Free Innocent in His Diamonds by Maya Blake Page A

people saw him—a cool, suave businessman who was in complete control of his world. Sure, the tight jaw and the broad shoulders held an edge of danger that anyone would be a fool to ignore. But the concern, the touch of gentleness in his eyes, that same look she’d seen a long time ago when she was eight, was clear for her to see.
    â€˜You have a very active imagination,
cherie
,’ he breathed.
    â€˜And
you
are not the icy, emotionless man you want the world to think you are. What are you so afraid of, Bastien?’
    He didn’t answer, merely speared her with his silver gaze as if trying to decipher whether she’d lost her mind. Hell, she might well have. She was tugging the tail of a dangerous beast.
    â€˜Bastien...’
    â€˜Let me be clear. Whatever you think you see in this photo does not exist. If you’re scheming, making little plans in that beautiful head of yours, kill them dead—understand?’
    Self-preservation kicked in, along with a healthy dose of anger.
    Courage, Ana.
‘I won’t allow you to bully me, Bastien.’
    He merely shrugged and strode for the door. ‘Rest assured, any punishment I exact will be willingly accepted.’
    â€˜Dream on!’
    He merely smiled. ‘We’ll see.’
    She forced herself to take her time. She straightened her jacket, picked up the paper from the floor and placed it on the coffee table. Going to her bedroom, she scooped up her purse and the coat Mathilde had lent her. Shrugging it on, she fastened the belt and returned to the living room.
    Bastien hadn’t moved an inch. She slid past him and tried to ignore him as they rode the lift down.
    The grand hotel’s opulent foyer barely sparked her interest. It took every ounce of her willpower just to put one foot in front of the other, to follow Bastien’s lengthy stride through the revolving doors to the car waiting at the kerb.
    As they travelled along the cold streets of Geneva she struggled to come up with something to say, but appealing to Bastien’s better nature would be a waste of time.
    A quick glance showed he’d become engrossed in a stack of papers, his pen flying as he drew harsh lines through the document.
    â€˜Will you need me to speak to the board?’
    The newspaper article had worsened her position. Firing her had become a real option now.
    Bastien’s lips firmed. ‘The damage is already done.’
    â€˜What does that mean?’
    â€˜It means that now you get to reap the results of your little experiment.’
    Her trepidation mounted as they drew up outside a large, elegant stone building. They’d left the gleaming, modern glass edifices behind a short while ago and entered the Old Town.
    A liveried doorman complete with white gloves glided to the door and held it open. As she stepped into Bastien’s lair Ana was aware that she could be leaving here with the course of her life very much altered.
    Plush cream carpeting muffled their footsteps. Impressive paintings graced the walls—discreet, yet sure to make an impact on the super-rich clients lucky enough to be invited to invest with the Heidecker Corporation.
    From behind a semi-circular reception desk a superbly coiffed receptionist greeted Bastien. ‘The board members are assembled in the usual room, Monsieur Heidecker.’
    He nodded. ‘
Merci
, Chloe. Can you tell Tatiana to meet us outside the boardroom?’
    â€˜Of course.’ Her glance at Ana held unabashed curiosity as she picked up the phone to do Bastien’s bidding.
    He stepped into the lift and pressed a button. ‘Tatiana’s my PA. She’ll make you comfortable while I’m in the meeting.’
    Irritation surged through her. ‘So I’m expected to just cool my heels? I could’ve stayed at the hotel.’
    â€˜We’ve already had this conversation. Where I go, you go,’ he reiterated arrogantly.
    â€˜You’re really enjoying