The Russian's Proposal (Friends Forever Book 3) Page 6

  So, when they stopped in front of the elevators, she felt her whole body tremble with nervousness. Was this going to be a real kiss?

  She watched with silent fascination as he reached out and pressed the button. Then nothing. They waited. One second. Two seconds. She looked up at him, wondering why he wasn’t pulling her into his arms as he’d promised. Why? Darn it, he was supposed to be in love with her! He was supposed to turn around, take her into his arms and kiss her as if he couldn’t think of anything better to do with his hands and mouth.

  As she waited, her temper flared. He’d promised her a kiss and now he was reneging! How dare he!

  So instead of waiting for him to make the move, she stepped around him and, with both of her hands on his dark jacket, she pulled him down to her level. There was only a moment of surprise in those blue eyes of his before he took over the kiss. And once again, she was floored by the shock when his lips finally touched hers. The heat, the desire, the almost painful throbbing deep down in her stomach as his lips gently moved over hers.

  The pinging of the elevator interrupted what was a very nice kiss. But instead of that lovely kiss she wanted so badly, he lifted his head and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Nice,” he whispered, his lids lowered as they both stepped into the elevator.

  With her hands fisted at her sides, she stepped into the elevator with him, and they were followed by two other big men with strange bulges under their coats. Panic hit her hard and fast, but one glance up at Sergei and she relaxed once again.

  “Katia, this is Jeremy and Brian, two of my personal body guards,” he explained, obviously understanding her sudden fright when the strange men entered the elevator with them. “They work with me and are very loyal. Don’t ever go anywhere without one or both of them nearby, understood?”

  “Yes,” she smiled up at both men. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Ma’am,” they greeted in unison, nodding to her.

  Once the introductions were over, they turned to face forward once again. “Roger that,” one of them murmured, touching his earpiece. “Penthouse is secure, Mr. Anistrov.”

  “Excellent. Any other news?”

  “Plane is still mid-flight, sir,” the other one, she thought it was Brian, answered.

  “Scheduled arrival is still eleven tomorrow morning.” She thought that was Jeremy, but wasn’t exactly sure.

  They looked remarkably similar, although they weren’t twins. Not even brothers. They just had the same dark and dangerous vibes about them. Short, military-style haircut, bulky muscles and strange bulges that she suspected were weapons. That was a need to know issue and Katia determined on the ride up to the top floor that she definitely didn’t need to know. Sometimes, ignorance was better.

  “We have people stationed at the other airports, just in case that plane lands at an unscheduled airfield, sir. And we have people monitoring the foreign check-ins as well, in the unlikely event that others come into the country through a commercial flight.”

  “Sounds like you have all the possibilities covered. Thank you.”

  The elevators opened at that moment, so she didn’t have time to thank both men as well. There were two other guards stationed at the doors to the penthouse. They opened the door as soon as the elevator doors opened up and Sergei swept her through. The doors immediately closed behind them and she looked around, wondering what the rush was all about.

  “We don’t want to be out in the open until this is cleared up.”

  She nodded her head in understanding. She’d been doing the same thing for the past six years so she fully understood his methods now that he’d explained. It was just a bit disconcerting to have someone else doing all of the guarding, but even more shocking was that she’d been so focused on Sergei, a man she barely knew, that she’d forgotten all of the lessons she’d learned since escaping from her father’s clutches.

  That couldn’t happen, she told herself firmly. She needed to focus. Now more than ever!

  “Thank you for taking care of the details,” she said as she looked up at him, then quickly away. He was pulling his jacket off again and she wanted to watch, wanted to explore whatever lay underneath the tailored shirt.

  “We have a long day tomorrow. We’re leaving tomorrow morning to get to the airport. I’d like to be in the air by ten-forty-five, if that’s okay with you.”

  She smiled. “Snubbing your nose at him?”

  He chuckled softly as he lifted a hand, one finger trailing against her cheek before caressing the sensitive skin on her neck. “I’ve been doing that for years.”

