Ronni's Romanian

Ronni’s Romanian Nevea Lane

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Ronni’s Romanian Nevea Lane Copyright © 2011 by Nevea Lane All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including but not limited to: printing, photocopying, faxing, recording, electronic transmission, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from the authors or holders of the copyright. This book is a work of fiction. References may be made to locations and historical events; however, names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), businesses, events or locales is either used fictitiously or coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. Published by Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC PO Box 61 Colfax, NC 27235 www.beautifultroublepublishing.com Cover Art: Shara Azod Editor: Stephanie Parent Proofreader: B.L. Wilson Formatter: Savannah J. Frierson http://sjfbooks.com/editing/ E-book Conversion: Jim & Zetta http://www.jimandzetta.com/ ISBN: (eBook): 978-1-61788-105-3; ISBN (print) 978-1-61788-106-0

Dedicated to JMR—the purest form of inspiration this chick can find.

NOTE ABOUT EBOOKS eBooks are NOT transferable. Re-selling, sharing or giving away eBooks is a copyright infringement. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author or Beautiful Trouble Publishing.

CAVEAT This work of erotica contains adult language and sexually explicit scenes, which are smoking hot. This book is intended only for adults, as it is defined by the laws of the country in which the purchase is made. Keep this book out of the hands of under-aged readers.

GLOSSARY Atât de frumos—So beautiful. La reveder—Goodbye. Scuzaţi-mă—Excuse me. Sunt Foame—I’m hungry. Totul e în regulă, mulţumesc—I’m fine, thank you. Ţuică ‘vodcă—Traditional Romanian spirit made from plums.

CHAPTER ONE Lucian Covaci looked around the rolling green hill of the cemetery one last time. This would be his last visit to his country. The death of his mother left him no reason to visit Romania ever again. Brasov, the city where he was born, was perhaps beautiful to a tourist, but for him it all looked black.

Despite the

soaring tops of ancient castles and medieval churches, in his mind there was nothing beautiful, peaceful or serene about his country. Lucian kissed his index knuckle and made the sign of the cross. He bowed his head, his dark brown hair falling over his eyes. For some inexplicable reason, the chords of “Ain’t No Sunshine” started to play through his mind. Lucian

shook

his

head

squeezed his eyes shut.

vehemently

and

He would strangle

Darius for giving him that Bill Withers CD before his flight.

Although Darius wasn’t in

Romania with him, Lucian could almost feel his

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friend’s presence.

His business partner and

only friend, Darius Ware had wanted to drop everything and accompany Lucian to his mother’s funeral.

As much as Lucian could

have used the company, he wasn’t about to show his friend the hideous conditions he grew up in. Burying Anca Covaci next to his little brother had been more trying than Lucian was prepared to handle.

His heart constricted

seeing Sorin’s headstone nestled next to his mother’s fresh mound. As if the memory had waited in the wings for just this moment, his mind was assaulted with Sorin’s hateful words the last time they saw each other.

Father

would be disappointed in you, Luci. You don’t have a spine. You’re the older brother, and I’ve got more hair on my balls than you. It’s your fault he died! Lucian had been just a kid, but Sorin’s words cut just the same. Lucian carried the guilt of his father’s death on his back, even though there wasn’t a damn thing he could have done about it. The migraine he’d

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been trying to drink away all week with Romania’s finest Ţuică ‘vodcă had come back in full force. The memories were becoming too much, intensifying his desire to get out of this country. He was leaving, now. Pressing his thumb and index finger into his eyes in a feeble attempt to lessen the pain, Lucian pulled out his cell phone. He was lucky it was illegal to drive with any amount of alcohol in his system, or he would’ve been pie-eyed and piss-drunk. “I need to move up my flight. Please book the next flight out to Dulles. No, I’m flying out today. Mulţumesc.” Lucian thanked the hotel concierge in his native language.

He hadn’t

spoken the tongue much since he’d left his aging mother in Romania to attend Columbia University, almost twenty years ago.

Now,

being home, it rolled off his tongue as if he’d never left. Lucian shrugged his wide shoulders and walked back to the rental car. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the one headstone he hadn’t bothered to look for. Anton Covaci’s headstone

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had cracked down the middle. Lucian’s mouth contorted into a disgusted smirk. A cracked headstone for a crackpot of a man. Lucian should’ve stopped him from marching down to Timişoara to protest Romania’s Communist rule. He should’ve grabbed on to his father that cold day in December, and held on to him to tell him that it wasn’t their fight. His stubborn father never listened.

Anton’s legacy of

violence was long burned into Lucian’s head before that stray bullet took his life. The haunting memory of Anton yelling at his young, impressionable son Sorin to cut off Lucian’s ear because Lucian was too soft deposited itself into Lucian’s head before he could stop it. This is why I won’t be back. There’s nothing for me here. Lucian slid behind the wheel of the small rental car. He felt as constricted in the car as he did in the graveyard. This is definitely not my SUV. I need to get back home. As Lucian pulled away, the clock tower on the cathedral tolled, making him stomp on the accelerator,

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causing the back tires to kick up pebbles as the car bustled down the road. His mother’s lonely funeral had done him in, and he had no desire to sit in a cramped apartment sorting through her personal effects. Pulling his cell phone out again, he left a message for the landlord to send the items to him in the States, promising to leave the crotchety woman with a stack of twenty-dollar bills that would more than cover the

expense

of

shipping

Anca’s

meager

belongings. “La revedere,” Lucian said, bidding farewell to his country and his bad memories. *** Ronni looked at her watch. Five minutes until the screaming harpy she called Mom would waltz into her office and tell her that she would die a shriveled prune if she didn’t get married soon.

Rubbing her temples, the

overworked analyst looked at the computer screen. There was no way she’d manage to hold

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off the money-hungry investors much longer. They were like sharks, circling her company ever since they reported a loss last quarter. That was the blood in the water, she thought. Now, she had more “concerned” investors than she knew what to do with. Looking at the data again, hoping to find a breakthrough in the code she was developing for a huge government contract, she prayed for just an inkling of patience. She desperately needed this contract, not only for her business, but to finally prove she could make this company thrive without her father at the helm. “Damn,” Ronni muttered. “That’s exactly what I said when I found out you weren’t bringing a date to the fundraiser.” Cringing, Ronni looked up from her screen, pushing her black-framed glasses on her head to get a view of her impeccably dressed mother in all of her snobbery.

The

woman wore her Dolce shades indoors all the time, and this rainy Friday was no exception. Most of her mother’s friends praised the fact

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19

that Ronni had her mother’s smooth cocoa skin, full lips and cool, catlike brown eyes, yet that was where the similarities ended. Ronni knew she was nothing like the social butterfly that was Deborah Cadell and she didn’t want to be, but it left her feeling like she was lacking. Add in the stigma of being adopted, and the compliments that she looked so much like her “mother” made Ronni cringe, much like she was at this moment. “Hey, Mom.” Ronni pushed back from her desk, making sure not to upset the overflow of papers teetering on the edge of the cherry wood. She had been given the desk and the company from her father, and she wanted to keep the same love he had poured into Cadell Enterprises by not changing his personal touches. Looking longingly at the worn desk, she almost forgot her mother was in her office until the woman snapped her fingers at her. “Don’t ‘hey’ me. What’s this I hear about you not bringing a date?

You know, for a

woman who’s about to turn thirty-three, I’d

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think you would care more about your biological clock. I mean, for goodness’ sake, look at Missy…” “Mom, I’m not Missy. I put my biological clock on snooze, okay? That has nothing to do with

the

fundraiser—it’s

for

children,

remember?” “Exactly! You’re hosting a fundraiser for children and you don’t even have any! If that isn’t just an ass-backward way of doing things, I don’t know what is.” Ronni could only raise her eyebrow at her mother’s voice, which elevated to a high shriek. Knowing that her mother’s usual guilt-tripping theatrics were about to ensue, Ronni could feel the vein in her forehead begin to tick. “Raising money for a good cause has nothing to do with my ovaries, thank you very much.” Just as she was about to debunk her mother’s notion that breeding and marrying well were the only purposes in life, her phone rang. “Excuse me, Mom, I need to take this.” Hoping it was the bank offering an extension

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21

on her loan, she jumped at the receiver and held it to her ear. “Hello?” she asked

as sweetly as she

could. “Hi, Ms. Cadell?” The deep male voice was familiar enough for her to know exactly who was calling her, and it wasn’t the bank. Her heart sank as well as her mood. “Speaking.” “Hi again, this is Darius Ware. I phoned you before about a business proposition, and I wondered if you’ve had any chance to review what I sent to you or to think about my firm’s offer.” “Mr. Ware, I thought I made it clear that I don’t want my company bought and sold off in bits and pieces. You’re a corporate raider. That isn’t the type of investment I’m looking for.” “Ms. Cadell, Ronni—can I call you Ronni?” Normally, she wouldn’t have objected, but Mr. Ware didn’t give her a chance to even say yes, first names are fine.

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pitch. “Anyway, Ronni, that’s a bad stereotype there. If you would just meet with me, I’m sure we could come up with a nice package for your company. The Cadell Enterprises name alone is a bargaining chip, but we all know that government contracts are hard to come by these days, even with your father’s reputation going before you. Now, if you would like to meet today, perhaps for dinner, we can discuss some real viable options for you.” Ronni rolled her eyes at Mr. Ware’s persistence. He’d been after her for two years now. Why did men never think “no” actually meant no? Clearing her throat and meeting her mother’s scrutinizing, read nosey, stare, Ronni shoveled out the same line she’d been giving them for the past few months. “Mr. Ware, thank you for your offer, but for right now, no thanks. I’ve seen the options you’ve given others before me, and I have to tell you, those aren’t options in my book. Having my company chopped up and sold like a heifer

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23

in a butcher shop just isn’t going to happen. Good day.” Ronni hung up the phone to meet her mother’s acrid stare. Her mother, known for her cold assessment of any situation, raised her perfectly arched eyebrow and removed her sunglasses. Tapping the expensive shades in her manicured hands, her mother took a deep breath. Here it comes, Ronni thought as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, as if that was going to stop her mother’s comments from piercing her heart. “You know, if you were a little less ice queen and a little more warm princess, maybe men wouldn’t just want your little gadgets. I say this out of love, sweetheart, but you are going to live alone for the rest of your life.” Sighing, Ronni glanced at her computer screen. If only her mother knew that she didn’t want to date simply to say she was dating. The one was out there and there was no settling for less. Yet she knew when and when not to argue

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with her mother. Now was one of those times not to argue. She couldn’t possibly argue with a woman who believed that marriage and owning things were the keys to happiness. “Who knows, Mom—maybe I’ll find a man tonight.

Now, do you want to go to

lunch?” Ronni picked up her purse and stood. She waited for her mother to adjust her shades and make sure her meticulously coiled bun was still in place. Once she saw to that, her mother then proceeded to dust imaginary dirt off her ivory-colored pencil skirt and ensure her expensive heels were spotless. Ronni rolled her eyes as her mother turned and sashayed out of the small office. “God, please, either bring me a man or make me a lesbian. Anything to get her off my back,” Ronni offered up in prayer. Tucking her own tattered purse under her arm, she walked out the door. She never did understand why she kept up this pretense of going to lunch with this woman when all her mother did was point out her shortcomings.

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25

Of course, she didn’t understand why the woman chose to adopt her in the first place. Ronni would’ve been just as happy staying a ward of the state. As she thought about the day Powell Cadell strutted into the small classroom with an arm full of science books, her lips spread into a smile. At nine years old, she’d been bit by the science bug, and she sort of considered that day divine intervention. No, you wouldn’t have been happier a ward of the state. You would’ve never gotten to run a software company if you had. Nor would you had anyone to call “dad.” Beggars can’t be choosers. A frown crept on Ronni’s face as she stood in the elevator with her mother. I just wish she would stop treating me as a beggar, Ronni thought as she tried to put a smile back on her face. *** “What a stubborn little…”

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Lucian

heard

his

business

partner

mumbling those words as he walked into the office.

As if mumbling wasn’t bad enough,

Darius slammed down the receiver on his highly polished oak desk. The mumbling side of Darius, he was used to; the slamming of the phone receiver was what made him pause. Darius was never one to call anyone something other than their name, and he had never heard him refer to a woman as anything but fresh meat. Yet, there he was foaming at the mouth over some female. sympathetic,

but

Lucian would have been he

wasn’t

really

in

a

sympathetic mood. Arching his deep brown eyebrow at his friend, he strolled to his usual spot on the couch.

He kept his sharp gaze pinned on

Darius as his infuriated colleague stomped around his desk with a huge file in his hand. Lucian knew that file. They’d been working on it for two years and hadn’t gotten any further than a phone call.

