by Grady, D. R.
She hadn’t seen Vlad and wondered where he was occupying himself. As though her thoughts conjured him up, he appeared at her side before she rounded the last corner to the hallway that led outside. “Where have you been?”
“I had lunch with my sister.” She craned her neck so she could peer up at him.
“She’s been gone a few days.”
“Yes, so Emerson has been hogging her time. I managed to talk her into meeting me instead.”
Vlad nodded. He was so handsome her heart clenched as she peered into those dark eyes.
“I suppose he should learn to share her.” He didn’t sound like he liked that idea.
Her heart clenched again as she thought about that. This man wanted her. She could see that. She wanted him. More than ever before. Maybe she needed more faith.
“He should. They have children, so sharing is something they should be teaching their children.”
His lips curled up. “True.” Again, he didn’t sound convinced.
“It is.”
It was then he noticed the toolbox in her hand. “Why are you carrying a toolbox?”
“This is my water sampling kit.”
“You have to take samples this afternoon?”
“No, I don’t have to, but I thought I should get them out of the way.”
“You choose whenever you want to take them?” He frowned, like that seemed far too lenient. Maybe it was, to a military man.
“Things are pretty loose in our lab. We don’t much care for rules and regulations.”
“I see.”
She guessed he didn’t. “Civilians have a lot more leeway than you guys in the military.”
He wasn’t impressed. “How long will this sampling take you?”
“Probably an hour. Fortunately my samples are close together. Then I’ll run all of them when I return.”
His brows drew together. “There will be that many to run?”
That required a brief explanation on processing everyone’s samples.
“The longest part of any task is the preparation.”
She regarded him, wondering about that statement. Except that his face gave nothing away. They probably needed to talk about it because Vladimir Wellington had definitely mastered concealing his emotions.
Then another, scarier thought welled. What if he had simply trained himself not to feel his emotions? What if he had become such a super soldier that now he simply didn’t feel?
His lips quirked and she squirmed at being caught staring instead of replying to his comment. “Yes, the prep time takes far longer than the task sometimes. Although with all these samples, the actual processing will also take time.”
Vlad reached out and tenderly ran a finger down her cheek. “You are beautiful.”
She shook her head. “It’s obvious you haven’t lunched with Karis recently.”
“I’ve never lunched with Karis.”
“See, if you had, you would know then that she’s the beauty.”
“I disagree. You are the beauty.”
“You are biased.”
“Yes,” he agreed as though that was obvious, but it did lighten her heart to know that he thought so. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world.” Then he leaned forward and kissed her.
Since she lost her breath and her reasoning skills, she couldn’t reply.
“Excuse me, this is a public thoroughfare.” Emerson’s voice smashed through the love haze.
When Vlad lifted his head, her skills all rushed back. She glared at her brother-in-law. “Like you don’t kiss Karis whenever and wherever you are.”
“I didn’t get to kiss her at lunch today.” He appeared unhappy that she usurped him.
She rolled her eyes. “You have kids. You’re supposed to know how to share before you can teach them.”
“I share.” Emerson sounded wounded.
Beside her, she was aware of Vlad’s amusement at this inane, but typical, conversation with Emerson.
“You wouldn’t if your wife and I didn’t make you.”
“I make him, too,” Aleksi inserted.
She turned amused eyes on him. “Hello, Aleksi.” She smiled at their prince. “I’m happy you can force Emerson into being a real human being.”
“I try, but it is hard.”
“We of Rurikstan are heartened by your willingness to improve the country.” She rocked her toolbox as she gazed at Aleksi. The contents inside rattled.
“That’s why we’re here.” Emerson and Aleski both turned to Vlad.
“Ah, you’re here for me.”
“Yes, we need to speak with you.”
“Of course.” Vlad’s eyes, when they turned to her, were chagrined. “I had hoped to accompany you.”
“It’s just as well you won’t. You’re a huge distraction.”
Emerson sniggered. “He is huge.”
Vlad didn’t react but she turned a scowl on Emerson. Who threw up his hands and wandered off down the hall, not alarmed in the least. Before he got eight steps, one of the palace staff waylaid him and Emerson hurried off to take care of their problem.
“He keeps this palace running smoothly,” Vlad said, as though this was an all new concept to him.
“I’m convinced the place would fall apart without him.” Aleksi fanned the papers he carried. “He also makes it look easy.”
“Does he ever fluster?” she wondered.
“In all the years I’ve known him I can think of only one time.” Aleksi appeared deep in thought as he now rolled the papers.
“And that was?”
“When your sister started dating Fergus MacCormick.”
“Oh, I remember that.” She pursed her lips. “That was not a happy time in Emerson’s life.”
“No. He took care of the situation with his usual aplomb but Maks and I stepped lightly around him for a few weeks.”
“She dated another man for a few weeks?” Vlad sounded incredulous.
“Oh yes. Karis doesn’t mess around.”
“Not at all.” Aleksi switched hands with the papers. She hoped they weren’t important.
Vlad’s brows rose. “What did she do to him?”
