To Blackmail A Di Sione

‘For your information, if I had a choice, I would not be engaged to a spoilt little rich girl such as yourself.’

She smarted at his inference that she was materialistic and counted every last gem and diamond she owned. It was so far from the truth it was laughable, but right now she couldn’t laugh.

‘Then why an engagement?’

‘It is a means to an end. After three months of our engagement, during which you will ensure the doors of New York society open to me, you will have your bracelet.’

‘No.’ She was aghast. She’d already worked out he wanted to use the bracelet as leverage to his own ends, but an engagement? ‘We can never be engaged. There must be another way.’

‘You said yourself that you alone at my side wouldn’t achieve my aims.’ His voice was calm and steady. The idea of fooling all of New York’s society obviously didn’t bother him as it did her. How could she go out and face them as his fiancée?

He’d lured her into the biggest trap she’d ever seen and she’d inadvertently set it herself, giving him all the ammunition he needed. Her first instinct about him had been right. He was trouble. Ruthless trouble.

‘I won’t do it.’

‘Then you will not be able to add the bracelet to your collection of trinkets.’ He raised his brows and a cruel smile spread over his lips.

‘You purposefully bid for something I wanted just to satisfy your own greed?’

‘Yes.’ He wasn’t at all shamed by her statement—if anything, he was proud of it.

‘That’s blackmail.’ She raged against him and the injustice of it all. What was she going to tell her grandfather now?

‘Not blackmail, Ms Di Sione. Business. Now do we have a deal?’

* * *

Liev watched the horrified realisation spread across Bianca’s face. Waiting for her answer was merely a formality. There was no question as to what it would be. Whatever that bracelet represented, the one that had already cost him far more than he’d bid for it, her answer was going to be the same.

‘If I say no, that I won’t become your fake fiancée, that I will find someone else to play that part, will you allow me to buy the bracelet? Today?’

He couldn’t believe she’d asked that, but he liked the phrase fake fiancée. That part of his plan for revenge had only emerged after he’d overheard her talking to her sister in the private lounge in Geneva. Each time she’d placed a bid she’d backed up that snippet of conversation. She would do anything to get that bracelet and obviously wasn’t familiar with poker because all her emotions had been visible on her face as she’d bid.

‘Absolutely not.’ He spoke calmly, assured that with Bianca as his fiancée instead of merely his current date, his acceptance in society would be quicker, and what better way was there of gaining the information he needed on her brother’s company and getting to the person responsible for his father’s downfall?

‘I suspected you were ruthless, but this is barbaric.’ She spat the words at him, reminding him of the feral cats he’d shared the streets with when he’d been little more than a boy.

‘Correct me if I’m wrong, Ms Di Sione, but you do not have a significant other in your life, nor have you had for many years.’ He watched her eyes narrow in suspicion, and a flicker of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Briefly he considered what it would be like to be the man in her life. She was so icy cold, so inaccessible, he was sure that when the sparks of passion flew they would be earth-shattering. But he’d fallen prey to one such woman before and had no intention of doing so again.

‘That has nothing to do with this.’

‘Ah, but it does. How can we convincingly become engaged if it is believed you are in love with another man?’

He felt a small tug at his conscience as she fought to control the panic that was clear on her pale face. The idea of being engaged to him obviously horrified her and he wondered just who would be her chosen man.

* * *

‘There must be someone else. I can’t be the only person who can propel you into society.’ Bianca looked at him, hardly able to believe he was serious. His stance and his hardened expression left her in no doubt how serious he was. He meant every word. It was the only way of getting the bracelet, and hadn’t she admitted to herself she’d do anything to get it?

‘No. Not if you want the bracelet.’

‘You are the lowest.’ She wanted to hiss at him, to let him know just how angry she was, but astutely she realised that would give the bracelet even more importance in his eyes. He must never know exactly how much she wanted it—or why. If he knew that, he would have all the power.

‘It has been said.’ His cold, somewhat distant reply didn’t make sense, but she didn’t care about what he felt. All she cared about was fulfilling Grandfather’s last wishes. If she had to do it this way, then so be it—for now at least. She would do everything she could, as quickly as she could, to give this man what he wanted. But did she trust him to keep his word?

‘It will never, under any circumstances, be a proper engagement. It will certainly not last any longer than three months, after which time you will give me the bracelet.’ She set out her terms. Events of ten years ago and the bets that had been placed on her at the prom, by the man she’d loved from afar, surfaced like demons from the past.

She thought she was over that humiliation. It had scarred her emotionally, making her determined to keep men locked out of her heart. She’d walked away from that experience a virgin, her reputation intact and with a vow never to be so naive again, and had been unable to trust a man since. And she certainly didn’t trust Liev Dragunov one bit. Not when he had the one thing she had to have, giving her little choice but to agree to his terms.

‘In fact,’ she began again before he could say anything, ‘if you achieve your objectives before that time, our engagement will end and you will give me the bracelet.’

‘You sound sure you can do this.’ His voice held a note of suspicion as she looked up at him, resisting the urge to just walk away and forget it all. But she couldn’t. She had to do this—and she would.

‘The only problem I have will be convincing everyone I have fallen for such a...’ She floundered over her words, hating herself for it.

‘Such a what?’

She looked at him. Everything about him shouted wealth and power, but it couldn’t hide the untamed man within. It was something that would attract women, but she was not one of those women. Never had been and never would be.

‘A ruthless rebel.’ He actually laughed, as if he was proud of it.

‘Do I have your word? Three months at the most.’

‘You have my word—you will have the bracelet before three months, providing sufficient acceptance of my name and standing in society have been achieved.’

‘And if that doesn’t happen?’ She knew the answer already.

‘You will not see the bracelet again, but I am sure with your excellent PR skills you can smooth the way for me.’

She hated him more than she’d hated any man before. But unlike the last time she’d been set up ten years ago, there wasn’t a way out. At least, not an obvious one. She was dealing with a much more determined character this time. A force of nature let loose on her Achilles heel. Her grandfather.

‘Three months. Not a day more,’ she reiterated firmly.

‘Yes.’ His Russian accent, which had softened as he’d whispered his terms in her ear, was suddenly very distinctive again.

‘And when do you propose this fake engagement to start?’ That choice of word wasn’t lost on her as she wondered how her brothers and sisters would take the news of her engagement. Especially Allegra, who knew all the sordid details of the prom and why she’d sworn never to get involved with men. How could she tell her it was all for show, that in order to get the bracelet Grandfather so desperately wanted, she was bargaining with her reputation?

She thought again of how tired and worn out Allegra had looked in Geneva and knew that, whatever happened, she couldn’t confide in her. Not now. This was something she would have to face alone.

She looked directly into Liev’s cold grey eyes, determined not to let her unease show.

‘It will start right now.’

CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_4bf6d20f-f92b-5e61-b5c7-03c37737af23)

LIEV WAS CONVINCED the fiery woman who had just challenged him so passionately hadn’t really agreed to his terms. Not completely. Her dark eyes met and held his defiantly, and he knew she was still trying to figure an alternative way out. Playing for time.

All he needed was to discover why the bracelet was so important, why she would even agree to such a drastic deal for a piece of jewellery. But that wasn’t so urgent now. He needed to set the stage for their engagement and it would have to be convincing.