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The door shut part way. I stood there knowing the possessive grizzly in the room right behind me would charge out to claim me if his sister didn’t calm him down. While I could say with complete certainty that I didn’t want my father’s lawyer friend, it was nice to confirm the suspicion as to what he looked like under those expensive suits and preppy tennis outfits.
“Come in, please,” Mr. Avery announced, swinging the door open. The white tee clung to his still damp frame; it wasn’t much better than before.
“Thanks,” I said, trying and failing to sound normal.Get it together.
“To say I’m surprised to see you is an understatement.”
And to see so much of you!Internally shaking myself, I rolled my shoulders back and rounded on him in the sitting room of the suite. “I’m here to talk business,” I announced.
“Always no work and no play with you, Briana.” His eyes twinkled.
“I know.”
He narrowed his eyes at my lack of flirtation. “What has your boyfriend been telling you?”
“MyBratvaboyfriend?” I crossed my arms under my chest. “Who you wrote a marriage contract for? A very binding contract that I can’t find a loop out of, by the way.”
“I’m glad you liked it.” Mr. Avery swept an arm, offering me an armchair.
I took it, only because he was folding onto the love seat, and I didn’t want to tower over him.
“How long did it take you to figure out it was my work?” he asked, leaning back and spreading his arms wide over the back of the couch.
“Too long.” I wasn’t about to admit I had to be told it was his contract. “I wasn’t expecting my parents’ friend and my professional mentor to be in cahoots with the mob.”
“Surprise,” he announced with a flourish.
Clasping my hands around my knees to avoid recrossing them, I leaned forward. “Where does this leave us?”
“Well, with your boyfriend betrothed to marry soon, you’ll be available. And I’ve never married—”
“Oh, that’s not happening.” The surprise in his face was elating. I added, “The contract might have been unbreakable, but I was taught that when backed into a corner, you should tear the damn wall down.”
“And that’s much easier in the underworld.” His smile was...hauntingly beautiful. “Alright, so you’re off the market permanently because that behemoth Russian isn’t letting you go. Pity, we could have been a power couple.”
I snorted. “What about a powerbusinesspartnership?”
Mr. Avery tapped his fingers against the upholstery. “Your Bratva prince would let you work with me? After I let my cards show that I find you an enticing goddess at whose altar I would love to worship?”
“Maybe. It’s going to take some serious convincing now that you screwed that aspect up,” I said flatly.
He shrugged. “Can’t help but try.”
“You might have been a teenage daydream, keeping me company as I explored the forbidden things in the dark of night, but now I have a living nightmare who satisfies my every need.” There. It was on record, and Viktor would hear it and know the truth without having to feel he needed to ferret it out of me.
“I’m flattered but also a little disturbed.”
“Good.”
Sitting forward to mirror my stance, he demanded, “Speak plainly. What are you wanting?”
The prepared speech faltered on my tongue. Instead, I blurted out, “That the contract falls apart and Viktor is free.”
“Is that all?”
I shook my head. “That’s only the beginning, but I’ll take it at the very minimum. I also want to continue to work with you, but I want to spend the rest of my internship learning everything useful to this specific line of work.”
“And you think I can just take you under my wing without suspicion being thrown my way?”
