His Ward

by Lena Matthews

  “No. Want to give me yours?”

  “Don’t think I’m not tempted,” he growled.

  Asha’s laughter was a sharp reminder they had company. “Wow, Misha, you did say you were old-fashioned in a lot of ways.”

  “That was putting it lightly. He’s pretty much a cavemen,” she warned Asha without taking her heated gaze away from the man in question. “He’s only two steps up the evolutionary chart from hijabs.”

  “And you’re just two steps away from a spanking.”

  Nicholi pulled his hand free and rang an invisible bell. “Back to your corners. Round one is over.”

  “Good Lord, that took forever,” Kristyn said as she finally came up next to them. “What did I miss?”

  “Nothing,” Tionne answered, holding Misha’s gaze the whole time. It was just getting started.

  Chapter Seven

  Normally, Misha rather enjoyed attending the formal dinner. Not only was it an important project he held dear to his heart, it was also a way of shining a light on a very worthy cause. But tonight, everything he usually looked forward to—the presentation, the speech, the schmoozing, the seven-course meal—seemed like such a hassle.

  He didn’t want to be here. In fact he would have rather been anywhere else in the world than at the large table with a muted Tionne on his right and an animated Asha on his left. Asha was the distraction he was sorely in need of, but her very presence only served as a bitter reminder of the one person he couldn’t have.

  Even though Asha was lovely and kind, she wasn’t his woman. There was no there, there. Nothing, not even a zing of interest other than friendship. And although Misha was more than sure with just a subtle suggestion Asha would be very willing to venture into a more horizontal and pleasing position, the idea left him feeling cold and empty. After tonight, he would thank her for a lovely evening and charter a plane home for her, because the wall he wanted her to build between him and Tionne hadn’t gotten past the planning stages.

  Misha picked up a glass and took a sip, eyeing Tionne over the rim. She was facing away from him, giving him the perfect opportunity to look his fill, and what he saw irritated him greatly.

  She was upset. She was trying to hide it, but she couldn’t do that with him. He knew her too well. And no matter how many times she smiled at something Nicholi said, or chatted animatedly with Kristyn, underneath she was unhappy. Even when he tried to do the right thing, it still somehow ended up wrong.

  Misha tipped his glass back and finished off the whiskey in one big gulp. It was harsh going down, but the pain did not diminish his desire for more. “I’ll be back,” he said suddenly, causing every eye at the table to look his way.

  “Where are you going?” Nicholi asked.

  Misha wiggled his empty glass in lieu of replying.

  “They do have these fancy things called waiters here,” Nicholi ribbed. “I’m sure they don’t mind doing their job.”

  “Just as I don’t mind standing. Besides, I could use the exercise. My legs are still stiff from the plane.”

  Asha took hold of his free hand. “Would you like me to go with you?”

  From the corner of his eye, Misha could see the sour expression Tionne shot her way. “No, thank you,” he replied, more out of desire for Asha’s head to remain attached to her body and not become a centerpiece at their table than him simply wanting to be alone.

  Without another word, he made his way over to the bar, where he waited in line already several people deep. One would think the man hosting the party of the year would be able to cut in, but apparently the patrons hadn’t received that memo. Just as he placed his order, he felt someone touch his arm.

  Annoyed, Misha looked down at the hand gripping him, then up at Kristyn, who was standing next to him. He arched a brow and waited until she took the hint and removed her hand. “Thank you.”

  “I keep forgetting you’re not a fan of PDA.”

  “Only in regards to certain people.”

  As usual, Kristyn didn’t let his obvious lack of interest stop her from pressing on. “Buy a lady a drink?”

  “Sure.” He kept his tone as dry and uninteresting as he found her. “As soon as a lady shows up, I will.”

  “Still so mean after all this time.”

  “And yet you keep coming back.”

  “Maybe I like pain.”

  “Maybe I don’t.”

