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ways, publicly declaring honorable intentions- he wanted her for a wife, not a fuck buddy. And he seemed firm in his conviction. A man who rose to his station in life didn’t make mistakes like that- not with women. Women would be easy for him.
    Aiva made a decision. She wanted a husband, a family. She wanted a man who respected her traditional values but also allowed her the freedom to explore her talents and goals. If he proved he wanted her, would treat her well, and they suited, then she would marry him. Why the hell not? Aiva stepped into his body, lifting her face.
    “Kiss me,” she said softly, resting her hands on his chest. The hard muscle under her palms flexed. Strong fingers wrapped around her wrists, trapping her.
    “You come to me,” he said, voice hoarse. His head lowered, lips seizing hers. “That makes you mine.”
    It was just a kiss- not her virginity. But she knew he saw it as the same. Knew she wouldn’t have offered even that much if she hadn’t decided to give herself.
    The kiss melted her spine, washing away any thought or sensation that wasn’t settled on him. When she arched her body into his, the hardness of his erection pressed against her middle and she felt the fierce satisfaction of a woman who knew she could make a powerful man want her. Need her.
    “You may have fooled her father, but not me.”
    Leon didn’t allow her to pull away. He raised his head, but kept her body against his.
    “I’m getting tired of you, little man.”
    Daniel sneered. “What, we’re practically family now. You can’t raise a hand against me. But if she defaults on her loan- she belongs to me.”
    Leon stilled. “She won’t default.”
    Aiva’s cousin crossed his arms. “The payments have to come from the proceeds of the business. You can’t gift them. That would be a cheat, and break the contract, making her honor forfeit.”
    Leon laughed. “You’re an amazingly stupid little man. Aiva, sweet, you drove? I’ll follow behind you in my car. It’s late.”
    “You can’t ignore me,” her cousin spat.
    “I’m not ignoring you,” Leon replied, cold. His tone, if she were less sturdy of heart, might have frightened her. She sincerely hoped she was never on the receiving end of the death in his voice. “I gave you an opportunity to benefit from my involvement in the shop. You didn’t take it. Aiva will have enough business from me in the morning to pay out your entire contract.” Leon smiled. “Perfectly legitimate business, so no one can say she didn’t honorably fulfill the terms of your agreement. Now go away, little man. Before I do something I regret.”
    Leon followed Aiva to her car to open the door, a gesture that charmed her. He drove behind her on the way home, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he had men of his own driving behind him . It disturbed her a bit, knowing he needed security. Something she filed away to think about in the future. She had an inkling of the lifestyle she might be getting herself involved in- both the benefits and the disadvantages.
    The next morning she took her refrigerated van to the wholesalers at first light, the way she did every morning, to choose her blooms of the day. She kept a few varieties perpetually in stock, but also wanted to keep a rotation of new and interesting things so her customers never felt like they’d already seen everything. When she arrived at the first wholesaler, chose her flowers, and went to pay, she received a shock.
    “I’m sorry, I can’t sell to you, Aiva,” the manager said, bluntly. “You’ve been blackballed. No one will sell to you. Whatever shit you’ve got going- you need to fix it first.”
    She sat in her car, her shock rapidly evaporating into a fury that left her hands trembling on the steering wheel. Pulling her cell from her pocket, she dialed Daniel.
    “What the fuck is going on?” she hissed.
    He laughed. “How are you going to be a flower shop if you don’t have flowers to sell, Aiva? No profits-