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In today’s economy, being a corporate raider should have been easy. It should’ve been simple to waltz into this business, buy out the sole owner and sell it off. Everyone was looking to make a quick dollar. Not this one. Flinging himself on the rustic brown leather couch, jet-lagged and hungry, he waited for Darius to get himself under control. Darius put his hand on his bald head and rubbed. His friend often joked that his head was his worry stone. If that phone call was any indication, Darius was definitely worried. He watched the quickly forming frown cross Darius’s normally wrinkle-free chocolate complexion. Darius, the charming one, apparently couldn’t charm the owner of this particular software company. Finally, something Darius can’t do, Lucian mused. His victory was short-lived. As quickly as the frown came, a smile, although it was a sinister features.

smile,

crossed

Darius’s

schooled

Lucian’s stomach dropped to his

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Italian leather shoes—he knew this wouldn’t be good. “Hey, Luc. Welcome back. How’re you doing?” Darius’ face showed a hint of concern, which made Lucian uncomfortable. He looked away from the prying eyes of his friend and focused on the wall showcasing Darius’s MBA diploma from Columbia. Lucian knew as soon as he’d met the jovial, social hurricane at the dorm’s meet-and-greet, he’d found a lifelong friend.

From their first meeting, Darius did

nothing to try to change Lucian’s brooding demeanor, but Darius taught him the sky’s the limit. Their friendship still amazed him to this day, as they were like night and day. “Totul e în regulă, mulţumesc,” Lucian commented in his deep Romanian growl. Too late he realized that he was indeed home in Washington, D.C., and no longer in Brasov. While he was certain coming into work immediately after getting off a plane from Romania was against protocol, he wasn’t going to sit at home in his empty house with

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memories plaguing him. Damn jet lag, he mused as he watched Darius’s eyes become saucers. Then he realized he’d never spoken Romanian around Darius and quickly checked his tongue. “I’m fine, thank you.” “Wow, man, I’m sorry I didn’t go with you. Are you sure you don’t want to take a few more days off, get some personal time?” Darius asked as if he didn’t already know the answer. For Lucian, work was his life. “I said I was fine. I’m good. Now who is the stubborn little whatever?” he asked, shrugging his broad shoulders and fixing his amber eyes on Darius’s face. Work was what he needed right now. “As if you didn’t already know.

This

broad is harder to crack than a walnut. She rejects everything, even a simple meeting. If it was a matter of the money, she would’ve caved a long time ago. I’ve tried to get her for dinner, lunch, breakfast, any time, any place, and she’s always flat-out refused. My ego is severely bruised, Luc.”

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“Why don’t you go down to her office? At most, she has ten people that work for her. She can’t be all that busy or hard to get to.” Lucian didn’t see why this particular acquisition was so hard for Darius to handle. Darius had always been the master of getting his foot in the door.

It was a small-time

business, but what this business had was so unique, investors had been approaching Darius and Lucian about the elusive owner for two years. Their family ties were rooted deeply in the government sector. Every single software company in the metro area had sniffed around the owner, trying to get them to sell the company. To

Lucian’s

surprise,

Ronni’s

stubbornness had endeared him to the account. Although the woman had been a thorn in their side since her file fell across their desk, he didn’t want to ask Darius to let him take a shot at the social aspect of their business. While Darius had always taken care of their clients, it

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31

was Lucian’s cold assessment of every situation that kept their clients coming back. One particular investor had tipped them off that Cadell Enterprises was hitting a financial crisis in the software business, particularly government software, since the U.S. government had turned its attention to renewable energy, off-shore drilling and the economic crisis. The Cadells had had their foot in the government sector for decades. Now, with the older Cadell retired and Ronni the one child with any stake in the company, the company was prime for the plucking.

Ms.

Cadell should be willing to sell her technology without worrying about what happened to the name. Plenty of businesses were selling, even if their names were well known. She shouldn’t be such a tough cookie to crumble. “No, she isn’t hard to get to, but she strong-arms me like a running back going for a touchdown. Every offer is no.” Darius sounded frustrated and tired at the same time.

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“Then why don’t you leave it alone?” Lucian asked, but he merely asked out of duty. He wasn’t one for making a large stink out of a small-time business. They had bigger fish to fry, ones that paid a lot more money than Cadell Enterprises. Darius sighed and laid the portfolio in front of him. Lucian didn’t have to flip the file to know why Darius wouldn’t let this particular project go. On top of the masses of notebook paper and financial statements was a business card: Victor Madison, Madison Industries. Victor was quickly becoming a huge player in the software business, and he did it by acquiring other small-time software companies and stamping his name on their products. He usually laid off the workers, and paid the inventors well to disappear. He’d bought his BMW with the profits from a deal they’d worked for Victor. If Victor Madison decided that Ronni Cadell was worth the trouble, then she must be.

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“Point taken,” Lucian muttered as he picked up the file.

Flipping through it, he

noticed how much community work Cadell Enterprises was involved in throughout the neighborhood. He could see why Ms. Cadell wouldn’t want to sell the company. Then, as he was paging through flyers of fundraisers, Lucian saw his opportunity to invade Ms. Cadell’s space. Perhaps invading her territory would make her more amiable to a meeting. He looked at his watch. He would have just enough time to get his tux for the fundraiser being hosted at the university campus, by none other than Ronni Cadell. Lucian flashed a rare smile as his plan began to unfold.

The commission for this

project would be just what he needed to get out of the rut he was in. He’d spent too much time reminiscing about the past. What better way to get his adrenaline running hot again than to crack a petrified walnut? Lucian stretched his neck to the left until it cracked, and Darius gave

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him a knowing smile. know what hit her.

Ms. Cadell wouldn’t

CHAPTER TWO “You can’t keep on putting it off, Ms. Cadell. Sooner or later you’re going to have to meet with these investors,” Michelle told her boss. “Okay, you must mean business if you called me Ms. Cadell.”

Ronni looked at her

assistant, sparing just a fraction of a second before her eyes went back to the lines of computer code. Pursing her lips together, she focused on the problem in the software. There was something significant missing, but she couldn’t put her finger on what was causing the program to crash. Something was wrong; she knew it. That unmistakable gut feeling wouldn’t leave her. According to her father, she should always follow her gut. Clearing

her

throat,

the

persistent

assistant looked at Ronni, and then at the wall clock. She looked up again, this time over the rims of her glasses, thinking she must resemble

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a chocolate female Nutty Professor. Her hair was pulled back in a clip and strands were coming free, showing off her garnet tips. It looked as though someone had dipped the tips of her thick black strands in a bucket of deep red paint. Truthfully, Ronni had purposely dyed her hair after her lunch date with her mother, Dictator Deborah.

She’d needed to rebel in

some way, and if dying the tips of her hair red would piss her mother off, hallelujah for hair dye. She tried to shake the stomach-churning thought of her mother from her mind—she’d run out of antacids earlier. Her mother had been disappointed and disapproving of her since she’d broken her engagement to a stuffy know-it-all who wanted to take over Cadell Enterprises from her father. There would be nothing she could do to please her mother but get married. It was either that, or go back in time and tell them she didn’t want to be adopted.

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“It’s already five. You have to get going if you’re going to get dressed and make it to the university before seven.”

Michelle looked at

her employer with a stare that meant business. Ronni glanced at her watch. “Shit!” She grabbed her bag and the flash drive with the error, and ran out of the door.

Instead of

waiting on the train, she saddled her sneakers on her feet while in the elevator, knowing she wouldn’t make it in time if she didn’t hoof it. Jumping out of the elevator in a full sprint, she ran the mile to the modest townhome she shared with her cousin. Once inside, she raced up the stairs, leaving a trail of clothes behind her as she dashed toward the shower. “Hello to you too, Ms. White Rabbit. Are you late for a very important date?” Chante yelled up the stairs. Ronni rolled her eyes as she grabbed the loofah, slathering on a handful of her favorite jasmine shower gel. “Yes, I’m late, and aren’t you coming?” she yelled over the massaging spray of her shower.

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“Hell no! I’m your cousin and all, but I never bought into the whole family fundraiser crap that your mom is into.” Frankly,

neither

did

she,

but

this

fundraiser wasn’t about her mommy dearest and her work for once. The fundraiser tonight was for a charter school that specialized in science. Lack of funding for education was one issue that burned Ronni up.

The quality of

public schooling had gone down, yet the district continued to close more and more schools every year. As a result, classes were getting bigger, and the standard of teaching was getting lower. Once she’d heard the very school that made it possible for her to meet Powell Cadell might have to close its doors, it would’ve taken Armageddon to keep her away. If it wasn’t for that school, she would have never made it out of shoddy foster care or to college. Holding a fundraiser was the least she could do. If she could manage to get the contract she needed, she would increase her annual donation.

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Stepping out of the shower, she looked at her now-curly hair.

Damn, there went the

hairstyle she had in mind. It didn’t help that she’d taken a scalding hot shower and run a mile earlier. Taking it as a sign to try something new, she grabbed a brush and vigorously brushed her hair back into an up-do. After doing the best she could with her thick hair, she dried herself off and slipped into a simple garnet spaghetti-strap dress.

The red in the dress

would bring out the red in her hair, and that was what she wanted. Was it wrong that she purposely chose red, knowing her mother would expect black? Shaking her head, Ronni knew that getting her mother’s goat was not the mission of tonight. Tonight,

her

mission

was

to

get

these

overstuffed money bags to fork over some of their cash for a cause. As Ronni applied her lipstick, Chante came in and plopped down on her bed. “So,

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you’re looking all mysterious with that kohl liner under your eyes. What’s really going on?” “Chante, you know my mom will be there. I need to look fierce.” “I don’t know why you don’t tell that woman to take a flying leap. She hasn’t been the nicest to you, and she’s been trying to find a way of getting you out of her hair for years. She acts like one of those women from those Regency romance novels, selling her daughter to the highest bidder on the marriage market.” Ronni rolled her eyes.

Chante wasn’t

telling her anything that she didn’t already know. Her mother constantly let her know that she wasn’t “really” a Cadell. She came to the conclusion a long time ago that the only reason her mother wanted her married so badly was so her last name would change. Ronni thought letting her mother have her way and arrange dates would be enough. No, that was merely the tip of the iceberg. So telling her mother to stop meddling with her life was like trying to tell a bird to stop chirping—a complete waste of

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time, as it wasn’t going to happen. That meant she’d have to listen to her mother tell her for the millionth time that she was going to end up cold, withered and alone, in between trying to fundraise. “Don’t get me started. I’m doing this for the children, and plus, I needed a reason to wear this dress. So how do I look?”

Ronni

twirled around in her full-length mirror, standing on her tiptoes to see if her sleek black leather stilettos looked all right.

She rarely

wore anything with a heel, let alone a four-inch heel, but thanks to her mother’s meticulous parenting and teaching her how to walk in heels as soon as she arrived on the Cadell’s doorstop, she could probably run a marathon in Manolos. Chante whistled, and Ronni almost blushed.

She looked and felt like a million

bucks. Now all she had to do was go raise a million bucks, give or take. “All right, you’d better get out of here because I don’t want your mother phoning me

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every five minutes asking where you are. I have reality TV to catch up on.” Chante picked up the remote, turned the TV on and fluffed a pillow behind her head. “You sure you don’t want to come?” Ronni tried one last time. Instead of an answer, Chante turned up the TV. Guess that means no, Ronni mused and walked out. As much as Ronni would’ve loved to stay home and get a head start on the code that preoccupied her mind, she knew she had a job to do.

As she drove through the

streets of D.C., she wondered if she should just meet with the venture capitalist and stop trying to save her company. Then again, she wouldn’t know what to do with herself if she did give up her company.

She’d given up her mother’s

approval and an engagement for the job of running the company, but in doing so, she realized that maybe she’d never had her mother’s approval. It wasn’t her mother that she wanted to prove herself to, but instead her father. He’d seen something in her when he

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chose to adopt her, and she would be damned if she let him down. She’d never taken a handout and she wasn’t trying to land a rich husband, despite her mother’s best efforts. “One thing at a time, girl,” she told herself as she pulled into the parking lot of the university. Because the parking lot was nearly empty, she immediately spotted her father’s champagne-colored SUV with the “BigPow” vanity plates. As usual, it was parked in two spots, and as usual he probably didn’t give a damn. Powell Cadell was known as the black sheep of his family. His father and brothers had all enlisted in the Army, but her dad had shirked tradition and enrolled in college instead.

Later,

he’d

founded

Caldwell

Enterprises. He became the double black sheep by choosing to adopt a nine-year-old instead of a cute, cuddly infant. Everyone’s jaw dropped again when five years ago, he’d handed the reins to her and never looked back.

