A Stranger In Moscow: A Russian Billionaire Romance (International Alphas Book 7)

by Lacey Legend

  He eyed her for a moment. “Sure thing. We can finish what we have then you can put the names in your database.”

  “Thanks. It’ll go faster with both of us.”

  Sacha followed Kendra into the dining room, not sure what had happened. He wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong.

  *

  Kendra knew something was wrong when Cliff wasn’t awake before her. She’d slept in her own room last night, still smarting from Sacha’s behavior. Sacha was already gone and Kendra had no idea what his schedule was like for the day. She let Cliff sleep. She called the nanny and cancelled her for the day, knowing that if Cliff was still sleeping at nine then he was sick. Hopefully nothing that needed a doctor.

  She made herself some breakfast and drink the coffee that Sacha had left for her. She was going to miss coffee from a French press when she moved back other apartment. She couldn’t afford that and her mother’s care for sure. She chose not to think about she’d do when Sacha’s generosity ran out. That was a problem for another day.

  With nothing else to do, Kendra went into Cliff’s room to check on him. The boy lay on top of the covers, his face ashen. His eyes were open.

  “Cliff? You sick?”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “My ear hurts and I’m all achy.”

  Ear infection probably. She didn’t have any fever medication with her. Damn. She’d forgotten to have Sacha get some and of course now that she needed it, she couldn’t run out and get it. She felt Cliff’s forehead. He was hot. She didn’t have a thermometer either so she’d have to guess that it was over one hundred degrees.

  “Okay, I’m going to put you in the bath.”

  “No, Kendra. I just want to sleep.”

  “No, honey, I need to get your fever down and I have no other way.”

  He began to cry. He must be miserable. She left him on the bed, then ran a tepid bath. She went back to him. He hadn’t moved. He was still crying. “No, Kendra.”

  “I have to, Cliff. I’m sorry.”

  She undressed him then carried his limp body to the tub. She put him in. He screamed. She knew it wasn’t hot; he was just that achy. She washed him down then dried him off.

  “You feel any better?”

  “No.”

  She laid him back on the bed. She had to get him to a doctor so she called Sacha. His driver could take them, but she had no way of getting in touch with him. Sacha didn’t answer. He must be in a meeting.

  She gave him fifteen minutes to call back; when he didn’t she called down to the doorman.

  “Jeeves, it’s Kendra up in the penthouse.”

  “Hello Miss Kendra. What can I do for you?”

  “I need to take my brother to a doctor. Are there any clinics nearby?”

  “Yes there is one in this block. Is everything okay?”

  “Probably an ear infection, but I have nothing to give him and I’d like to have a doctor see him.”

  “Right Miss. I can direct you when you get down here.”

  “Thanks.”

  She put her shoes on and sneakers on Cliff who might as well have been a rag doll. She carried him downstairs where Jeeves pointed out the location of the clinic. It was a slow day thankfully and they only waited a half an hour. Kendra put the bill on her credit card. She’d fret about paying it later. The diagnosis was actually an ear infection. Now she had to fill a prescription. She sighed.

  “Here are some samples if you don’t have any fever medicine,” the nurse said after the doctor left.

  Kendra was able to get Cliff to take some. Hopefully his fever would go down. Now she had to carry him to the pharmacy at the other end of the block. Her arms were sore by now. She wanted to make him walk, but she couldn’t do that to him. If he’d been in school, she could have dealt with all of this better. The school he went to had an infirmary so this could have waited until she was better prepared.

  While the pharmacist filled the prescription, Kendra shopped for the other things she’d need during this illness. She would have like to put Cliff down, but he’d gone back to sleep. She couldn’t chance anything happening to him. Finally, she had no choice. She couldn’t keep him in her arms and hope to get home with him. The pharmacy waiting room had chairs, so she put him down on one. He curled up and she sat next to him waiting to purchase her items.

  Finally, she was called. She paid for the prescription and other items. When she turned, Cliff was gone.

