Free Her Russian Billionaire (A BWWM Russian Oligarch Interracial Romance) by Imani King

guys together that first evening at the bar, but the sexual tension was so thick I could barely breathe.”
    “Liar,” I replied, but Lori just gave me a knowing look. “Exaggerator,” I amended, causing Lori to laugh.
    “So how was it?” she asked.
    “It was a mistake,” I replied.
    “You know what I meant.”
    “It was…” I bit my lip and considered lying but I needed to be honest if she was going to help me. “It was amazing. It was probably the best sex of my life. And I can’t stop thinking about it.”
    Lori squealed in delight.
    “Not helping,” I snapped reluctantly.
    “Sorry,” Lori replied. “Single working mother here. I haven’t had a date in years. I need to live vicariously.”
    “I don’t know what to do,” I whined.
    “What, exactly is the problem?”
    “I know it was a mistake—Makarov is not the type of man I want to date. Plus, he’s totally out of my league. But I can’t stop thinking about him. We have to work together sometimes, and every time we’re in the same room, memories of that night resurface, and it’s all I can do not to jump him.”
    “Then do it,” she encouraged.
    “No,” I said sternly. “That’s the worst advice ever.”
    “Why?”
    “Because the guy is an asshole. We may be… extremely sexually compatible… but it doesn’t mean that he isn’t a cocky manipulator. I mean, he’s still punishing me with extra cases to analyze on top of my shifts in the ER.”
    “Are you sure that’s punishment?” Lori asked.
    “Yes!” I assured her, even though I doubted that statement myself.
    “I think you like him,” she said after a moment, smiling.
    “What? No!” I argued feebly.
    “I don’t know. First off, I don’t think there would be this obvious level of chemistry if emotions weren’t involved. Love and hate are similar, you know, they feed off of one another. If you felt nothing for him at all, there wouldn’t be this anger—this passion. There would just be nothing there.”
    “I can’t believe you,” I snapped, feeling betrayed. “You’re just as bad as everyone else. I know my own mind, Lori—and I know that I don’t like him romantically. He’s a manipulative asshole, just like my ex-boyfriend, and I’m not going to let another man take advantage of me. Its just lust, nothing more, and I need to get over it. I also need to get back to work,” I said, standing. “My break is about over.”
    I turned and walked away, not waiting for a reply. Regret washed over me as soon as I turned the corner, but I was late to my shift, so I just continued walking.

    “ H ey Michelle , Lex called down looking for you,” Dr. Grimes announced as I walked past the opened door of her office. I cringed, seeing Julia’s snide grin as she overheard Dr. Grimes’s announcement.
    “I don’t have time right now,” I replied, stopping in front on her door. “My break is over.”
    “It’s slow right now, you can go on up there.”
    I really didn’t want to see Lex—not in this mood and not with Julia ready to spread more rumors about me. But I also knew better than to question my program director, so I simply nodded and turned back towards the elevator.
    By the time I made it to up to the twelfth floor, I was even more frustrated. Between Lori’s assertion that I had actual feelings for Lex and Julia’s knowing smile when she heard that he was looking for me, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him at the moment.
    Unfortunately, I was heading directly into his office.
    “Michelle,” he said as I entered. “Listen, I need a favor.”
    “What,” I said flatly.
    He obviously heard the anger in my voice, as his smile slipped and he studied me closely. “You know the case we’ve been discussing?”
    I nodded. Obviously, I wasn’t about to forget our “working” date the other night.
    “I need you to present that case at this month’s M&M conference.”
    “You’ve got to be kidding,” I snapped. “I wasn’t even there. Isn’t