Ronni

always smiled when she thought of her father

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because he was the only one who understood her drive. Drumming

her

fingers

against

the

steering wheel, Ronni took a few deep breaths. Public speaking wasn’t her strong suit, but getting funding for these kids was more important than her social anxiety. Nervously, she checked her lipstick in the rearview mirror and made sure the thin spaghetti straps of her dress stayed in place. Now she wished she’d brought her shawl—it was getting a little cold, even though it was May. Looking around the parking lot, she noticed a vehicle that she hadn’t seen before. Something drew her attention to the black BMW SUV. It wasn’t a new model, but from the immaculate chrome rims to the metallic running boards, the thing definitely screamed testosterone. Stepping out of her car, Ronni cast one last look at the SUV. She could see a figure sitting in the car, but she couldn’t make out the person inside. Looking toward the gazebo on

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the main campus, she slapped a cheery smile on her face and marched to do her duty. Let the fun begin. *** As Lucian hid in the shadows of his SUV, he became even more thankful for the dark tinting on the windows.

When his target

turned in his direction, he would’ve bet everything that Ronni was looking right at him. So that’s the infamous Ronni Cadell?

She

doesn’t look like such a big force to deal with, Lucian thought as he watched her stomp in those silly heels as if she was about to wage war. Assessing her from the shadows of his car, he surmised she was around five feet ten, without the heels. She was a petite thing by his standards, yet she was all curves, and her dress accentuated all of her womanly wiles. A frown marred his face. This is business. Throw some

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money toward her cause and get her to have lunch with Darius. “Easier said than done,” Lucian muttered as he adjusted his bow tie. He was never the social one of their company, leaving Darius to do the ass-kissing it took to be a venture capitalist.

As he checked his hair in the

rearview, he caught a glimpse of his hooded eyes.

Perhaps I should’ve gotten some rest,

Lucian thought, but he wasn’t going to turn around. Once he set his sights on a goal, it was his. Bucking the “fashionably late” trend, Lucian stepped out of his vehicle. His dates rarely understood why he arrived on time to all events, although he didn’t bother to explain why being late was never an option. Lucian sighed.

He’d never told anyone that his

penchant for timeliness had nothing to do the want or desire to be punctual. If he had only been able to scream his dad’s name sooner, he probably wouldn’t have died.

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Sighing, he was happy for the distraction of tonight. He was being plagued by memories that hadn’t bothered him since he stepped foot on American soil. His gut told him that something big was going to happen tonight. Before he could second-guess himself, he strode toward the direction of the party. The garden setup seemed practically empty. That couldn’t be a good sign for a fundraiser. Spotting the champagne fountain, Lucian decided to become the observer as was his custom before seeking out Ms. Cadell. It wasn’t that he couldn’t be social, he just didn’t get the point of small talk, terrible pick-up lines or anything else Darius seemed to be in command of on a daily basis. He almost cursed himself for not letting Darius be the one to corner Ms. Cadell at this fundraiser, but there was no way in hell he was going home to sit in silence. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to be around other people tonight. A cool glass of champagne sounded good.

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Picking up an empty flute, he let the bubbly liquid flow into his glass. Taking a sip, Lucian looked around the green lawn, spotted with white chairs and white twinkling

lights.

There

was

no

huge

thermometer with a red marker to count how much money they took in. There wasn’t a huge throng of underprivileged kids walking around, looking discontented and begging for charity. This was definitely unlike any fundraiser he’d seen, and although he could count on one hand how many he went to, they all had one thing in common—greed. He wondered if the low-key event had anything to do with Ms. Cadell. As if his thoughts conjured her form, he caught sight of her heading his way. Leaning back against the table, he watched her sway her curvaceous body toward him in a way that would’ve made kings bow. Under his eyelashes, Lucian looked around to make sure she wasn’t heading for anyone else. He kept up his calm façade as he picked up another empty flute and began to fill

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it. As her heels created a soft crunch on the green grass, Lucian couldn’t help but notice her lovely legs. Her calves were toned, appearing as though they were carved out of a chocolate marble. He held out the full flute to her, and she smiled in appreciation.

That smile

would’ve made the Mona Lisa jealous of her expression. Although he’d seen beauty, Lucian had never seen her kind of beauty. As she took the flute, her long, unadorned finger grazed his. The unexpected feeling that swooped through his tense body almost made him drop the flute.

Luckily her other hand

came to the rescue and closed around his. Again she flashed him that smile. “Thank you. I could use this,” she said, still smiling. “You’re very welcome.” Lucian held out his hand. “Lucian Covaci, pleased to meet you.” “Ronni Cadell. Um, you’re not from here, are you?” Her voice was as sweet as wine, but he couldn’t help wonder why she would ask him such a question.

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“Excuse me?” “Sorry, it’s just that you have this lilt to your tongue that isn’t very American.” Lucian stood still. What could he possibly say to that? “I’m sorry—I ramble when I’m nervous.” “Do I make you nervous?” Lucian tried to offer a smile, but he had no real experience in offering comfort. He was greatly pleased when she smiled back. “Oh no. I’m just nervous having to speak in front of all these people. I don’t do much public speaking.” Now there was something that Lucian could relate to. He sipped a little more of the cool champagne. “Have you tried the trick of envisioning everyone naked? I’ve heard it helps.” Lucian tried not to laugh at the wideeyed expression on her face, but he tried harder not to preen when he saw her gaze sweep over his body.

He had no problem with her

envisioning him naked—he’d been visualizing her naked as soon as he made the statement.

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*** Ronni had no idea why the idea of this man naked made her feel giddy, but she knew it wasn’t from the champagne.

There was

something about him that made her throw her natural skepticism out the window. She took another sip of her champagne, buying herself more time to memorize Lucian’s captivating features. His eyes reminded her of the whisky her grandfather was so fond of drinking. The rich amber irises were veiled by long brown lashes. Looking into them made her feel drunk. Those eyes in that face led her to believe that Lucian was quite the heartbreaker. Judging from the breadth of Lucian’s chest, she bet he’d probably broken his fair share of beds, too. Ronni had to shake her head to get the images of a naked, sweating Lucian out of her head. She realized she still hadn’t spoken when Lucian raised his eyebrow at her.

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“Uh, no, I don’t think picturing this type of crowd naked is going to help at all, Lucian.” Just as Ronni finished her sentence, one of her grandfather’s old friends ambled by with his wooden cane.

Her gaze snapped to

Lucian’s, and she saw the merriment in his eyes. Ronni slapped her hand over her mouth to keep her laughter at bay. “You don’t seem so nervous now,” Lucian said, taking a sip from his flute, his eyes never leaving hers. “No, I’m not. But you still didn’t answer the question. Are you from here?” Ronni knew she should be mingling with the other guests as they arrived, but she didn’t want to leave Lucian, at least not yet. “Yes and no. I was born in Romania, but I’ve lived in America for a long time.” Ronni nodded. “Well, I’m glad that you made it to our fundraiser, Lucian. I’ve never seen you at one of these things before, but it’s always good to know that new benefactors are coming forward for the needs of the children.”

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Ronni noticed that at her mention of children, Lucian’s posture stiffened to his full height, and a haunted look settled into those mysterious eyes of his.

Mmmm, probably

doesn’t like children or he moseyed into the wrong fundraiser. It was then Ronni realized just how tall Lucian was. He looked as though he would have to duck to walk through a door. Before Lucian could comment, and before she could ask him if he was in the right spot, Ronni felt a cold gaze on her back.

As she

turned, she knew only one person who wasn’t an alchemist could manage to throw off that much cold heat: her mother. She tried to offer a smile, but when Ronni noticed her mother’s scowl, she knew she’d been called into action to mingle and schmooze. Rolling her eyes before turning back to Lucian, she placed a hand on his forearm. It felt like metal piping. Holy mother, was this man toned.

Groaning, Ronni chided herself

mentally for getting all drool-happy over a man she’d just met. Someone just get me a bib! Of

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course, she could all too well imagine him slathered in her homemade chocolate sauce. Clearing her throat, she tried to hide the smile that her wayward thoughts were giving her. “I’m sorry, Lucian, but I must greet the other guests.

Please mingle, eat, have more

champagne.” “Ah, duty calls,” Lucian said as he gazed over her head. “Yes, but perhaps I’ll see you later?” Ronni hoped so. “Da,” Lucian said as he winked at her. His accent was noticeably thicker. Ronni thought she would faint, but she held her composure. Or at least she thought she did as she tried to walk away without stumbling. Ronni walked to her mother and tried to give her a large smile. Deborah’s scowl only deepened. “What in heaven’s name have you done to your hair?” “It was late so I had to pin it up, Mom,” she said as she self-consciously touched the

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nape of her neck, playing with a loose tendril of hair. “You know I’m not talking about that, although I don’t know why you insisted on taking out your tracks. I mean that hideous trollop red you put in it.” Trollop?

Ronni thought she’d been

transported to the Old West. “Mom, it’s quite in these days, I assure you.

Well, it was in last month’s issue of

Trollops and Harlots’ Hair News.”

Ronni

couldn’t help but to poke back at her mother. “Really! You may find this a laughing matter, missy…” “Nope, Missy isn’t here. I think she’s off producing you another grandbaby,” Ronni said, sipping her champagne. She was going to need another five of these if she was going to put up with her mother all night. “Your sister isn’t pregnant. I would be the first to know. But you”—Deborah pointed her finger directly at Ronni’s stomach—“I wonder if you’ll ever be. You know, if the way

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you treat me is the way you treat men, it’s no wonder that…” Ronni held up her hand. “Mom, okay, I get the point.

Shouldn’t me looking like a

trollop attract men, if that’s what you want me to do?” “Well, yes, but do you have to be so, so…” Deborah looked Ronni up and down as if she was disgusted with her. “So beautiful?” a voice said behind Ronni. Whirling, Ronni looked into the smiling eyes of her father. She hurried to give her father a hug and to thank him for saving her yet again from her mother’s theatrics. “Dad!” Ronni hugged her father as if she hadn’t just seen him last week at his customary Sunday barbecue. Her father was the only one who understood what it meant to be the black sheep. He returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm, as if she was really his daughter. For a brief moment, a frown streaked across her face. Why could she never seem to let go of

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the addendum of not really being of his bloodline? “Hey, midget.

So what’s cracking?”

Ronni almost doubled over at her dad’s attempt at being hip. “Powell, will you tell her that red dye in her hair is not going to attract the right type of man?” Deborah said. Her father took a step back and looked her up and down.

“What if she’s trying to

attract the wrong type of man so she can use him as a guinea pig?” He smirked and winked at Ronni. “What? Powell, I swear if you keep on encouraging her, she’ll never settle down. She’s going to be a spinster—look at Missy.” Instead of responding, he simply took her mom by the elbow and slowly led her away, smiling all the while. Ronni could only shake her head. Her mother was tenacious when she got going on how much of a spinster Ronni was, and her father was the only one who could calm her down. Sighing, Ronni focused all of her

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attention on the growing number of patrons. Time to be Miss Schmooze. As the night wore on, she became more and more decidedly tired of the fake smile she had on her face.

Now she understood why

celebrities opted for Botox—they didn’t have to strain their muscles to achieve the cheesy perma-grin she was rocking tonight. No matter how many times Ronni chanted “it’s for the children” in her head, she still felt out of place. Looking at her watch, she knew it was time to announce the winners of the night’s silent auction.

Now if she could just resist the

temptation to take her heels off as she stood behind the large podium in the gazebo. She almost sighed into the microphone. Tired, but cheerful, Ronni went through the list of donated items and announced the winners. The prizes were theater tickets, lunch at an upscale restaurant and various other prizes that people in her mother’s social circle coveted.

Ronni had even offered a tour of

Cadell Enterprises, just to be hospitable,

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knowing no one would bid on a one-on-one tour of her software company. It just wasn’t “chic” enough. Yet, as Ronni opened the last envelope, she knew it was indeed the winning ticket for the tour. Dying to know who would bid on her lowly prize, she quickly scanned the card. No way, Ronni thought. So surprised, she almost forgot to announce the winner. “And the evening’s final winner of a tour of Cadell Enterprises, Mr. Lucian Covaci.”

CHAPTER THREE It was difficult to pretend he wasn’t enthused to spend more time with Ms. Cadell, but Lucian was having an even harder time convincing himself that it was more for business than pleasure.

From the moment

she’d walked up to him, he knew he had gotten himself into unfamiliar territory. Yet he was also the same man who’d struck off to America not knowing anything except that he needed to succeed. Lucian watched her as her eyes scanned the crowd. Ronni had the type of personality that any man would want to be around, and he couldn’t quite understand why Darius would have called her a stubborn little thing.

She

didn’t seem stubborn, and the way that dress hugged all of her ample curves, she wasn’t little. Of course, Lucian hadn’t told her he was one half of the company that was trying to buy hers. He still didn’t know what compelled him to bid

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one thousand dollars on a tour of her company, but he felt justified after seeing the smile that lit up her beautiful face like a night sky. Awestruck by her smile, Lucian felt himself actually smile back. Damn, it hurt to exercise those muscles. To cover his obvious discomfort with the act of smiling, Lucian reached up to rub his chin, feeling the stubble peppering his face. He greatly needed to shave, and get some sleep, but he wasn’t ready to make the drive back home yet. As he watched his prey tiptoe toward him, he looked down at her shoes.

