Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Can you see me now? I’m the child you ran out on and refused to acknowledge. Look where I am now, and look where you are.
But soon, the pleasure she derived from her success began to pale and the emptiness of her life began to gnaw at her. Two months ago, she had finally submitted her resignation, determined to start her life over. She had realized she wanted to build a law firm that operated on contingency fees, which would allow it to represent clients who weren’t presently able to afford effective legal presentation.
But as this weekend’s event had made Fredericka realize, her dream was a nightmare for most other lawyers. Even worse, she had learned that most of them believed that her resignation had merely been a ruse, meant to cover up the fact that she had pissed off a high-ranking official and had been forced to quit.
She looked up at the billionaire, saying wryly, “You’ve known from the start, didn’t you? What people were thinking?”
Sergei answered evenly, “There was no reason for you to know about the opinion of people who should mean nothing to you.”
So overprotective, she thought helplessly. Knowing that there was no point discussing his high-handedness, a trait that was as intrinsic to him as his Russian lineage, she changed the subject instead, asking, “What do you think you’re doing?” For the past five minutes, the two of them had been swaying slowly to a beat only the billionaire seemed to hear, and it had everyone staring at them.
Sergei raised a brow. “Dancing, of course.”
Fredericka was torn between laughing out loud and rolling her eyes. This was dancing? The music was a fusion of techno and house, fast and upbeat, and he called this slow, almost intimate sway of their bodies dancing?
He suddenly pulled her closer, and Fredericka’s breath caught as she felt his hardness against her belly.
Oh. God.
He was so rigidly aroused, she thought, her throat drying. Did he know she was aware that he had an erection? She slowly, nervously looked up at him., and when their gazes met, the billionaire smiled at her, a devastating sight that had her body tightening with need.
“People here need to be reminded that you’re not just anybody,” Sergei murmured.
Oh, the arrogance. And yet Fredericka also knew he was merely stating a fact, and the way he was so unabashedly unapologetic about his power just made him even more attractive.
Her breasts started to feel heavy, and her folds started to become creamy with moisture.
Oh no.
She was becoming aroused, too, and if she didn’t do something quick, Sergei would realize this as well.
Fredericka pushed the billionaire away, mumbling, “I n-need to go to the powder room.”
The billionaire’s hold on her slowly loosened. “Shall I accompany you—-”
“No!” The shrillness of her tone made Fredericka mentally wince, realizing that she was giving herself away even more. “I mean, it’s okay, I’ll be back—-” She felt a sneeze coming, and stopped talking.
Sergei frowned when Fredericka suddenly sneezed. “Are you alright?”
“I had a slight temperature last night, but it’s nothing serious.”
“You’re certain?”
Fredericka temporarily forgot her discomfort as Sergei’s zealous concern filled her with amusement. “A fever’s not going to kill me, Sergei.”
Even as a flushed expression fell over his face, the billionaire countered, “It isn’t something to take lightly either.”
Her smile widened into a grin. “Stop being fussy. You’re younger than me—-” As always, the reminder of their age difference had the billionaire scowling, but she ignored this, saying, “So lighten up, will you?”
Ignoring her words, the billionaire asked instead, “Do you still need to go to the powder room or not?” He took a step closer towards her. “Because if you don’t, then we can just go back to dancing—-”
She hurriedly moved back before he could reach her, stammering, “I still need to go.” More than ever now, since his words had practically set her body on fire.
Sergei checked his watch. “Perhaps we can meet in my room instead?”
“Sure.” At this point, Fredericka would have agreed to anything, so desperate was she to leave his presence before the billionaire figured out what was wrong with her. He gave her his room number, and she nodded, mumbling, “Got it.” And then she spun around and walked away as fast as she could, not allowing herself to look back.
The story of her life, she thought, torn between laughing and crying.
Sergei Grachyov had become an obsession, and these days she only had to see him and she would want him so, so bad.
Chapter Eleven
Fredericka joined him in his suite ten minutes later, and he welcomed her inside with a slight smile. After closing the door, he followed her in the en-suite living room. She had changed before coming here, swapping her summer dress for a lace shirt tucked in a pair of high-waist shorts. She had also let her silky red curls loose, and the sight of it made him want to drive his fingers through her hair, made him imagine pulling her head back as he devoured her mouth.