DR

ys go, she's a

en eyes and dark hair that falls in voluminous waves d

'm not sure she meets the standards of Nikolai Ro

s no skills

adding as her chest rises and falls heavily. Either this is all part of the

e mutters on repeat. "Ten to fif

y and she flinches, her

t about Nikolai Rostov, but his ploy

a, minutes ago-the whole reason I'm even in this elevator with thi

ding has been a

he asks tentatively. The flush on her

conds, giv

she's about to hack up a hairball. "Th-thirty seconds..." She turns her back on

n. If I squint, I can just make out the subtle

he minutes isn't

don't you dare tell me to stay cal

e outside. Somewhere pleasant. A sunny, open-air café, mayb

ashes flutter wildly. "Um, okay. I

ibe it

ocolate and whipped cream," she blurts imm

ace. "

in her cheek. "It's my comfort drink, okay? It's wha

ny and breezy and nice. You're not

ething resembling a full breath. "My aunt had a cherry tree in the back of her house when I was growing up. We had cherry pies on Friday, cherry

round her neck so hard that the chain is

ack. "Sorry. I'm rambling. We're at the café. It's nice,

I deserve something strong af

é is this?" she l

ki

n to picking at her fingernails. "How

n, give

ck

e goes bright pink. A gentleman would pr

I've never been accus

ot sure thirteen minutes wi

jaw

it go if I followed it? I wonder. If I peeled that dress apart and

ey. You have a w

n my way to handle when this fucking

up the courage to say so

wedding guest to proposition

the one propositioni

tood..." When I chuckle low, her eyebrows

are in the throes of a panic at

you. I know I

. Like how someone as guileless as her could have ended up on my brother's wedding list. She could b

do you know the

question I could have possibly asked her. Which of cours

f Viktor's

from one stilettoed heel

She flinches when the Russian rolls off

n the sides of her dr

g ring emanates from my jacket pocket. I pull out my p

reath, I answer. "

n front of the intruder right now..." Th

he one of

but yes, definitel

econd pair of ears in the elevator with me. "You'll have

he thing is-h

g correctly. I get the same answer the seco

ut halfway to a mustache, if that

, sending in a boy to do a man's job? Then again, he's also the basta

though. Not since a few months ago, when I shu

hat set off this campaign

able to get away for another couple of hou