by Roxie Rivera
"So…I guess that means you like me as more than a friend."
"It does." He pulled back and peered into her pretty blue eyes. "There's no rush, Macy. My feelings for you don't have a time limit. I know you have a lot going on in your life, and I'm older than you. When you're ready, you come find me."
She ran her finger back and forth along his wrist. "Do you mean that?"
"Yes. Absolutely. You take all the time you need. I'll wait." He kissed her forehead. "Until then, if you need anything, you come to me."
"Okay."
"I mean it, Macy. Anything. I'm the man you ask."
"I understand."
"Good." Wanting to kiss her again, he denied himself the pleasure because it would be too damned hard to stop. "You should go."
"Yeah," she said with a breathless smile. "I really should."
He stuck his head out the door to watch her leave and make sure she got into her house safely. Lips still buzzing with the intensity of their kiss, he grinned all the way back to the kitchen. He grabbed a box of tea from the pantry and a mug from the shelf. Pouring hot water over a tea bag, he grinned like a fool.
He had been sure that he was on Santa's naughty list but after a magical kiss like that with Macy? Hell, maybe he had squeaked onto the very bottom of the nice list after all!
You can catch up with Danny and Macy in DANILA (Her Russian Protector #9) coming in Summer 2014.
My Favorite Things
YURI
Standing back to study the Christmas surprise he had arranged for Lena, Yuri Novakovsky eyed the transformed library with a critical eye. The staff at his Saint Petersburg mansion had outdone themselves to get everything situated while he had taken Lena out for dinner and the ballet. The sketch he had left had been followed exactly with a handful of perfectly chosen glitzy additions from the housekeeper.
Certain Lena would be dazzled by the wintry Christmas wonderland that had popped up in the library, he pulled the silk scarf he had borrowed from her luggage through his hands and smiled. He closed the door behind him and sought out the woman he so passionately loved. Passing Magda in the hall, the housekeeper pointed toward his office and lifted her fingers toward her head in a phone gesture. Understanding, he nodded and quietly wished her a good night.
Easing up to the slightly ajar door, he listened to the conversation happening on the other side. He didn't want to barge in if she was taking an important call. Though it was the holidays, business opportunities waited for no one. He quickly realized she was chatting with her father but still remained in the hallway so she could have some privacy.
After Lena had admitted to her father that her mother was still alive and remarried and not dead as she had told him, Joe had blown up at her. Yuri had been extremely unhappy with her father for behaving so angrily toward Lena and for hurting her even more, but he also tried to understand how Joe must have felt learning the truth after all those years.
He had given the man he hoped would soon be his father-in-law some time to adjust before tracking him down and telling him exactly why Lena had lied as a teenager. He had forced Joe to meet Lena and wouldn't let the duo out of the locked office at his Houston home until they had made peace. There were still some hurt feelings between them, but Yuri was pleased to hear their friendly banter now.
"It's so beautiful here, Dad. I wasn't sure I would like it, but it's nothing like I had imagined. I had this idea that it would be this sad, cold, dreary place but I was so wrong!"
Yuri smiled at her description of Russia. She had in fact been extremely hesitant to come with him to his homeland, but he had persuaded her to give it a try by promising her a whirlwind global tour tacked on to the end of the business trip. Though she hadn't been very impressed by the frigid temperatures when they had landed late at night a week earlier, she had taken a very different view of his country the next morning. Now, she was asking him to stay a few days longer because there were so many places she wanted to see!
"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about that," she said with a laugh. "I have no plans to move here full-time." She paused. "Well, I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. No, of course, I don't want to leave Houston forever, but I love Yuri and quite a bit of his business operations are here. Realistically, there's always the possibility that he might ask me to make the move."
