«Yes, her daddy is a big cheese, and after dark she’s always under escort.»
«You’re kidding.» Oleg leered at the girl again. «The children of rich people study at Harvard or Oxford, not in a city like this hole.»
«First of all,» Nicholas spoke with irritation, as he felt offended. «Our University is one of the best in America. Second, many men, many minds. I think she’s just bored with her fancy life. You know, this is not the best bar in the city, but Lana, her name is Lana Limpson, comes here almost every evening. It’s stupid. No one will come near her. Everybody knows her father, and nobody wants trouble.»
The Russians glanced at Lana again, and Ruslan sighed. «You’re right, Nick.»
Oleg did not reply. He was thinking. Resolutely getting to his feet, he went to the counter and sat next to Lana Limpson. She looked at him with timid hope.
«Hi,» he said. «Why is such a pretty girl so sad?»
She smiled.
«Wow.» Oleg gasped. «Your eyes are brighter than stars in the summer night sky. What is your name?»
«Lana.» She chuckled. «Lana Limpson.»
«I’m Oleg. Oleg Merkulov,» he said, to her surprise quite casually, and the girl realized he was new here.
«You are Russian, aren’t you?» Lana leered at the man with interest.
He was much older than she, yet he looked great. Very tall and athletic, broad-shouldered, this red-headed man with piercing brown eyes was simply handsome. She thought he looked like some ancient Roman god. All his movements were full of masculine grace, showing off his physical strengths. Though his legs were a little shorter than they should be for someone his height, they were well shaped and toned, and the powerful muscles of his strong thighs were visible even through the fabric of his jeans.
Lana looked at Ruslan and Nicholas. She knew the American, as they had grown up in the same town, and she guessed that the other one was Russian.
He was average, and his appearance did not impress, but surprised her, for Lana discovered that he seemed very similar to her. He also had dark blonde hair, and his eyes were the same olive drab color as hers. It was as if she saw her reflection in a mirror, and an open-eyed Lana inspected him with curiosity.
«He looks tired.» She noticed surveying his exhausted face. «Definitely, he’s had a difficult past and probably went through some grief a short time ago.»
Suddenly she met his gaze, and was amazed at how odd it was. This young Russian man stared at her with adoration and abhorrence at the same time, as if she was doing something extraordinary. As if she was eating spiders for a bet, for example, or dancing on the table stark naked.
His glare intrigued her, and Lana waved. Ruslan and Nicholas just saluted back, but did not come close. Then, pursing her lips, the girl addressed Oleg again. «Why do people ignore me?»
Oleg demonstratively looked at her bodyguard, and Lana winced.
«I promised Dad that I’d take Tom with me if I go to a bar,» she explained with bitterness in her voice. «Tom’s just a good friend, like an older brother to me.»
«Your daddy is right,» Oleg sighed. «Such a beauty as you are has to be under protection, like a rare, brilliant, sparkling diamond.»
«You call me such funny names.» Lana tried to laugh, but she could not. She liked it. This man was talking with a strange, hard accent, and all these nice words sounded very unusual, with masculine sexual inflection.
