A Reputation For Revenge(89)

And to make sure of that she wanted some space between them. The whole country would be a nice start.

Their dinners were served, and she took a bite of her Chicken Kiev. Delicious. She stared into the flickering flame of the torch on the wall. It had almost been too easy. She was actually disappointed Nikos had capitulated so quickly. After the way he’d treated her, her blood had been up for a fight.

“Enjoying your meal?” the waiter asked, refilling her water glass with a smile. “You look happy.”

“I am.”

“Because you’re in love? I am too,” the young man added, and before she could dispute his assumption he leaned forward to joyfully whisper, “I’m proposing to my girlfriend tonight.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“But what’s this?” He peered at Nikos’s untouched plate. “Mr. Stavrakis didn’t like his salmon?”

“He, um, got called away.” Anna handed the waiter her own empty plate, which she’d all but licked clean. If it weren’t for the caviar spread over the salmon, she’d have eaten Nikos’s dinner, too.

“In that case, I’ll bring your dessert. An extra big slice,” he promised, then winked at her. “Everyone should celebrate tonight.”

She definitely felt like celebrating. But as she dug into the fruitcake a few moments later she noticed her breasts were starting to hurt. Back at the estate, Misha would be getting hungry. She needed to return to the dance club, retrieve the Maserati and get back.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, miss?” the waiter asked.

“Um...the bill?”

“Mr. Stavrakis always takes care of his guests. I’d lose my job if I brought you a bill. Sorry. Standing orders.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. Matryoshka was very expensive. As it had been Nikos’s choice to bring her here, and he’d ditched her in the middle of the meal, her conscience would allow him to pay. Heck, his accountants would probably get a tax advantage out of it.

But just as she was about to leave Nikos sat down heavily in the chair across from her.

“What are you doing here?” she blurted out, chagrined. Could he have already gotten a lawyer to draw up the custody papers?

He frowned at the empty table. “Where is my dinner?”

“Long gone. My Chicken Kiev was delicious, though.” She shook her head wryly. “Thanks for ditching me. I had a nice conversation with the waiter. He’s in love. He’s going to propose,” she said airily.

“To you?” Nikos said sharply.

Anna snorted a derisive laugh. “Yes. To me. I have that kind of power over men.”

He took a small sip of Scotch. Casually, almost dismissively, he tossed a small box on the table, pale blue as a robin’s egg. “Here.”

Frowning, she opened it.

Inside the box, nestled on black velvet, she saw a huge diamond ring set in platinum. The facets of the enormous stone, which had to be at least ten carats, sparkled up at her in the candlelight. It took her breath away.

She twisted her great-grandmother’s stoneless ring around her finger nervously. Nikos’s diamond was so big it wouldn’t have even fit inside the Princess’s empty setting. The diamond was bigger than a marble. Excessive to the point of tackiness. And yet...

She swallowed, looking up at him. “What is this? Some kind of trick?”

“No trick,” he said. “We will be married tonight.”

The rush that went through her then was like nothing she’d ever felt. Nikos wanted to marry her. Just as she’d dreamed for so long. Even when she’d known it was impossible—even when, as his secretary, she’d watched him go from one sexual conquest to another, she’d had secret dreams that she might someday be the woman to tame him.

“Put it on,” Nikos said.

But it wasn’t the earnest pleading of a lover—it was an order. Utterly cold and without emotion.

And just like that the pleasure in her heart evaporated.

Nikos didn’t want to marry her.

He wanted to own her.

This was his way of dealing with the threat of Victor. Rather than calling for his lawyer, rather than negotiating for joint custody of Misha, he figured it was easier to just buy her off with a ring. He thought Anna could be purchased for the price of a two-hundred-thousand dollar trinket and some meaningless words.

“What do you take me for?” she said in a low voice.

“As my wife. To have—” his eyes raked over her “—and to hold.”

She swallowed. His dark eyes were undressing her, right there in the restaurant. As if he were considering the very real possibility of pulling her to him, ripping off her clothes, and making love to her on there on the table, with the entire restaurant watching.