  She grinned even wider. “I bet you have.”

  “You look exhausted. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

  She blinked. Those words weren’t exactly what she’d been expecting him to say. “I’m tired. Are you going to sleep?”

  “I have some work to do. There are two bedrooms though, so choose whichever you prefer.”

  Well, that answered the question of whether she would be sleeping with him or not. Darn, “not” wasn’t what she’d been hoping.

  “Sleep. Right,” she repeated and backed up several steps. This wasn’t a real marriage. A real wedding would have had Natalie, Arianna, and Hayden by her side. She would have had the whole town of Lisdeer with her because they were all people she liked and respected. They’d seen her through the worst of the last two years, especially Hayden and Natalie. Arianna had only been around for the past six months, but….

  Well, sleep was what she needed. She thought about calling her friends and telling them what was going on. She really should, since they would be worried about her. Then again, maybe she should just tell them that she was going on a short vacation.

  Then the media frenzy that had been outside of the courthouse hit her and she gasped, spinning back around to face him. “My friends! The wedding pictures! I need to call them!”

  Sergei pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Here. Use my phone. It’s encrypted so it’s a bit safer than whatever you’ve been using.”

  She took the phone, not bothering to explain that she’d been using burner phones for most of the past six years. Including the one she’d been using recently. But unlike some people, she used her cell phone only sporadically and only for emergencies. This definitely counted as an emergency, but she took Sergei’s phone anyway. “Thank you,” she told him, then turned on her heel as she walked into the first bedroom. It was lovely, done in soft greens and yellows. It wasn’t overdone as some hotel décor tended to do. And it wasn’t too antiseptic either, having more than a little warmth. It felt like she was in a homey cottage somewhere. Well, a homey cottage with enormous rooms!

  She loved it! Really loved it. After having lived in cheap apartments that didn’t require a whole lot of background checks before moving in, this was amazing!

  She dialed Hayden first, simply because she was closest geographically. When her friend answered, Katia knew that her friend had already heard about the wedding.

  “Kate? Are you okay?” was her first question. Not even a hello, just diving right in.

  “I’m fine,” she assured Hayden. “I’m really fine.”

  “And married!” she gasped. “What’s going on, Kate? We had coffee together yesterday and you didn’t mention that you were seeing anyone!”

  Katia laughed. Trust Hayden to demand answers quickly. “It’s complicated. And I don’t have time to talk yet, but I’ll call you back once I have more time. I just wanted you to know that I’m okay.”

  There was a long pause. “Are you sure? This seems…extreme.”

  Kate chuckled again. “This coming from the woman who married a man about a month after she told him to go to hell?”

  Hayden huffed a bit and Kate could see the lovely woman pacing around in her kitchen. Hayden never used the kitchen, hating to cook more than cleaning toilets, but she loved the kitchen in her husband’s penthouse. Her husband was probably cooking up something wonderful f
or her.

  “I went back to him for another reason after one month. I wasn’t married. And I don’t think your situation is similar. I think you’re in some sort of trouble.”

  Katia heard the concern in Hayden’s voice and loved her all the more for it. “I’m fine. I can’t tell you everything, but I promise that I’m safer than I was yesterday.”

  Hayden huffed again, but then came back. “The only reason I’m not driving over to pick you up and hide you some place is because Viktor knows Sergei and says that he’s a good businessman.”

  “He is,” Katia assured, even though she had no knowledge of the man’s business acumen. “I’m fine, but I need to call Natalie and Arianna.”

  “Don’t worry about them. I’ll call them. But you have to promise me something.”

  “What’s that?” Katia asked, even though she suspected already.

  Katia was right. “You have to promise to get away from that man and come to me if you need help. Viktor can hide you away somewhere safe. And I have lots of places on my land that I can hide you. So just…” she sighed and Katia knew she was rubbing her forehead. “Just come back, okay?” she whispered.

