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as they crossed a dimly lit hallway to meet two large oak doors.  Draken pushed the doors open and Lucia was met with a grandeur she believed no longer existed. 
    The dining hall was lavishly decorated with dark burgundy carpets covering most of the dark hardwood floors.  The walls were lined with large windows with heavy blood-red curtains.  Framed pictures were evenly placed along the walls as well, and a long, dark-wood table sat in the center of the room with seating for sixteen.  Candles centered down the length of the table lit the room, and Lucia’s scan of the table revealed three people already seated, two men and woman.
    “I apologize for our tardiness, I had an extremely important business affair that required my attention,” Draken calmly stated. 
    As they approached the table Lucia tentatively smiled at the young couple seated closest to them, but her attention was quickly diverted to the young man across the table as he scoffed, “Oh I can see you had some extremely important business that required your…um… attention .” 
    Draken cast the man a dark look as he ushered Lucia to her seat before claiming his own at her side.  Lucia dipped her head to hide the crimson that flared high on her cheeks at the man’s implication.  Both men already seated at the table rose just as Lucia sat. 
    Draken who sat at the head of the table introduced her to the couple now seated across from her.  “May I present Jace Hunter and his lovely wife Elizabeth.  The rouge to your left is my younger brother Nikolai.” 
    Lucia nodded her greetings to Jace and his lovely wife Elizabeth.  “That’s a beautiful gown you’re wearing.”  Elizabeth was beautiful in a sky-blue evening gown that, coupled with her light blonde hair, gave the woman a youthful, innocent appearance. 
    “Thank you,” Elizabeth beamed, “I was just about to remark in kind.”
    Lucia dipped her head in gratitude and when she turned to greet Nikolai, he quickly grabbed her gloved hand and firmly kissed the top of it.  “It is truly my pleasure,” Nikolai exaggerated. 
    Lucia pulled her hand back just as Draken warned, “Nikolai!”
    Nikolai gave his brother a sheepish grin, and focused his attention intently on his glass of red wine.
     

Chapter 6
    Over the course of dinner, neither Draken nor the married Hunters gave any hint as to their relationship with the Shatan family.  Lucia assumed they must simply be friends, and was happy to get the question off her mind as she engaged in a delightful conversation with Elizabeth in regards to Elizabeth’s very pregnant belly. 
    At the most inopportune intervals, Nikolai would interject into the conversation with some sly innuendo or advance on Lucia, making her more and more uncomfortable.  After each such incident, Lucia would glance at Draken to see whether he was aware of his brother’s intentions, and she was relieved to see that Draken appeared to be just as fed up with his brother’s antics. 
    Draken’s disapproval didn’t go unnoticed by Nikolai either, who after a particularly lewd suggestion to Lucia, received such a disapproving look from Draken, that Nikolai stood and professed that he was quite bored with all the talking and took his leave for the evening, despite the fact that only the soup had been served. 
    Lucia watched Nikolai stroll from the dining room, but turned her gaze away as he stopped at the dining room doors to wink at her before walking out. 
    Nikolai and Draken shared little resemblance, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they were truly blood brothers.  Where Draken was tall with a large muscular frame, dark hair, a strong jaw line, and eyes dark as night, Nikolai was much shorter with a slighter build, sandy blonde hair, and light brown eyes.  Lucia found that Nikolai’s looks were merely good looking, whereas Draken was gorgeous.  Draken’s stony façade made Lucia want to break down his hard exterior and find the man within.  At the