Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group discussion
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Danielle's Dangerous Hero Writing Challenge Story (Captive/Kidnap): Shadow Tryst
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Totally agree with you about the possessive thing. Love 'em!
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Totally agree with you about the possessive thing. Love 'em!"
You are welcome and the more nicely possessive the hero is, the better.
I'm patiently waiting for the next installment.
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Karina woke to another day, not knowing where she was. The bed was soft and comfortable. Sweet-smelling. By the gentle wash on sunlight coming in through the windows, she was sure it was not late. She turned over, and saw the bed next to her was empty, and wondered why that thought was strange, when she’d spent her whole life sleeping alone. Memories of the past two days flowed into her head, and she sat up abruptly. The bathroom door opened and Alexei came out. He was already dressed. Today he wore more black. That wasn’t a big surprise to her. Neither was the fact that he looked good in those clothes, expertly and expensively tailored, showcasing his male beauty to perfection. His thick hair flowed to flirt with his broad shoulders in smooth, silky waves, making her feel this bizarre urge to run her fingers through it like on the silly Axe shampoo commericals.
He wore a look of relaxation on his face as though he too had had a really good night’s rest. Karina wondered if that was real or contrived. That told her more than she liked. She was beginning to understand this man, to anticipate his moves like a person she’d played chess with on many occasions. She knew now that he wore masks most of the time, and the real Alexei sometimes poked through.
His dark gaze traveled over her appreciatively, which she didn’t get. Nobody looked good first thing in the morning, least of all herself. She probably had that oh-so unappealing swollen face of sleep, a dried drool track down her cheek, and her hair was probably in some weird abstract pattern on her head, otherwise known as bed head. However, when he looked at her like that, the silly part of her felt like the most beautiful woman in the world, even if the newly born cynic that shared the same skin told her to wise up.
“Dobreya utra,” Alexei greeted her in Russian that slid over her skin like smooth caress. She was beginning to love when he spoke Russian to her. His Russian was like the language of love to her language aficionado ears.
Since the charade was over, and she knew he was well aware that Russian was a part of her language repertoire, she replied in kind.
He smiled at her. “You speak Russian very well. I suppose you’ve had a great deal of practice.” Alexei had chosen to continue speaking the language, and Karina suspected that was in part due to the fact that the room was bugged, and also to twist the screw a little bit, making her feel remorseful that she’d concealed her understanding of his native language from him. She felt no such remorse. He couldn’t have all the power in their relationship.
Karina sat up self-consciously, the headboard cushioning her back. She made sure the covers that she didn’t remember crawling under last night covered her decently, despite the fact that she still wore the less-than-decent nightie and robe. “Some. But I’ve always had an ear for languages. Ever since I was a kid.” Karina slipped into the same language, enjoying the way it felt forming the words with her mouth and tongue. Of all the languages she’d learned, her affinity for Russian was the greatest. She didn’t want to think about the whys right now.
Alexei nodded approvingly at an accent that a Russian teaching assistant from Moscow had deemed flawless. “How many languages do you know?”
She shrugged. “Enough.” A girl had to keep some secrets. That he knew she spoke English, Russian and French was sufficient for the time being.
Alexei broke into French then, speaking it in a way that made Karina’s naked toes curl. “It is nice when a man’s woman can speak his native languages, both of them. It makes one’s intimate times, a lot more interesting.”
She didn’t blush. She refused to. Not like she needed to be talking about intimate times with him. That was just dangerous. That was also her cue to make a beeline for the bathroom. She didn’t really need a shower, but she was going to take another one anyway. Taking showers gave her thinking time and helped her brain to wake up. And she wasn’t the slightest bit worried about running up Sullivan’s water bill.
Karina dressed in a plum spring dress with a v-neckline that Alexei chose for her. Yes, she could have put up a fuss, but she was on the stage right now, and it seems like something a smitten Cara would have done, letting her boyfriend pick her clothing.
The dress hugged the flare of her hips and the curves of her breasts, but it was also demure. The fabric was a soft, touchable blend, designed for easy traveling despite the hefty price tag. The sweater she wore wouldn’t have done much of a job of keeping her warm, but it matched her dress beautifully. The outfit was by a fashion designer that Camille had spoke up with reverence. The price tag had been shriekingly large, but Camille and Alexei had insisted on her taking it home. Karina wore a pair of amethyst dangly earrings, and made up her face with pale purple eye shadow, emphasizing her hazel eyes. This early today, she went with lip gloss over lipstick, following the stylist from the salon’s advice to the letter.
