by Bella Rose
Blair quickly descended the steps, ducking around other tourists and locals in her quest to find the right spot. Finally she discovered the words Escadaria Selarón worked into the mosaic. She stopped and closed her eyes. This was why she had come.
“Blair!” Mikhail finally caught up with her and she realized belatedly that she had bolted from his side in her excitement. “Please never leave my side that way again. The city can be beautiful, but dangerous as well.”
“I’m sorry,” she said meekly. “I was just overexcited, I think.”
“What is this place to you?” He glanced around. “Everyone knows the staircase, but I’ve never seen anyone become quite so overjoyed.”
She sucked in a deep breath. It felt as though she was about to trust him with a piece of her soul. “This is the place where my father stood when he asked my mother to marry him.”
His expression softened. The effect on his face was dazzling. Where he had been merely handsome, the loosening of his jaw and the lack of tension around his eyes turned him into the sexy hero in a romance novel.
Taking a deep breath for courage, Blair stood on her tiptoes and slipped her arms around Mikhail’s neck. She kissed him long and slow, letting her lips move against his with the sweetest of intentions. He seemed to freeze at the gentle contact. She wondered if this was too chaste or passive for him. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer to the curve of his body. He didn’t deepen the kiss though, letting her set the pace instead.
“Thank you for sharing this moment with me,” he murmured when they finally came up for air.
“I used to think that somehow, some way I would find time to come here,” she admitted. “I’m a pilot, but that doesn’t mean I get to fly where I want.”
“Choices, remember?” He gently cupped her face and ran his thumbs over her lower lip. “Life is all about the choices we make.”
***
Mikhail took her to a churrascaria for dinner, because one must always visit a Brazilian-style restaurant when in Rio. He paid for the best table and enjoyed the look of rapture on Blair’s face when the servers began bringing skewers of choice cuts of meat to their table.
“You’re not afraid to eat in front of a man,” he told her appreciatively. “You have no idea how refreshing that is.”
Blair laughed as she wiped her mouth with a linen napkin. “That must be a complaint that men have about women no matter their ethnicity or country of origin.”
Mikhail snorted. “Most of the Russian women I know eat so little I worry that they will die of malnutrition.”
“Perhaps your father shouldn’t have made a habit of ditching them when they got a little meat on their bones,” she teased.
He put his hand to his heart. “How can you imagine I would be like my father in that respect?”
“I don’t know what you’re like,” she commented. “Tell me what sort of women you usually date.”
Mikhail took a drink of his wine, sitting back in his seat and gazing at the woman before him. “You do realize that you have set me up for failure no matter how I answer, correct?”
“Not so.” She put up a hand in protest. “If I promise to acknowledge that I asked for this information, I cannot get mad just because you give it to me.”
He snorted. “Said no woman ever.”
“Tell me,” she coaxed. “Or I will tell you.” She cleared her throat. “You date Russian women primarily because you like to boss them around, and who is a mail-order bride to argue with the big bad future leader of the Bratva? So they are all beautiful former ballet dancers who speak very little English and will die in childbirth because they have no hips.”
Mikhail was powerless to stop the belly laugh from rolling across the restaurant. Where did she get these notions? “Stereotype much?” he teased.
“Come on. Tell me.”
“I don’t date.” He thought about that and decided to be brutally honest. “When I do go out with a woman, it’s because I want to spend the night with one. I make my intentions clear and she has no illusions about whether or not I’ll be asking for a second date.”
She tilted her head to one side. “So I should expect that you will never call me again once our business is done in Moscow?”
Mikhail gazed at her impish expression and wished he could answer that question. “You are a rule breaker for me, Blair Edwards,” he admitted. “I cannot say what will happen once we reach Moscow. This is all new territory for me.”
The mood at the table had grown suddenly serious. Mikhail felt the heaviness begin to drag him down. Then he saw Blair’s mouth turn up at the corners. “So what you are saying is that I have a shot at convincing you to sleep with me again?”
Chapter Ten
Blair could not decide if she was making a wise decision or not. She had never been as bold as this in her personal life, but she had never met anyone like Mikhail. She turned around and gazed at the luxurious hotel bathroom. Mikhail had excused himself to make a phone call, and Blair could not pass up the opportunity to take what would amount to a swim in the massive sunken tub in the center of the room.
She trailed her fingers over the smooth sandstone tiles as hot water poured into the round basin. There were red, yellow, and blue tiles worked into the brown that formed a fanciful design of fish in the ocean. She wiped away the steam and inhaled deeply of the lavender scent rising from the water. Between the bubbles spilling over the edge of the tub and the view of the city lights and dark ocean through the wide windows, she felt like she was in a fairy story.
Dropping her robe, Blair slipped into the water with a groan of appreciation. She sat down and sank until the water rose to her chin. The hair she had attempted to pile on top of her head grew damp along her neckline, but she didn’t care. There was something incredibly sensual and satisfying about being in the water like this.
A heavy male tread let her know that she was no longer alone. “Like a sea nymph,” Mikhail told her quietly. “You are exquisite.”
“You can’t see anything,” Blair pointed out.
