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“Well,” Adelaide says, “now—”
He casts her a sharp look that makes her shut her mouth. “I mean you, Adelaide.”
Then, Nikolai takes me in his arms, his mouth on mine in a sweet, deep kiss that melts me from the inside. He softly sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, running his tongue along it as he bites down before releasing me.
“Rose,” he murmurs against my ear, his hands almost gentle, “I need to speak to Adelaide.”
I look at him, fingers coiling past the buttons of his shirt to touch his chest. “Nikolai?”
There’s so much I want to say, ask, but I don’t. There’s that thrum of warning, the ask in his eyes, the plea that’s hidden in his kiss.
Like a hidden depth of desperation I don’t get. At least, not until his next words.
“She’s important to information I need, to help Rush.”
Somehow, I stop my reaction, but he knows it’s there. That something that I thought is up? Well, I’m thinking it’s poking up now, maybe covered in barbs and traps.
I rise on my toes, slip a hand into his hair, and tug him down closer. “Okay. Ultra naïve, silly Rose it is.”
I take his hand and lead him to the sofa, fluffing a pillow for him that he tosses away. Adelaide almost rolls her eyes as she dismisses little miss mafia princess. My earlier show fits in neatly with the jealous, naïve girl act.
The conversation between them bounces with the mundane, but I can feel the layers beneath. I sit with my mouth shut, keeping an eye on her body language, all in between the besotted looks I shoot Nikolai.
It’s all the small talk bullshit I’ve seen at pageants when there’s some kind of power play or low-key rivalry between the girls. Genius has told me of cliques, and I’ve read a lot of books. I can read between lines.
The back and forth goes on for much too long. I know by how he tenses, just a touch—it’s on a microlevel, but I feel it.
Putting my hand on his upper thigh, I sigh loudly. “I’m bored, Nikolai. You promised this wasn’t a business trip.”
“I’m not a business associate. Is that what you told her?” Adelaide’s gaze shifts from me to him.
“He’s a business owner, property, all boring, and he heads fundraisers for battered women.” I sigh dreamily and Nikolai’s so still, I’m betting he’s both stunned and amused. I turn and glance lovingly at him. Yep, the corner of his mouth has the slightest uptick. “He’s upstanding and very sought after in Queenstown.”
“And here I thought you had fingers in a lot of pies.”
“He doesn’t like pie,” I say.
“I don’t like pie.” Nikolai runs his knuckles lightly down my spine, and I shiver. “Just your boring property investor.”
“Like celery.” I smile.
“Just like that,” he says. “Which is why I want to know if Rush got himself in with the wrong crowd. He’s hot headed at times, but I raised him better.”
Adelaide leans back in her seat and crosses her legs. “Does he know you’re sleeping with his girlfriend?”
Bitch.
I don’t mistake it for anything other than her pushing buttons, just like the job thing, but it doesn’t make it any less annoying. Pity I’m adept at playing roles, being what different people want, like I had to do on the circuit. This is just another level. Still, whoever she is, she can help Rush, and Rush is in trouble.
Nikolai is trying to negotiate help. More pieces click into place for me. I don’t know what the picture is yet, but for him to ask someone for help—because no way would she be here, otherwise—it can’t be good.
“I’m Nikolai’s fiancée. Remember?”
The woman ignores me. “If you want my help, we need to speak freely.” She pauses. “Alone.”
There’s a beat. Nikolai turns to me, and I don’t think he trusts her, but I trust her less. She’s up to something, and she’s manipulating their relationship…pastrelationship.
She doesn’t need to say it. The vibe is there, like when the girls who’ve slept with a judge to get a leg up, a favor, think they can manipulate it to get what they want.
