look kindly on any man who chooses to hurt my daughter. Whether it be intentionally or unintentionally.’ Those green eyes, so like his daughter’s, glittered in warning.
Pretty succinct and to the point—and unmistakably Dmitri Palitov’s way of warning him off.
‘Thank you for an enjoyable evening, sir.’ Rafe held his hand out formally to the other man.
‘D’Angelo.’ Dmitri Palitov shook that hand briefly, those green eyes pale and hard as some of the jewels in this man’s private collection.
* * *
Nina wondered if Rafe found the silence between the two of them as uncomfortable as she did as they stepped into the private lift together minutes later. Probably not. His offer to escort her to her apartment had been a politeness, nothing more, and one that she knew would soon be over as the lift halted on the lower floor just seconds later.
‘You don’t have your bodyguards with you this evening?’ he prompted coolly as he walked beside her to her apartment, the heels of her shoes clicking on the marble floor in the otherwise silent hallway.
She gave a tight, humourless smile. ‘Even my father accepts that I have no need for them here. He owns the whole building, controls all security, and no one is allowed in or out of the building without his approval,’ she explained dismissively as Rafe eyed her questioningly.
He frowned darkly. ‘Isn’t that taking the protective-father role a bit far?’
‘Possibly,’ she accepted tightly.
‘Why the hell do you put up with it?’ he bit out impatiently.
Her mouth tightened. ‘I don’t believe that’s any of your business.’
Rafe scowled his frustration with that reply. ‘How long has your father been in a wheelchair?’
Nina flicked him a surprised glance. ‘Almost twenty years.’
Rafe nodded. ‘And you don’t think it might have been a good idea to have told me that before I met him this evening?’
‘I don’t quite see... It didn’t even occur to me. Or your brother, obviously,’ she dismissed impatiently. ‘I grew up seeing my father in a wheelchair. I don’t even notice he’s in one now.’
No, of course she didn’t, Rafe acknowledged ruefully, and she was right, Michael hadn’t thought to pre-warn him either. Yet another thing about the Palitov family that his big brother had forgotten to mention.
‘How did it happen?’ Rafe prompted softly.
‘I— An accident,’ she answered stiffly.
Rafe’s eyes narrowed. ‘What sort of accident?’
‘A car accident.’ She frowned. ‘His spine was severed, and he’s been confined to a wheelchair ever since, end of story.’ She used her key card to open the door to her apartment. ‘Thank you for—’
‘Invite me in, Nina!’
Nina looked up quickly, her eyes wide as she saw the intensity of Rafe’s expression; those golden eyes glittered down at her, a nerve pulsing in his tightly clenched jaw. ‘I— No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.’
‘Because your father wouldn’t approve?’ he came back derisively.
She bristled. ‘My refusal has nothing to do with my father.’ And everything to do with the fact that Nina had been totally physically aware of this man all evening, in a way she could never remember being aware of any other man. Nina had no explanation for it, she just knew that she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame—and probably with the same results; she would get seriously burnt if she gave in to that attraction.
‘Oh, I think it has everything to do with him.’ Rafe eyed her mockingly.
Nina gave a pained frown. ‘You don’t understand.’
‘You’re right, I don’t.’ Rafe gave an impatient shake of his head. ‘I don’t understand why a vibrantly beautiful and talented young woman would allow her life to be dictated to by her overbearing father.’
‘My father is not—’ She broke off, breathing deeply. ‘As I said, you can’t possibly understand.’
‘Then invite me in for coffee and explain it to me.’ Rafe raised his
Pretty succinct and to the point—and unmistakably Dmitri Palitov’s way of warning him off.
‘Thank you for an enjoyable evening, sir.’ Rafe held his hand out formally to the other man.
‘D’Angelo.’ Dmitri Palitov shook that hand briefly, those green eyes pale and hard as some of the jewels in this man’s private collection.
* * *
Nina wondered if Rafe found the silence between the two of them as uncomfortable as she did as they stepped into the private lift together minutes later. Probably not. His offer to escort her to her apartment had been a politeness, nothing more, and one that she knew would soon be over as the lift halted on the lower floor just seconds later.
‘You don’t have your bodyguards with you this evening?’ he prompted coolly as he walked beside her to her apartment, the heels of her shoes clicking on the marble floor in the otherwise silent hallway.
She gave a tight, humourless smile. ‘Even my father accepts that I have no need for them here. He owns the whole building, controls all security, and no one is allowed in or out of the building without his approval,’ she explained dismissively as Rafe eyed her questioningly.
He frowned darkly. ‘Isn’t that taking the protective-father role a bit far?’
‘Possibly,’ she accepted tightly.
‘Why the hell do you put up with it?’ he bit out impatiently.
Her mouth tightened. ‘I don’t believe that’s any of your business.’
Rafe scowled his frustration with that reply. ‘How long has your father been in a wheelchair?’
Nina flicked him a surprised glance. ‘Almost twenty years.’
Rafe nodded. ‘And you don’t think it might have been a good idea to have told me that before I met him this evening?’
‘I don’t quite see... It didn’t even occur to me. Or your brother, obviously,’ she dismissed impatiently. ‘I grew up seeing my father in a wheelchair. I don’t even notice he’s in one now.’
No, of course she didn’t, Rafe acknowledged ruefully, and she was right, Michael hadn’t thought to pre-warn him either. Yet another thing about the Palitov family that his big brother had forgotten to mention.
‘How did it happen?’ Rafe prompted softly.
‘I— An accident,’ she answered stiffly.
Rafe’s eyes narrowed. ‘What sort of accident?’
‘A car accident.’ She frowned. ‘His spine was severed, and he’s been confined to a wheelchair ever since, end of story.’ She used her key card to open the door to her apartment. ‘Thank you for—’
‘Invite me in, Nina!’
Nina looked up quickly, her eyes wide as she saw the intensity of Rafe’s expression; those golden eyes glittered down at her, a nerve pulsing in his tightly clenched jaw. ‘I— No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.’
‘Because your father wouldn’t approve?’ he came back derisively.
She bristled. ‘My refusal has nothing to do with my father.’ And everything to do with the fact that Nina had been totally physically aware of this man all evening, in a way she could never remember being aware of any other man. Nina had no explanation for it, she just knew that she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame—and probably with the same results; she would get seriously burnt if she gave in to that attraction.
‘Oh, I think it has everything to do with him.’ Rafe eyed her mockingly.
Nina gave a pained frown. ‘You don’t understand.’
‘You’re right, I don’t.’ Rafe gave an impatient shake of his head. ‘I don’t understand why a vibrantly beautiful and talented young woman would allow her life to be dictated to by her overbearing father.’
‘My father is not—’ She broke off, breathing deeply. ‘As I said, you can’t possibly understand.’
‘Then invite me in for coffee and explain it to me.’ Rafe raised his
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