Although he

never did understand why women subjected themselves to that form of torture, he had to admit Ronni’s calves looked damn delicious when she walked in those black stilettos, although they were still ridiculous. Ronni looked almost relieved when she finally stood in front of him. Before she could utter a word, Lucian picked her up and carried her newlywed-style to the fountain he’d spied hidden behind the hedges of the massive lawn.

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He felt something swell inside of him as she clung to him, not protesting the fact that he’d just picked her up like a ravaging barbarian. Holding Ronni in his arms at that moment just felt right, and he loathed putting her down when he reached the stone fountain. Despite his desire to keep holding her, Lucian settled Ronni down on the edge of the gurgling Greek fountain and knelt before her, plucking off her stilettos. Dipping his hand into the cool clear water of the fountain, Lucian scooped out some water and sprinkled it on her toes and began to massage her feet. This was definitely not in Lucian’s character

because

he’d

stopped

playing

caregiver after he left his home and country to make it on his own. Yet something he couldn’t name made him want to stand guard like a sentinel over this woman.

The unfortunate

thing was, he would be protecting her from himself. He gave up all pretense of it being just business the moment he touched her delicate arches.

The soft mewls Ronni gave as he

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massaged her feet had Lucian’s member stiffening, and he shifted his eyes to her face. What has gotten into you? Lucian asked himself, but he knew he didn’t have an answer. His hands worked her feet as his gaze roamed over her body. Her eyes were closed so he took the time to drink his fill of her skin tone, a rich cocoa color that glowed in the twinkling lights. She opened her eyes and stared at him, her eyes giving nothing away. Finally he dropped her foot in the soft grass and took a seat next to her on the fountain. Ronni’s husky voice cut into his thoughts. “I do believe you are an answer to a prayer, Lucian, although I’m going to have to explain to my mother who that extremely tall man was that carried me off the lawn.” He hadn’t even considered what other people would think when he’d picked her up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Lucian stopped. That was a lie. He fully well meant to, and he sure as hell wasn’t sorry. Ronni reached out and touched his arm again. The electric jolt

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he felt from her touch was fast becoming too familiar and wanted. “It’s more than okay. Those shoes were giving me more grief than my mother could. Before you rescued me from the evil stilettos, I was going to ask you why would you bid that much on a tour of my small company?” Lucian didn’t have an answer. Of course, the cool, calculated, detached Lucian would’ve told himself it was because of the deal on the table with Victor. Yet a part of him knew that wasn’t true. While he thought of his answer, he noticed the way the wind played with her stray hairs. Sighing, Lucian knew he needed to get home—this was way too many emotions for one day. “It was the quickest way to see you again,” Lucian rushed. Where did that come from?

That kind of blunt statement was

definitely not in his character. “I’m flattered, but, you didn’t have to pay that much. You were the only bidder.”

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Lucian noticed the smirk playing with the corners of her luscious mouth. He shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t know I was the only one— silent auctions are tricky. But it’s for a good cause, da?” Lucian couldn’t remember the last time his accent came out so thick.

After

spending years trying to forget he was from the slums of Romania and training himself to lose his accent, here he was, saying yes to her in his native tongue, not once, but twice! “A very good cause, so I thank you. When would you like your tour?” Lucian thought about it. The quicker he could turn her over to Darius’s charms, the quicker she would stop making him feel like he was free-falling. “Tomorrow.” Lucian could’ve bitten his tongue. Tomorrow was Saturday. “Um, well, that isn’t my normal working time, but I was going to go into the office anyway, so sure. How does one p.m. sound?” “How about eleven, then I can take you to lunch?” Lucian wanted to kick himself for even

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mentioning lunch. This wasn’t like him at all. Yet, after seeing a hint of excitement spark in Ronni’s eyes, there was no way he was going to rescind his offer. “Okay. Stop by the office and just have the security guard ring my desk. I’ll see to it that he knows you’re expected.” Ronni bent to retrieve her shoes. Lucian got a full view of her back, looking soft as velvet and as welcoming as a hot bath. He swallowed hard; he was in over his head. While she was bent over, he inhaled her intoxicating scent, the jasmine smell reminding him of the gardens in Brasov. As Ronni stood, he found that he was already missing her warmth beside him. He couldn’t remember if anyone had made him feel welcomed and scared at the same time. Not wanting to dwell on the fact that this softspoken creature intimidated him, he stood and cleared his throat. He didn’t know how to part ways with her at this moment, but kissing her until she screamed his name wasn’t an option.

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He was relieved when she held out her hand. A handshake I can handle, he mused as he took her delicate hands in his. Her skin was warm, but it sent a cooling chill up his arm. It wasn’t

merely

a

handshake—Lucian

felt

seduced. His grip tightened on her hand and he squeezed back, not sure where the gamut of emotions he was experiencing was coming from, but he knew he had to get it under control. One more second of holding her hand, and he wasn’t going to get away from this evening without kissing her and possessing her, perhaps right here on the lawn. Just as Lucian was about to step forward and brand her lips with his, she took a step back. The look in her eyes spoke volumes. She’d just saved him from making a fool of himself. “Until tomorrow, Lucian.”

He was

relieved as she slipped her hand from his, and he watched as she seemingly glided away from him. Lucian slapped his hand to his face as soon as she was gone. What the hell have I done?

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*** Ronni couldn’t believe her luck.

She’d

sent up a desperation prayer today, and it was apparently answered. Smiling and whistling, she made her way back to the gazebo, carrying her shoes as she walked on the lush green grass.

As she made her rounds, thanking

people for coming, wishing them well, she realized this time her smile was genuine. “I’d be smiling too if some dark stranger whisked me off and made me forget my responsibilities.” Ronni’s hair stood up on the back of her neck as she turned to face her mother. It was a marvel if Ronni ever did anything Deborah would be proud of. “Mom, please. I was only gone for ten minutes.” And every minute felt like a fantasy come true, Ronni mused. Her amusement was short-lived as Deborah put her hands on her perfect waist and her lips twisted in that way,

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69

which meant Ronni’s ear was about to be blown off.

Nothing she did would ever be good

enough for this woman. “It doesn’t matter, Ronni—you still left, and furthermore, you didn’t even get a chance to meet the young man who was trying to meet you all night.”

Deborah turned on her

charming smile, and she knew, without having to turn around, that she’d been set up. Pirouetting slowly, she counted to ten. There was a nice-looking man standing behind her, a little bit taller than her, with a dark chocolate complexion and a wide smile. His smile was off-center, and for some reason, she felt ill at ease with the way he looked her up and down.

Coal-colored eyes

travelled up and down her body as if he was sizing her up. It definitely wasn’t a look of lust. Perhaps lechery, but definitely not lust, Ronni surmised, as she gave him an assessing stare. He held out his hand, and it wasn’t even a firm shake. The shake was more of a limp wrist youare-beneath-me shake.

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“Victor Madison, pleasure to meet you, Ronni. Your mother has told me that we may have a lot in common.” Ronni

straightened

and

immediately

dropped his hand. Of all the people who would show up to these things! This guy had the audacity to shake her hand as if she wouldn’t recognize him as the president of Madison Industries. She looked at the man with disgust. What in the hell was her mother up to? “Mr. Madison, now isn’t the time for us to discuss business, or your interest in our small family company. I’m off the clock for tonight. Thank you for attending this charity event.” Ronni relished wiping the smug smirk off his face.

She could almost feel her mother’s

indignation rising. Here we go, she thought. “Well, Ronni,” Victor started, his smug smirk appearing again, “then why did you spend minutes alone with Mr. Covaci, who is quite the corporate raider? I believe that his business partner, Mr. Ware, has tried to get you to meet with him several times.”

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Ronni was thankful for melanin because she felt her blood drain from her face to her bare feet. It was quite a blow, but she wouldn’t give Victor the satisfaction of knowing she’d had no idea of what and who Lucian was. “That is none of your business, Mr. Madison, but we weren’t discussing business. We were speaking about fundraising. If you would like to discuss business, call me on Monday.” Ronni turned to her mother. “Where’s Dad?” She didn’t have to wait for a response. Ronni spied her father over her mother’s head, talking with her grandfather.

Giving up all

pretense of being calm, she stormed off. What was Lucian up to? For the first time in her life, she felt used. Walking up to her grandfather and giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek, Ronni turned to her dad. His normally bright and genuine smile looked strained. grandfather could be a hothead.

Figured—her

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“Hey, Sarge, did you have a nice evening?” “Despite the fact that you don’t have any spirits here, it was all right. Lucky I brought my own.” Sergeant Caldwell took that moment to pull out his flask and take a healthy swig. Ronni knew the man didn’t travel anywhere without a whisky-filled flask. When she first met the man, the first thing he taught her was how to pour a sidecar. “Sorry, sir, but this is a college campus. The champagne was a stretch, and we had to pay a huge deposit for even that.” “Bah! College is nothing but a breeding ground for despots. Look at me, went straight to the military, made a man outta me. Now your softy father went to college and I bet he still can’t throw a right hook. Can ya, sonny? Think you can take me? Did all that college teach you how to scrap?” Ronni watched incredulously as her grandfather dropped his cane and flask and started winding his fist and doing footwork like

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73

She

smacked her forehead. There was no way she was going to talk to her dad about her problems now. Her grandfather was always trying to fight, as if being eighty-three wasn’t an accomplishment enough. “Dad, let’s get going. I think they’re playing a Shaft marathon on cable tonight,” her dad said as he picked up his father’s cane. “Yeah, Shaft, that’s a man there.

You,

Ronni, need to find a man like that. That man wasn’t no softy.”

Her grandfather began to

swerve on his feet, and Ronni rushed to take one of his arms, and her father the other. Her grandfather was a big man and still strong, despite being over eighty.

Being drunk and

ornery, it took both of them to lead him to the car. After they got him settled in, her father turned to her. “You and Chante coming to the house this Sunday?” he asked, the weariness in his voice evident. Ronni sympathized with him—even a short drive with her drunken grandfather and

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her mother would have the non-violence movement contemplating murder. “Of course. Hey, Dad.” Ronni knew she wouldn’t get any sleep if she didn’t talk to someone. Her dad was the most levelheaded person she knew. “Spill it, shrimp.” Ronni laughed. “What would you do if someone you like should be your enemy, but you didn’t know they should be your enemy until you already started to like them?” Ronni knew she sounded cryptic, but she didn’t know how else to explain her situation. Her father crossed his arms in front of him and stared her in the eye. “Does this have anything to do with that fellow who bid on the tour of the company?” Even though her father had shunned his family tradition of joining the Army, he could still read people like an old-school operative.

All she

could do was nod. He fixed his lips in a line, and Ronni knew she’d better listen.

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“Did he make any mention of his job to you?” he asked. “No.” “Did he make any mention of a deal or talking business?” “No.” “Did he make it seem like he had any interest in anything but you?” “No, but he wasn’t upfront about it either.” “If he was, would you have given him the time of day?” “No,”

Ronni

said,

shrugging

her

shoulders. “Then why is he your enemy?” “Because he’s partners with the guy who’s been trying to get our company, Dad!” “Your company, Ronni, and did he say, ‘Hey, I want to snatch your company’?” “No.” “Then any skepticism you have is natural. I don’t think anyone is ever completely forthcoming at first glance.”

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“So you’re saying see where this goes, and find out whether he’s trying to pull a fast one?” Instead of answering, her father just raised his eyebrow. He was right. It never hurt to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. She squinted at her father. “Did you just use the Socratic method on me again, Dad?” Her father never told her what to do. He would just ask her a series of questions until she came to her own conclusion. While he still didn’t answer, he at least had the decency to laugh. “There you are! How could you be so rude to Vic…” Ronni’s mother was yelling in her normal theatrics. Ronni’s father stepped in and grabbed his wife, ushering her to the car before she could say any more.

“Deb, there you are! Been

wondering where you got off to.

Come on,

we’ve got to take Pop home.” For that, Ronni was forever grateful—it had been a long day. As she made her own drive home, she wondered if she would ever be

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able to get in the good graces of Deborah. It wasn’t as if her father just brought her home one day or like she was an illegitimate kid of her father’s. One day, when she got the nerve to ask, she would get to the real reason why Deborah hated her so much. Maybe it wasn’t hate, maybe it was love? She thought that Deborah treated Missy the same way, but Missy seemed to be okay with it. Just as Ronni was pulling into her garage, her cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she groaned. It was Missy, her fabulous older sister. Even though Ronni didn’t want to pick up the phone, the last time she didn’t answer one of Missy’s calls, her mother called and read her the riot act and it took a lot of I’m sorrys and a mess of I understands to calm her down. She figured she would save herself the drama. Turning the car off and taking a deep breath, Ronni put the phone to her ear. “Why did it take you so long to pick up?” Missy huffed into the phone.