Yuri leaned against the wall while she discussed her future with her father. There weren't any easy answers for them. At some point, especially once they were married and had children, the constant travel would wear on them. Depending on the political climate, Yuri might not feel comfortable keeping his family in his homeland. The threats of prosecution for not toeing the party line were a constant worry in the back of his mind. So far he had managed to walk the straight and narrow but he was always ready to bail at a moment's notice.
Then, of course, he had to consider Lena's career. She was only just getting started in the world. Though he wanted to make her his wife and start a family with her, he didn't want that to come at the cost of the education and career she had worked so damned hard to earn and build. A feisty firebrand, Lena held so much possibility. Right now, her future success started in Houston. It was where she needed to be.
So that was where he would stay. Yuri intended to make sure Lena got the chance to go after her dream of having her own crisis PR firm. This winter vacation he had arranged wasn't merely for sightseeing. He intended to massage his vast network of contacts to get her face time with anyone who could offer advice or pointers for the boutique agency she was opening in a few weeks with Ty Weston. Though he wasn't fond of the gossipmonger-turned-reputation-and-brand-expert, Yuri grudgingly conceded that Ty knew what he was talking about and had good instincts.
"He took me to the ballet tonight. It was amazing. I can't even find the words to describe it, Dad. The music, the costumes, the dancers—it was extraordinary. I wish you could have been here to see it."
Safe in their private box, Lena had watched the world's finest ballerinas prance and pirouette around the stage with such wonder in her dark eyes. At one point, he had spotted a shiny tear rolling down her cheek. She had been so incredibly moved by the experience. He couldn't wait to take her back again in the spring. Getting her to an opera ranked high on his list of date nights too. She would absolutely love it.
"Did you see Tommy for Christmas? Oh. So he's staying in California then?"
Yuri wasn't surprised to hear that. After the mess her cousin had created with the Guzman cartel, Tommy needed to stay as far away from Houston as possible.
"Oh, he's up to typical Yuri stuff. Working, working, working." She laughed. "Yes, and spoiling me."
He smiled. There was no use in denying any of that.
"He's still doing his physical therapy for his arm and hand. He says he's fine, but I can tell they bother him in the mornings. The weather? I don't know. Maybe…"
He had never bought into the old wives' tales about weather and pain but damned if he wasn't having more problems with the injuries caused by the stabbing he had survived. He hadn't had nearly this amount of discomfort in Houston. Whether it was the Russian cold, he couldn't say.
Knowing Lena could read him so easily amused Yuri. He never wanted to show her any weakness. His male pride demanded he always be the stronger one, but it seemed there were was no way to hide such secrets from Lena. She had offered to give him a massage every morning for the past few days, but he had turned her down in order to make it to meetings on time. Perhaps tomorrow morning he would indulge in a little hands-on help.
"I'm so glad you called. With the time difference, I wasn't sure if should try to hit you up before we left for the ballet or later tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll video chat, okay? Great. Merry Christmas, Dad. I love you. Bye."
Yuri pushed the door open and made his presence known as she ended her phone call. Still decked out in her formal evening attire, Lena looked like a princess. The light colored gown she wore complemented her warm brown ski
n to utter perfection. Because he liked her hair down, she had styled the long, black waves in such a way that the front was neatly pinned back while the back flowed loose. He had spent the last half of the ballet performance with his fingers wrapped in those silky tresses.
"How is your father?"
"He's very well. I think our first Christmas apart since he got out of prison might be hitting him hard."
"Would you like to go home? It can be easily arranged."
"No." She left her phone on his desk and crossed the room to join him. She wound her arms around his waist and lifted up to press her lips to his. "This is our first Christmas season together. I don't want it to end yet."
Cupping the back of her neck, he gazed down into her coffee-brown irises. "We don't have to make a decision about where we'll live anytime soon."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "How long were you skulking out there in the hall?"
"I wouldn't call it skulking. Eavesdropping? Yes." He brushed his mouth against hers. "I didn't want to interrupt you while you were talking to your father. I know things are still tense."
