Free The Only Woman to Defy Him by Carol Marinelli

merely yawned as she told him about the casino invitation.
    ‘Maybe...’ Demyan said. He was still cross with them for not being open last week!
    ‘No way,’ he said, when she told him about the mental health awareness function tonight.
    Alina told him who’d be attending.
    ‘No way,’ Demyan said, but this time with a Russian swear word between the other two words. ‘They’ll be looking through my home at the weekend, the last thing I want is a close-up of my prospective buyers.’ He paused, not pleased with himself for revealing that the sale was hurting him.
    A small bleep alerted him and he glanced at his computer. It would appear he had a new friend.
    Alina’s father!
    Bastard, Demyan thought, not quite sure why he was meddling, or even interested. He had no idea how he’d use this, just a certain knowledge that he would.
    Demyan loved mind games.
    ‘Reply and say...’ He looked at Alina and then back at her father and hesitated. Maybe she deserved some fun. A small smile spread on his lips, a smile Alina had never seen—it could perhaps be labelled mischievous.
    ‘Tell them that I would be thrilled to support such a worthy cause...’
    ‘Really?’ Alina couldn’t make out his smile. ‘I never thought of you as getting behind mental health awareness.’
    ‘You should try co-parenting with Nadia.’
    Now she got the smile.
    ‘Tell them that we’ll be delighted to attend.’
    ‘We.’ Alina frowned. ‘You and...’
    ‘You.’
    ‘But I’m working...’
    ‘For me,’ Demyan said. ‘Sort it.’
    ‘Demyan, I—’
    ‘Don’t bore me with details, Alina. And if you wave that contract at me, I tear it up; if you choose to be working at the restaurant this evening, I fire you. Tonight, no doubt, they will want a speech as well as a donation and there will be invitations too. My PA attends functions such as this one so that I don’t have to remember all that’s said.’ He glanced over. ‘You can meet me back here at six or I will pick you up.’
    ‘But, Demyan—’
    ‘Go.’
    ‘It’s midday.’
    ‘I’m not that much of a bastard, Alina. I assume you have to do your hair and sort out what to wear...’ He leant back in his chair and put his feet on the desk and made up his mind. ‘I will pick you up at six.’
    ‘I...’ She didn’t get to finish.
    ‘Be ready or don’t bother coming back tomorrow.’
    He said the sweetest things at times!
    As she went to get her bag Demyan halted her.
    ‘Alina.’ He looked as she turned. ‘I send you home to get ready, not cry over some loser who blocked you.’
    Yes, he said the sweetest things sometimes and this time she meant that thought.
    ‘I’ll try.’
    ‘Fifteen minutes,’ Demyan said.
    ‘Sorry?’
    ‘Set a timer and give yourself fifteen minutes to cry over him then get on with your life.’
    ‘Is that what you do?’
    ‘I don’t have to get over people,’ Demyan said. ‘I don’t care for anyone enough.’
    ‘You say the sweetest things.’ This time she voiced it.
    This time he smiled.
    Fifteen minutes!
    It would take more than that to get over her father’s rejection. Alina fell through the door and onto her bed and let her pillow have it, but actually, thanks to Demyan’s surprise invitation, she didn’t have time to bemoan her father.
    What to wear to an A-list function?

    I don’t have anything suitable...

    Alina started the text and then halted. Was she asking him for money, making excuses?
    Demyan would see it as both.
    Alina deleted the text and lay on her bed. The problem, though, was a real one, there would be serious money there tonight. Her work wardrobe consisted of suits and a rather large little black dress that she used for any work functions, and even if she hit the shops the type of dress she could afford simply wasn’t going to make the grade and she couldn’t afford designer...
    Alina swallowed as a thought came to mind but though she pushed it away it kept building, so much so that she climbed out of