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“I was driving, well, parking. What’s up?” Ronni already knew what was up: her mom had called the angelic Missy to complain about her deviant ways. “Besides the fact that you made our mother feel helpless and like a failure all in one night, nothing.” “How did I make your mother feel like a failure? She’s the one making me feel like a failure ever since I met her. She’s always trying to fix me up, and trying to fix me up with someone who’s trying to steal my company doesn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy, Missy.” “ That’s right, she was my mother first. This isn’t about me, and it is becoming less about you. I mean if you just sold the little company and married someone, you wouldn’t have to work.” She had had enough. There was nothing little about the company their dad had poured himself into.

“Missy, first, I happen to like

working, and second, that little company put you and me through college. Not to mention

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paid for your damn credit cards. Dad gave me the company because you didn’t want it.” “Again, this isn’t all about you, and I would have sold it a long time ago. You are really interfering with my residuals. If you would just sell it, we’d be rich and happy. Don’t think that because you feel some sort of misplaced obligation to our family means that you’re really a part of it.” Ronni would have, should have, and was going to hang up the phone on Missy, but then she remembered that meant Deborah would be the next call. Ronni was raised to respect her elders, but no one ever told her what to do when her elders disrespected the hell out of her. Sighing and holding the phone to her ear, Ronni shut her eyes. “It isn’t about me, yet you’re sitting there, ragging on me. Yeah right, Missy, then why are you calling?” “I’m calling to tell you to dress nice on Sunday and don’t embarrass me.

Clifton is

bringing a friend of his to our family get-

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together, and I don’t want you embarrassing us. If you’re lucky, he may ask you out on a date.” Ronni would’ve thrown her phone, but she wasn’t about to pay a deductible for her windshield…or the phone. Her jaw clenched until it hurt. She didn’t want to believe her sister would even say something like that to her. Yet, when Ronni thought back on all the arguments she and her sister had engaged in over the years, she could easily believe it. “No thanks, keep him away from me, and my date.” Ronni bit her cheek. What in the hell just possessed her otherwise sharp brain to tell such an atrocious lie? “You have a date?

Since when? Is he

rich?” Missy of course went straight to the most important detail—money. “Yes, I have a date. Good night, Missy.” Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Ronni hung up the phone. Sighing, she made her way into the house and got ready for bed. Deep in thought, and still kicking herself for even mentioning a date, she was trying to

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formulate a good excuse for why her “date” wouldn’t be there. Crawling under the covers, she wished she could just skip the barbecue, but to her dad, barbecue was not something you ate, it was an event. She wouldn’t dream of disappointing him. The rest of the family she wished she could throw into a furnace. As she began to drift off to sleep, flashes of amber-colored eyes danced in her mind’s eye. Maybe she had a solution to her dilemma.

CHAPTER FOUR Lucian stood at the front of the building with every intention of turning around and driving back to his home in Silver Spring. As much as he loved the hustle of Washington D.C., he couldn’t imagine getting one ounce of sleep in the city. Not that you slept much last night. He’d spent most of the night trying to get the feeling of Ronni’s soft skin out of his mind. Taking a deep breath, he finally opened the glass door and gave the security guard his name. “Yes, she informed us of your arrival, Mr. Covaci.”

The clean-cut guard looked at his

watch and then looked Lucian up and down. “Punctual—she’ll like that. Go to the elevator on your right and take it to the fifth floor.” Lucian gave the man a curt nod and walked to the elevators. He couldn’t figure out why in the world he cared that the security guard seemed to know Ronni on more than a

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strictly professional level. Almost punching the number five in the elevator, he took a few deep breaths to calm down. It wasn’t like he was acting that professional either. He needed to get his shit together and he needed to be truthful with Ronni, even if it meant her not wanting to speak to him again. When the doors opened, he was still rehearsing how to tell her who he was. Finally looking up, for the first time Lucian was surprised. Not that he had many dealings with software companies, but he had been in enough meetings to know that offices don’t look like this.

The office wasn’t hidden behind plain

beige walls, but tempered glass. Lucian wasn’t sure, but something told him that the walls were symbolic of the company’s owner. What he’d thought would be a typical office setting with computers and cubicles resembled an oversized den, complete with subdued lighting.

Instead of the standard

metal chairs and desks, there were recliners, settees and heavy wood desks that reminded

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him of the woodworker’s shop he’d worked in as a kid. Lucian would’ve thought he’d walked into the wrong office if “Cadell Enterprises” hadn’t been emblazoned across the glass panels. As he approached the door, he noticed the panels of computer screens. It made him smile that the only thing about this place that wasn’t old school was the computers on which they based all of their work. He knocked subtly on the glass and stood back, watching as Ronni’s ponytail popped up from behind one of the desks. She threw him a smile that made him smile back. He would give anything to see her smiling like that all the time. He noticed she was dressed in a pair of jeans that hugged all of her curves and a simple pink T-shirt when she came to open the door. He’d planned to take her to a fancy bistro after his “tour”; that is, if she didn’t kick him out after he revealed the real reason he’d shown up at the fundraiser. After noting her casual wear,

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he quickly formulated other plans. Hopefully, those plans would have his hands under that figure-hugging T-shirt and touching her skin and him finally kissing those full lips he’d dreamed about all night. He watched her long fingers as she disarmed the alarm and swung the door open. Her smile was enough to make him want to pick her up and kiss her. The overwhelming urge to whisper honey, I’m home in her cute ears almost knocked him on his back. Lucian swallowed hard and tried to say something that wasn’t foolish. “Hi.” That was all he could muster. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, feeling like a schoolboy smitten with his first crush.

The way Ronni’s smile widened,

showing off her perfect white teeth, made his heart beat a tattoo in his chest. Again, he felt his manhood stir. “Hello again. Come on in,” Ronni said as she stood back from the door.

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Nevea Lane “Is it safe for the office to be this open?”

he asked when he stepped inside. “You can see through the walls.” “Of course it’s safe.

We have security

downstairs, and although you can see into the office, all of the monitors are protected with privacy coating.” She pointed to the back wall, which was covered with thirty-inch monitors. “Those monitors are actually on. It just looks black from back here.” Lucian nodded.

“Um, Ronni, there’s

something I have to tell you.” There was no way he was going to let her give him this tour before telling her the truth. Ronni didn’t say anything, but from the look in her dark brown eyes, he suspected that she already knew something was wrong. “I’m not just some stranger. I knew who you were before I came to the fundraiser last night. I went to see if you wanted to meet with my business partner, Darius. partner for WC Finance.”

I’m the other

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Lucian waited for her to smack him. Hell, if he was a woman, he would feel used, but then again, he wasn’t used to being answerable to anyone but himself. He found it difficult to really gauge her reaction because, well, she wasn’t having one. “I know,” Ronni said, sighing. What the…? Lucian wondered how she knew. When she didn’t say anything else, Lucian suspected she was waiting on the other shoe to drop. “I went to the fundraiser with business intentions,

but

when

I

saw

you,

those

intentions went out the window.” So much for subtle, Lucian thought. “Oh?

And what are your intentions

now?” Ronni looked unmoved, but he could see right through her. He knew what it was like to need to have your fears soothed. Moving closer, he reached for her hands, engulfing her delicate fingers with his larger, stronger hands. Lucian could feel her try to slip her hand out of his, but that only made him hold tighter.

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“My intentions are to get to know you. That’s it.” He hoped she would feel his sincerity. “Can I ask how you knew?” “Victor Madison. He’d been buttering up to my mom last night and let it slip who you were.” Lucian felt his blood boil. What the hell was that asshole doing there? “I didn’t tell him I was going. I didn’t tell anyone.

Please believe me.” Lucian didn’t

know why, but he wanted her trust more than he wanted to breathe. “I do believe you, but why didn’t you just tell me you were partners with Mr. Ware?” “Would

you

believe

that

I

forgot

everything but my name when I saw you in that dress?”

Lucian felt sheepish, but there was

nothing but honesty between them now, and he was going to keep it that way. ***

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Ronni couldn’t help but smile at Lucian. His honesty was indeed refreshing, but she chided herself for letting it go that easily. Man, I must be desperate, or maybe he is just that handsome. Slipping her hand from his relaxed grasp, she brushed imaginary lint off her jeans. She needed to get a grip. “Okay, Lucian, let’s have that tour.” She began pointing out various projects that she loved over others. During the tour, she kept casting sideways glances at Lucian to see his response, or even if he was listening. His amber eyes were focused, as if he was learning everything he could. As they made their way around the office, she snapped her mouth closed to keep from demanding a kiss. Those sexy lips of his looked so soft, the bottom one plump and full. He also had the barely shaved look happening, and she kept envisioning herself rubbing her cheek against his. He’s just a man, he’s just a man, Ronni kept telling herself as she finally brought him back to her office.

She was proud that she

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managed to get through the tour without humping Lucian’s leg. How could he not know that just his aura alone emitted a high potency sexual current that would rival the atom bomb? Flinging herself into her comfy chair, she motioned for him to have a seat. As he did so, she found herself watching his movements, as if he was a hard line of code she was trying to break.

His legs screamed pure power as he

lowered his huge body into one of her leather chairs. Clearing her throat, she knew she had to get herself back to her plan.

Lucian didn’t

know it, but he was about to become a major player in her life. Let’s just hope he’s as strong as he looks. “So, Lucian, tell me, do you still think I should meet with your company?” Ronni could tell that her question took him by surprise, but his facial expressions didn’t give him away. It was only the way his large chest expanded in the simple camel-colored T-shirt he was

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wearing that let her know she’d infiltrated his cool façade. Good. “I think that’s up to you,” Lucian stated without elaborating.

He didn’t need to

elaborate—Ronni knew a retreat when she heard one. “No more business talk. Where do you want to go for lunch?” “Would you be disappointed if I said I needed to go home?” “No, we can reschedule lunch if you want.” Ronni didn’t want to admit that she was disappointed. “You’re coming with me.” Lucian stated this as if he’d already had the discussion with her and she’d already accepted. “I’d love to.” Ronni knew enough about men to know that this could well be an elaborate get-the-panties plot on Lucian’s part, but her rational side decided to take a sabbatical. Lucian held out his hand and led her out of the office. As they walked through the lobby,

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he kept his hand on her back and made her feel protected. His hand was sure as he held the door open for her and kept some part of his hand on her body. Her body was stoked to an inferno with his possessive hand motions and his watchful gaze. She even noticed the “backthe-fuck-down” stare he gave the young security guard. She wondered what Anthony could have said that Lucian gave him that look. That stare alone made her hot and bothered, but she was sure it made Anthony want to pee himself. “Good night, Anthony.

Tell your mom

Chante will be by with the pie she promised later.” She could feel Lucian’s arm tense, and she did her best to ease his tension by looping her arm around his waist.

If he could be

possessive, so could she. “Anthony,

huh?”

Lucian

didn’t

say

anything more than that. Although it didn’t take a formula to figure out Lucian wasn’t liking Anthony.

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“His mother lives a few doors down from my place. Chante, my cousin, goes over to their house sometimes to clean things and to cook. Once we had a cookout, and he showed up five hours late. Chante never let him hear the end of it.” She was flattered by Lucian’s jealousy. She was turned on by his honesty, and more importantly, his presence made her forget her family drama. Ronni knew that most people didn’t live in D.C., but she figured that Lucian was the type of guy who would. He seemed like the kind of guy who would enjoy the constant bustling city life.

Yet, by the time Lucian

finished maneuvering the roads to his quaint rambler in the suburbs, her assumptions were thrown back to square one. Lucian opened her car door and stood waiting like a glorified footman. She let him lead her up the simple walkway as she admired the lush green grass. As he opened the door to his home, an enormous, shaggy brown and gray mass came darting toward them. Ronni didn’t

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even have time to react, before she was thrown back by a huge dog licking her face and sniffing her cleavage as if she hid a weapon of mass destruction between her breasts. “Socrates! Down!

Cease!”

Lucian

thundered as he pulled the dog off. The dog took one last lick on Ronni’s face before heeding his master’s command. Laughing as she brushed herself off, Ronni watched Lucian rub the dog vigorously on his hindquarters. “I’m sorry, are you okay?” Lucian looked at her with actual laughter in his eyes. “More than okay. Did you just call your dog Socrates?” Lucian nodded. “Yep. That was the name on his tag when I found him. I tried calling his owners, but they were getting along in years. They couldn’t take care of him like they used to, and I offered to take him.

So here he is.”

Lucian looked down at the dog with a trust that could only be found between man and beast.

