The Russian's Furious Fiancee (8 page)

Instead of responding, he changed the subject. “We’re seeing La Traviata tonight. Have you seen it before?”

“Not recently,” she replied, suddenly excited about the night. She loved this opera! She had last seen it as a child and had enjoyed it immensely. “I think it’s one of my favorite operas though. The tragedy and sacrifice of Violetta and all that passion in Alfredo, the confusion and nobility of Violetta’s sacrifice…it’s all so sad and lovely,” she said with brewing anticipation of the upcoming event.

Damon watched her face brighten and he was glad that he’d put that expression there, that he’d given her this thrill. The night was young, he thought and even chuckled again at her paltry attempt to irritate him with her dress. Well, it hadn’t been so paltry initially. He’d been furious that she’d gone to so much trouble to make herself look like a hag. He’d known that it was all to make a point; that she wasn’t interested in him enough to try and impress him.

She could try all she wanted, Damon thought grimly. Even discounting their dinner the other night, he’d seen the anticipation in her eyes even before he told her where they were going. She was interested in him. He just didn’t understand why she was fighting this attraction so forcefully.

Eva should have known that attending the opera with Damon wouldn’t be as relaxing as normal. Being anywhere with this man set her nerves to tingling but the dratted man had a private box at the theatre. So they were practically alone in a dark space with only two chairs.

He took full advantage of the situation, which she’d known he would do from the moment they’d walked into the private box. She took her seat and scooted the chair several inches away from his. He waited until she was settled before moving his chair closer to hers and that’s when she made her first mistake. When he sat down, so close that his thigh was touching hers, she tried to move away but he foiled that attempt as well by simply putting his arm around the back of her chair and using his strength to keep her exactly where he wanted her. When she glared up at him, he simply winked down at her before turning his attention towards the stage as the curtain went up.

Eva had to settle for turning her hips away so their thighs weren’t touching any longer.

What she hadn’t anticipated was that the arm that was around the back of her chair had his hand hanging down behind her. Fifteen minutes into the opera, his hand settled on her neck, his long, strong fingers massaging her tense neck muscles. At his first touch, she stiffened and sat up straighter in her chair, but at his chuckle, she tried to relax and pretend that his touch wasn’t affecting her in anyway.

But it was! She could barely breathe as his hands moved across her neck muscles, relaxing her in one way, but making her whole body react in other ways, ways she didn’t like and couldn’t control. She tried to pull away, but his fingers were strong and he wouldn’t let her move. Not that she tried very hard, enjoying the amazing feeling of his fingers as they moved from her neck to her shoulders and then back against her upper back. When she realized she was leaning forward slightly to give him greater access, she gasped and sat back, trying to move away from him again.

When she heard his soft laughter in response, she tried very hard to ignore him, crossing her arms over her churning stomach and focusing as much of her attention on the magnificent performance. She had no idea how much time passed but she wasn’t listening to the opera at all. She was waiting tensely for his next move. So when the intermission came and the house lights brightened, she wasn’t prepared for the rush of movement.

Out in the reception area, she was sincerely grateful for the cold glass of champagne Damon pressed into her hand. She took a long sip, trying to clear her head and understand what had just happened. Why did she continue to react to his touch, even when she didn’t like this man?

“I need to go to the ladies room,” she said and didn’t wait for an answer. Before he could do anything, she stepped away and headed towards the restrooms. She just needed a bit of breathing space, some time alone that would help her get this night into perspective. She didn’t like the way he made her feel and was actually ashamed that her body would respond so willingly to his touch.

Once in the bathroom and away from his too-knowing gaze, she freshened up a bit, staring at her pale reflection in the mirror.

“So you’re his latest conquest, huh?” a female voice said beside her.

Eva glanced to her left, seeing the beautiful woman’s face marred by a sneer filled with bitterness. “He’s a bastard, you know.”

“Excuse me?”

“The man you’re dating? Damon Kelopatros? He’s a bonafide bastard with no morals and no concern for anyone other than himself and making more money.”