A beautiful girl, completely unrecognizable, except she had her eyes, her lips, and the shape of her face a mix of both Aidan and Paula Bridgestock. What would they think of her now?
“You can’t improve perfection,” she heard Alexei say from behind her. He was still speaking French.
She turned around, and saw him giving her a onceover that missed nothing. “This from the guy who said I needed a makeover,” she said, also in French.
Alexei shook his head. “That wasn’t you. You were in hiding.” With another swift but accessing glance, he added. “This, this is you.”
Karina felt his words touch somewhere deep inside. That part of her that had stopped dreaming when the realization that her parents were dead had finally sunk in. It felt like he cared for her. Her parents they had always supported her, believed in her, and were happy with whom she wanted to be, not what they though she should be. Although she’d never put much emphasis on her looks, Karina had to acknowledge that for the past two years of her life, the person staring back at her in the mirror had been a stranger. Now the stranger was more like the old Cara, but different. A good different. It was too profound to deal with right now. So she laughed it off. Catching his eye in the mirror, she mouthed the next words. “All the better bait to catch our fish.”
As Karina stepped towards the door, she expected Alexei to move back. Instead he stepped forward. Until had practically stepped right into him. He stood there, their upper bodies touching. The heat of him radiated around her in a seductive wave. He stared down at her. Even in her two inch heels, he towered over her, made her feel small and delicate when she was neither. His hand came up, cupping her chin. He didn’t say anything for a while, just help her gaze. Then he said, very quietly. “I don’t like the idea that you’re bait. I like to think that every part of you belongs only to me. If that makes me selfish, so be it.”
Karina sucked in a breath, unable to look away. His words shocked her. They went against everything that the past two days had been about. They had united as unlikely allies with the ultimate goal of revenge. Survival was her secondary motive. His was regaining lost face. But why this now? What could she mean to this man in any real sense? Yes, he was a scary man. Absolutely lethal. But he was also incredibly beautiful, his body honed into a machine that could make any other woman think of absolutely nothing but sex. When he wasn’t in killer mode, he exuded a sophisticated allure that would draw women like flies. Why would he want any bond with her, other than mutual utility?
She shook her head. Lost for words.
His dark eyes showed little of what he was thinking. But there was a promise that they would discuss this later in their obsidian depths.
He smiled again, wrapping his arm around her waist and turning them around, poised to exit the bathroom. “Shall we go?”
“Yes.” Focusing on Sullivan was good. She couldn’t handle thinking about Alexei and what his oblique words had meant right now. Bluffing out Sullivan seemed decidedly easy in comparison.
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Sullivan was waiting for them when Pegeen escorted them out onto an enclosed patio. Ireland in April in the early morning was on the cool side. The patio had large windows that revealed the sun in ascent, with its eastern exposure. Sullivan looked immaculate, clad in expensive casual clothing. He rose to greet them. A cable-knit sweater, dark, hand-tailored trousers, his blond hair styled with not a hair out of place. Nothing obviously off about his looks. But Karina saw darkness in him. She smiled sweetly. Not too sweetly, just in that innocent, schoolgirl way that she only remotely remembered having before her world went to hell.
Sullivan eyed her appreciatively. “You look beautiful, Cara. And well-rested, I hope.” Sullivan’s eyes lit on Alexei, not missing that once again, Alexei held her in a grasp that spoke of intimacy. “And you, Alexei.”
“We did, indeed,” Alexei replied, in smooth, French-accented English. “Cara fell asleep almost immediately. She needs her rest.”
“Yesterday was a long day,” Karina added.
“Well, I’m so glad you came to see me.” Sullivan stepped forward. He pulled a chair next to him free, and Alexei allowed him to seat her. Karina suppressed a shoulder when Sullivan’s hand brushed her upper shoulder in a way that seemed more familiar than that that of an uncle. She was glad that she word the layers of her sweater and dress between his hand and her flesh.
“Me too,” She replied, injecting as much sincerity as possible without veering into the realm of patent falsehood.
