“Really?” She clutched it against her stomach like a lifeline. “Are you sure?”
“I didn’t buy it for me. It was meant to be yours.” He cupped her chin in his palm. “Mindy, I would cross heaven and earth and hell to protect you. But if I can’t be there, and you need to defend yourself, I want you to have the confidence to be a fighter, not a victim.”
To his surprise, tears welled in her eyes. She sprang onto tiptoe and kissed him. While he enjoyed her random display of affection, he took her shoulders in his hands. “What was that for?”
Her eyes glowed with adoration. “Don’t you know?”
He kissed her softly and drew back. “I know we have to leave soon if we want to make it to the dinner meeting on time. I need to grab my suit from the front desk and change upstairs. I’ll meet you back down here in ten minutes.”
Disappointment flashed in her eyes, but she nodded. “You’re probably right.”
His disappointment felt as sharp as hers. He’d much rather ditch dinner and feast on her all night. Instead, he returned downstairs within ten minutes as promised and they were on their way to meet the Markovs for the second meeting, the deal-clincher.
Tonight he’d sit through another long evening of watching her share her light and laughter with three other men. When all he wanted to do was keep her to himself. He’d never been the jealous type, but when it came to Mindy, an unfamiliar edginess crept up his back and made him feel things he’d never felt, covet what he didn’t own. He’d have to force a smile while a guy like Marcus poured his attention all over her.
Now that he’d kissed her and tasted her and knew that she wanted him, tonight would be more brutal than last night. And he just had to sit there and take it.
A scowl dragged down the corners of his mouth. He was not looking forward to this. Even if he did nail down the sale, it would come at the cost of another man’s touch on his girl. A devil’s bargain he’d never had to make before.
The upper hand he’d grown accustomed to holding was slipping through his fingers. For the most part, that was a good thing, except when it compromised his judgment and laser focus on his career.
Then again, he’d always believed that work and relationships required balance. That balance would be tested tonight.
Chapter 7
Mindy wished she and Isaac had arrived first so they could sit next to each other like last night. Instead, the Markovs awaited them in the same semicircular booth. The elder Markov sat in the central position of power that Isaac had occupied last night. Isaac was sandwiched between the older and middle sons, Michael and Matthias, and he looked none too happy about the arrangement. She sat between Mr. Markov and her devoted admirer, Marcus. Too many M’s to keep track of, she thought wearily.
She wondered if splitting up her and Isaac was intentional. Her suspicion was confirmed when Marcus’s thigh wedged against hers and she found no retreat from his physical presence or his one-sided boastful conversation. The cologne he wore, an overpowering scent of patchouli-laced musk, made her eyes water and erased her appetite. It didn’t help that his breath smelled like leftover garlic pasta and oysters. She fought not to gag.
With a plea in her eyes, she glanced at Isaac, who threw Marcus a dark look. But, equally trapped, Isaac couldn’t do much to help her uncomfortable situation without offending someone. Or everyone.
Resigned to her fate for the evening, she settled her stiff shoulders against the cushion. That apparently signaled Marcus to rest his arm across the top of the booth behind her. Between her small stature and his tall lanky one leaning into her, she feared she’d have to face his armpit all night, although that smelled better than his breath.
An ache started to form in her left temple, the side facing Marcus. She downed her first two drinks to achieve a little mental fuzziness. It made Marcus a bit more tolerable. He regaled her with stories of his discotheque extravaganza the night before, which she assumed was his version of club hopping.
“The women at these places, they know me when I come through the door. They know I have money.” He preened then flattened his hand on the table in front of her so his body formed a box around her. The thick gold bracelet matched the rope-braid around his neck, but no precious gems, as Isaac had warned her to notice.
Obviously, Marcus wasn’t their perpetrator. Also, despite his high opinion of himself, Marcus had nothing on Isaac’s suave, confident charm. From across the table, Isaac seemed to be beguiling the Markovs with his confident charm. That meant she needed to work on her employers’ excellent repute.