“No?”
He knelt beside the tub. She was afraid to breathe as he leaned forward just enough to brush a kiss over her lips. The teasing touch caused her to lean forward. She wanted more. Mikhail nibbled her lower lip and took it between his, giving a little growl that made her belly grow tight with anticipation.
Then he sat back on his heels and pulled off his T-shirt. Her mouth went dry at the sight of all that tight, abdominal skin and the rippling muscle beneath it. His devilish smile suggested he knew the affect he had on her and was enjoying it.
“I can see your nipples, you know,” he murmured.
Blair glanced down and realized that the bubbles had receded just enough to let the pink tips of each breast show at the water line. Mesmerized by the sight of him, she watched as he used the tip of one finger to circle each nipple in turn. They grew tight and hard as he paid them attention, until finally he took the distended bud on the right and pinched it lightly between his thumb and index finger.
She cried out, unable to keep silent. The warring sensations of pleasure and pain left her almost breathless with desire. Her nipples were throbbing. Yet it was a good feeling. He pinched her left nipple in the same way and Blair gasped in erotic excitement.
“Is your pussy wet with more than water?” His suggestive whisper made her blush.
Mikhail let his hand drift down her belly to her crotch. He threaded his fingers through her pubic hair and gave it a tug. Blair put her arms against the edge of the tub and held on with both hands as he teased the sensitive flesh between her legs. Finally he spread her nether lips with his fingers and stroked her core.
Blair rested her head back against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes. She tried to breathe, but the air kept getting trapped in her lungs. It felt so good. She sensed her climax coming fast. The water created a slick lubricant, but the friction of his fingers moving against her most delicate flesh was to
o much to resist. She arched her back and felt herself tumbling into orgasm.
“Mikhail!” she groaned. “I’m going to come. I can’t…”
“Come for me, Blair,” he whispered. “Give me what I want.”
His erotic order pushed her over the edge. She gasped and trembled, water spilling over the edge of the tub as she slipped into a fierce climax that seemed to go on and on. She clamped her thighs closed on Mikhail’s hand, but his fingers continued to move. They brushed her clit over and over, prolonging her climax until she felt completely spent.
***
Mikhail thought he might be in danger of losing his mind. Never had he experienced such undiluted pleasure with a lover. Blair hid nothing from him and gave everything without asking anything in return.
He leaned forward, uncaring of the water that soaked him or the bubbles that clung to his arms. He put an arm beneath her knees, and another around her back. He lifted her easily into his arms and carried her out of the bathroom. It was only half a dozen steps to the bed. Mikhail laid her in the center of the canopied confection of down pillows and soft patterned blankets. She looked like a goddess awaiting his worship.
He gazed at the bemused expression on her face. “What are you thinking?”
“I was thinking that a few seconds ago I thought I would never need to come again.”
“And now?” He unfastened his shorts and shoved them down his legs, along with his boxer briefs. His cock bounced up toward his belly, eagerly anticipating what was to come.
She gave a soft sigh. “Now I’m thinking that I need you so badly I can hardly stand it.”
“Then I think I shall give you what you want.”
He let his shaft slide along her inner thigh. The soft skin was enticing, but not enough. He needed more friction. Still, the way she moaned and writhed beneath him on the bed gave him a feeling of power he had never experienced. She lifted her breasts toward him. Mikhail lowered his face and nuzzled each one with care. He tongued her nipples before biting them gently and enjoying her gasps of pleasure.
“Mikhail!” she cried out. “Please. I need your cock.”
He braced his weight on either side of her body. Her breasts brushed against his chest and he felt the heat of her skin shimmer over him. She spread her legs to welcome him closer. He settled his hips between her legs and nudged her opening with the tip of his cock. She was so incredibly wet. He felt his head breach her opening. Delightfully snug, her inner muscles relaxed just enough to let him slide inside her body. The friction of their joining was almost more than he could bear.
Once he was fully embedded in her body, he waited. He stared down into her face and gently touched her cheek with his fingertips. Her soft smile melted him from the inside out. This woman belonged to him. He knew that as well as he knew his own place in the world.
Mikhail began to move. He surged into Blair’s body, flexing his hips to drive as deeply as he dared. She exhaled a soft sound of approval with each stroke. The head of his cock brushed the sweet spot deep inside her body and she whimpered as she grew tighter and tighter around him. It was as though he could actually feel her orgasm building.
Her inner muscles grew taut, yet they were soft and almost yielding as he penetrated her over and over again. His balls gently brushed her body, bouncing against her with each thrust. The sensation was overwhelming. Liquid fire pooled at the base of his spine. His legs felt almost numb with the exquisite sensations thrumming in each and every nerve. Finally he could wait no more.
“I’m going to come,” he growled. “I can’t hold back any longer.”
She lifted her hand and brushed her fingertips over his cheeks and chin. “Make me yours, Mikhail. Give me everything.”
Her words turned his world upside down. Unable to hold back, he thrust hard and poured his seed into her body. She gasped and suddenly he felt her come hard. She melted all around him. The exquisite sensation left him breathless. He gazed down at her and found her staring back. Their eyes met and held, and in that moment he felt as though he had given himself completely to Blair.