“I know that you have never been to Ireland. It would be an honor to show you my native land.”
“I’m sure you’re busy with your business interests,” Karina demurred. “Alexei had some places he wanted to show me.”
“Oui. I have friends here,” Alexei said truthfully.
“Well, I had hoped to spend time with you,” Sullivan said in a voice that was a bit too chilly to be polite. His gaze was slightly hard as it landed on Alexei. Karina watched the byplay as Alexei met his gaze, not with the cold eyes of the predator that he was. Instead, with the challenging eyes of a man who is staking his claim on something that someone other man has his eye on. “I’m sure Alexei understands how much we’ve missed each other. I feel as though I’m your only family left.”
Karina couldn’t suppress the wince this time. Fortunately, Sullivan was still holding eye contact with Alexei. If he had seen, he could not have missed the rage flaring up, a heat that made her eyes glitter like topaz.
Alexei kept the older man’s attention with his next provocative words. “I intend to give Karina a new family. One of her own. We don’t plan on waiting too long to have children.” Alexei took her unresisting left hand in his, making a point of flashing the big diamond ring on her finger. Looking straight into her eyes, he smiled in a way that was almost smug. “We might have already gotten started on that project already.”
Karina prided herself on keeping her composure at the words. If she had taken a sip of the freshly-squeezed orange juice just then, she would have sputtered it out across the table. The blush that rose on her cheeks was completely genuine.
Sullivan’s gaze fell on her, and he looked decidedly unhappy. “I hope you’ll be married before that happens. Cara’s parents were rather old-fashioned.”
“Oui. So is my Cara. She saved herself for me. That meant to so much to her. But she’s been reluctant about taking that step towards marriage.” He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders in a way that 100% French. “Part of why I’m not too resistant to the idea of nature taking its course, if it will get her down the altar sooner.”
Karina smiled sweetly at Alexei. She wanted to glare but that would have spoiled the whole sickly sweet act. Instead she said, “Alexei can be so persuasive. I told him that I’d marry him soon. And I keep my promises.”
She looked Alexei in the eye. “I am a woman of my word. When I said yes, I meant it.” In another world, she knew that to be true. In a world where her parents were still alive, she’d meet a guy, they’d fall in love, and she’d run down the altar to him. The sad thing was this imaginary man looked way too much like Alexei for her own comfort.
Sullivan cleared his throat in a casual way that was designed to burst the lovebirds’ bubble and direct attention back to him. “Have you made any wedding plans?”
“We haven’t gotten that far.” Karina took the opportunity to take a sip of her orange juice to coat her dry throat.
A maid came out with breakfast. Eggs Benedict and fruit. Alexei gave her a discreet nod that told her he thought it was okay to eat the food. She was hungry, although her stomach was about two sizes too small with the nervousness she was feeling right now.
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Sullivan is creepy.
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Sullivan is a major league creep.
message 361:
by
Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal
(last edited Mar 09, 2012 10:26PM)
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Karina thanked the maid, and said a mental Grace, before commencing to eat. She attended to Sullivan’s deliberately casual small talk, making the required replies between bites of food and sips of orange juice. She felt the burn of Alexei’s gaze, for he stared at her with the adoring fixation of the newly in love. Sullivan also examined her as though he was comparing the old and new Cara. It took a supreme effort not to show the revulsion she felt as she remembered her parents blood-stained bodies, knowing that all evidence pointed towards Sullivan being the cause of it. Instead she thought of Alexei’s promise to kill the men who had hurt her. For all her remorse about instigating Fleming’s death, the remembrance of Alexei’s words bought her comfort. And the strength to pretend that Sullivan didn’t make her absolutely sick to the stomach.
“How about getting married here, at my home?” Sullivan asked.
Karina nearly choked on the small mouthful of food in her mouth. She quickly swallowed it, before it ended up being inhaled down her windpipe. Taking a non-ladylike gulp of orange juice, she closed her eyes, frantically trying to figure out how to answer that question.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Alexei said. His hand found her unoccupied one on the table, and clasped it in a warm, strangely comforting embrace.
Karina looked into his eyes, and he was looking at her, his obsidian eyes warm with love. He was that good. She glanced over at Sullivan, who was looking at her expectantly. “I think that would take some legal hoop-jumping.”