  “I don’t believe that at all. Otherwise why would you continuously play this cat-and-mouse game with Tionne?”

  “I don’t believe I care what you think.”

  “Tionne cares what I think.”

  “That’s because she’s young and naive and isn’t as used to dealing with snakes as I am.”

  “So now I’m a snake. I think the last time we talked, you called me a filthy whore. One might say you’re warming up to me.”

  “I don’t feel anything for you. Warm or cold.”

  “Now you’re lying.”

  “Am I?”

  “Yes, because if you were as ambivalent about me as you say you are, then you wouldn’t try so hard to keep me and Tionne apart.”

  Misha couldn’t help himself. He laughed.

  “What?”

  “Was ambivalent your calendar word of the day?”

  She flushed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Just as you obviously don’t know what ambivalent means.” The bartender took that moment to bring him his drink. Still laughing, Misha paid for his order and moved away from the bar. Unfortunately Kristyn took this as a sign to follow.

  “I know what it means.”

  “You really don’t. The word you’re going for here is apathetic, meaning uncaring and disinterested. Ambivalent means contradictory opinions or feelings about something.”

  “You are such a dick.”

  “Yes.” He nodded. “I know. Which is why I’m so surprised when people still seek me out. Like yourself, for instance. What is it you want from me?”

  “I don’t want anything.”

  “Everybody wants something from me.”

  “Even your precious Tionne.”

  Intrigued, Misha tilted his head to the side a bit and studied her. “How do you do it?”

  “What?”

  “Hide that much hatred inside you when you’re around her. It must be so hard to keep it all at bay.”

  “I’m her friend.”

  Kristyn was many things, but Tionne’s friend wasn’t one of them. “Generally, people don’t hate their friends.”

  “And generally, guardians don’t want to fuck their wards.” He stiffened at her callous words. “Yet here we are.”

  “Is there a point to this conversation?”

  “You blew it.”

  “Blew what?”

  “Your chance with me. I met someone tonight, a banker who looks like his pockets are very deep. He asked me to go away with him this weekend. I think I’m going to take him up on it.”

  Misha went over the list of men he’d seen Kristyn talking to tonight. “You mean Grammly.”

  “Yes.” She smiled smugly.

  “Good luck with that.” Grammly was rich, all right, but he took frugal to an entirely different level and was rumored to be a bit of a jerk. Seemed like a match made in hell to him, and it couldn’t happen to two nicer people. “I mean it. I wish you nothing but the best.”

  Her bitter smile slipped down a notch or two. “Really?”

  “Sure, why not.”

  “You just don’t get it. I’ve been waiting around, hanging out with Tionne all this time hoping you would finally wake up and notice, but you’re never going to, and it’s a real shame. Because with just a word, you could have had me. I would have done anything to be with you, sexual things you can only imagine, things I know virginal Tionne would never do, and you blew it, all for Ms. Purity Ring. And I wasted all that time with her for nothing.”

  “I think you’re the one who doesn’t get it.”

  “Really?”
>
  “There’s no ‘could have’ here. If I wanted you, I could still have you. New guy or not, you could be in his bed and all I would have to do is gesture for you to come to me, and we both know you would instantly run to my side. But that’s never going to happen, because I. Don’t. Want. You. And that’s what really eats you up inside, doesn’t it?”

  “You’re such an asshole.”

  “Funny,” Tionne said from behind them. “I was thinking the exact same thing about you, Kristyn.”

  Misha closed his eyes for a second and cursed the gods for her having heard that conversation. If he could have, he would have spared her the entire exchange. When he opened his eyes again, Tionne had moved from behind them to beside him and was facing off with her former best friend. “I guess it’s true—people who eavesdrop don’t hear nice things about themselves.”

  “Let me explain,” Kristyn tried. “You didn’t hear the entire thing.”

  “I heard enough, dear friend, to know you’ve only been hanging out with me to get to him.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. He was pushing my buttons.”