“So amazing,” she whispered. “I never knew it could be like that.”
He lowered his mouth to hers and gave her a slow, languorous kiss. She parted her lips and he slid his tongue inside her mouth to rub sexily against hers. He felt the softness of her mouth against his and made love to her with his tongue as he had only moments ago with his cock.
She cupped his face in her hands and let her thumbs brush his lower lip. “You make me feel as if I belong, Mikhail. I haven’t felt that since my parents were taken from me.”
He rolled to his back, his cock still embedded in her pussy. Blair relaxed against his chest and tucked her head into the hollow of his neck and shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her body and held her for just a moment. He didn’t want this night to end. Hell, he didn’t want this hour to end. Soon he would have to call Ivan and Aleksei. The real world would intrude and this moment of perfect unity would be gone like smoke on the night wind.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered.
He considered her question carefully before answering. “I am thinking that I have never experienced such a comfortable blending with another person before in my life. It’s like you were made just for me.”
“I feel the same way.” She nuzzled his neck. “Mikhail, what happens in the morning?”
“We fly to Moscow.” He didn’t like to think about that.
“And then I have to go home,” she whispered. “This is like a dream and I don’t want it to end.”
“Then don’t think about the end,” he suggested. “Just think about this moment. Be right here, right now with me.”
“Okay.”
The word was murmured in a sleepy voice that told him she was nearly out. He could hardly imagine how tired she must be. Their day had seemed to stretch for two, and hers had included a bizarre hostage situation and a transcontinental flight after flying two legs of a journey in her own plane. Blair was truly one hell of a woman.
Chapter Eleven
Blair rolled over and touched empty space in the bed. The sheets were cool beneath her fingers. A few steps away she could see the filmy curtains billowing in the light breeze that blew in through the open French doors. The breeze gently brushed over the naked skin of her back, raising gooseflesh and making her reach for the silky sheets.
She recalled that Mikhail had told her in Las Vegas that he did not sleep much. Apparently this held true here in Rio as well. It was tempting to go in search of him, but she wasn’t certain if her presence would be welcome or not. She hadn’t known him long enough to guess at things like that.
Rolling to her side in the bed, she gazed out the French doors and realized that there was a dark shape sitting at the table on the terrace. Mikhail appeared to be lounging in a chair and watching the view of the city below. There was a strange vibrating noise, and then he picked up the cell phone lying on the table beside a glass and a bottle of what was very likely vodka.
“Hello?” Mikhail’s low voice carried perfectly well through the open windows and to the bed.
Blair felt a bit odd eavesdropping on Mikhail’s conversation, but considering he was speaking within earshot she couldn’t help but hear what he was saying. Then he fiddled with the phone and set it back down. A scratchy voice joined Mikhail’s and Blair realized that this must be one of his brothers. The two men were conversing in heated tones. She couldn’t understand the language, and figured they must be speaking Russian.
The cadence of Mikhail’s voice suggested that he wasn’t happy. He kept gesturing wildly at the phone as though he expected it to make some return gesture. Blair almost giggled at the bizarre sight Mikhail presented. Fortunately she pressed her face into a pillow to stifle the noise. She was pretty certain he thought she was dead asleep.
“Hey.”
Blair stopped laughing. That voice on the other end of the line was intelligible and speaking in clear English. “Y
ou know how you wanted me to check on that explosion in Chicago?”
“Yes,” Mikhail said expectantly. “And have you found out who was behind the death of the two people I asked you to research?”
“I have.”
Mikhail seemed to lean forward toward the phone. “And?”
“During the eighties the Bratva had been quarreling pretty regularly with a group run by Pyotr Urevich.” The voice sounded almost apologetic. “The restaurant where those people were killed belonged to Urevich.”
“So we laid explosives and blew the place up,” Mikhail sounded almost sad. “I was afraid of this.”
“What does it matter?” Mikhail’s brother suggested. “Don’t tell her. It’s simple.”
“That is not a solution,” Mikhail argued. “I will think it over and decide what to do later. At least I know the answer.”
Blair froze in the bed. Yes. At least she finally had the answer to who had killed her parents. The man who was responsible was the same man she was afraid that she was falling in love with.
***
Mikhail heard a noise from the direction of the bedroom, but didn’t react. Blair had been dead to the world when he had last checked. The woman seemed to be a sound sleeper.
Ivan was still on the line. “Mikhail?”
“I cannot simply withhold that sort of information,” Mikhail said with a deep sigh. “Do you know any details? I find it difficult to believe that we would lay a bomb in a place where there were guaranteed to be civilian casualties.”
“When I discovered that the Bratva was behind the explosion, I looked through the old records that might have survived from that time,” Ivan explained.
Mikhail snorted. “You know as well as I do that we don’t keep records of potential crimes.”
“No. But the lieutenants of each neighborhood keep a diary that eventually gets recorded so that they can defend their decisions to their bosses should the need arise.” Ivan sounded indignant. “We don’t simply forget about things once they are done, you know.”
