my head in silent question.
His eyes flash with annoyance. “Don’t ever leave my proximity without letting me know where you’re going and giving me the opportunity to make sure things are safe,” he growls, and I don’t like the message that sits just behind the command… that I’m a child who needs babysitting.
I jerk my hand away and take a step back only to come up against Marius’s body. His hands on my hips steady me, and he steps in closer. My friend knows me well enough to know that I’m offended by having my choices questioned in my own city where my father’s security forces are in attendance.
I lean forward slightly, eyes narrowing even more. I drop my voice, but it is no less imperious. “You do not own me, Mr. Gale. You do not control me. Your job is to watch. Your job is to protect. Therefore, if I choose to go for a walk, I’m going to go. You need to figure out how you can keep up and do your job at the same time. I don’t answer to you.”
If I thought that would put him in his place, I was sorely mistaken. He doesn’t even blink in astonishment or look apologetic. Instead, his expression turns impassive as he studies me long enough for me to feel like a bug under a microscope. Not once does he look over my shoulder at Marius who still stands behind me with his hands on my hips.
The message is clear. He doesn’t think my words matter nor does he think Marius is any type of threat.
What comes next is so surprising, neither I nor Marius has the wits to stop it. One second Marius has a hold of me from behind, and the next, Jackson has my hand in his, and he’s leading me toward the dance floor. “Let’s dance. We need to talk.”