Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“The last thing I need is Yelena teaching Brynn how to be better at cards. Strip poker night wouldn’t be half as much fun if she started winning.”
Mac raised an eyebrow. “What you really mean is you don’t want Yelena cluing Brynn in to the ways you already cheat at strip poker.”
Anton winked as he pointed at Mac. “Exactly.”
A frustrated sigh escaped my lips. “Can we get back to my problem?”
Mac nodded. “Already on it. I’ll call Gregor and ask him if he knows of any Russians attached to high-priced stolen art who are in town right now.”
Anton reached into the black leather satchel on the seat next to him. He pulled out a thick manila envelope. “And your other problem is already solved. Serg gave this to me to give to you.”
I opened the envelope and checked the contents. It was a new passport, identification, birth certificate, and other documentation for Vivian.
Anton pointed to it. “She now has everything she needs to safely leave the country. We’ll make good on our promise of a million euros for her silence. She’ll no longer be a liability to us, and she’ll be out of danger from this mystery Russian. Problem solved.”
I tossed the envelope onto the table between us. “I had a different, more permanent solution in mind.”
“What was that?”
“I thought I’d marry her instead.”
CHAPTER 30
VIVIAN
The nerve of that man!
For several minutes after he left, I just stood in the center of his bedroom—fuming.
With my arms crossed over my chest, I tapped my foot. Well, if he thought I would wait here for him like a good little wannabe girlfriend when he returned from New York later tonight, he had another think coming.
Then I paused…
He had mentioned a Jacuzzi and Gucci.
I looked around the silent bedroom, then wandered barefoot into the hallway. There was a small tissue-wrapped package with my name on it. Inside were my jeans, shirt, bra, and panties from last night. As I rubbed the sparkly yet scratchy top material between my fingers, I looked down at my current attire and wrinkled my nose in disgust.
If I’d never done the walk of shame when I was in my early twenties, there was no reason to start now that I was twenty-eight.
Warming up to the subject, I rationalized it further.
It would serve Var right if I left him in grand style after making use of his Bloomingdale’s account.
After all, a girl could hardly make a grand exit wearing a pair of basketball shorts!
Padding into the kitchen, I picked up the house phone.
“Dobroye utro, this is Oona speaking, how may I be of service to you, Ms. Peyton?”
I tried to think about what the most expensive breakfast item would be. “Would it be possible to get a smoked salmon Eggs Benedict with some steamed asparagus?”
“But of course.”
“And some caviar on top.”
She chuckled. “That is the best way. Would you also like some fresh squeezed orange juice and a carafe of coffee?”
“Could you make it a skim milk latte?”
“Yes, of course. Is there anything else I can be of assistance with?”
I twisted the phone cord around my finger. “How would I contact the Bloomingdale’s personal shopper?”
“Var mentioned to me you might be interested in their services on his way out. I took the liberty of reaching out to them. They already have your sizes on file from your excursion earlier this week. Unless you have something specific in mind, I can arrange for them to send over a selection to choose from, if that would suit your needs?”
I studied my manicure. “Why, yes, Oona. That would suit my needs just fine.” I ran my thumb over a chipped nail. “Now talk to me about manicure options.”
After turning the bathroom lights down low with the remote, I sank down into the luxurious silk bath bubbles. Raising my arm, I brushed the suds away and admired my fresh crimson manicure. I then stretched my right leg out and admired the matching pedicure.
Using the remote again, I started the Jacuzzi jets.
Damn, a girl could get used to this.
Too bad I wasn’t the type of girl to stay with a man just because of his money.
But I was the type to teach a man a lesson that way.
My eyes flew open after I shifted my hips, allowing the jet to hit in just the right spot.
Glancing around the black marble and gold bathroom, even though I knew I was the only one in the penthouse, I reached for the remote and increased the jet pressure, then opened my knees wider.
As I leaned back again, I thought of Var and his magic penis.
Why did arrogant, incredibly hot, confident, and obscenely rich men have to be so darn attractive?
It wasn’t fair.
With a sigh, I got out of the Jacuzzi. After using a towel to dry off, a towel to squeeze the water from my hair, another one to wrap my hair, another one to wrap around my hips, another one to wrap around my torso, and a final one to carry just because, I was satisfied I had deliberately used all of his clean towels and padded down the hall back to his bedroom.