  Tionne shrugged. “Yeah, he does that.”

  “Right, you know how he is.”

  “And now I know how you are,” Tionne said calmly. “Good-bye, Kristyn.”

  The redhead stared at Tionne silently for a second, as if she were trying to figure a way out of the mess she’d gotten herself into. After several long and painful moments of silence, she turned and walked away, leaving the two of them staring in her wake.

  “Are you okay?” Misha asked after a few seconds.

  “How long?”

  Misha sighed. This was the part he dreaded. “Moja draga.”

  She held up her hand and cut off his words. “How long, Misha?”

  “Since the first day you introduced her to me.”

  Tionne dropped her hand and shook her head sadly. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

  “There wasn’t a point. I never wanted her, but you did as a friend, so I stayed silent.”

  “Great plan.”

  “Seemed like it was at the time.”

  “There you guys are,” Asha said as she came up next to them. “Everyone at the table split, leaving me sitting there all by my lonesome. I was beginning to take it personally.”

  “Don’t.” Tionne smiled falsely. “We had to drop some deadweight.”

  “Deadweight?”

  “Yes, apparently my date was trying to run off with your date.”

  “Really?” Asha’s eyes widened. “That was rude of her.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Kindness filled Asha’s eyes. “At least you know what sort of friend she is now. No need wasting your time on people unworthy of you.”

  “You are right. I see why Misha likes you so much. Thank you for that. Now if you two will excuse me, I think I’ll go outside and grab a little air.”

  “Tionne.” Misha reached out to her, only to have her back away.

  “I need a moment. Please.”

  “Fine,” he said stiffly, even though he was anything but. He watched as she made her way across the room, anger eating at him like cancer. It seemed that no matter what he did, he ended up hurting her. He just couldn’t win.

  “I see…”

  Misha glanced over at Asha, who was watching him with a sad expression on her face. “What exactly is it that you think you see?”

  “I see why I’ll be going home alone, and why I never stood a chance with you.”

  “Asha…”

  She placed her finger against his lips to silence him. “She’s a wonderful girl, and the only one you want, so do it, before it’s too late.”

  “She is wonderful, and, yes, she’s a girl, but she’s also just my ward.”

  “She’s so much more than that, because if she was just your ward, then I would fight her tooth and nail for you, but looking at her, I realize I value my life far too much to even suggest such a thing. I’d be fighting for a man; she’d be fighting for her life.”

  Misha didn’t even bother trying to deny the obvious anymore. “She’ll get over it. One day she’s going to wake up and find out it was just a misguided crush, and I’m not going to be the cause of her heartbreak when that happens. What we have now is enough. Because it’s all we’ll ever have.” No matter how strongly he wished otherwise.

  “I could stay and argue until I’m blue in the face, but it’ll do neither of us any good.” Asha linked her arm with his. “I’ll allow you to graciously escort me to the car so I can return to my hotel. I have a long flight to make tomorrow, don’t I?”

  Misha admired her straightforwardness. If his heart hadn’t been taken long ago, he could have seen himself falling for someone like her. “Yes, but it’ll be first class, if that’s any consolation.”

  “Never doubt it, my friend, I can be bribed with the lap of luxury into feeling better about this misconnection.”

  “I didn’t mean to lead you on.”

  “You didn’t, and that’s why I’m leaving here as your friend. If you ever need to talk or vent or cry.” Misha arched an eyebrow. “Not that you do,” she added with a soft laugh. “I’m only a phone call or flight away.”

  “You’re quite a lady, Asha.”

  “Yes, but just not the one you want.”

  “Unfortunately.”

  “Then I’ll just settle for us being grand friends.” Asha gestured toward the doors. “Shall we? And can you give the warmest of regards to Tionne for me?”

  “Yes, we shall, and, yes, I will.” Misha looked around the room and watched as Tionne slipped into the alcove. “First let me get you the car, and then I’ll say the good-byes later.”

