The Prince's Gamble

by Caridad Piñeiro

  He gave a lopsided smile as they entered, causing her heart to skip a beat.

  She held herself in check and allowed Tatiana to rush forward to her brother’s side.

  He held out his hand and his sister clutched it tightly, dropping a kiss on it. Her voice was rough from the tears she had shed. “We were so worried.”

  “I’m good. Not even sore. The meds are wonderful.” The slight slur and singsong in his words evidenced that the medications were at work.

  Tatiana leaned forward, laid her head on his chest, and awkwardly hugged him. He grimaced, quickly hiding it to avoid worrying his sister. But Kathleen had not missed his discomfort. She met his gaze across the length of the room, and silently conveyed that he wouldn’t fool her so easily with the hint of a wink.

  His sister sat back and grasped his hand again. “I love you, Sasha, but don’t you ever do anything so stupid ever again.”

  “I love you, too, Tatochka. And I promise, I will never ever do this again.” This time his smile was even weaker, but with that familiar dimple she loved.

  Tatiana stepped away from the bed, walked toward her, and playfully pushed her in Alexander’s direction. “I’ll close the door to give you some privacy.” She brushed a calming hand down Kathleen’s forearm, stepped out of the room and closed the door.

  Kathleen approached Alexander. As she neared his bed, her knees grew rubbery, finally giving in to the stress of the past few hours. She plopped into the chair and slipped her hand into his. Inside her chest, her heart knocked against her ribs in an uncertain beat. She drew in a breath to calm herself, but the only things that filled her senses was the antiseptic smells of the hospital and the memory of his blood leaking between her fingers.

  “My God, Sasha. I almost lost you.”

  The tremor in her hand made Alexander look at her in concern. He squeezed her hand, chilled from her fear. “But you didn’t, Ko’shechka maja.”

  She shook her head and her vision shimmered with the tears she was fighting back. “Don’t think that sweet talk will stop me from being mad at you. Your sister’s right. Don’t you ever do that again, Sasha.”

  He chuckled, then groaned, his hand going his midsection. Contrary to what he had told his sister, she was pretty sure the medications were barely keeping his pain in check.

  She laid her hand lightly on his chest. “Do you want me to have them increase the dosage?”

  He shook his head and grimaced. “No. I want to be alert. I don’t like feeling muzzy in my head.”

  She instilled a teasing note in her words. “I understand. Besides, I have my own reasons for wanting you to have your wits about you.”

  He hiked an amused brow at her. “I’m not sure I’m ready for anything strenuous at the moment. Maybe later.”

  She laughed, as he’d no doubt intended, and wagged her head. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “I could think of lots of things once I’m able to move around some more.”

  She grinned, but then her mood turned more serious. “I’ll have to head back to the field office soon. Finish my reports. Prepare a press release. See if Peter needs anything to finish the arrests.”

  “I understand,” he said. “But I hate that your responsibilities take you away from me so soon.”

  She leaned in and brushed a kiss across his lips. “I know you do, and I appreciate that.”

  He gave a loopy, sexy smile. “What else do you appreciate?”

  With another rueful shake of her head, she said, “You seem to have a one track mind all of a sudden. I’m wondering if it’s the drugs.”

  “It’s you, Kat. Just you.” He brought her hand to his lips for a quick kiss.

  She wanted to stay, but her obligations pulled at her much the same way they had throughout the investigation. Much as they would in their future life. But she had no choice but to press forward with her work. It was the biggest part of who she was. At least, it had been until now.

  “Do you want to be mentioned in the press release? That you cooperated with us in the investigation?” she asked.

  His response was swift and vehement. “No mention. I don’t want any retribution against my family. As it is, we’ll have to worry whether Stravinski has any associates who will come after us. Petrov, too, for that matter.”

  “You know we’ll keep an eye on them and their known associates, to keep you safe.”

  “As safe as we kept Tatiana?” Evidently he was not only worried about what had happened to his sister, but recalling his own kidnapping decades earlier.

  She stroked her hand back and forth across his chest, offering reassurance. “We’ll keep her safe, but you need to tell her about what happened to you. Help her get over any lingering fear she has about her kidnapping, and about whether it might happen again.”

  He took her hand and pressed it tighter to his chest. “We will keep her safe. I want to help you stop anything like this from happening again. Just tell me what you need from me.”

  She hesitated, unsure of just how to say all that she wanted to say to him.

  Drawing from deep in her reserve, she blurted out, “I’m not sure you’ll be able to help me in future investigations.”

  Taken aback, he released her hand. “Why not? Did I not do a good job this time?”

  She laid her hand along the sharp line of his jaw and rubbed her thumb across his lips. “You did a wonderful job, but I walked a fine line this time by letting my emotions get involved. It would be even harder for me if my fiancé or husband was participating in the assignment.”

  “Fiancé? Husband? Is there something you’re not telling me?” He arched both brows in emphasis and his lips thinned into a slash. The warmth in his gaze faded, leaving his eyes a dull slate.

