Read Online The Only Woman to Defy Him by Carol Marinelli - Free Book Online Page B

decided there was nothing to worry about, and Alina had taken one look at Marianna and wanted to be her.
    ‘This one it’s probably best to run by him before turning it down,’ Marianna said, and Alina blinked.
    ‘A mental health–awareness charity dinner?’ That was one Alina would have ticked no to. ‘I didn’t realise Demyan supported—’
    ‘Royalty are attending,’ Marianna broke in. ‘The guest list is like a who’s who .’
    Of course, Alina reminded herself as Marianna continued, it would be about networking, her boss didn’t have a social conscience.
    ‘I declined for him a couple of months ago, explaining he wouldn’t be in Australia at that time, but, of course, they’ve heard that he’s back and are only too eager to have him attend. It’s tonight.’
    ‘I’ll tell him as soon as he gets up,’ Alina said before saying goodbye. ‘Oh, and I’m sorry for calling so late about the dentist.’
    ‘As I said, no problem.’
    ‘Why doesn’t he call the bloody dentist himself?’ Alina grumbled, assuming Demyan was still in his room, and Marianna laughed and signed off.
    ‘Ah, so it was a passive-aggressive exclamation mark.’ Demyan’s voice from behind her had Alina nearly shoot out of her skin.
    ‘It was,’ she admitted, and there was no choice but to laugh.
    ‘If I had the time to do things like book the dentist...’
    ‘I know, I know.’ Alina put her hands up. ‘Then I wouldn’t have a job. How was it, by the way?’
    ‘Why do people even ask how the dentist was?’ Demyan scowled. ‘I’m going to bed.’
    With Demyan back in his room Alina took a few minutes to search for her father’s profile again.
    Since Friday night she hadn’t been able to find it.
    Maybe her father was just overwhelmed, Alina told herself.
    Perhaps he hadn’t even got her request; maybe he’d just decided to take his profile down and she had nothing to do with it?
    Alina glanced over at Demyan’s computer, a small swallow in her throat as she wondered if she dared. She listened at his door for a moment and was soothed by the sound of silence.
    She simply had to know.
    Alina went to his desk and clicked on an icon. All she had to do was type in her father’s name and—
    ‘Alina!’ Demyan’s voice made her jump and she scurried to hide the page.
    ‘I’m just...’
    ‘Just what?’
    Her face was purple, her eyes shining with terror, and, instead of being cross, Demyan was actually bemused. He even tried to ease her horror with a joke.
    ‘If you want some decent porn then I am sorry to disappoint. I like it on the big screen at home...’
    She was almost in tears, Demyan realised. In fact, she was actually crying and desperately trying not to. ‘What were you...?’ he tapped in for browsing history and gave a small shrug when a social networking site came up. Demyan really only used it to check on feedback about his hotels but he knew how it worked all the same.
    ‘I tried to contact someone and I can’t find their profile on my computer or phone...’ Her voice was shaking. ‘I’m so sorry. I wanted to see if they came up on yours.’
    ‘Did they?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘So.’ He shrugged. ‘Someone blocked you. Don’t take it so personally, I block people all the time. And,’ he warned as Alina went to sit at her desk, ‘don’t snoop on my computer again. You could have just asked,’ Demyan said. ‘We could have had a play...’ He hesitated, reminded himself she was off limits, but when he sat down, curious, he clicked on the page and all joking stopped for another reason entirely.
    Poor baby! The thought came to him again as he stared at a man who, not just by his surname, was surely related to Alina, and definitely old enough to be her father.
    A curious bastard, Demyan sent him a friend request and then looked over to where Alina was frantically trying to pretend she was working.
    ‘Did Marianna have anything for me?’
    ‘She did,’ Alina said, her voice still shaken, and he