Free Jaded by Anya Bast Page A

wrist cuff of her dress to Alek, showing him the scar from where she’d tried to take her life. “Ivan destroyed any possibility of my maintaining a loving relationship with a man, so marriage was completely out. Thanks to Byron giving me financial stability, I could have stayed in that house and shut myself away from the world and all men. Or I could have chosen a new path for myself, one that allowed me to reenter the world on my own terms. Choosing my current profession was my way of taking control, Alek. I choose my clients. I control every aspect of my relationships with them. I’m financially independent without having to be married, something I don’t want and doubt I could manage, anyway. I’m happy with the choice I made and would make it again.”
    “I guess after all you’ve been through, it just seems strange.”
    “You can never understand the decisions another makes unless you’ve walked in their shoes. My choice of career has empowered me by allowing me control where men are concerned.”
    He studied her, thinking that wasn’t necessarily the healthiest way for her to deal with her trauma. Yet, it wasn’t his place to point that out. He might very well be guilty of unhealthy dealing himself. After all, how many times had Byron accused him of burying himself in his studies to avoid the past?
    Instead he said, “I truly am sorry for the insult I offered earlier.”
    Lilya smiled. She was beautiful, captivating, and had a charm that drew men easily to her. Some people had a spark inside them that attracted people. Ivan had not doused it in Lilya and that was something like a miracle. “It’s not the first time I’ve endured them.”
    “If I had known, I never would have—”
    “I know. Your apology is accepted. Anyway, all that happened a long time ago.”
    Yes, he liked to say the same thing. Brush it under the carpet. Not talk about it. Ignoring some things made them easier to deal with.
    Byron cleared his throat. Alek looked over and saw emotion on his face. Not much could make Byron Andropov show his feelings. “Is your curiosity satisfied?”
    “More than.”
    “Good.” He cleared his throat again. Alek knew Byron well enough to know he was attempting to mask his reaction to Lilya’s story. “It’s late and it’s been a long day of traveling. I think we should all go to sleep. Would you show Lilya to one of the guest bedrooms, Alek?” Byron stood.
    Ah, Alek understood. Byron needed to be alone. “I’d be happy to.”
    Alek fell into step with Lilya as they went up to the second floor of the house. He’d had enough schooling to see the emotional and psychological underpinnings of her desire to become a courtesan since it gave her control of men, instead of the other way around. Unhealthy though that might be. He wondered if there weren’t other things in play too, perhaps ways she might be using her obvious beauty and charm to punish her clients. He wouldn’t doubt it—or blame her, really—if that were the case.
    He led her to the nicest of all the guest rooms, one not far away from Byron’s. Byron may profess to have invited Lilya here for Alek’s sake, but he wasn’t blind or stupid. Lilya and Byron had a chemistry that snapped like a current of elusian crystal. Every move they made, every gesture, every word they shared seemed like foreplay. He sensed there was much unfinished and unsaid between them and her time here would consummate their relationship.
    She looked into the room, noted the huge soft bed, the fireplace, and heavy carved-wood furnishings. “It’s beautiful.”
    “I can start a fire for you, if you wish.”
    She shook her head and smiled at him. “I can do it myself. I see there’s kindling there and flint.”
    “I’ll just bring up your bag, then.”
    “Thank you.”
    He turned to leave, but she caught his arm. Her touch was light, nice. Her hand on him made him think about things he hadn’t in a long time. He eased away from her, a flare of