  “The meds must have really messed with your brain,” she muttered. “Or maybe I just suck at proposals.”

  He jerked back in surprise, grunted, but then he slowly grinned, displaying that boyishly sexy dimple. His eyes warmed to sapphire. “A proposal? Is this your way of asking me to marry you?”

  “Um…unless you have a problem with marrying a commoner? Especially one who isn’t going to jump at your every command, and who is so not going to love all those parties and gowns and other fancy stuff.”

  He reached for her and eased his hand around to the back of her neck. Drew her down to him. His breath kissed her lips as he whispered, “There’s only one thing I’d like you to do.”

  “Really? And what’s that?” She slipped her lips along his and touched her tongue to the edge of his mouth.

  He groaned at that tempting caress, but continued. “All I’ll ever ask is that you ride off into the sunset with me.”

  She blinked. “Horses? Here?”

  “The Bentley. Think you can do that?”

  She laughed softly, filled with love. “Oh, yes. I think I can do that.” Bending, she kissed him to seal that promise, appreciating that life with Alexander would always be filled with surprises, humor, and love.

  Epilogue

  Atlantic City, New Jersey

  One year later

  The sounds of Pachelbel’s Canon swelled through the room from the string quartet tucked discreetly to one side of the Russian Nights event ballroom. The space was filled to capacity, with over three hundred guests occupying the seats on either side of the aisle laid with a royal blue carpet strewn with white rose petals. Woven into the carpet was the royal seal of the Ivanov family, reminding everyone that this was no ordinary wedding.

  Kathleen gripped the heavy weight of the bridal bouquet in her hands. The aroma of the white roses teased her senses while a cascade of white orchids draped down from the mix of roses, and white and blue hydrangea. Larger arrangements of the same flowers flanked the corners of the room as well as the ends of each row of chairs down the bridal path.

  “Are you ready?” Her father tucked her hand through his arm.

  She had never been more ready.

  With a determined step, she cross
ed the threshold and walked in time to the lush beats of the music, moving ever closer to the front of the room where the bridal party waited.

  Peter Roman was the Best Man. Jim Reynolds joined two others as Alexander’s ushers.

  Opposite them, Kathleen’s sister stood up for her as Maid of Honor, while Tatiana and two of Kathleen’s girlfriends balanced out the bridal party.

  She searched for her husband-to-be, wondering where he was, but then he stepped forward from the side of the room and walked to the head of the aisle.

  As always, he took her breath away. His designer tuxedo was neither black nor blue, but a combination that served to bring out the colors in his crystal blue eyes and midnight hair. The tux fit with precision across his broad shoulders and tapered in to display his lean midsection and hips.

  He had lost some weight after being shot a year earlier, but had regained it in the months of his recuperation. If anything, he seemed stronger and larger now than before. More powerful…and maybe he was.

  She knew she was. Being with him had brought her an inner strength and peace she had not possessed before.

  Because of that, her strides, though measured, were certain and sure as she made her way toward him.

  …

  Alexander caught his first glimpse of his bride as she stepped onto the aisle, her father at her side.

  His heart did a weird little flip-flop in his chest at the beauty of her. At the love that glimmered in her eyes, and the sexy smile that danced on her lips, promising him so much more.

  Promising him forever.

  He clasped his hands before him, fighting to keep from rushing down the aisle and ripping her from her father’s arm. It wouldn’t be appropriate wedding decorum, especially not for a prince. Not that he thought of himself that way when he was with his little cat.

  With her he was only a man in love.

  As she neared the head of the aisle, he stepped forward, ready to take his place at her side. His parents stood there, beaming with pride and joy. Any worries he might have had about their reaction to the news of his involvement with an FBI agent had disappeared with their first visit to meet Kathleen.

  They had instantly approved of the woman who had brought such happiness to their son.

  The music stopped just as Kathleen paused before him and met his gaze.

  She was stunning in the cream-colored gown that accented the rich colors of her hair and myriad hues in her eyes. At her throat she wore the jewelry he had first presented to her a year earlier. The ruby and diamond necklace with matching pendant earrings gleamed against the warmth of her skin, but nothing was more beautiful or precious than his bride.

  After a tight hug from her father, she stepped to his side and he grasped her hand tightly. “Ko’shechka maja. You look lovely.”

  Her smile broadened and her eyes glimmered with delight. “So do you, Sasha. Are you ready?”

  Grinning, he tucked her hand against his arm. “I’ve never been more ready.”

  As they walked arm-in-arm to the priest waiting to marry them, Alexander knew that as long as he and Kathleen were together, they could face anything. Anything at all.

  Loving this woman was the riskiest gamble he had ever taken in his life—but he’d won the biggest jackpot for which he could ever have hoped.

  Her love.

  About the Author

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling paranormal and romantic suspense author and 2012 RITA® Finalist Caridad Piñeiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project to write a book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued with her passion for the written word and in 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released. Over a decade later, Caridad is the author of nearly forty published novels and novellas. When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista. For more information, please visit www.caridad.com or www.rebornvampirenovels.com.

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