up at the door. “Oh, good. You two have met. Uncle Ivan wants to brief the two of you.”
Lifting his arm to the side, Bart motioned, “After you, miss.” Walking behind her, he could not help but notice her ass as her pants showcased it perfectly. Willing his dick to behave, he followed her down the stairs and into the living room.
Ivan was standing by the decorated mantel, Dmitry at his side. Nodding toward the pair as they walked toward him, Ivan said, “Good, good. The two of you will work well together and I know we’ll make progress now.”
Before Bart could question either Ivan or Faith further about her involvement, Ivan ushered them to the sofa.
“Bart, you’re here because I know you will focus on my grandson and not be distracted by what my companies are involved in. You will be able to be objective when looking at my main competitors. Faith, you’re here because of your special gifts.”
“Special gifts?” Bart questioned.
“I’m also a psychologist,” Faith said softly, but with conviction. “Mr. Krustas is hoping that I’ll be able to get a handle on what type of personality we’re dealing with.”
Bart turned and looked at the woman sitting on the other end of the sofa. Her eyes held his gaze, but something was off. He just was not sure what it was. “Do you work for the FBI?”
“No,” she replied honestly. “I would have to go through their training to be an FBI profiler. I have a master’s degree in psychology and a minor in art.” Seeing his incredulous expression, she explained, “I know it seems to be a strange combination but they both interested me. I’ve worked with the local police as a sketch artist and use my background in psychology to get an idea of what type of person we’ll be checking into.”
Bart nodded, carefully considering her words. Everything sounds normal, so why do I get a weird feeling she’s not telling me everything?
Ivan interjected, “Anton is gathering the information that I have asked him to compile for you. Would the two of you be able to come back in two hours, once he’s ready?”
Before Bart could agree, Mrs. Dukakas appeared at the door, saying, “Excuse me, Mr. Krustas, the doctor is here for Constance.”
The weight that momentarily lifted from Ivan was firmly back on his shoulders. Looking over at Bart and Faith, he offered his apologies. “I’ll see you in about two hours. The FBI will have another report for us and Anton will have the information you’ll need.” Walking over to grasp Bart’s hand, he added, “Please keep me informed about anything you discover. I’ll be traveling back and forth to Norfolk, but will mostly be here. Anton will be taking care of many of our businesses back in Norfolk.”
With that, he left the room and Mrs. Dukakas said, “I’ll show you out now.”
As Bart and Faith left the mansion, they walked silently back down the driveway past the vigilant guards. Arriving at her small car, Bart noticed the old model vehicle. Not wanting to leave her side yet, he placed his hand on her arm.
“Would you like to get some coffee?” he asked, turning on his famous charm.
She looked up at his grin and hesitated. He looks like he never gets turned down.
Bart noticed her reticence and pressed his point. “We can share information,” he enticed.
Offering a small smile, she agreed. “There’s a coffee shop about a mile from here,” she commented.
“You can ride with me and I’ll bring you back,” he said, already placing his hand on her shoulder to guide her to his truck.
“No, thank you,” she declared. “I’ll drive and you can follow.” With that, she opened her car door, tossing her bag into the passenger seat.
Bart realized it made sense for a woman to be cautious, especially with a large stranger. But damn, it feels odd. He could not remember the last time a woman refused to take him up on an offer. Hustling over to his truck, he pulled out behind her and followed her through the
Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon