by Kait Gamble
She smiled at them both before following the team into the staging area.
It took them hours this time to transform her into what she could only describe as an icy snow queen.
Everything she wore was white. The beautiful strapless gown they had her in this time could have been spun from moonlight. It was wrapped around her to flare from her waist in waves to the floor. It was quite simple in comparison with the others she had worn over the week. Over her shoulders, they draped a white feather cloak. Her makeup was pale and icy except for her brilliant red lips. Even her hair looked as though it was frozen in an invisible wind and coated in ice.
Then came the jewels. Instead of the usual one man, this time two huge men each carried a heavy, code-locked box. The team left the room before the boxes were opened. But once they were…
Kendra’s eyes widened. The other jewels she had worn were impressive to say the least. They were incredible feats of engineering and design by her reckoning. But the diamonds she stared at now were of a whole other level.
Huge and sparkling like stars plucked from the night sky, they winked at her from the dark velvet fabric that nestled them. Ropes of diamonds linked together so finely that she could barely make out the metal that held it all together. In the other box, earrings, rings, bracelets all of the same design waited for her to put them on.
She allowed the woman who always came with them to fasten the necklaces and help her with the other pieces.
Once everything was in place, Kendra was almost hesitant to look at her reflection, sure that there would be no other time in her life that she would look better than right then and there.
Turning and lifting her gaze to meet her own eyes, she gasped as she marveled at the total effect.
She truly looked like an icy, otherworldly spirit making a fleeting appearance in this world.
Unable to keep herself from touching, she ran her fingers over the huge diamond that sparkled just a breath above her cleavage.
“Incredible.”
The little woman smiled and stepped out to call to the team that they were ready.
At least this dress was easier to move around in.
Flanked by the two guards, she walked out onto the set and had her breath taken away again now that the lighting had been adjusted to resemble night in an enchanted forest.
The photographer stood waiting with his usual veneer of impatience. Kendra didn’t let him get to her. What started as a sliver of dread in her chest slid unbidden into her veins as she realized that neither Dmitri nor Nikos was anywhere to be seen. Where had they gone? Had they had enough of the silent treatment?
She wouldn’t blame them if they had.
What if they had gone elsewhere to settle things between them? Or worse? What if their bickering had finally escalated to full-blown war?
Kendra swallowed down the impulse to try to find them. She had a job to do.
* * * *
The photographer had taken dozens of photos by the time he called a break. It seemed that this last shoot would be quite lengthy. Kendra could hear whispering about a costume change that would come after the next volley of shots.
An assistant ran over with a bottle of water and offered it to her. Kendra took it thankfully and drew a long sip as she scanned the room. Still no sign of either man.
It was entirely possible that they were off on their phones, dealing with work. Kendra actually hoped that was the case. It was better than the other scenarios forming in her mind.
The photographer downed the rest of his drink and looked to her. “All right, Kiki. Ready?”
She sipped again then nodded. At least he didn’t seem as tense as he had the day before. But then she was more focused. Though only marginally so.
Where were Nikos and Dmitri?
“Right, look into the distance. Over my shoulder.”
Kendra did as she was told.
As she settled into the pose, something touched her cheek. She broke the pose to gaze up in wonder at the snow falling around her. Flashes blinded her momentarily as Kendra grinned up at it before turning back to the photographer who took another rapid succession of photos.
It was several minutes before he actually looked happy, then he handed the camera off. “Great. I think we’ve got that set. Time for a quick change then back here in thirty minutes.”
Imagining what she would be put in next, Kendra headed back to the dressing room under the watchful eye of the guards.
It was painstaking to have everything removed and to get the makeup off and redone then redressed and decked out again in yet another dazzling array of diamonds in the time allowed, but they managed it.
This time they put her in modern clothing, a modest black dress made of some material that felt like clouds under her fingers. While the silhouette was slim and the neck modestly high, the back plunged so low she couldn’t wear a bra or panties or it would ruin the look.
But what made the dress spectacular were the ropes of diamonds that draped down her back. They were of different sizes, different designs and varying lengths, making it appear as though she wore the necklaces backward, but what an effect!
Her hair was parted, slicked back and pulled over one shoulder, her makeup smoky and dramatic. It was by far her favorite look. Kendra smiled at the seductress looking back at her. She had never imagined herself so beautiful, so sultry. So sexy.
With a giggle, she blew herself a kiss before putting on the rest of the jewelry.
The slit up her thigh made it much easier to walk, even with the short train that the dress had, thought it was almost indecently high. Kendra just hoped that the poses would be standing up because anything else would leave nothing to the imagination.
She walked out to find that the set hadn’t changed, which she found fascinating. The photos would be exquisite. Especially if they got the snow going again, which she sorely hoped they would.
“Stunning.” The photographer appraised her with a quick study then nodded. “Let’s get to this, then.”
Such enthusiasm.
Kendra stepped up to her mark and he took a few test shots. Satisfied that the lighting was up to scratch, he bobbed his head.