"They're getting better. It will just take time." She rubbed her hand across his chest. "Wherever you are is where I want to be, Yuri. If that's here in Russia, I'll adjust. I'll make it work."
Touched by her willingness to follow him anywhere, he captured her mouth in a loving kiss. "I want to be with you, Lena. For now, Houston is the right place for both of us. I need to come here every few weeks but I don't think I could stand to do my usual two and three week stays."
"Once the business gets off the ground, I'll be able to juggle my schedule. I'm sure I can figure out a way to telecommute."
"We'll figure it out, lyubimaya moya." He nuzzled her cheek. "Are you ready to open your Christmas gifts?"
"Now? But it's so late, and I saw your schedule. You have a meeting—"
He gently silenced her with a finger to her sweet mouth. "It's never too late for me to spoil you." Lifting his hand to reveal the scarf, he commanded, "Turn around for me."
"A blindfold?" She quirked an eyebrow. "Please tell me you haven't been taking gift-giving advice from your kinky friends Niels because this vanilla-sex loving girl isn't interested."
Yuri laughed and applied some pressure to her shoulders. "No, this isn't that sort of gift."
"It better not be." She reluctantly turned around and presented her back to him.
He tied the blindfold in place and put his hands on her hips. Running his hand along the curve of her bottom, he gave her a swat. Lena yelped and rose up on her toes. "As mouthy as you've gotten lately, I'm beginning to see the allure of doling out some discipline."
She pushed back against the hand that had just smacked her backside. "I don't seem to remember you complaining when I was under your desk earlier today and using that mouth of mine to drive you crazy."
His balls ached as he replayed that unbelievably wicked afternoon delight they had shared while he had been taking calls. Sweeping aside her hair, he peppered ticklish kisses along her collarbone and up her neck. "If I remember correctly, I still owe you a return favor for that one."
"Oh, I'm counting on it."
Loving the playful smile curving that sensual mouth of hers, Yuri caressed her face and turned her just enough to kiss her properly. "Come along, sweetheart. I have a surprise for you."
Hand in hand, he guided her down the hallway to the library. Once they were inside, he locked the door behind them because he wanted no interruptions. He swept his gaze around the room one last time to make sure he hadn't missed a thing.
The towers of gifts were arranged around the enormous Christmas tree that Lena had decorated not long after they had arrived in Saint Petersburg. The rug and coffee table near the roaring fire had been replaced with plush, luxurious bedding. A bottle of champagne chilled in an ice bucket on the other side of the room near a light buffet of fruit, cheese and chocolate in case Lena needed a snack before bed.
Carefully untying the blindfold, he pulled it free and said, "Merry Christmas, kitten."
Her sharp gasp told him he had hit the mark. "Yuri! What did you do?"
"I made some Moscow shopkeepers very, very happy." He massaged her shoulders. "I wanted it to be perfect for you because I know how much you miss your father and your friends."
She spun around and embraced him. "Oh, Yuri, you really know how to make me feel special."
"You are special, Yelena." He kissed the top of her head, drawing the soothing scent of her into his lungs. "You're everything to me."
Leaning back, she gazed up at him with shimmering eyes. "I feel so bad. I only got you a few things."
"Your love is the best gift, the only gift, I want." He meant it, and she read the sincerity in his face. "Now," he carefully turned her back around, "before you start tearing into the boxes, there's a rule for tonight."
"Oh?"
"Every time you open a gift, you have to take off a piece of clothing." He slid his hands down her arms. "And, yes, the jewelry you're wearing tonight counts as clothing."
"I see."
"I'm sure you do." He gave her bottom a playful pat. "Go on. Start stripping."
She whirled around and shot him an excited smile before inspecting the gifts. He shucked his tuxedo jacket, kicked off his shoes and removed his cuff links and tie. Flicking through some of the buttons on his shirt, he made his way to the refreshments and opened the champagne. He poured the fizzy liquid into two flutes and handed one to her, then settled onto the wide couch to watch her.