  Katia’s throat clenched with emotion and she nodded, even though Hayden couldn’t see the gesture. “I will,” she finally got out, then inhaled to clear out the emotion. “I promise,” she assured Hayden. Shaking her head, Katia blinked back the tears. She’d never had friends before, never able to stay in one place long enough. So these three women were precious to her. “Have you spoken to Arianna? Is she okay?”

  Hayden sniffed slightly. “I called her but she told me not to come over. I don’t know what’s going on with her but she said she needed some vacation time.”

  “That’s strange.”

  “I agree. I’ll find out what’s going on with her and will let you know. Right now, I need to call Natalie. She’s blowing up my phone with text messages. Be safe, okay?” she urged.

  Katia laughed and nodded again. “I will. You too! And let me know as soon as you hear what’s going on with Arianna.”

  After tossing the phone onto the bed, she pulled off the wedding gown, stepped into the beautiful white and yellow bathroom, showered and pampered herself with all of the lovely products, then curled up on the bed, wrapped only in the robe she found in the luxurious bathroom. She didn’t know where the nightgowns were but promised she’d figure it out in just a few minutes.

  Unfortunately, the wine, the stress of the past few days…they all got to her. Instead of just resting her eyes for a few moments, she fell into a deep sleep on top of the soft comforter.

  Sergei looked at the exhausted beauty as she sighed in her sleep. His body ached to hold her, to pull that robe away and discover what was underneath the thick terrycloth material. But that wouldn’t be appropriate. Why the hell he gave a damn about appropriate behavior now when he’d eschewed all rules while getting to this point in his life, he wasn’t exactly sure. Maybe it was because his past lovers had known the score. Well, and they hadn’t been asleep! But they definitely were more worldly. More aware of what he was offering.

  Katia was technically and legally his wife, something he’d never offered any other woman. Never even contemplated that he would be here. If not for that damn will that gave all control of Sosta’s empire to Katia’s husband, he still wouldn’t be married.

  It took a great deal of effort to remember that Katia was simply a means to a goal. She was a tool in his efforts to bring Sosta down.

  And yet, she looked so angelic as she lay there amidst the pile of pillows and blankets. Her wet hair would be a tangled mess tomorrow morning, but he wouldn’t disturb her for any reason. She needed sleep more than anything else. Rubbing the back of his neck, he realized that he needed sleep as well. Why else would this soft side suddenly be rearing its ugly head?

  He wasn’t soft. Not towards the world and definitely not towards this one delicate, angelic, soft-looking woman.

  Even so, he pulled the blanket from the bottom of the bed, covering her up and making sure that she was tucked in. Only then did he walk out of the bedroom, turning off the lights as he went.

  Just a means to an end, he thought as he walked down the hallway. So why was he smiling as he thought about their dinner conversation? Why was he thinking about the bright sparkle in her eyes when she’d laughed at something he’d told her? And why the hell was he thinking about her full, pink lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss her for real and not one of those pathetic brushes of their lips?

  Damn, he wanted to devour her. He wanted to plunge his tongue into her mouth and taste her, discover her honey. And not just from her mouth!

  Ah hell! Just the idea of tasting her, discovering what she sounded like when she climaxed against his mouth made his body hard. Again! Ever since he’d caught her yesterday in her coffee shop, he’d been in an almost constant state of arousal.

  Walking over to the bar, he poured himself a generous portion of scotch, then tossed it back, enjoying the burn as it slid smoothly down his throat. The glass snapped against the granite counter of the bar, but thankfully, it didn’t break.

  Was this another one of Sosta’s master plans? Had the foul bastard somehow manipulated Sergei into marrying a woman that he wouldn’t make love to, but wanted with every cell of his body? If so, it was actually more genius than he’d given the man credit for.

  But no. Sosta wasn’t that smart. He was a bully who ruled his businesses with fear, following through on his threats with violence. The people who worked for him knew better than to let him down because the repercussions of such a failure would be a beating, torture or even their life.