“We’ve got a couple of other models to be in the shot with you.”
Oh? Maybe they wanted to add some variety? Maybe it was how things went. It wasn’t like she was any type of authority on the matter.
She stood still as a statue as her dress was arranged around her. Kendra felt a presence on either side of her an instant before she instinctively realized who they were.
Kendra nearly fell over when she found Nikos and Dmitri at her sides resplendent in pristine black tuxedos. They were so put together yet, at the same time, their masculinity was off the charts.
For the first time that day, she truly smiled. “What’s this?”
“There was a need for two handsome male models to join you and we volunteered.” Nikos winked at her with a wide grin.
“Do we fit the part?” Dmitri straightened his bow tie with a wink.
Of course they did. And they both knew it.
The surprise couldn’t be better for her last shoot. After all, it was because of them that she was there in the first place.
The rest of the shoot was fun and playful. Nikos and Dmitri took turns picking her up and doing ridiculous poses between the more serious ones. It was the most fun Kendra could remember having in a long time. That she was enjoying herself so much with them after the start they’d had was icing on the cake. Kendra knew instinctively that these photos would be the best ones yet because of the true emotions that were going into them.
By the end of the day, she was grinning from ear to ear and the men at her sides seemed just as happy.
After changing back into their regular clothing, they got in the back of the car as usual and headed to the hotel. This time, however, the tension was gone. They were their usual selves once more.
And it felt good.
Kendra stretched
and sighed contently, enjoying the feel of them warm and strong on either side of her.
Contentment quickly turned into something else. An emotion that was darker, deeper. Much more persistent. Lust. Pure and simple. It was something she couldn’t avoid experiencing whenever she was anywhere near them. But after the day they’d had, it was clear that she felt more than that.
She was in love with the men in the back seat with her. It was stupid and ridiculous and she’d only known them a few days, but there it was. Kendra never had a better time than when she was with them. Naked or not.
Dmitri and Nikos made life fun, an adventure. Something she had always longed for, but hadn’t been able to allow herself since she was the only one who seemed capable of keeping her family afloat.
Shoving the sobering thought aside, Kendra wanted—needed—to just enjoy the moment because it wasn’t going to last forever.
And what she wanted to do was climb on top of Nikos while Dmitri used his talented hands on her. Or vice versa. It didn’t even matter. She couldn’t get enough of either.
However, they weren’t in a limo so there wasn’t a partition between them and the driver.
Kendra had to keep her hands to herself… Or did she?
The driver couldn’t see low enough and even if he could, his attention was on the road.
She gently grazed the thighs on either side of her with the backs of her hands and was immediately rewarded with bunching of the muscles that she encountered.
Keeping her gaze straight ahead, she let her hands wander, tracing lines and circles over the taut muscles, thoroughly enjoying every twitch as she traveled ever higher.
She fought to keep a straight face when Nikos let out a soft groan and even leaned back a little to allow her as much access as she liked to his body, perfectly content to let her do as she liked to him.
Dmitri, on the other hand, closed his hand around hers, trapping it against his erection as he leaned close and growled, “You play a dangerous game, kotenok.”
And a pleasurable one, for sure.
By the time they pulled up to the hotel, Kendra’s nerves were strung tightly, as she knew Nikos’ and Dmitri’s were as well. It was hard not to dash through the lobby at a full sprint in her hurry to get up to a suite. She didn’t even care which. As long as it had a door to keep prying eyes away, she would be happy.
They were almost to the elevators when she heard an irritatingly familiar voice calling to them. Dmitri and Nikos specifically.
“Mr. Volkov? Mr. Demarchis? If you have a moment?” Desiree stood smiling at the desk, her teeth brilliantly white against her dark red lipstick.
What did she have to be so happy about?
The three of them approached the desk as one.
Desiree ignored Kendra entirely as she held out a stack of papers. “If you could check to see these are accurate?”
She had them checking some charges that were made to their accounts for accuracy now? Total BS. But Kendra stood silently trying to keep her face tranquil when all she wanted to do was call her out for being a vindictive bitch and drag her two men upstairs.
Dmitri barely even looked at the sheets as he glared at a pale Desiree while Nikos simply nodded. Whatever was on the pages was barely worth their time.
They were about to leave when Desiree bumped a stack of newspapers, sending them all over the countertop.
“Oops! Clumsy me!” She ineptly tried to gather the papers together again, but in doing so only spread them out so the covers could be seen by both men more clearly.
The tabloid and the glaring headline were clearly displayed.
Her blood rushed out of Kendra’s head and she heard only buzzing in her ears. Through tunnel vision, she saw Dmitri and Nikos turn in unison to look at her.
Kendra didn’t think, she only reacted. And her reaction was to turn and run.
Chapter Thirteen
Kendra ran out into the sweltering morning heat. Luckily, among the waiting cars, she spotted a familiar face.
“Tarik!”
Eyes wide, he stepped forward. “Ms. Wr—Brandt. What’s the matter?”
