The Russian's Furious Fiancee Read Free

happen.
    Someone in another cluster of guests put a hand on her father’s arm, slowing him down slightly. When her father looked away, she smiled to the rest of the group around her and patted the elderly woman’s arm next to her. “Excuse me. I think my mother needs me.” She gracefully stood up and quickly moved in the opposite direction, not bothering to glance back towards her father, just in case that man was still watching her.
    She efficiently worked her way around the perimeter of the room, smiling and waving to her parents’ friends and guests, weaving in and out of groups but making sure to look like she was on a mission, which deterred people from stopping her. She made it all the way into the kitchen and was grateful for the reprieve, feeling trapped and frightened simply because her father wanted to introduce her to another man. He did this all the time at these kinds of functions, so what was different about this one? Okay, so he was much more handsome than the others, and definitely taller, more muscular. But that only indicated that he was probably gay, which should have relieved her mind.
    But she knew he wasn’t. The man with the intent gaze and amusement lurking on his firm lips was definitely heterosexual. There was too much male interest in his gaze for her to dismiss the man as innocuous. He was dangerous and she was determined to avoid him for the rest of the evening.
    Standing by the kitchen door and out of the way of the catering staff, she fanned herself for a few moments and let the sounds from the waiters and waitresses create a bubble around her while she calmed her shaking hands. This was ridiculous, she told herself. The guy was probably married, and her father just was being polite by trying to provide an introduction.
    But her father wouldn’t have gone to so much effort to introduce her to a married man. Her father was quite determined to get her married off as soon as he could, frustrated that his single daughter had thwarted all his efforts to rectify this situation prior to now. He wanted her married and stated the intention often enough that Eva knew when the diatribe was coming. Preferably to a nice, reliable Greek man who would help him in business. Eva’s father was old fashioned, believing in arranged marriages and mutually beneficial relationships.
    Ugh! Why couldn’t she get that man’s heated gaze out of her mind? The look he gave her that last time had really shaken her. It was what those silly romance novels would describe as “bedroom” eyes. Or knowing, powerful eyes. Eyes that took possession of anything they wanted.
    “There you are!” her mother said as she passed through from the opposite door. “Why are you hiding here in the kitchen? We’re about to sit down to dinner and your father has been looking for you for the past ten minutes. He wants to introduce you to someone. Come along, dear,” her mother said and looped her arm through Eva’s, pretending to be the ultimate, loving mother who had a fabulous, close relationship with her daughter. In reality, her mother only needed Eva’s arm to hold her up and walk straight. Her mother wasn’t just tipsy, she was flat out drunk, she realized.
    Thankfully, only Eva would notice. And probably her father who would toss out his obligatory disapproving look and then completely ignore his wife for the remainder of the evening. At least her mother knew how to hide her inebriation well enough.
    Maybe the start of dinner was a good thing, Eva thought. It would get some food into her mother and dilute some of the alcohol, slow down the inebriation process.
    Eva walked her mother to the dining room where the guests were already taking their seats. Eva escorted her mother to the end of the table, then noted she was seated midway down among the guests.
    Thankfully, that arrogant man she’d been trying to avoid was on the end nearest her father, so Eva was saved from needing to be polite to him during the meal. As the