  * * * *

  Tionne walked out the French doors and onto the patio. She strolled over to the stone railing that overlooked a romantically lit garden with a stone pathway that led down to a small manmade lake. It was beautiful and peaceful and exactly what Tionne needed to get her head together. She was really beginning to think if it weren’t for bad luck, she wouldn’t have any luck at all.

  Maybe Misha was right. Maybe she shouldn’t concentrate on a love life, because it seemed ever since she turned her focus that way, the rest of her life had taken a huge nosedive into the shitter. Tionne wasn’t sure if she walked under a ladder, split a pole when she was out with friends, or had a black cat cross her path, but whatever was the reason behind her run of luck right now, she needed to find an antidote to get everything on the mend and fast.

  Seriously, not only was she guyless, thanks to an overzealous suitor and a possessive guardian, she was also jobless. Her fault this time, although she was sure she could figure out a way to tie it back to Misha, and it wouldn’t take that much stretching of her imagination. And now she was best friendless…also because of Misha. Obviously, her bad luck came in the form of one towering, bossy, too-handsome-for-his-own-good package known as Misha, the fun sucker.

  It was a serious shame she could Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon her recent turn of bad events all using Misha as the common denominator. The worst part was, she’d not only shaved her legs for all this, she’d also waxed her hoo-ha. All cleaned up and no one to blow. This was seriously going down in the books as the saddest almost date in her entire life.

  “Here.” A glass appeared within reach of her. “You look like you need this.”

  Startled, Tionne turned and came face-to-face with a member of the waitstaff. Normally she avoided strangers bearing gifts, but alcohol was much needed after the evening she was having. “You must be a mind reader.”

  “No, just a waiter with one glass and twenty minutes left on his shift.”

  “Twenty minutes?”

  “Yeah. I just wanted to put that out there in case somebody might be interested in that little bit of information.”

  “Somebody?” Tionne raised her glass and took a small sip.

  “You’re a body, aren’t you?” The young man ran his gaze over her. “A mi
ghty fine one at that. I’m Tosh. What’s your name?”

  The dark-skinned young man exuded confidence and charisma, and Tionne couldn’t help but be charmed a bit, but that didn’t mean she was going to fold so quickly. “Bold much?”

  “Life is too short to be timid.”

  “Well, although that’s a splendid life motto, it still doesn’t tell me enough about you for me to give you my name.”

  “That’s easy; there are only three things you need to know about me. One, I don’t waste words, and two I don’t waste time.” He paused as if that was all there was to say.

  After a second or two, when she realized he wasn’t going to continue, she said, “That’s only two things about you.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” He grinned deviously, and Tionne couldn’t help but respond to his smile. She was in no way interested in him, but she was amused nevertheless.

  “My name is Tionne.”

  “Wouldn’t you know, that’s my favorite name.” His eyes widened joyfully, as if he’d just told her the best news in the entire world.

  Tionne placed her hand mockingly over her heart. “You don’t say.”

  “It really is.”

  “I’m sure.” She laughed before taking another sip of her champagne.

  “So, Tionne, I’ve been kind of watching you tonight.”

  “Stalker,” she teased.

  “Merely observant. I’m trying to figure out who, exactly, you belong to.”

  Tionne raised her chin haughtily. “Myself.”

  He grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “I bet you were.” Amused, Tionne turned away from him and peered back out across the water. “You’re awfully forward for staff.”

  He came over to her and leaned his hip on the rail. “And you’re awfully sad for a socialite.”

  “I’m not a socialite.”

  “Right, and I’m working the gig for the snazzy clothes.”

  “Makes sense to me.” Tionne gave his outfit a once-over. “I mean, you can’t go wrong with a penguin suit.”

  “Exactly, and since it’s obviously turning you on, what do you say we do something about it?”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, since you say you don’t belong to anyone, does that mean you’re free to leave with anyone?”