“I need to get out of here.” Frantically shaking her head, she dove for his car and slipped inside.
The car started almost instantly and they were in motion just as she heard her name being shouted from outside. Kendra didn’t want to look. She couldn’t. Even if she wanted to, her vision was obscured by tears and the world she saw was just a blurry mass of color.
The partition came down with a soft mechanical whir. “Ms. Wright? Is there anything I can do?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.” There wasn’t anything anyone could do. “Please, just drive.”
Her phone buzzed in her bag and she instinctively knew that it was Nikos. Kendra wasn’t going to answer—but she figured running out was childish enough. Trying to come up with a way of explaining herself without looking completely insane didn’t seem at all feasible.
By the time she fished the phone out of her bag, it had stopped ringing. It was probably for the best. Kendra didn’t know what she would say to him anyhow. How guilty did she look running out of there like she had?
Smacking herself in the forehead with the phone, she fought back tears. She gripped her phone, squeezing it like it was Charlie’s throat. And while she was thinking of her sister…
Kendra jabbed at the screen until she heard a ring tone.
“Kendra?”
“What were you thinking, Charlie? How could you sell a story like that?”
There was a huff and a yawn. “I was thinking that I could finally make some money for once and prove that I can be as great as my angel of a sister.”
“And how much did you make?” That all their futures could be ruined because Charlie was so short-sighted just made things so much worse.
“Five grand,” she announced proudly.
Kendra pinched the bridge of her nose. “And did you think how a story like that would affect me?”
“What does it matter if it’s not true? The fallout would land on me. The paper was more than happy to fork the money over and all I had to do was show them a picture of you.”
Her sister had less shame than brain cells. “And that didn’t seem suspicious to you?”
“They were willing to give me money for a story, what do I care?” She sighed. “Why do you care anyway? It’s not like it’s true.”
Kendra gritted her teeth, fighting with the last bit of strength she had to keep from crying. “You have no idea what you’ve done. As usual.”
There was a long pause, but her sister was more than likely stretching rather that pondering the choices she had made. “We all can’t be as perfect as you, can we?”
“If you took a moment to just think once in a while—” Kendra let out a frustrated breath. “What did the home say when you took the money over to them? Are they going to move Dad? Will he be okay?”
Silence.
“You did take it over, didn’t you?” When she was met with more silence, Kendra shouted, “Charlie!”
“It wasn’t nearly enough, okay? So I used it to pay off some other debts I’ve got.”
Kendra wished there was a way to reach through the phone to throttle her. So after everything that had happened, everything that was ruined, nothing had actually changed for their father. “I—I have no words. This is the most irresponsible thing—” Kendra hung up, not trusting herself not to scream at her sister out of sheer frustration. She wanted to curl up in a ball in the back of the limo and just give up.
Instead, she dialed Malika.
“Kendra? Is everything all right?”
She shook her head, even though she knew no one could see her. “Not at all. They know and I ran and now I’m in the back of Tarik’s limo freaking out.”
Malika swore under her breath. “Right. Well, don’t fall apart quite yet. I’ve got a plan. Do you have your passport with you?”
“I do.” Kendra made it a ha
bit to have hers with her at all times just in case.
“Good. Tell Tarik to take you to the airport.”
“The airport? What about my job? My apartment?”
Malika sighed. “I figured something like this might happen. I’ve set up a contingency for you. Don’t worry, you still have a job. It will just be elsewhere. I’ll deal with Volkov and Demarchis. See if I can smooth things over.”
That was something at least. Kendra didn’t dwell on the details of that. She was just happy that she wasn’t out of a job. “Thank you, Malika, and I’m sorry that things turned out this way.”
“As am I.” There were some urgent-sounding voices in the background. Malika muffled her end for a moment before she was back. “I’ve got to run. But you’ll find a ticket waiting for you at the airport. Call me when you land.”
“I will.” Dropping the phone, she looked to the front of the car. “Tarik, can you take me to the airport, please?”
“Of course.” He caught her eye in the rearview mirror, but refrained from commenting further.
With at least a half hour before they would arrive at the airport, Kendra settled back for the ride. Or at least tried to.
She couldn’t shift the knot in her gut over what she had done. The lies then running out of there like a scared little rabbit without so much as an explanation… If that didn’t put the final nail in the coffin, she didn’t know what would.
Kendra picked up her phone again to check her messages. Sure enough there were a few from Charlie that had been piling up over the past couple of days. There was nothing from Nikos but the call log told her that he had been the one to call last as she’d suspected.
After a brief debate, she tapped the button to call him back.
It went straight to voice mail.
His deep voice asked her to leave a message and for a long moment, she could barely breathe let alone speak.
“Nikos,” she croaked. “I’m sorry about everything. Maybe one day I’ll be able to explain it. Please understand that I didn’t want any of this to happen. But it did and I think I might actually…” Kendra took a shuddering breath. “It doesn’t matter. Please take care of yourself. Tell Dmitri goodbye for me.” She hesitated before she hung up. What else was there to say?
