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straight lips, a very strong jaw that was smooth-skinned—except for the scars. They dotted his upper left cheek in half-inch, downward slashes. The same kind of marks appeared on his lower jaw, as if some animal had sunk its teeth into the man’s face and started to bite the whole side of it off, but had been stopped in time.
    The scars made her feel a kind of empathy with him. He’d suffered pain because of them, and she understood pain very well. But that empathy wasn’t going to let her accept a joke at her own expense.
    The man’s bald statement that he wanted her didn’t even deserve an answer, so all she said was, “I think Aggie should be handling this order. I’ll send her to you.”
    She turned and walked away, only to feel something catch her belt and yank her back—his hand. She came up against his legs, which precipitated a fall, right into his lap. For a moment she was too incredulous to move, much less speak.
    She finally glanced up and said with clear warning, “You’re really pushing your luck, mister.”
    â€œShush,” he told her, grinning. “You have nothing to be angry about.” And he dropped five twenty-dollar gold pieces into her lap.
    Tanya just stared at the money, never having seen so much at one time before. She knew for a fact April and Aggie earned only a dollar or two for their favors, which was still a lot more than Dobbs paid them for a night’s work. When she thought of what she could do with that money, such as hire more help, buy new clothes, which she’d never had…then he wasn’t joking?
    Lord help her, she’d never been tempted like this. The urge was so strong to palm those coins…he really was a devil to make her even consider it. But all she’d have to do was let him have her virginity, which she wasn’t saving for anyone anyway, since she was never going to marry, and how bad could that be? This close, he smelled heavenly. She’d already noted he was clean, impeccably groomed, and she didn’t find him the least bit unpleasant to look at. She might just enjoy…oh, Lord, what was she thinking?
    â€œYou must be a devil,” she said wondrously, more to herself than for his benefit.
    He didn’t know what had brought that on, but he replied, “A belief shared by many.”
    Her green eyes narrowed on him. “You should at least deny it!”
    He laughed. “Why should I?”
    â€œBecause—because…oh, never mind.”
    She tried to get up, but his arms, which were wrapped around her waist, weren’t letting her. Her eyes narrowed even more. He was still grinning.
    â€œLook, mister, you’ve picked the wrong—”
    She was cut off by an impassioned new voice. “Stefan, I refuse to feel guilty about a stupid slip of the—”
    â€œNot now , Vasili,” Stefan growled impatiently. “Use your eyes and notice that I am busy.”
    Tanya turned her head and found herself staring bemusedly up at what could only be described as a golden Adonis, blond hair in soft curls, golden skin, and brown eyes as light in color as those of the man who held her. But this newcomer, Vasili, held her just as firmly—spellbound, for he had to be the most handsome of God’s creatures, certainly the most handsome she’d ever seen.
    Likewise he was looking at Tanya as if he couldn’t believe his eyes, but then he groaned, demanding of his friend, “You gave up without even trying, didn’t you? But you don’t have to settle for that , for God’s sake,” he said in disgust, jerking his head toward Tanya. “I will procure the dancer for you myself.”
    It took Tanya a moment to comprehend that she had been insulted in the worst way. She wasn’t supposed to be pretty, but common decency kept a man’s mouth shut about it. But to be made to feel that she wasn’t good enough to be the rug they would