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“Nice to meet you, Socrates.” Ronni nodded at the dog. “You are turning into quite a surprise, Lucian. I didn’t think a man like you would have a huge mutt in his house.” “What do you mean a man like me? And Socrates isn’t a mutt, he is a pure Carpathian shepherd. They are actually very common dogs in Romania. I had at least two strays that looked like him before I came to America.” Ronni had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing at Lucian’s defensive tone. “Come on.” Lucian led the way as she and the large Carpathian shepherd followed behind the king of the castle. He pointed out his living room, which screamed, I’m male, get over it. The brown leather sofa was just a brown leather sofa, no throw pillows or blankets, nothing homey. The couch didn’t even have a worn groove that showed a favorite spot to sit. The table was a simple brown lacquer table without coffee table books or memorabilia, just the TV remote.

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Ronni was tempted to ask if he even lived here or if this was a staged home until she walked into the kitchen.

The view left her

dumbfounded. The kitchen was adorned with ceiling-to-floor bookcases filled with every cookbook she could think of, and a few others she’d never heard of. Hanging above the center island sink was a vast array of spices and herbs that made the kitchen smell like a restaurant even though there was nothing cooking. “Are you hungry?” Lucian asked as he stood in the middle of his kitchen. “Yes! But where’s your chef?” A chef was the only thing that would explain his elaborate kitchen. “Chef?

Scuzaţi-mă?” Lucian said and

raised his eyebrow at her. “Which means?” “It means ‘excuse me.’ Now, why do you think I must have a chef?” Ronni crossed her arm in front of her and looked Lucian up and down. Should I tell him that no one who has time to sculpt powerful forearms like that

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would have time to cook? She bit back a groan. That was as bad as most of the cheesy pick-up lines she’d heard since she started dating. “I don’t know, the cookbooks, the herbs, the bazillion pots and pans.” “You think I can’t cook?” Again with that arrogant eyebrow. “I don’t know what I think, Lucian—you don’t fit inside the normal box.” “There is no such thing as normal, Ronni, just life.” Lucian’s voice dipped to such a low level, her heart ached. “Life, mmm, I wonder if we get doovers?” Ronni sighed and hopped into one of his barstools that surrounded the center island. “Why?

You’re smart, funny, own your

family’s business and you are breathtakingly beautiful.” Lucian’s words were seductive and sweet at the same time. If only she could see herself through his eyes. “From your perspective, maybe,” Ronni left it at that. She didn’t want to get into the complications that made her life anything but

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beautiful. She should have known that Lucian wouldn’t let it go that easy. “Okay, so you tell me your perspective as I cook and I don’t want the short answers.” Ronni watched Lucian in awe as he washed his hands and began to work in his kitchen. His hands were sure as he diced and sliced and crushed fresh herbs.

Watching Lucian cook

was like watching ballet: every motion meant something, and every movement was arrogant but humble. To keep herself from drooling, or worse yet, stripping and laying herself bare for dessert, Ronni washed her own hands and put together a salad. “Are you avoiding the question?” Lucian asked as he washed off his counter. “You didn’t ask one.” She was stalling for time, but she didn’t want to lay all of her ills on the table. “Why do you not like your life?” “It isn’t that I don’t like it, I just wish it would get easier.” Lucian fixed her with a gaze. She could see the concern on his face and it

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touched her, but she wasn’t ready for that yet. Changing the subject, she looked around Lucian’s kitchen. “You are a man of many surprises, Lucian.

I wouldn’t have figured you for an

amateur chef.” “You haven’t tasted my cooking yet.” Lucian chuckled. “I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.”

Ronni

noticed the small dimple that showed on Lucian’s square jaw as he tried to suppress a smile. “You know, my father’s quite a cook too, if you can consider grilling a true form of cooking.” “It takes a certain finesse to command a grill, Ronni.” “I’m sure my father would love to hear that,” Ronni said as Lucian laid a delicioussmelling plate of pasta with fresh herbs in front of her. “I’ll be sure to tell him if I see him.” Lucian smiled as he picked up his fork and dug into his salad. Ronni took a generous mouthful

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of salad and pretended to be thinking. She’d known since late last night that she was going to ask Lucian to save her from her family just this once. Now, she regarded him with a smile that made him stop chewing and just swallow. His amber eyes turned chocolate dark, and Ronni knew this was her moment. The look in his eyes made her feel safe enough to ask him the huge favor she’d been contemplating all night long. “How about tomorrow? My father throws these barbecues every Sunday. It would be fun if you came.”

Ronni tried not to sound

desperate, but, well, she was. Lucian seemed to be taken aback at her offer, but when a slow smile eased across his face,

making

him

appear

young

and

mischievous, Ronni knew he was in. “I don’t know, Ms. Ronni. That would be two dates as in as many days. People will talk.” She could tell he was trying to hold back a smile.

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“Well, let’s give them something to talk about, shall we?” Ronni said as she raised her glass to Lucian. He did the same, and his eyes were still smiling as he raised the glass to his lips. “Tell me, why do you still want to hang out with me, knowing what you know about me?” Lucian’s eyes were still locked with hers. “Our work isn’t who we are, Lucian. Work is work, play is play, and you don’t know everything about me either,” Ronni said as she dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “Yes, but I want to get to know you, more and more with every passing minute. But in the ‘work is work’ category, we should be enemies,” Lucian said, as he steepled his fingers together and waited for her response. “You’re right, we should be enemies,” Ronni countered. “So is this a game of keep your friends close but your enemies closer?” His low tone

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warned her that his skepticism was peaking. She didn’t blame him—she felt the same way. “I don’t play games, Lucian, and I didn’t say we were enemies. I merely agreed that we should be.” “Games are for children, Ronni, and you’re quite the grown woman, so I must know: where is this going?” Never before had Ronni had a man ask the where is this going question. Yet nothing Lucian did had been ordinary thus far. His own honesty had forced her to be as upfront with her intentions. “Wherever you’re willing to take it, Lucian. I do admit I’m using you in a way.” Lucian crossed his arms and watched her from across the table. Ronni licked her lips and noted the way his eyes darted to her mouth. “I didn’t want to show up at my parents’ house alone again. I thought having you there would be, I don’t know, in some way make it tolerable.” She sighed. She knew damn well

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she was going to have to tell him a little about herself if he expected to survive tomorrow. “Having you around makes a lot of things more tolerable, Ronni,” Lucian said as he picked up his fork and began eating again. “So, you’re not mad?” Ronni asked. Lucian shook his head and stared at her as he finished chewing. “No. Although I don’t know how having a stranger meet your family is in your best interests.” “Oh, you don’t know my family. Well, they are my family, but we aren’t related. I’m adopted.” Lucian didn’t move or speak, nor did he look away. His stare almost unnerved her, but she’d been dealing with Deborah most of her life—it took a lot more than that to get under her skin. “Why would you tell me this?” Lucian asked as he steepled his hands again. She was beginning to see that he did that when he was in thought. It was very cute, and arousing.

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“I…I thought you would want to know and that they could be very harsh, well, except for my dad, but…” She clamped her mouth shut. Lucian’s quick smile made her heart flutter. “Nervous again, da?” Lucian said as he put another forkful of food in his mouth. She watched him as he put his fork down and stood up.

Before she could blink, Lucian was

hunched down in front of her with her hands in his.

She was mesmerized as he guided her

hands behind his ear and startled to feel the rough terrain of a long, jagged scar.

As he

guided her fingers over the scar, she could feel his pulse quicken in his neck. “That scar is from my brother. My father told Sorin to do it because I was a pussy and I wouldn’t fight him for the last piece of bread. That is harsh, my dear.” Lucian let go of her hands and stood up. She didn’t know what to think.

She

thought her life was fucked up, but she couldn’t

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imagine damn near having your head cut off by your own brother. Lucian didn’t speak as they finished their lunch.

There was something

about Lucian where his presence was enough to calm her lonely spirit. She didn’t want to leave, and she had to think of something quick as they washed their dishes. “Say, do you play any board games? I loved playing Monopoly when I was a kid. A lot of the time it was the only thing we had to entertain ourselves in foster care.” A huge smile broke across Lucian’s face. “I have Scrabble. Darius bought it for me in college to help me with my English. He said I would never learn if I didn’t win something.” Ronni cringed at his mention of Darius. After getting to know Lucian, she supposed his partner couldn’t have been all that bad. “Look, about Mr. Ware, Darius, I’ve been calling him a pompous jerk for two years…” She was saved from having to explain anymore when Lucian held his hand up.

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“Darius is pompous, but he isn’t much of a jerk. He just doesn’t know how to handle strong-willed, independent, beautiful, classy, smart women.” “You’re saying you know how to handle those types of women?” “You tell me. You’re the first one I met.” Lucian flashed her that damn smile again. She felt her heart somersault and her cheeks grew hot. Damn, she was going to have to hogtie herself if she was going to save her dignity and not strip him naked in the middle of his marbled floor. “You’d better get that game now, Lucian.”

CHAPTER FIVE Ronni took a fortifying breath as Lucian pulled in front of her parents’ house. She’d thought several times of calling Lucian and telling him that she wasn’t going, but after spending hours at his house watching movies and playing Scrabble, she couldn’t wait to see him again. If she wasn’t obligated to show up at these barbecues, she and Lucian would have still been entwined in his sheets until this morning. “Ready to run the gauntlet?” Lucian asked as he opened the car door, his Armani shades making him look like a CIA operative. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Ronni asked as she slipped her hand in his and let him help her out of the car. “I can handle myself—I’m here as your support,” he said, giving her hand a good squeeze. Walking up the cement stairs, she was glad she’d chosen to wear a nice knee-length

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skirt and a sheer camisole rather than her customary jeans and tank top. Lucian made anything look elegant, and his khakis were no exception. His hand at the small of her back was driving her to distraction, and whatever cologne he’d decided on was stimulating every sensory receptor in her brain. He smelled of fresh-cut grass and citrus. She was so caught up admiring Lucian’s visage, she was startled when her mother flung the door open. “Ronni! Darling, you look great. Missy must have told you that…” She’d never seen her mom clamp her mouth shut as quickly as she did when Lucian removed his sunglasses. The wide-eyed, slack-jawed expression on her face was nearly enough to make Ronni yell mission accomplished and turn around and go home. “Hey, Mom, I’d like for you to meet Lucian Covaci.

Lucian, this is my mom,

Deborah.” Ronni watched as her mother, still speechless, shook Lucian’s hand.

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“Pleased to meet you,” Lucian said and looked down at Ronni. The smile on his face made Ronni feel as though she was the only person on the planet worth smiling at. “Come in. Your father’s on the porch.” Deborah led them through the house and out to the back porch, where her father was in complete command of the grill. He looked like a captain of the barbecue with a long-necked beer bottle in one hand and a long-handled spatula in the other, waving it around the grill as if the cuts of meat were his faithful soldiers. “Dad! We’re here.” “Of course you are! Where’s Chante?” her father yelled through the smoke of the grill. “She’s coming later. There was an emergency call at the ER.” “Then who is the ‘we’…”

Her father

finally looked up from the grill, noticing Lucian. He set his beer down and wiped his hand on his Kiss the Grill Master apron. Holding it out to Lucian, her father shook Lucian’s hand like they were old pals. Ronni

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was shocked when her father clapped Lucian on his back and gave him a hug. “Dad, this is Lucian.” “Ah-ha. Nice to meet you, Luc. Come on in and let me get you a cold one.” Her father handed Ronni his spatula, and walked off with Lucian in tow. Ronni stared after the men in shock. The surprise that her father had taken Lucian in as if he’d been expected left her speechless. “Where’s your manners, girl? Come give me a proper salute.”

Ronni knew her

grandfather was sitting in his lounge chair as if he were king of the whole universe. Setting the spatula down, she went to hug him. “Hey, Sarge. How are you doing today?” Ronni sat down next to him and took in the view. “A lot better now. There’s a good show happening tonight, and I’m not missing any of it.”

Ronni rolled her eyes, knowing her

grandfather was obsessed with John Wayne westerns and Shaft.

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“Oh yeah? Is it True Grit tonight?” “Nope, Showdown at Cadell’s Corral.” Ronni scrunched her nose up. Her grandfather had never acted senile, but she was lost. “Isn’t it the OK Corral, Sarge?” “Nope, you’ll see.” Her grandfather took a swig out of his flask and pointed toward the sliding patio door.

Just as Ronni turned

around, she saw her mother walk through the door with none other than that slime Victor Madison. She wouldn’t! Ronni stood as the two of them sauntered over to her place in the shade. Her eyes shot toward the kitchen, hoping that her father wasn’t sidetracking Lucian on purpose. Was she being set up? No, of course not, I invited Lucian. Ronni tried to remain calm as her smiling mother guided Victor to her. “Ronni, I believe you remember Mr. Madison. Victor here was so crushed after the fundraiser that I just had to invite him to our little get-together.”

