Chapter 0086

“Nah,” he says, smiling at me indulgently and leaning a little closer as well.

Then, to my surprise and pleasure, he begins to tell me his life story.

I find myself paying rapt attention to Ivan’s story for the next half hour, sipping on the glass of tequila

that the waiter again delivers, savoring the bite and the taste. He’s actually really, really interesting – a

totally self-made guy, climbing up through the ranks with nothing but sheer will, determination, and

cleverness.

Despite myself, I’m impressed. Before all of this I had thought I liked the kind of prince-charming guys

who would politely deliver you a rose and ask you, tentatively, if you’d be interested in being courted.

But as I listen to Ivan, and let my eyes rove over his muscles and his tattoos…I wonder, a little, if my

tastes are changing.

As I consider it, my mind flashes – unwillingly - to Kent for a moment as well. He doesn’t have any

tattoos, I note, or at least, none that I can see - but otherwise, these two are pretty similar…

I dismiss the thought, though, bringing my attention back to Ivan. He sees me focus on him at that

moment, a slow smile building on his face. He intuits, I think, that I like what I see. That I am,

begrudgingly, impressed.

I bite my lip, letting him see me do it.

His words falter for a moment as his eyes flash to my front teeth pressed lightly against the red flesh of

my mouth. Then his eyes flash back up to mine and he smiles, continuing his story. Pretending that he

wasn’t distracted, though we both know he was.

Damnit, I think. I like that. I like that, maybe, a little too much.

“What the hell is going on here!?”

I gasp a little - the words surprise me – and jump in my seat, looking up at the fire-lit person standing in

front of me –

Firelight? When had the sun gone down –

My eyes focus, then, and I realize that it’s Daniel standing there – his shirtless form a little sweaty from

all the volleyball.

“Daniel,” I say, sitting up straight – not knowing, really, how to react.

“Come on, Fay,” he says firmly, angrily, grabbing my arm and pulling me up from my seat. “We’re

leaving.”

“Hey man,” Ivan says, frowning and standing up. “We were just talking –“

“Whatever,” Daniel murmurs, dragging me forward.

Shocked, I let him pull me, glancing back at Ivan – not quite saying sorry, but, in fact, a little sorry – and

embarrassed – to be dragged away like this –

“Daniel,” I say, pulling against the hand wrapped around my upper arm. “Let me go.”

“No, Fay,” he says, still pissed off. “Do you even know who that was? Who you were talking to?”

“It’s just Ivan,” I say –

“Just Ivan?” Daniel repeats, whirling on me.

I look around, embarrassed to see that everyone is staring at us. I open my mouth to respond but

Daniel keeps going.

“Just Ivan?” he says. “My dad’s greatest enemy? The guy who tried to kill us not too long ago?”

My mouth just hangs open – I honestly don’t know what to say –

I glance after him and then back at my father, torn. “Um, thank you,” I say awkwardly. “Thank you for a

lovely afternoon.”

Then, I hurry after Daniel, our guards following after us.

As I reach the car, though, just as I’m about to climb in, I take a moment to glance back at the beach.

Ivan is standing there, right where I left him, watching me. He raises one hand in farewell.

I can’t help the little smile that pulls up at my lips as I give him one long, final look and then climb into

the car after my fiancé.