  This torture was of his own making. He’d married a woman that was…enchanting. Amazing. Somehow, she’d gotten under his skin and that was bad.

  He’d have to work harder tomorrow to avoid any sort of…well, anything. No touching. No kissing those soft lips and he really needed to get these fantasies out of his mind. They were making him crazy!

  Chapter 7

  “Um….Sergei?” Katia asked uncertainly, as she stepped out of the bedroom in the gorgeous villa. They’d flown to Grand Cayman this morning, flying out just as her father’s men were landing. Only hours later, Sergei’s luxurious plane landed in the humid warmth of the gorgeous island, heat seeping into their bones like a soothing caress.

  The sun was shining through windows on three sides of the spacious great room while Sergei cooked in the gourmet kitchen. She had no idea what was on the menu for lunch today, but it smelled incredible!

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, immediately wiping his hands on the dishtowel he’d thrown over his shoulder, walking around the counter to stand in front of her.

  Katia’s eyes drank in his muscular arms and the light dusting of hair covering his chest. Wow! The man was…buff! Who could have predicted that he would look like that underneath those sedate business suits? It was actually a crime for him to cover that body up!

  “Katia?”

  The deep voice held a tinge of amusement and she pulled her eyes upward. But like a powerful magnet, her eyes went right back to his pecs, those washboard abs, and then…lower. Was that…? Was he…? The man was wearing only a bathing suit, the long, board shorts style, and…!

  Her eyes flew back up to his but she had to look away as the heat hit her neck and cheeks. He knew! Darn it, she’d been caught gawking!

  And still, her eyes dropped once more to his biceps that were bulging even though she was fairly certain that the man wasn’t flexing.

  “Um…” she turned away and looked out the window.

  “Weren’t you going to put on a bathing suit?” he asked.

  She looked down at her hand where the tiniest bathing suit she had ever seen was dangling from her fingers. Bathing suit? “Right!” she gasped once again and lifted the suit up in the air. “I can’t wear this.”

  His smile was infectious. “Okay. It’s going to be an interesting boat ride, then,” he
teased.

  She frowned up at him, then down at the suit, not sure what he meant. “I can’t…Oh! You mean that I’d go naked?” Katia spied the teasing glint in his eyes and that stupid heat hit her once again. “No! I can’t…I mean…” she realized that he was just kidding and sighed, rubbing her forehead with her free hand. “Sergei, I can’t wear something this skimpy. It’s…indecent!” she explained.

  He took the suit from her fingers, the small triangles dangling in the air as he examined the bathing suit. He looked at the black triangles, then at her figure. “Do you need a different size? All the other clothes seemed to fit you pretty well.”

  “I don’t need a different size. I need a different style. Something that covers me a bit more than,” she gestured emphatically to the bits of material dangling in the air from his fingertips, “this! This is indecent!”

  He laughed and pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. “Katia, I promise that I’ve seen women in bathing suits much skimpier than this one. It isn’t bad at all.” He handed the material and strings back to her and moved behind the counter once again. “Go put it on and we’ll have lunch before heading out. Be sure and grab sunscreen. It’s going to be a cloudless day. Perfect for what I have planned.”

  She’d just turned to head back into her bedroom when his words stopped her. “What do you have planned?” she asked, turning to face him once again.

  “Just go put on your bathing suit. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

  She eyed him warily, not sure if she should trust a man who had seen other women in skimpier outfits than what she was about to put on. But she saw the laughter in those blue eyes and didn’t want to argue with him. It was too beautiful of a day and she was relaxed, far away from her father’s cruel grasp and with a man who made her laugh.

  And drool. She couldn’t forget the drooling part.

  Walking barefoot, she wondered if the cool tiles could somehow send a few chills to her raging libido. Because right now, all she wanted to do was sit down on one of the stools by the counter and watch him work. Yeah, she could just imagine all of those muscles flexing as he cooked whatever was on that stovetop. Or chopping. Ooh, maybe she could ask him to chop something just so she could see his biceps move!