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“What are you doing here?” couldn’t keep the ice out of her voice.

Ronni Her

mother and Victor had just gone too far. “Ronni, that’s just rude! Didn’t I just say that Victor here wanted to see you again?” Ronni cut her mother a glance that could only be described as go away. “Mother, maybe you didn’t hear the first time, but Mr. Madison doesn’t want to see me— he wants my company.” “I’m right here, and wanting your company is a part of it. Seriously, I’m just here as someone trying to get to know you better.” Victor’s smile made her skin crawl. Her mother chose that moment to slink away with a smile on her face. This is the absolute last straw. I’ve dealt with her pure hate for me for too long. Ronni made a mental note to deal with her mother later. Turning to Victor, she switched on her venom. “I don’t want to get to know you better, Mr. Madison.”

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Her chilling tone seemed to have no effect on Victor. He moved even closer, staring down at her as if she was a mouse and he was the big cat. “You will. I happen to know that your latest software is not working as it should. If you had my team behind you, you wouldn’t have to worry about things like that.” “Who told you that?” Ronni asked. She watched angrily as Victor straightened and began looking at his manicured nails. “A little birdy. Now, why don’t we discuss business a little later at my place, over drinks?” “No.” “Oh come on, your mother already likes me—you should start to be more like her. I can give you what you want.” “You don’t know jack shit about what I want, Mr. Madison, and I will never be anything like Deborah,” Ronni spat. “Oh yes, I do. You want to save your precious little company. The only way you’re going to do that is to play nice with me, Ronni.”

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Victor’s hand rose, and he traced a line down her cheek.

Disgusted, she jerked her head

away. “I said ‘no.’ You aren’t getting me or my company.” “Trust me, you’ll see differently, because you’ll want what I have.” “Why would I want an arrogant asshole? Again, no thanks.” “You little…” “I wouldn’t finish that sentence, Victor.” Ronni heard Lucian’s voice thunder from behind her. “Lucian, good to see you again.

I see

you’re taking a personal approach to this client. I thought Darius was more of the social type,” Victor said as he stepped to the side. Turning, Ronni could see the vein in Lucian’s forehead begin to tick.

He was

beautiful, even in his fury. She started to move slowly out of Lucian’s path.

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“I assume that was supposed to be an insult, Victor, but you’re only pissing me off.” Lucian put his hands in his pockets. “Come on now, Luc, you couldn’t possibly have any interest in Ms. Cadell. I’ve seen your normal arm candy, and she doesn’t fit the profile.” Lucian took one more step toward Victor. Ronni knew Victor had only two choices: shut the hell up or get knocked the hell out. “Luc, you should know that you don’t need to go the extreme of wining and dining if you have inside information.” Victor had the gall to nod at her mother. “Deb! How could you?” her father said from inside the sliding door. Ronni shot him a sympathetic expression. “Easily, Powell,” Victor continued in his self-serving tirade. “She didn’t want the ice queen Ronni to end up in a cold bed.” Ronni didn’t even see Lucian move. She just heard the crack of Victor’s jaw.

Victor

doubled over, holding his jaw with one hand.

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“Now that’s how you throw a punch!” her grandfather bellowed from his chair in the shade. “You barbarian, how dare you hit my guest!” “Your guest, Deb? How dare you invite that piece of shit to our home? You knew damn well Victor wasn’t welcome here, and you knew how he felt about Ronni. What the hell is wrong with you, woman? To invite the enemy of our daughter to our home?” “Our daughter, Powell? There’s a laugh. You do know she isn’t related.

Some damn

papers don’t mean spit in my book.

You

decided you wanted another daughter, not me.” “You wait this long to tell me this now? Deb, how could you?” Her father’s face was one of shock, anger, and lastly, sadness. “How could I? Easily, it made me look good. To give back to the less fortunate.” The woman had the gall to sniff and turn her head the other way. Ronni couldn’t take any more of this.

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“You are the less fortunate one, Deborah. You could’ve had a daughter who’d have been thankful for everything you did for her. You’d have unconditional love instead of being such a fucking bitch. I’m done respecting you and I’m damn sure done calling you mother. You should try acting like one before you get that title,” she spat at Deborah. It felt like she’d been holding that in for years. Perhaps it was Lucian standing up for her that made her finally stand up for herself. “Way to go, Ronni—you’ve managed to mess everything up again.” Ronni swirled to see her sister standing on the porch with her demon children in tow. “How do you figure this is my fault, Missy?” Her head was beginning to throb. “It usually is. time?”

What did you do this

Missy huffed and patted her hair.

Lucian had the right idea. She should just uppercut Missy and be done with it.

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“I didn’t do shit yet, Missy, but keep starting with me and I am going to start shit and finish shit.” Ronni rolled her eyes. Fuck her and fuck Deborah.

She walked over to Lucian and

grabbed his good hand. The look in his eyes said I’m sorry in a way that made her heart lurch. Leading Lucian from the porch and into the kitchen, Ronni busied herself looking for a bag of frozen peas for Lucian’s hand. “Did you know he would be here?” Lucian’s tone was cold.

Ronni didn’t blame

him. “No,” Ronni said as gently as she could, while

pressing

the

frozen

vegetables

on

Lucian’s reddening hand. “Did I embarrass you?” Lucian mumbled. “No, but the longer we stay here, the more chance I’m going to do a whole heck of a lot more than embarrass you.” “I’m telling Darius to drop that asshole,” Lucian said as he raised his head, his conviction showing in his amber eyes.

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“What if he won’t?” Ronni didn’t want to cause a rift between Lucian and his friend. “Then Darius will have to look for a different partner.” The tone in Lucian’s voice made it clear that it wasn’t a matter to be discussed. His aura screamed that his mind was already made up. “Lucian, look, I know this looks damning and wrong, but believe me, I didn’t have anything to do with this. I didn’t mean to drag you into all of this, and I damn sure didn’t mean to blow up.” Ronni tried to hold still under Lucian’s unnerving stare.

His eyes

conveyed his range of emotions from rage to sympathy. “Okay, I believe you, but this relationship of ours is going to cause some to talk, da?” “Da,” Ronni said, smiling. “Ronni, Luc.” Ronni looked up to see her dad standing in the kitchen. “Dad, where’s Deborah?”

Ronni could

only hope that the wicked witch had flown the coop.

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“Right here.”

Deborah stepped from

behind her husband, as if she needed a shield. “Ronni, I cannot believe you would condone this behavior. I will not accept violence in my home. Then you have the nerve to swear at me? Now I expect an apology…” “You can expect an apology all you want, but you aren’t getting one and you aren’t getting another damn tear out of me.

I’ve

strived for too long just trying to get you to like me. I’ve made every effort to be your daughter. What did you do? You made my life miserable.” “You are so ungrateful.” “If I’m ungrateful, then you’re a saint, and we all know what a bitch you can be. What the hell is wrong with you? Did they shoot Botox into your brain?” Ronni exploded. Ronni had had enough of this woman trying to make her feel as though she was the one with the problem. “Don’t talk to me like that, young lady. I was trying to help you stop being a spinster and a spoiled brat.”

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Ronni rolled her eyes. “Bullshit! Spoiled brat? I did nothing but rack my brain and cry my eyes out trying to get you and Missy to show one ounce of affection for me. I tried not to be a burden to you or this family, and I always made my own way, paid my own dues, and you still treat me like this. I’m going to say it once and for all, I’m done with you.

You never

treated me like a daughter, so I’m tired of trying to be your daughter.” “Ronni, I wouldn’t be so quick to say you don’t want to be my daughter.

Being my

daughter is what let you have your little company.” Her father finally stepped in. She’d never seen the man look murderous. “No, her being my daughter is what gave her the company. She had more drive and passion than you or Missy ever did. I can’t believe that I was blind to you for so long. That sweet as sugar façade was all an act, and now I think I have a toothache.”

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“Just because Ronni is acting up doesn’t mean you can start too, Powell.” Ronni rolled her eyes.

It was impossible to imagine

someone could be that damn cold-hearted. “Oh no, the only one who was acting here was you,” her father said with his arms folded in front of him. Now he looks like an army general, she thought.

CHAPTER SIX Lucian didn’t know what made him yell, but the thunderous roar shook the foundation of the Cadell family home. Lucian was never one to get personal with people he didn’t like. He didn’t get personal with people he did like. However, he’d had enough of watching Ronni’s mother push her down. “Mrs. Cadell, no disrespect, but what right do you have to tell Ronni she needs to settle down? She obviously doesn’t want your type of help. I speak from experience. I tried to get my mother to move to America for years, but when she insisted that she would die in Romania, I let it go. You need to do the same.” “What do you know, you big lug? Just because you tower over everybody doesn’t make you some type of authority on me or my family. Ronni doesn’t know what’s best for her. If she thinks she can just blow up and call me

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names and things go back to the way they were, she’s sadly mistaken.” “The way I see it, you’re the one who doesn’t know what is best for her.

You

deserved it and probably a whole hell of a lot more than that. If I had someone as wonderful as Ronni, I wouldn’t be pushing her away. I’d be doing everything I could to bring her closer.” He didn’t plan on admitting that much out loud. Some things he preferred to say in private, but ever since he met Ronni, he hadn’t done anything by his rules. “From what I gather, you were also trying to get my daughter’s company. That makes you no better than Victor.” Lucian could feel his blood boil, but he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere by demeaning Ronni’s mother, even if they weren’t really related. “I’ve done business with Victor, and horse shit is better than Victor. You’ve got a lot of spunk, Ms. Cadell, but you are also ignorant or just blind to the fact that Ronni would have given everything to earn

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your love. You’ve missed out and messed up.” Lucian turned to Ronni and looked deep into her eyes. Reaching out, he pulled her in close. The way her body conformed to his only solidified what Lucian already knew: Ronni was made for him. His head began to bend down, his eyes locking on the target of Ronni’s thick, pouty lips. He should’ve probably given a damn that her parents were standing there, but he didn’t. The only thing he gave a damn about was putting his mark on Ronni’s lips right then. When Lucian saw her tongue dart out and moisten her top lip, he craved a taste.

The

impact of his lips touching hers felt like a collision in his heart. All of his instincts told him to throw her up on the center island and kiss her properly, but luckily, he recalled this wasn’t his home. Only the sound of her father clearing his throat in the background had him pulling back. Smirking slightly, he pulled his lips from Ronni’s, and took a moment to tuck a stray lock

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of her hair behind her ears. The star-struck look in her eyes made his chest puff out with pride. He couldn’t help but wonder what her face would look like after countless hours of lovemaking. Ronni reached up and stroked his jaw in a way that left him feeling as though the gentle caress was more of a promise for later.

He

smiled and picked up the bag of frozen vegetables, hoping the cold jolt would abate the stirring in his cock. “I think we should go.” Ronni was still looking at him with eyes sparkling with promise and lust. Lucian was tempted to pick her up and carry her back to his car. “Now look here, if you think you can disrespect me and then just bail, you are sadly mistaken.” Ronni’s father looked at his wife with daggers in his eyes. Something told Lucian that dealing with Powell when he was mad wasn’t going to go well for Deborah.

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“Put a stiletto in it, Deb. You know damn well you aren’t changing her mind, and the way I see it, you disrespected her. I think me and you need to have a long, long talk.” “Powell, there is nothing to talk about! She is the one who caused the problem, she is the one… ” “Well, you don’t have to worry about the she anymore, Deborah.

We’re leaving.”

Grabbing his good hand, Ronni entwined her fingers in his and led him out of the kitchen. Lucian didn’t mind being led, as long as it was Ronni doing the leading. She was beautiful when she was mad. Her hair billowed behind her like an ethereal being, and her eyes glowed with emotion. While she practically stomped out of the house, he watched her luscious backside, which was encased in hip-hugging skirt.

He was glad that she remembered to

allow him to open her door for her and close it like a gentleman. After he slid into the driver’s seat, Ronni reached over and buckled him in.

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He had to turn to the window to keep his smile hidden. As they drove, the quiet settled in the car. Lucian was pleased that Ronni didn’t ask to be taken to her home, especially as he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. Even though his eyes were trained on the road, he could see Ronni’s lips pursed so tight, she must have been holding back tears. He knew he had probably witnessed the height of her temper, but if there was still more hidden inside, he wanted to know. “Penny for your thoughts,” Lucian said as he turned off the car radio. “Murder, kill, maim, disown and alibi. That’s about a nickel’s worth,” Ronni said on a sigh. Lucian’s heart lurched. While he had no more family to speak of, he knew what it was like when there was a rift in the family. The jagged scar running from his ear down his neck was a chilling reminder of the fight between Lucian and his little brother Sorin.

