accommodate him before, and she pressed her advantage.
"Excuse me," she said icily. "But do you know who I am?"
He stuttered something, but she steamrolled right over him. This was familiar territory as well. There were always a few men who had loose ideas of what her job really was, and more often than not, she had to bring them back into line.
"I am the wife-to-be of Mikal ben-Arie," she said, her voice gaining volume. "I am not some whipping girl that you should feel free to spew at, and on top of that, you have decided to waste my time with something that is patently untrue. This is the behavior of a man who has nothing to offer, and who I will not listen to. And, sir, let me tell you, I am a woman with a very long memory."
She turned on her heel and stalked away, not caring what he was doing behind her.
There was a split second when she realized that someone was coming up behind her. It was a feeling of prickles running up her spine, and she spun, fearing the worst. Before Viviana had even turned around all the way, however, she realized that Mikal was standing with his back to her, and the man who had wanted to harangue her was falling back, holding his wrist tightly with a look of fear on his face.
"I think Mr. Abbad looks ill," Mikal said, and though his words were solicitous, there was something deadly and cold in his eyes. "Will someone please call him a cab?"
While the people around them moved to look after the matter, Mikal turned to Viviana. His eyes were still bright from whatever it was he had done to the man, but his expression quickly became one of concern as he came to stand close to her. He offered her his arm, and automatically she took it. He guided her to one of the private sitting rooms that ringed the public area, closing the door behind them.
"Are you all right?" he asked intently. "Did that bastard manage to lay a finger on you?"
Viviana was still stunned at the speed with which everything had happened. She shook her head, but she realized that her heart was beating faster and that everything looked too shiny and too bright.
"Are you all right, beloved?"
That endearment was a sword that cut. It was so sharp that she barely knew how hurt she was until she was on her feet and glaring.
"Don't call me that," she hissed. "Don't. Don't you dare. You don't mean it, and it's bad enough to hear it out there for your constituents, but hearing it in here is a goddamn insult!"
He fell back, shocked. Viviana could feel herself breathing hard. She forced herself to remain calm, but it was difficult with adrenaline shooting through her system.
"Viviana, I truly meant no harm …"
"Of course you didn't," she said bitterly. "You're the man with the plan, the one who knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. You just meant nothing at all."
"Not nothing."
In that moment, she could have slapped him. He stared at her, watching her with those calm eyes, and she could have screamed. "Yes, nothing," she repeated. "Because this is what we have, isn't it? It doesn't matter what I want, what I feel, all we have is an agreement, and if I bit off more than I could chew, then so be it."
"I had no idea you felt like this," he said softly. "I had no idea that this … that this was hurting you. Viviana, I swear, it was never my intent."
She didn't have to look at him to know that he was telling her the truth. He would never do anything besides that. "I know," she said more softly. "I know. It's no one's fault but mine that I am here now."
He started to speak, but she cut him off. Suddenly, she felt as if she had run ten miles with a heavy pack stuck to her back. She felt as if all of her blood had been drained out of her and replaced with water.
"Mikal, will you help me?"
"Of course. Anything."
She had expected nothing less. "Mikal, I either need you to let me go, let me out of this bargain …"
He winced, but nodded, waiting for the rest. "Or I need you to tell me that we have something here, something
"Excuse me," she said icily. "But do you know who I am?"
He stuttered something, but she steamrolled right over him. This was familiar territory as well. There were always a few men who had loose ideas of what her job really was, and more often than not, she had to bring them back into line.
"I am the wife-to-be of Mikal ben-Arie," she said, her voice gaining volume. "I am not some whipping girl that you should feel free to spew at, and on top of that, you have decided to waste my time with something that is patently untrue. This is the behavior of a man who has nothing to offer, and who I will not listen to. And, sir, let me tell you, I am a woman with a very long memory."
She turned on her heel and stalked away, not caring what he was doing behind her.
There was a split second when she realized that someone was coming up behind her. It was a feeling of prickles running up her spine, and she spun, fearing the worst. Before Viviana had even turned around all the way, however, she realized that Mikal was standing with his back to her, and the man who had wanted to harangue her was falling back, holding his wrist tightly with a look of fear on his face.
"I think Mr. Abbad looks ill," Mikal said, and though his words were solicitous, there was something deadly and cold in his eyes. "Will someone please call him a cab?"
While the people around them moved to look after the matter, Mikal turned to Viviana. His eyes were still bright from whatever it was he had done to the man, but his expression quickly became one of concern as he came to stand close to her. He offered her his arm, and automatically she took it. He guided her to one of the private sitting rooms that ringed the public area, closing the door behind them.
"Are you all right?" he asked intently. "Did that bastard manage to lay a finger on you?"
Viviana was still stunned at the speed with which everything had happened. She shook her head, but she realized that her heart was beating faster and that everything looked too shiny and too bright.
"Are you all right, beloved?"
That endearment was a sword that cut. It was so sharp that she barely knew how hurt she was until she was on her feet and glaring.
"Don't call me that," she hissed. "Don't. Don't you dare. You don't mean it, and it's bad enough to hear it out there for your constituents, but hearing it in here is a goddamn insult!"
He fell back, shocked. Viviana could feel herself breathing hard. She forced herself to remain calm, but it was difficult with adrenaline shooting through her system.
"Viviana, I truly meant no harm …"
"Of course you didn't," she said bitterly. "You're the man with the plan, the one who knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. You just meant nothing at all."
"Not nothing."
In that moment, she could have slapped him. He stared at her, watching her with those calm eyes, and she could have screamed. "Yes, nothing," she repeated. "Because this is what we have, isn't it? It doesn't matter what I want, what I feel, all we have is an agreement, and if I bit off more than I could chew, then so be it."
"I had no idea you felt like this," he said softly. "I had no idea that this … that this was hurting you. Viviana, I swear, it was never my intent."
She didn't have to look at him to know that he was telling her the truth. He would never do anything besides that. "I know," she said more softly. "I know. It's no one's fault but mine that I am here now."
He started to speak, but she cut him off. Suddenly, she felt as if she had run ten miles with a heavy pack stuck to her back. She felt as if all of her blood had been drained out of her and replaced with water.
"Mikal, will you help me?"
"Of course. Anything."
She had expected nothing less. "Mikal, I either need you to let me go, let me out of this bargain …"
He winced, but nodded, waiting for the rest. "Or I need you to tell me that we have something here, something
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