Page 59 of Beneath the Light of the Moon

“Sometimes men can’t handle independent, smart women,” Levi said before taking another swig of his drink. He was looking for something to take the edge off, to occupy his hands.

“Indeed. They want a pretty little trophy wife, but what they don’t know is that I’ll take the fucking trophymyself.”Taking a sip of her wine, Anika paused, eager to let him speak, curious as to what bullshit he would spew this time.

“I admire that about you”—she nearly choked on the crimson liquid settling over her taste buds—“it’s not often that you can find someone who cares for their job in that way. Dedication is a rare trait these days.”

A bold statement coming from him since he seemed lazy in every meaning of the word, but oh, if only he knew the lengths she’d go to.

“I’m glad to share this with you. Maybe this is exactly what we need. A fresh start, of sorts.” Anika knew her words were feeding into his fantasy, but she couldn’t help herself. A little indulgence never hurt anyone. Well, most of the time.

Levi smiled. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

In the mirror she’d been watching, she caught sight of movement. The door to the restaurant had opened, revealing dark hair, a crisp suit, and green eyes she couldn’t get out of her head.

He really can’t stay away, can he?

Lifting her delicate glass, wine sloshing gently inside, sheclinkedit against Levi’s tumbler of whiskey. “Here’s to hoping.”

And she swore she saw Mikko’s grip on his helmet tighten in the reflection.

20

Wine Stained Voyeurism

Mikko

Cristiano’s questions from earlier had taken root in his head, the words refusing to leave his mind.While Anika was far from a lover or crush, the way the words had pricked at his chest made him question everything. His need to protect his business was morphing into something else.

And it didn’t help that Levi, someone he trusted as far as he could throw him, was weaseling his way into her inbox. It’d make his own sleuthing harder since there would be two witnesses to his prowling. But this was a consequence of his own actions; maybe he could play it off to his benefit. A faux gentleman pushing Anika right into Mikko’s arms.

Her stolen scarf sprawled across his bed in his penthouse spoke volumes…

In an attempt to clear his head, Mikko had left his residence after calling Cristiano, enjoying the cooler air as evening rolled in over the city.

And now, his motorcycle rumbled beneath him, the feeling of the wind erasing some of the doubt sprouting in his head. Mikko had lost track of time, the minutes slipping by until dusk settled itself above him and the wind he braced against became too cold to bear.

Downshifting, Mikko focused on the gas station up ahead, his evening rides draining his tank. If only it depleted the thoughts in his head just as fast.

The bright lights in the overhang made him squint even though his tinted visor dulled the illumination greatly. Pulling up to a pump, Mikko tried to keep his thoughts on the task in front of him. If he didn’t, his mind would return to the place he didn’t want.

Anika. Her house, her scent, her scarf. Her friend interrupting my search. Levi…

He’d do anything to prove Cristiano wrong, starting with forgetting about Anika, but it was clear she was a threat. So, he needed to cut her open and see what spilled out.

I won’t be distracted,he vowed.

Mikko’s father always taught him to keep his head clear and his anger restricted behind an internal wall. And most days he succeeded, careful while he worked and callous to most horrors.

“Rational thought is your best weapon. A clear head is a sharp tool, one that will flay angry men from their bones,”his father articulated in a past memory.

Lately, though, that control had been slipping. An emotion akin to curiosity simmered beneath the surface of his skin, fueled by whatever Mikko saw in her. It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. A diversion, something to occupy his mind when the weight of work became too much.

An anomaly.Someone who might want to dismantle everything Romanov Real Estate stood for if the clues Mikko was collecting spoke to her end goals.

His mind ran through ideas and schemes, each one darker than the last. There were many twisted routes they could go, all of them spurred on by the idea of proving her wrong.

Proving Cristiano and Levi wrong.

And proving to himself he was above such temptations.