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Lucian couldn’t stand to see someone so full of life be brought down to melancholy thoughts of homicide. It just wasn’t right. “No, no talk of death, Ronni. It’s too dark for someone as bright as you.” “Easier said than done. I’m sorry that was such a disaster.” Lucian couldn’t stomach the sadness in her voice. “I’ll shield you any day of the week. Isn’t that what you wanted me there for?” “Yeah, but I didn’t mean for you to get in a fight or have to defend me. You barely know me.” Lucian shook his head and placed his hand on her thigh. “The amount of time I’ve known you means nothing compared to the way my soul knows you.” It was something his father had always said to his mother: my soul knows you. Lucian had never understood what that meant until that moment. His body quivered as her soft hand covered his.

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They rode in silence the remainder of the way to his home.

Their hands did the

communicating for them. Her gentle squeezes and soft caresses made him feel as though he was flying around the world on wings. As Lucian handed Ronni the key to his house, a jolt of familiarity raced down his spine. The image of her opening the door smiling would be forever burned in his brain. Even Socrates greeted Ronni at the door as if she was coming home. Lucian found he agreed with the shepherd: Ronni belonged in his house. “Let’s make something to eat, sunt foame.”

Lucian clicked his tongue—he was

doing it again. I can’t seem to stop speaking Romanian around her. The nagging voice in his head offered, Maybe it’s because she reminds you of who you were. He didn’t voice his thoughts; instead, he looked at Ronni’s adorable face and sighed. “It means I’m starving.” “Okay, mulţumesc.”

Ronni winked at

him as if she didn’t just speak in his native

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tongue. Lucian smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. Ronni at least looked sheepish when he quirked his eyebrow at her. “What? I just so happened to run across a language learning site and pick Romanian. Don’t ask me anything, though, because I’ve only gotten as far as how to say ‘day,’ ‘night’ and ‘thank you.’” She laughed as she followed him into his kitchen. “And why did you pick Romanian?” Lucian knew his voice conveyed his pride that she would pick his native tongue, but he couldn’t suppress it if he wanted to. He didn’t want to. From what he just saw at the Cadell’s home, she needed to know he was proud of her. Ronni shrugged her shoulders and hiked herself up on his center island. “I don’t know. It just seemed right.” All thoughts of cooking went out the window as he looked at her thick calves shining against his stainless steel cabinets. Before he could put the brakes on his feet, he was in front of her, twining his fingers in her hair, and

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pulling her head down into a brutal kiss. The taste of her lips was better than anything he could’ve whipped up in his kitchen. *** Ronni couldn’t say she was blindsided by Lucian’s kiss. She’d known she was going to kiss him again as soon as he’d planted those soft lips of his on hers at her parents’ house. Lucian’s mouth devoured hers, pulling at her lower lip, sucking her tongue into his warm and moist mouth. Her lungs wanted air, but her body just wanted more of Lucian. After her hands found their way into his thick hair, she pulled her body into his. When Lucian’s hands found their way to her thigh, inching their way up her skirt, her skin pulsated and became ablaze. His touch practically branded her flesh as his. His fingers danced on her body as if he was trying to make her go insane with lust. Lucian pulled her to

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him, forcing her to wrap her legs around his torso. He lifted her and carried them through his long hallway and into his bedroom—all without breaking their kiss. The loving way he set her down on his bed made Ronni feel like she was a prized treasure. The look in Lucian’s eyes was one of ravaging lust mixed with a gentleness that made her feel so much more than just a treasure. No, that look made her feel wanted, desired and made for him. He kneeled before her as if she were royalty, and slowly moved her skirt up her thigh. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head when she felt Lucian’s tongue on her inner thigh. His mouth was hovering over her simple silk panties, his breath torturing her with its nearness, blowing hot air over her inner thighs. She felt as though he was purposely teasing her to madness. I’m gonna die before we get to the good part,

Ronni thought as he slid her

panties down her legs, kissing every inch of her exposed skin. There was nothing that could’ve

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kept her from convulsing at that moment. Her body took over and left her mind out of it as it writhed under Lucian’s skillful touch. “Atât de frumos,” Lucian murmured into her folds, the hush of his breath cascading over her moist skin, making Ronni hiss. “What does that mean?” “So beautiful,” Lucian whispered, his lips millimeters from her mound. “Lucian!” Ronni stuck her fingers in his thick hair. “Sunt de foame, Ronni.” “Then eat, Lucian.” She thrust her hips toward his parted lips. His accent was laced with lust, and the combination threw Ronni over the edge. It wasn’t the first time she’d had a guy go down on her, but it was the first time anyone said they were starving for it, instead of the act seeming like an obligation.

Feeling

Lucian’s willing tongue lapping at every crevice of her labia drove her closer to the other end of the bed. By the time he looked up from his feast, his mouth shining with her juices, she’d

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pulled up most of the comforter and sheets from her thrashing. Lucian stood up and peeled off his shirt, the motion causing his tense muscles to ripple like the surface of a disturbed pond. She could feel his eyes on her, but she kept her eyes glued to his body, watching him take off his pants as if Lucian had Father Time waiting on him. She was enthralled by his graceful movements as he opened his top drawer, pulled out a few gold packets, and tossed them on his nightstand. His dark amber gaze dropped on her body, and his thick eyebrows knitted together.

Ronni

almost laughed outright when he put his hands on his naked hips and looked down at her as if she was destroying the whole mood. “Why are you still in clothes?” Lucian’s chopped accent spurred Ronni to whip her light top over her head and shimmy out of her skirt. No more words were spoken as Lucian covered her hand with his large one. She could feel the fine hairs on his chest tickling the tips of her breasts as he showered her face in kisses,

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whispering lovely words in his native language. Ronni tried to make a mental note to ask him what some of it meant, but that would be later, much later. Lucian’s hands caressed her skin as if he was trying to memorize every contour and every freckle. There wasn’t a pore that Lucian didn’t touch with his hands or his mouth. Her skin burned with desire, and the assault of kisses and touches drove Ronni to the edge again and again. She was ready for release, now. “Lucian, Luc! I can’t take much more.” Ronni breathed out, pulling Lucian’s hair to get his mouth to release her tingling nipple. “Yes you can.” The look he pinned her with almost made her give in, but she wanted him, now, not a minute later. “Condom, get it, put it on, now.” Ronni pointed to the nightstand and scrambled up on her knees.

She watched greedily as Lucian

rolled the condom down on his thick and throbbing cock. I’m not going to be able to fit

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that in me, she thought as she watched his hand fist his member and give it one good stroke. “Lie down, Lucian,” Ronni whispered, pointing to the spot in the middle of the rumpled bed. *** Lucian never liked orders, and he rarely took them. Everything in his body wanted to rebel against Ronni’s command, but his curiosity at her intentions had him obeying. He licked his lips in anticipation as she straddled his body with her shapely legs. When Ronni grabbed his cock in her delicate fingers, it pulsated and jerked in appreciation. Perhaps he’d pushed himself to the brink by trying to ensure her fulfillment. Lucian had never spent so much time trying to make sure a woman was well pleased before he took what he needed, but all he could find

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himself thinking about was Ronni’s pleasure when he was around her. Everything Lucian thought he knew about sex left his brain when Ronni began to rub the tip of his bulging head between the soft, supple lips of her already wet pussy. In an effort to get inside of her inviting heat, he bucked his hips upward, but she held him at bay by putting her other hand on his rapidly rising and falling chest.

She eased herself down on his cock,

torturing him with her gentle sighs. He was inside, but that wasn’t good enough for Lucian—he wanted and needed it all.

Lust-

crazed and driven, he grabbed the sides of her waist and lunged his hips toward the heavens. His cock was wrapped in her warmth, and Ronni’s loud yell of Thank God turned Lucian into an animal. He began to pump his hips, bucking his cock into her soft folds. Ronni’s fingers turned into talons as she dug her nails into his chest, but Lucian could give a damn at the marks she was leaving on his skin. He’d thought the sex would be good with

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Ronni, but making love to her ignited a beast within him that Lucian couldn’t contain. Her gentle mewling and soft cries only made him pump into her faster, but Ronni rode him like she’d been built to love him like this. Her hips slammed down to meet his, as if propelling herself onto his cock would bring them closer together. Lucian had to admit, he liked that idea. His arms circled her waist and he pulled her down to his chest, hugging her close as he managed to roll on top of her sweat-slicked body without dislodging his cock from her sweet pussy. The true assault started at the moment Ronni planted her heels on his back and began to arch her hips to meet each one of his powerful thrusts. Her pussy accepted his cock so perfectly, it made Lucian feel as though he was meant to be there, that it had belonged to him always. It just took him some time to find it. These thoughts pushed his need into overdrive. His hips began working faster,

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thrusting harder until he could feel the tip of his cock wedge inside her. “Please, oh sweet, my, oh, ummm…” Ronni’s incoherent cries only drove him to go faster, harder, moving his hips from the right and left, making sure that with every thrust, she accepted all of his cock.

Lucian knew he

couldn’t keep up the pace he’d set for the both of them without coming, but he wasn’t going to jump off that precipice until Ronni was right there with him. He reached down and began to massage her clitoris with the pad of his thumb. Her gasp and subsequent yell gave him all the encouragement he needed. “Come with me, now,” Lucian growled, praying that he’d get his wish. His wish was granted when her eyes flew open. He could see Heaven in her gaze as her orgasm consumed her and her sexy mouth formed a perfect “O.” Lucian smiled, but only for a moment, as his own orgasm made his face contort as if it hurt to breathe. Finally spent, Lucian slumped and

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gathered Ronni in his arms before his body collapsed on the bed. “At least you didn’t try to crush me.” Ronni chuckled from under his arm. Her body jiggled with her laughter, and it compelled Lucian to pull her closer. “I would never want to hurt you, Ronni.” “Good—then I won’t have to worry about how to maim someone who’s almost seven feet tall.” Ronni’s good mood infected him, but he didn’t want another moment to pass without telling her his plans and intentions. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her. “I have a solution to your problem.” Lucian couldn’t help but to feel annoyed at the way his accent rolled out of his mouth again. Around Ronni, he could never keep it in check. “Uh-huh. I need at least an hour’s nap and some food before we do that again,” Ronni said, her laughter lighting up her eyes.

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“Not

that—your

business

problem.”

Lucian was beginning to feel like that lost kid again when Ronni fixed that skeptical glare on him. “Do tell, Lucian. What is my solution?” “Our solution is that we become partners. Well, I’ll be your benefactor, and you’ll still run the company.” “Lucian, it isn’t that simple, plus you have your own business to run.” Ronni sighed and tried to push herself from him. Lucian wasn’t going to let her get away that easily. “No, it isn’t simple, but this way is easier than the other options.

I know you’re an

independent woman, and I don’t want to make you lose that. I can’t let that pompous ass Victor get any closer to you than he already has, and I’ll be damned that he gets anywhere near you without me around. I’ll give you what you need to get the creditors away from you. Just please let me help you.” Ronni sat up in the bed and wrapped the sheet around her bountiful breasts. Her gaze

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was full of so many emotions.

“Why?” she

whispered. Lucian knew he had to tell her his thoughts, and he found it the most freeing thing that he’d ever done. “Maybe it’s because I couldn’t make my mother leave Romania. Maybe it’s because it was too late to help my father and brother. I have a lot of maybes, but I know one thing for sure: I can’t fathom watching you lose something you love and not doing anything about it.

I can’t imagine not helping you,”

Lucian said as his hand caressed her cheek. She nodded, and he could see a tear in her eye. Lucian’s heart swelled. He gathered her into his arms and began to kiss her all over her face. “Luc, Luc! Okay, but I need…” “All you need is me, Ronni, and I’m going to show you that every single day for the rest of our natural-born lives.” Lucian’s mouth descended on her again. As Lucian settled them back into the sheets, he

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realized he’d found a new place to call home, and his heart had finally found what it was missing. He’d never felt this complete, and he could almost feel his mother smiling down on him. Da, I did good, was the last thing Lucian thought as he made love to Ronni all over again.

Nevea**

**

NEVEA LANE Nevea Lane currently resides in the Midwest, where she lives the life of a hermit. Her life has taken her on many travels and adventures, including: the tops of the Swiss Alps, le Metro of Paris, the busy street of Adams Morgan in Washington, D.C., and the quiet mystery of the Silver Lake mountain ranges of the Treasure State (Montana). She has called herself a geographic mutt, and believes that your home is where your heart takes you for the moment. Right now, her heart has led her to the rolling plains of Minnesota, where she’ll remain until her characters have decided to stop chatting, or the muse leaves to pester someone else. She has received many marriage proposals, but has not yet decided to make that leap. She is looking for more than just a spark, she is looking for a forest fire...until she finds it, let her entertain you. You can reach her at: [email protected] [email protected] Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NeveaLaneWorks hop Website: http://nevealane.wordpress.com/ Lulu Storefront: http://stores.lulu.com/nevealane