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The interior of Matryoshka had been designed in seventeenth-century Muscovite style, with intisflowers and the nesting dolls that inspired the restaurant’s name Elaborate tiled ovens and kokoshnik-shaped arches were lit by flickering candles on the tables and torches on the walls

As a waiter came to tell them about the specials, Nikos cut hine sauce,” he said, closing his menu “And Scotch—neat”

“Wait” Anna stopped the waiter with a hand on his arm “I would like Chicken Kiev, please And kulich for dessert,” she added, referring to the Easter fruitcake “And sparkling water to drink” She closed her lare “Not Scotch”

Caught in the crossfire, the waiter glanced nervously at Nikos, who nodded

After the young one, Nikos bit out, “I didn’t ”

“Even if I weren’t nursing I wouldn’t want it Or caviar, either Ugh”

He gave her a humorless s me you have no taste for vodka”

“I don’t appreciate you trying to order for me I’m not a child”

“I was treating you like a lady,” he said coolly, leaning back in his chair

“Oh? And is that how you justify telling me who my friends can be?”

“Sinistyn’s not your friend,” Nikos bit out “He’ll use you and toss you aside”

She gave hilare “And you want to be the only one who does that to me?”

As the waiter placed their drinks on the table, Nikos looked affronted, furious “You cannot even compare—”

“Save it I’ve known Victor since I was eighteen Our fathers were friends—although they chose toin very different ways I was Victor’s secretary for five years I know him better than you do”

Unfortunately she understood hi Nikos said about hi to say that

Nikos’s hands clenched on the table “Just hoell do you know him?”

Anna tilted her head and watched him narrowly “He’s asked me to marry him several times”

He glanced at the stained-glassThe expression on his face was half hidden, but his jaas hard “What?”

“I’ve always said no, but that e I won’t be your pawn, Nikos I won’t take your punish my child And if what it takes to match you is to marry Victor…”

She let her voice trail off

Nikos blinked, very slowly When he opened his eyes, for the first tias, they ary He was looking at her not as a victi adversary “What do you want?”

“You knohat I want My freedom”

“I won’t let you take Michael from me Ever Get that”

“Then you can expect a very prolonged custody battle If Victor and I take you to court, it’ll be splashed in the papers A full media circus”

“Is that really what you want?” he said in disbelief “The two of us pulling at our child like a rope in a tug-of-war?”

“Of course not!” She had no intention of starting a ro hi Nikos wouldn’t call her bluff “I don’t want to ask Victor for help, but what choice have you given me?”

The torches around them flickered in silence for several seconds before Nikos tossed his napkin down on the table “Fine You win”

Nikos abruptly rose from the chair Anna watched in amazement as he strode across the restaurant and out the door

She’d won?

He was going to give her joint custody? He was going to let her leave Las Vegas? Let her have her own life back?

She could hardly believe it In a few days she’d be back in New York, looking for a new job She knew she wouldn’t find anything as invigorating as working at Stavrakis, but at least she’d be able to take pride in supporting herself and her son Nikos would insist on child support, of course, but she’d put that money into a trust fund for Misha later That way it would be clear to everyone, including herself, that Nikos had no hold on her She’d never give hiain

And to make sure of that she wanted some space between them The whole country would be a nice start