  “Cliff?”

  No answer. She whirled back to the pharmacist. “Did you see what happened? He’s gone.”

  “No, I wasn’t paying attention.” He looked in a big mirror that showed the whole store. “I see a man carrying him.”

  Kendra headed for the front door to cut off the man. He saw her and put down the boy.

  “What’s your problem?!” she said, getting up into his face.

  He looked at her as if he didn’t understand then ran out the front door. Maybe he was just a weirdo and had nothing to do with the reason Sacha was keeping her safe. He’d seemed confused. She picked Cliff up from the floor, then picked up her packages.

  The pharmacist had come out from behind the counter. Kendra dropped her purchases, but the pharmacist picked them up.

  “You going to be okay?”

  “I have no choice.”

  “No one else is here or I’d help you. I’m sorry.”

  Kendra nodded at him then left. Her arms hurt now. Cliff was dead weight in her arms. Finally she reached Sacha’s building. She leaned Cliff up against the counter to rest her arms before she went into the elevator.

  “Mr. Kozlov is here,” Jeeves said. “You want me to call him?”

  “No, I can make it the rest of the way. Did you tell him where I was?”

  “No, he didn’t ask.”

  The phone rang at the desk. “That’s him now. I’ll tell him to come down.”

  ***

  When Sacha entered the apartment and found it empty, his heart raced. He called Kendra’s phone, but heard it ring in the apartment. Damn. She’d forgotten her phone. He searched the place then called down to the front desk.

  “She’s on her way up.”

  He waited by the elevator. Kendra looked bedraggled when the doors opened. Cliff was limp in her arms. He wanted to throw his arms around both of them, but that would imply an emotion he wasn’t supposed to be having. Instead, he lifted Cliff out of her arms.

  “Where am I going with him?”

  “To bed. I have to get some medicine into him before he goes back to sleep,” she said.

  Her hair was in disarray.

  “Where’s the nanny?”

  “I gave her the day off because I knew he was sick. I called, but you must have been away from your phone. You didn’t answer. He needed to see a doctor,” Kendra said.

  Sacha nodded, trusting her judgment, but that didn’t mean he liked it. She could have called his driver to accompany them. They could discuss this later. He put Cliff on the bed. The little boy yawned, but sat up. Guess he knew the routine.

  Kendra came in with a spoon and two bottles of medicine. She gave them to Cliff who then curled up under the covers. He was probably asleep before they left the room. Sacha followed Kendra to the kitchen.

  “You okay?”

  “No.”

  She stored one bottle in the refrigerator and one with his vitamins.

  “What happened?”

  “I put Cliff down to pay for the prescription. He was asleep on the chair. Some guy picked him up.”

  He put his arms around Kendra. “That’s terrible.”

  She sank into him. “I was so scared, but he didn’t make it out of the store before I accosted him. He just put Cliff on the floor then ran out.”

  “Well everything’s okay. I was worried when you didn’t answer when I called back. We need to have a contingency plan for times like these. Sometimes I can’t answer the phone.”

  “Sometimes kids get sick.”
<
br />   “I see that. What’s wrong with him?”

  “Ear infection,” Kendra said. She stepped away from Sacha, looked a little less weary.

  “How long does that take to clear?”

  “He’ll feel better in a few days. I have antibiotics for him for two weeks,” she said.

  “You scared me,” he said. He hadn’t meant to say it. He hadn’t meant to reveal that much to Kendra. It didn’t jive with their “no emotion” bargain they’d agreed upon.

  She looked up at him, her eyes getting misty. “I was scared. When I turned and saw Cliff gone I thought all sorts of awful things.”

  He took her in his arms again and let her cry. This was the most vulnerable he’d seen Kendra, a new side to her. “Let me go fill the bathtub and you can read or just enjoy a moment,” he said. “If Cliff wakes up, I’ll take care of him.”

  “He isn’t your responsibility.”