She offered a flirty smile before removing one earring and opening a small box that contained a gold and brilliant green enamel bracelet. Her jaw dropped as she inspected the gorgeous piece. He had an idea that she knew how much a bracelet from that particular designer's line cost, and he waited to hear her protestations. When they didn’t come, he was honestly taken aback. She simply smiled at him and slid the bracelet onto her wrist.
Thrilled that she was allowing him to shower her with gifts without complaint, Yuri sipped his champagne. It seemed Lena had finally accepted that he would spend outrageous amounts on her for no other than reason than it pleased him to see her smile. That was all he wanted—to see her smile.
She had been so badly hurt by the mother that had abandoned her. An orphan himself, he understood that empty ache better than anyone else and wanted to help assuage that pain within her. He had given her his heart and showed her how much he loved her and how worthy she was of that love every day. Spoiling her with material things was simply another way to drive home the point that she was someone extraordinary.
Soon Lena had lost both shoes, all of her jewelry and pantyhose. Clad in just a tiny, shiny thong and matching bra, she looked fucking fantastic. Ever the seductress, she didn't disappoint him as she unhooked and slowly removed her bra. He eyed those luscious breasts of hers, the dark nipples forming points that made his mouth water. He couldn't wait to flick his tongue around her velvety skin and make her purr.
"There are so many gifts left, and I'm nearly out of clothes," she said as she picked through the piles. "Which two do you want me to open tonight?"
"That blue box and the small red one over there," he pointed them out to her. "Bring them over here." He patted his lap. "Santa wants you to sit on his lap."
"Something tells me that Santa wants me to do a little more than just sit on his lap."
She gathered the two gifts and brought them to the couch. Before she sat down, he grasped the thin side straps on the thong. Grinning wolfishly up at her, he offered, "Let me help you with this."
He pressed his lips to her belly and placed noisy kisses on each thigh as he dragged the scrap of underwear down her legs. He hauled her down on his lap and settled her into place. "Now, open the blue one first."
She did as instructed and discovered the car brochure inside. Gawking at it, she issued a strange noise. "You bought me a car?"
"No, I'm taking you to pick one out when we get back to Houston
. A friend of Nikolai's owns several dealerships. We'll visit him and you can test drive anything you want on his lots."
"But my car runs just fine."
"Runs fine? Kitten, the check engine light has been blinking for weeks. If it has a thousand miles left in it, I would be stunned." He set aside the brochure and grazed his fingertips up and down her thigh. "You need a new vehicle, especially if you're going to be meeting clients. You and I both know that what you drive has no bearing on your ability to serve your clients, but appearances are everything in this business."
"I can buy my own car, Yuri."
"I know you can, but I want to do this for you." He traced her lower lip. "If you'll let me," he added hopefully.
"I'll let you go shopping with me."
He sensed there was no way to win this one. While she was getting better at accepting his generosity, it was clear that she was overwhelmed tonight. "Why don't we agree to discuss this when we get back to Houston? We'll figure out a compromise."
"All right. I can live with that."
"Good." He kissed her shoulder. "Open the red one now."
Nervous about her reaction, he slid his arms around her waist and waited anxiously. She untied the silver ribbon and lifted the lid on the box. A quick intake of breath accompanied her discovery of the ring. When she cast panicked eyes on him, he hurriedly sought to explain what it was.
"It's not an engagement ring, Lena. I would elope with you tomorrow morning if I thought you were ready, but I know that you need some time."
Lena's worried expression morphed to one of sheer joy. She examined the ring and ran her fingertip over it. "It's so beautiful Yuri."
"I designed it." He reached for the box and pried loose the ring. A channel of pink diamonds set in rose gold was hugged by two lines of bright white diamonds set in platinum. Reverently, he slipped the ring onto the ring finger of her right hand. "I wanted you to have something that you wear every day that lets everyone else know that you belong to me."