“Do I know you?” Eva asked, wondering why this woman was talking to her, much less how she knew Damon so well. She smothered her instantaneous impulse to defend Damon and tried to figure out why this woman was so bitter towards the man.

This stranger looked like she’d been crying for days. She was wearing what had previously been a spectacular cocktail dress with a lovely design in the colored sequins, but the woman had lost so much weight that the dress literally hung on her gaunt figure. In addition, her skin was milk white, her eyes appearing a bit crazed with hatred for Damon shining through their darkness. The woman had made a feeble attempt to do something with her hair, but dirty locks were now hanging down from the clip at the back of her head and her red lipstick clashed violently with the soft purples and yellows of her dress. She looked haggard and mentally unstable.

“You don’t know me but I know Damon. Or at least, my father did. One day my father was fine, the next thing, Damon Kelopatros had all our money and was gloating about it, flaunting it in my father’s face.”

Eva shook her head. “I can’t imagine Damon gloating about anything, much less flaunting. He’s a very private person.”

She shook her head, her eyes sparkling with barely controlled fury. “You don’t understand what a bastard he is! He ruined my family! And for what? Because he wanted more money! How can that man need more? He’s a billionaire so many times over he can’t possibly need any more!”

Eva stood there, awkwardly watching the woman as she started to cry. “I don’t understand, but there has to be another explanation.”

She lifted her head and her eyes actually looked a bit crazed. “Don’t you believe it! He ruined my family. Some day, I’ll get him back!” With that promise, the woman swept out of the bathroom, looking regal in a demented sort of way. At the door, she turned back to Eva, ignoring the other women standing in the bathroom in stunned silence. “I’m just telling you this so that you can watch your back. Don’t do anything to harm him or make him angry because he’ll just destroy your family as well.” She looked Eva up and down then said with a sneer, “He probably won’t even need to break a sweat for your family’s destruction. But it will happen. Have no doubt. If you don’t believe me, look up the story of Comicon Industries. See how Kelopatros Incorporated swallowed it all up, then fired my father, destroyed his finances and left him practically penniless.”

Without another word, the dark haired, distraught woman stormed away, leaving Eva confused and concerned, both about the woman’s welfare as well as her own. Would the crazy woman do something violent to her?

Her stomach clenched as she thought of something else. Would she hurt Damon?

That thought was debilitating and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Damon could take care of himself. He was strong and competent and he had a good security detail that worked any kind of issues that might hurt Damon’s corporate interests.

So much for a breather, she thought as she pulled her lipstick out of her bag. She touched up her makeup and took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the bad feeling the woman had left her with. She had to go out and face Damon now. As she snapped her clutch closed, she wondered how much of that woman’s vitriol was true and how much was just using Damon as an excuse for her family’s financial downfall. It wasn’t any of her business, she thought and walked out.

“Fabulous performance! Wasn’t it?” a new voice asked.

Eva looked at the woman in front of her and recognized her as one of her mother’s friends, but for the life of her, Eva couldn’t remember the lady’s name. Damon came to the rescue and stepped forward, putting his arm around her, pulling her close. “Eva was a bit distracted so far but she enjoyed the entire experience. I think she’ll pay more attention going forward though.” The woman standing in front of them had no idea of the double entendres Damon was weaving throughout that statement but Eva was completely aware, and even nervous about his claims since, so far, his declaration was on target.

He turned to look down into her eyes. “Won’t you, darling?” Thankfully, he had no reason to question why she was so tense since he probably attributed her nerves to his presence. Eva didn’t want to mention the other woman, preferring to ignore rumors and gossip. And since the other woman hadn’t provided any proof, that’s all her diatribe was about. The woman’s family might have been ruined by Damon, but she was sure there was more to the story.