  “He is. It’s all part of keeping you safe,” he said. “Besides, Cliff and I are buddies. We’ve had some great talks in the morning before you get up.”

  She eyed him as if she weren’t sure if he was serious. “Uh, okay.”

  “You want some wine?”

  “It’s the middle of the day?”

  He shrugged. “Are you going anywhere?”

  “No, but I need to get some more names in my database,” she said.

  “I can do that.”

  She eyed him again as if he had two heads. “You’d do that?”

  He brushed a hair out of her face. “Sure.”

  He kissed her forehead then left her standing in the kitchen. He didn’t want to think about the affection that he was beginning to have for Kendra. He didn’t want to admit that he was feeling something for her, something odd and foreign to his heart. He liked Kendra. It was beyond how she was in bed. He liked being around her. Shaking himself, he chose not to analyze things. Best not to go there.

  He filled the bathtub in his bathroom with warm water and bubbles. He lit a few candles. When he turned to go Kendra was in the doorway, looking a little lost. As if no one had ever done anything like this for her.

  “It’s filled.” He took a towel out of his linen closet. “Here’s a towel. Take all of the time you need.”

  She stood in the doorway a moment more before she entered the bathroom. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said with a grin.

  He left her to take her bath in peace. He booted up her laptop in the dining room then began to type in names for her. He was just about done when she appeared in the doorway.

  “Done already?”

  “I’ve been in there for half an hour. I’m not used to just sitting around.”

  She was in sweats and she still looked sexy. How could that be? He was a goner. Good thing her stay here was only temporary. He didn’t want to get tangled up with Kendra. Not wanting a wife ever, he couldn’t imagine falling in love. What a vulnerable situation that would be, and he wasn’t that. Ever.

  “I have the names in. Did you check on Cliff?”

  “He’s sleeping. He’ll probably sleep through the afternoon and the night. He’ll wake up tomorrow very hungry.”

  “Then I’ll be sure to be up early to feed him,” Sacha said.

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I know, but I’m up anyway. I don’t need much sleep.”

  She yawned.

  “You should go take a nap. I’ll make sure Cliff is okay. Does he need medicine if he wakes up?”

  “Yes. Both bottles have instructions.” She yawned again. “You sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all. Go to sleep Kendra. I’ll wake you for dinner.”

  She nodded then left. When he checked on her a few minutes later she was fast asleep in her bedroom. He put the covers over her, kissed her forehead, and then left to get his own work done.

  Chapter5

  A few days later, with Cliff on the mend and the nanny, Cassie, back on duty, Kendra wandered around the apartment. She felt like she wanted to jump out of her skin. She was up to date on putting registrations in her database. She’d picked the shirt for the race and those were being delivered in a few days so she couldn’t do anything pertaining to the race.

  Running on the treadmill in the gym for the building wasn’t doing it for Kendra. She wanted to get outside and feel the wind on her face. She’d snapped at Cliff twice. Now he and his nanny were hiding somewhere. She felt bad. None of this was his fault. She was sure he was feeling stir crazy, though the nanny had taken him to the park a few times this week. She and Sacha had agreed that it would be safe.

  Sacha came out of his office as she paced the living room. “I have a surprise,” he said.

  “Oh?”

  She’d take it. Whatever it was. Their sex had been great, of course. He was an expert lover, but part of her wished there were some emotion attached to it. He wasn’t cold, just a little distant. She shouldn’t want that, but she did. She had to remind herself that as long as she was here that this was temporary. She’d go back to her life. He’d go back to his.

  “Get your running gear on. We’re going somewhere fun to run,” he said.

  “Yeah? Where?”

  “You’ll see when we get there. The driver is waiting in the garage downstairs.”

  She hurried to change into shorts and a tank top. She laced up her running shoes, then met Sacha at the front door.

  “I told Cliff that we were going out.”

  “Thank you. I really need this, Sacha.”

  “I know.”

  They rode down in the elevator and Kendra thought she was like a kid the day before Christmas. She couldn’t wait to find out where they were going to run. The car was indeed in the garage and she climbed in.