Both she and Aleksi laughed. “Anything and everything she could to make him suffer.”
“There’s a ruthless streak in Karis that Emerson learned about early on.”
She shook her head. “That he slammed into.”
“Yes.” Aleksi nodded. “I’m very happy that Karis has not taught Tia any of her tricks.”
“What did Karis do to him?” Vlad repeated patiently.
“Emerson wanted to wait until he finished his military stint before dating her,” Helena began.
“But Karis had other ideas,” Aleksi finished. He tapped the rolled up papers against his opposite palm.
“She wanted to date before Emerson finished his military duty?”
“Yes. She let him know in no uncertain terms she was not interested in waiting for him to ‘pull himself together,’ as she put it.” She swung her toolbox.
Aleksi winced. “I remember her being quite succinct.”
“That’s Karis.”
“Why did she wish to date so suddenly?”
She shrugged. “We grew up with him, but one day Karis ‘noticed’ Emerson and he had already noticed her. After she saw him in this different light, she was ready to start dating, but Emerson likes to control everything.”
Aleksi rolled his eyes. “Yes. He excels at that.”
“Karis sent him a very clear message.” She tilted her head to stare up at Vlad.
“That message being that she intended to date other men if he didn’t do her bidding?”
“Oh yes. He needed to realize she wasn’t going to be some little ‘yes’ woman. Karis is smart, funny, and impressive. She was already well educated and on her way to a responsible job. Since she was ready Karis drew the line for Emerson.”
Aleksi nodded. “You have to do that or he’ll steamroll you.”
>
“She figured that out. Karis is the perfect match for him. But he wanted things his way, so she started dating other men.”
“Other men?” Vlad clarified.
“I don’t remember any men other than Fergus.” Aleksi stared at her.
“Fergus was the first. Remember Tomas Carmichael? Followed by John Warren and Brad Cloftenstein, and there was another one I can’t remember.”
“I do recall all of them now. She did throw a lot of men at his head.”
“Yes. She made her point.”
“What point was that?” Vlad’s eyebrows were nearly in his hairline and for once she could read his expression. He didn’t look happy.
“That other men found her attractive and she was willing and able to date as many of them as she wished.”
Aleksi tapped the papers again as he grinned. “There wasn’t a thing Emerson could do to stop her unless he dated her himself.”
“I take it he got the picture?” A muscle ticked in Vlad’s hard jaw.
She nodded. “Oh yes. He put his foot down and told her she couldn’t date anyone but him.”
“How did she take that?” His voice gave nothing away. His face had turned to stone.
She and Aleksi traded glances. “Since that was her plan, I’d say she took it well.”
“She’s never dated anyone else that I know of,” Aleksi added.
“Karis has never wanted anyone else after she realized she wanted Emerson.”
“Her manipulation worked then.” It wasn’t a question. And although Vlad’s voice still didn’t give anything away, she figured he wasn’t impressed.
“You have to do that with Emerson,” Aleksi repeated quietly, with power. She nodded with vigor. “You become… What’s that American word?” Aleksi frowned at her as she jiggled her toolbox.
“Roadkill,” Vlad supplied.
Aleksi used his rolled up documents to point at Vlad. “That’s it.”
“In any event, their relationship not only works, it works really well. For them.”
“I would hate a relationship like theirs.”
She nodded. “So would I.”
“What does that mean?” A tiny note of suspicion leaked through Vlad’s voice.
“Their relationship is personal. It’s what they both need. They’re more in love now than when they were dating.” She stared at Aleksi.
“Their relationship has evolved. I don’t think there’s much manipulation now.” Aleksi unrolled the papers then rolled them up again.
“There is probably some. They like that challenge and when one wins, the other is always impressed.” She grinned.
“Yes. I’m really happy Tia doesn’t do that.”
She tapped a finger to her cheek. “As I recall, my boss left for a meeting with you about our lab budget and when she returned, her hair was messy, her lips were swollen, and she had that glow in her eyes.”
Aleksi contrived to look innocent. “Perhaps you recall incorrectly.”
She wasn’t deterred. “And as I remember, correctly, she didn’t return with a settled budget, either. Apparently the person who decides those issues decided not to make a decision.”
This time, her prince’s lips curled up in a masculine smile of satisfaction. “Her budget will be the very last one approved.”
“Exactly. Because a certain budget approver likes her technique.”
“I enjoy those meetings with her very much.”
“We know. She also enjoys them, far too much.”
“I noticed she’s never sent you.”
“Oh please. One of my mocha swirl cookies and you’ll beg.”
“I have done that.” Aleksi glanced at Vlad. “Don’t try one of those cookies. They’re evil.”
She laughed.
Vlad’s lip curled up. “I have been warned about those.”
“I could send Tia into those budget meetings with a few.” Aleksi’s eyes darkened with what could only be lust. That’s when she tugged out the big guns. “To eat them in front of you and not share.”
Aleksi’s groan was so pained that Vlad turned to her. “That wasn’t nice.”
“That would be cruel and unusual punishment,” Aleksi stated hoarsely.
“But our budget would be finalized.”
