Dominic chuckles. “Oh no, you need to get that dress.”
“I agree,” Skylar says. “That dress was made for you. Don’t tell me that this dress doesn’t make you feel beautiful.”
I give her a small smile. “I do feel pretty in it.”
“You look like a goddess snatched from Mt. Olympus,” Vladimir says, returning to our group. He has blanked his features, but I still see the approval in his eyes.
I nod in agreement. This is the dress.
After the helpful clerk finds us shoes to go with our dresses, along with other accessories, Vladimir pays for our purchases. He and Dominic carry out the bags.
“How about lunch before you return home?” Vladimir offers. “Any suggestions?”
Since I know the area best, I choose. The hostess seats us and hands us menus. The food is Russian, but neither Vladimir nor Dominic has difficulty selecting their meal.
I select the borscht while Skylar chooses the pelmeni. Both Dominic and Vladimir settle on the beef stroganoff.
“I apologize for my earlier behavior,” Vladimir says after we’ve ordered and our waiter has brought us glasses of chilled water and a carafe. “You looked lovely in that dress. Remembering why you were buying the dress made me angry.”
“You were angry? About tonight?” I ask.
He nods. “Yes. I have respect for your father, but his decision to include you in his plans irritates me. I know arranged marriages have been the norm for centuries, but I don’t approve of them.”
“You believe people should marry only because they love each other?” Skylar asks. “Sorry, but I have a hard time seeing you as a romantic.”
Vladimir shakes his head. “You don’t know me. I guess I am a romantic. Now. I never gave it much thought until I saw Cleo and my brother.”
“What do you mean?” Skylar asks.
Vladimir jerks his shoulder in response, and I realize that he’s embarrassed. “For years, I’ve been so focused on building up my business interests that I didn’t think much about what itwould be like to share my life with someone. On paper, Cleo and Hex don’t belong together, but they do.”
“Now,” Skylar says. “They had a rough start. He kidnapped her and kept her prisoner in his clubhouse.”
I suck in my breath at her statement. “He held her captive? And you think they belong together? Maybe she is still his prisoner.”
Vladimir chuckles. “Cleo is no one’s prisoner. She’s one of the wealthiest and most independent women in New Orleans. Her father left her a fortune when he died. She’s been managing it ever since, and managing it better than he did.”
“Cleo was angry at first when Hex wouldn’t let her leave the clubhouse, but he kept her there to protect her.”
“Which is what I was trying to do when I brought her onto my boat,” Vladimir says. “Her father had made a deal with my father. She was the prize. Another reason why I’m not happy with your father.”
“But, I’m not the prize,” I protest. “I’m the obligation that comes with the prize.”
Vladimir and Dominic both growl, and for some reason, their reaction strikes me as funny. I smile. “Thank you for that, but it’s true. The prize is taking Alexi’s role in my father’s business.”
“I want to say that you are the prize, but you are not an object that he can give to someone. A man should see you and want you to be the person he needs. He should want to go to bed with you every night because he can’t imagine being away from you. He should wake early every morning so he can watch you sleep. He should struggle with himself because he knows he should let you sleep, but he can’t wait to see your eyes and hear your thoughts. Any man worthy of you should be distracted throughout the day because he can’t stop thinking about you. That’s what you deserve.”
I blink my eyes rapidly as his words wash through me. He’s describing every woman’s dream. It’s what we all want—someone who appreciates us and wants to spend time with us. The men my father is considering didn’t seem interested in me as a person. Their only concern was gaining Alexi’s role.
Vladimir and Dominic carry our purchases inside when we reach my home. My father hears the commotion and comes out of his office to greet us.
“Did you find a dress?” he asks me.
I nod and take the garment bag from Vladimir. “Yes, I found something. Dominic and Vladimir were a great help.”
My father beams at me, then turns his attention to Vladimir. “You know, we didn’t get a chance to finish our discussion yesterday. Do you have time now?”
“Of course,” Vladimir says with one last glance at me.