  The driver greeted her. She said hello back. Sacha climbed in, but he must have given the driver instructions prior to arriving since he didn’t say anything to the man. They drove out of the city. Kendra didn’t often get out of Manhattan. She didn’t have any reason. She didn’t have any friends outside the city.

  She could almost feel herself breathe better. The limousine pulled up at a beach. It wasn’t high beach season yet so there were only a few people on it. A few chairs dotted the landscape.

  “We’re running here?”

  “Yes. I figured we’d be safe out of Manhattan,” Sacha said.

  The driver pulled away.

  Kendra stretched then she and Sacha started off at a slow pace. They ran on a boardwalk at the entrance to the beaches. She loved how the air smelled of the salt from the sea. Her spirit lifted and she ran a little faster.

  “Race you?” Sacha said.

  “Okay.”

  “To the next gazebo.”

  “Go.”

  She took off at a good sprint. He didn’t catch up right away. He must have been surprised by what she’d done. She could be pretty competitive, so when she heard his footsteps behind her she sped up.

  He caught up and passed her, running backwards when he got in front of her. “Slow poke.”

  He turned then ran faster. There was no way she was catching up, but she was enjoying what her body could do. Sacha lounged in the gazebo when she got there. She was out of breath, but she laughed. “That was good.”

  She plopped next to him on the bench. He rubbed her neck, a very affectionate gesture for a man who had been avoiding her for a few days. Guess she’d been pretty cranky.

  “You in a better mood?”

  “I am.”

  She smiled. He’d known what she’d needed. He knew that in bed. He always seemed to realize when she needed it fast or slow. He was intuitive that way. How had no woman caught him yet? He’d make a great husband.

  Just not for her. No husband in her future.

  “The day is perfect,” Sacha said. “I wish we’d brought a change of clothes. We could have gone for a meal or something.”

  “Mm. That would be good, but we didn’t.”

  “Nope.”

 
He eyed her for a moment and she felt naked. He could do that to her with just his gaze.

  “Next time. I promise,” he said.

  “Sounds good.”

  “You need more running?” he asked.

  “No, but I’m not ready to go back to the penthouse,” she said.

  “We have to walk back anyway.”

  “You mean your driving doesn’t have a GPS tracker for you so he knows exactly where to pick you up?”

  Sacha laughed. “He might like that, but no he doesn’t have one. We need to meet him where he dropped us off.”

  They walked back, and Kendra could not have been happier. She’d gotten to be outside. She’d gotten a good run in. Endorphins were pumping through her. She could almost believe she was in love or something when she felt like this. She truly appreciated that Sacha had brought her here.

  “Thank you for getting me outside. I’ve missed running outside. I did it most days before this all happened.”

  “We’ll do it again. I promise.”

  He looked at her and she wondered what exactly she was seeing in his eyes. She hadn’t seen it before. Was that an emotion? Affection. He looked to be wrestling with something, then he looked away.

  The driver was waiting for them at the right spot.

  “You communicate telepathically?”

  “No, I told him a specific time to be back.”

  “Okay. That makes more sense.”

  They climbed into the car. She put a hand on Sacha’s. “Again. Thanks. I really needed that.”

  ***

  Sacha’s phone rang while he was in the shower. Kendra had opted to use her own bathroom. He would have liked to have her in here with him, but he doubted much cleaning would get done. No, they’d have shower sex. Not that he’d complain. He liked shower sex.

  Drying off, he looked at his phone. He missed a call from his private investigator. Damn. He’d hoped for some news. Seeing Cliff everyday just reminded Sacha what a mistake he’d made giving up his child. The boy should be with him, though at this point he couldn’t imagine upsetting his child’s life. If he were in a good home, he’d leave him there. He just wanted to be able to see his son. He wanted to watch his son grow up. Having never told his family about his offspring, he didn’t know if he would now. This was assuming that the boy would be found.