His Diamond of Convenience
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She could hear the water running, assumed that he was now in the shower.
And he had not closed the door.
He was naked. Wet.
It was inappropriate.
And very likely, all a part of him trying to get the upper hand. His behavior absolutely reeked of that. And she was determined that she wouldn’t let it work. She did not respond to intimidation tactics. No matter what form they took. There was no doubt in her mind that this was, in fact, an attempt at intimidating her. Too bad for him it wouldn’t work. A little bit of wobble in her knees wasn’t going to put her off.
But while she might not be intimidated, she was a little bit uncomfortable. Because her mind kept going back to naked and wet. Which was unusual. More than unusual, it was almost unheard of. She’d been cured of base lust very early on. Once she’d realized how it could be used to manipulate, it had lost its luster.
She let out a heavy breath, feeling exasperated at the turn this had taken. Not that she had expected him to accept her proposal on sight. But she hadn’t expected all this, either.
She was determined to play it cool, determined that she would not allow him to put her on her back foot.
And just as she had made the resolution firm, it broke apart like a sand castle being hit by a wave. Because just then Dmitri reappeared, water droplets rolling down his chest, a towel wrapped around his hips. If she had been paying attention and not been so busy gathering her determination, she might have realized that he’d turned the water off. But she hadn’t. And he had. And he had managed to surprise her again. Of course, she wouldn’t let him see that.
She swallowed hard, her throat parched. Which was odd since he was...wet.
“Do you own a shirt, Mr. Markin?” She looked him up and down, doing her best to keep her expression disinterested. “Because I have yet see evidence of it.”
“I do, but I don’t always see occasion to wear one. Does it bother you?”
“Not at all. I was merely concerned. You are a billionaire, so obviously I assumed that you were more than able to cover the expenses in your life. But if not, I’m happy to take up a collection. Charity is after all my area of expertise.”
He chuckled, the sound dark and rich, and far more off-putting than she would like to admit. “Your concern is very touching. However, you should not worry yourself with my clothing needs, as I find they are adequately met. But you do seem to know one thing I am in want of, and that is a better public image. I am wondering who your sources are.”
Victoria tapped her chin. “A lady never tells. Anyway, don’t worry too much about it. Your part in this will be minimal, all told. As I said, we won’t even really have to get married.”
“I only need to buy you a ring, is that it?”
She arched a brow. “If the implication is that I might be doing this to get a piece of jewelry out of you, then allow me to inform you that you’re very wrong. I have my own money, Mr. Markin, and I’m not in need of yours. I could buy my own damned ring.” She said the words crisply, knowing that she was betraying her annoyance.
After the loss of London Diva her father had withdrawn his support—both emotionally and financially. Her mother had left so long ago Victoria could barely remember her, but it hadn’t mattered because she’d had her father. She’d been the center of his world. And then...it was as though a veil had been torn from his eyes and he’d seen her, not as his princess, but as a flawed, craven creature, who wasn’t even related to the little girl he’d once cherished.
Oh, he hadn’t stopped speaking to her. Hadn’t thrown her out of the house, or openly shamed her. But the disapproval that always hung in the air was palpable.
So, she’d learned to be independent.
She had access to her trust fund. She’d made her own investments with it, paid back the fund and now proudly lived predominantly with her own money.
The break from her family had been what prompted her to get involved in charity work. Initially as an outward show of some sort of virtue, but in the end, it had come to mean a lot more to her than that.
It had taught her the value of independence. Of hard work. It was the one place she could see positive change coming out of her actions. A positive change that helped others. A much-needed outlet when, at home, she was still paying for mistakes of the past.
Not for much longer.
“You want your family business back. I don’t see any point in skirting around the real reason you’re here.”
“Yes, nothing more complicated than that. Nothing more nefarious than that. It’s such a small portion of your empire I fail to see why it would be of concern to you. I want my birthright, my inheritance.”
He said nothing, his dark eyes fixed on her as though he was waiting for more. So she obliged him. “Like I said, a straightforward transaction. My family’s company is returned to me at the end of our agreement, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that your reputation is solid. With me helping in the establishment of your charity you should have benefactors throwing money at you from all corners of the earth. I guarantee you that my presence in your life will improve your standing in the media.”
“You are quite confident in yourself.”
Victoria tried her best to keep her eyes on his...and not on his chest. “I see no point in failing to acknowledge your strengths. I know mine. Shallow, some might call them, or unimportant. But I see them for what they are. I have spent much of my life learning to be a savvy investor, and also donating my time to worthy causes. My reputation is flawless.” She hesitated. “I was very nearly engaged to a prince about three years ago. So that does make for interesting commentary on my past. However, if there was any dirt to be discovered about me, it would have been discovered then. Around the time I was with Stavros the media became quite interested in me, and since there were no scandals then...”