Taking Tiffany by MK Harkins Read Free Book Online Page B

me?
    The small commuter plane landed on the short runway with a thud. Bucharest was the closest city to Rau Sadelui, so I’d be driven the rest of the way by one of the employees from the orphanage. I hoped they weren’t late; I didn’t want to hang around the airport for too long. It wasn’t a horrible airport, I’d seen worse traveling in Africa, but, still, a few locals stared at me. They’d probably didn’t even know about Kate Spade fashion. I would be spending time with barbarians until I could figure a way out of this.
    I exited the main terminal and looked for my ride. Where were all the trees?  And mountains? The landscape looked flat and sparse, almost desolate. It had rained and the resulting scent of wet concrete was a welcome surprise. The smell bonded me with home, and the realization made my stomach drop.
    A year . They wanted me to stay here a year.
    It wouldn’t happen. I’d stashed some of my “allowance” for emergencies. It was simple; I’d just buy my way out. Or do whatever was necessary. If they disinherit you, you’ll run out of money . I wouldn’t think about it yet. First, I needed to see how pathetic the orphanage was and how long I could tolerate a bunch of sniveling brats. An escape plan had already started to form.
    Standing to my right a man held a sign that read “Angel.” Good grief, they couldn’t even spell my name correctly.  He wore jeans, a white shirt, and a bored expression. Oh, you’re bored, Handsome Man? Well, you’ve met your match. I could beat you at indifferent and bored anytime, anywhere.
    I approached him and asked, “You here to take me to my cell?”
    He kept the bland expression, turned, and walked toward a beat up, red Range Rover Discovery. Great, no English, and obviously uneducated.
    Apparently, they’d sent the hired help, one of the workers who didn’t want the chore to fetch me at the airport.  Pick up a book and learn English. If a person wanted to live and work in the civilized world, they needed to speak English.
    Such a shame, too, because he was unbelievably good-looking. High cheekbones with a rugged jaw—all man, standing around six-foot-three. Straight black hair cut to his shoulders framed a lightly tanned face with the bluest of blue eyes. The color made me think of the idyllic two hours I’d spent in the little Greek town so many years ago. Crystal blue. But those hostile eyes held contempt, not beauty.
    Strong shoulders and a trim waist rounded out what to some could be considered male perfection. I didn’t like him though, so it didn’t matter. He wasn’t in my class, and I never made a habit of being friendly with people who were below me. And clearly, he was.
    But I couldn’t help staring at him, and that needed to stop. It was too bad, though, he could’ve been the distraction I needed while I served out my prison term. Because that’s what this was. Even if a judge hadn’t ordered it, they might have as well placed handcuffs on me and physically dragged me here. You will be disinherited if you don’t do this. I’m smarter than my parents, though.  They may have won round one, but I’d be delivering the knockout punch.
    I walked behind and waited for him to put my luggage in the back deck of his truck. He stood, staring at me. I pointed to my bags. That’s when the slightest emotion broke through his stony façade, where I detected a slight twitch to his lips. I shouldn’t have looked there. His lips were perfectly formed, like the rest of him. Unlike his body, which was tight and hard, his lips were full and soft-looking. The insanity of my situation must be messing with my brain. Don’t lower yourself. Stop looking.
    He pointed to my bags and brought his finger to the back of the truck. No way! He wanted me to load my own luggage? What kind of country was this? I stood still and glared at him, but he held his ground. His face remained impassive, but I could swear a hint of laughter danced in his eyes.
    I huffed