“Perhaps.” Aleksi recurled his papers. “You could make some mocha swirl cookies and give them to me.”
She sent him a sardonic look. “Do you really think you’d get them? Emerson works here.”
“I have heard tales of Emerson’s legendary ability to steal sweets. Is it true?” Vlad glanced between them.
“Yes,” she and Aleksi answered at the same time.
Jorge turned the corner then, swinging a bigger toolbox than hers, since he had his and Tia’s samples to collect. “What are you doing? Don’t you have samples to collect?”
“Yes, but I got distracted.”
Jorge turned to Aleksi. “Don’t you think it’s bad enough you distract Tia, but now Helena?” He glanced pointedly at Vlad. “It’s not like she hasn’t been distracted enough lately.”
“No mocha swirl cookies for you,” she stated weakly. Mostly because Vlad’s lips curled up in the same masculine sign of appreciation Aleksi’s had displayed moments ago.
“I don’t think I’ve ever tried one before.” Jorge stared at Aleksi with a scowl.
“You have to be faster, Jorge.”
“I don’t steal from my prince.” Jorge sounded all pious.
“Yes, you do. If you got the opportunity, you’d run me down.”
“Perhaps.” Jorge turned back to her. “The first one back talks Maria into making her American cinnamon rolls.”
Everyone in the group groaned. Vlad took charge. “You two go take your samples. Aleksi and I will start on her now.”
Before she could turn to leave, he slipped a hand around her and tugged her close for a quick, hard, proprietary kiss. It left her reeling for a long moment. He and Aleksi were already partway down the hall when her senses wheezed back to life.
An amused Jorge took her arm to haul her out of the palace. “You have work to do.” He kindly marched her across the street and then pointed her in the direction she needed to go.
Really, Vlad Wellington needed to be declared illegal.
It would take the rest of the afternoon for her senses to right themselves so she could actually work.
Men with devastating lips like that needed to be outlawed.
Except that all she wanted was to kiss him again.
Samples. She had samples to collect.
If she messed up these tests they’d have to boil their water again…
Chapter 18
“By the way, Helena is the last woman on earth to manipulate a man.” Aleksi reassured him as they headed in the opposite direction from Helena.
“How do you know that?”
“Easy. If she has a problem with you, she’ll get in your face and yell at you.”
A memory from her schooling years rose to verify that. He had snarled about her speaking with a male schoolmate who was assigned to a project with her. Helena stood toe-to-toe with him and told him in no uncertain terms to back off. He had known then she wasn’t interested in that man, but his possessiveness had reared its ugly head.
“I did know that.”
“Yes, we all remember her blasting you.” Aleksi smiled, like it was a fond memory.
He couldn’t say it had been a favorite of his as it was then he realized he had to leave to give her room to mature. It was too soon for them. He had reluctantly flown to America to become a Navy SEAL candidate.
“What do you need?” Not interested in digging up those memories, he moved on. He wasn’t even distracted by his mother’s cinnamon rolls because he wanted to chase Helena down so he could kiss her again and again.
“We have a meeting scheduled with General Warcowski tomorrow morning.”
“Should I bring the team?”
Aleksi pondered that. “Yes,
I don’t think it will hurt our good general to meet your friends. It’s obvious they know what they’re doing.”
An understatement. “Yes.”
“I’d like for the General to meet them, if nothing else.”
Something in Aleksi’s voice alerted him. “This meeting isn’t about strategy for this terrorist faction?”
“No. Not entirely. I don’t believe Warcowski has any true idea of your skills.”
“Your father didn’t keep him informed?”
“I’m not certain my father had a full understanding of everything you can do.”
He shook his head. “Your father created me. He knew all too well.”
“Family genetics created you. He just provided you the opportunity to hone those skills.” Aleksi stared at him for a moment, but Vlad couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“What?”
“You’ve always been a warrior, far before my father stepped in.”
“I am what I am.”
“Right now you’re all that’s standing between us and any terrorist faction who may or may not be interested in us.”
That statement stopped Vlad. “Are you referring to a specific faction?”
Aleksi’s lips firmed. “We wouldn’t be able to tell specifics. However we’ve recently noticed what looks like suspicious activity.”
The fact they even recognized a problem caused a warning signal to blare. He made an executive decision.
“Okay. Let’s go plant the seed in my mom’s brain to make us cinnamon rolls and then we need to talk. I’ll bring the team.” He paused. “They all like cinnamon rolls.”
“Of course they do. Who doesn’t?” Aleksi looked at him like he was crazy.
He shrugged that off. It wasn’t an unusual look. Besides, he had been accused of a lot worse.
They rounded the corner and stepped into the lab. The only two present were his mother and Tia. Aleksi wasted no time closing the distance between himself and Tia. Their future princess got herself thoroughly kissed hello.
To avoid having to watch, he crossed to where his mother worked. “We want cinnamon rolls.” He bent to kiss her cheek. It was nice to be able to do so.
“I see. Who is we?” She worked with the efficiency and languor he always associated with her. It was hard to imagine this woman had given birth to anyone, much less him.