Eva was still flustered from the angry accusations against Damon in the restroom so she was having a hard time focusing on the current conversation. But Damon’s question snapped her back to the present. She couldn’t believe he’d used that kind of endearment in front of an acquaintance. The use meant a much closer relationship than existed, which was exactly what Damon had been trying to accomplish. He considered her to be his fiancée already, regardless of her objections to the relationship. It took a second, but she regrouped quickly. “Since this is our first date, I guess I was a bit distracted. Your cologne is a bit overwhelming. Perhaps if we attend another function, you could be a bit more discreet?” she replied, making sure her mother’s friend understood that this was their first time out and not a more intimate relationship she could then go gossip about to their mutual friends.

“It might be our first night out, but we’ve had several other….” he hesitated meaningfully, “meetings in private, haven’t we?”

Eva couldn’t believe that he was implying that their other meetings were so much more significant than they actually were. “I don’t think we can classify those other meetings as anything other than the fights they really were, can we?”

He smiled seductively. “I’ll…fight…with you anytime you want,” he came back. The hand at the small of her back pulling her close against his body. When she gasped at the pressure, placing her free hand to the middle of his chest to keep her balance, she knew she’d been outmaneuvered. Again.

The woman laughed softly. “You two obviously have something very special going on and I for one, am glad to hear it. Eva, your mother must be desperate to plan your wedding and I’ll certainly offer my assistance in that area.”

Before Eva could counter the woman’s impression, she’d already walked off, obviously heading towards the next group of opera lovers to spread the news of Eva’s impending nuptials.

“How could you do that?” Eva demanded, pushing against his chest but gaining no space from the hard muscles of his body.

“Because, technically, we are engaged.”

“I haven’t agreed to that. In fact, I believe the last time it was brought up, I specifically rejected the offer.”

“I’m making sure you don’t have a choice.”

She looked up at this man, at his handsome, rugged features and simply couldn’t figure him out. He wanted to tie himself to a woman who didn’t want him? In marriage, which in some people’s minds, specifically hers, that meant for life and all those other conditions like sickness, health, poor, wealth, etcetera, etcetera. “Why? Why in the world would you want to marry a woman who doesn’t want to marry you back?”

He looked down into her angry, but still strikingly lovely features. “Because I think you’ll make me an ideal wife.”

She huffed her irritation at his bland reply. “And will you be my ideal husband?”

He smiled, again with that sexy, stomach melting, knee wobbling smile that made her heart stop for a micro second before pounding out faster and harder. “I’ll be the perfect match for you.”

“You’re a conceited, arrogant bastard who doesn’t know what kind of obnoxiousness I can dish out.”

“Bring it on. I’ll enjoy the challenge.”

“You don’t want me,” she said, meaning that he wouldn’t want her as a wife, but he instantly took a different meaning to her words, his strong hands moving from her waist down to her hips and he yanked her forward, pressing her soft stomach against the hardness that was growing with her nearness.

“Ah, Eva, but I really do want you. And you can feel that I want you so that’s a ridiculous argument.”

“That’s just sex,” she hissed, trying to move her hips out of the way, embarrassed by his uninhibited sexuality. “And let me go!”

He grinned down into her furious features as he felt her nipples harden against his chest, telling him that she was just as affected by their movements as he was. “Why? You feel extraordinarily good. I’m glad you don’t starve yourself to a bony mess.”

“I will if that’s what you dislike.”

He laughed. “I have a feeling that there’s little about you I won’t like, but I don’t think you’ll starve yourself just to spite me. You’re too sensible.”

“Maybe I’ll get fat.”

“You won’t.”

The lights dimmed twice, indicating that the intermission was over. He let her go, but kept an arm around her waist, capturing her fingers when she tried to peel his hand away. The action made their embrace look much more intimate than it really was and several people smiled as they walked by the two of them, heading for their private boxes.

Chapter 7

Damon smiled slightly as he watched Eva walk into the restaurant. He was seated at the crowded bar, but he had a direct line of sight to where she was standing. She said something to the hostess who nodded and stepped away.

As he watched, he saw her pull out her compact and lipstick, touching up her makeup. She even pinched her cheeks to add a bit more color.