Sullivan shrugged. “I have enough influence that I think we can expedite matters. Typically it would require a weeks residency and a twenty-two day waiting period. However, I know a High Court judge who owes me a favor. I can make it possible for you to be married in a few days from now.”
Karina examined her father’s former business partner. “But why the rush?”
He patted her hand, the one that Alexei was not holding, now free, since Karina had given up the pretence of eating, her appetite lost. “I was very close to your parents. I want to see you settled on their behalf.” He laughed in a self-deprecating manner that struck Karina as being pompous instead. “I must say that I am an old-fashioned man. I don’t like the idea of you cohabitating with your young man. Since I am as close as you have to a father figure, I feel I must do my duty by you and see you married. It’s my moral duty.”
Alexei spoke then, and Karina was glad. She didn’t have a clue what to say. “I can imagine your protective feelings towards Cara. I feel the same way. I would like nothing better to be able to call her legally mine.”
A glance up at Sullivan showed how much he didn’t like those words. His blue eyes had grown very icy. Karina could actually see him regain control of himself and assume the amiable expression he had pasted on his face from the first greeting this morning.
Karina looked at Alexei. “Is this what you want. To get married here in Ireland?” She asked the question, but she was also asking him what she should be doing here and now. How this would play into his plan.
As their gaze met, she could see that he was trying to tell her something. He leaned over, kissing her cheek, and his mouth sliding across the skin of her face to her ear. There he whispered in her ear. “Play along with me.” Then he had the nerve to lick her ear.
Karina jumped reflexively at the sensation of his warm, wet tongue against her ear. It should have been gross, but it made her shiver for an entirely different reason. No doubt part of Alexei’s plan. Her giggle was completely natural. She was ticklish. It was just an accident that it played into their lovey-dovey act.
Alexei, always on point, added aloud, “I would like nothing more than to marry you in this beautiful place.”
Karina giggled again, sounding like a foolish schoolgirl. “Okay then.”
Sullivan smiled, but it was the kind of smile that looked like a sea of razor sharp glass that a person had cross barefooted. “Splendid. We can make plans. I’ll be happy to have you here for that time until we can plan the wedding. Of course, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”
Alexei spoke then. “We appreciate your hospitality, but I’ll want to take Cara on an extended honeymoon.”
“You won’t be missed at work?” Sullivan asked.
Alexei shrugged carelessly. “I’m a trust fund kid. My grandmother left valuable property to me. I did my required time in the army, but since then I’ve enjoyed life. My job now is to make Cara happy.” He leaned over and kissed her again.
She leaned into his kiss. “And you excel at that,” Karina said.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that you have the resources to take care of Cara. I was worried for her, when she left the United States so suddenly. The money her parents left her left untouched.” He was referring to her official inheritance, which Karina had not accessed. He didn’t know about the money her father had left her in offshore accounts.
Sullivan’s tone sharpened. “Cara is quite the heiress. I would worry that a man might be trying to take advantage of her financial solvency.” His gaze accessed Alexei, almost threatening. Karina smiled inwardly at the thought that a pudgy middle-aged man, no matter how evil he was, could threaten a truly lethal man like Alexei. “I wouldn’t take too kindly to that. She’s like…family to me.”
Alexei laughed off the inherent threat. “Oh, no. I don’t need Cara’s money. I have plenty of my own.” He ran a hand over her cheek, a tactile caress to match the stroke of his words. “She’s much more valuable to me for who she, how I feel with her. In fact, I love spending my money on her.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I had worried like you wouldn’t believe. I envisioned an endless number of scenarios that had befallen Cara since she hasn’t been very good about keeping in touch.”
Karina met Sullivan’s gaze, and she knew he was referring to the emails they had exchanged about Fleming. Her stomach twisted. She focused on keeping a dreamy smile on her face. When the smile faded, it was replaced by one of remorse. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was rough, and it was not acting.
“It was hard for me.” This was hard. All this acting and pretending. She wasn’t made for this. But there was no choice. If the past two years hadn’t taught her that, what else could she learn. And what would she have to sacrifice to obtain that learning?
Alexei’s hand caressed hers, grounding her, sending waves of comfort. Later she’d be shocked that this man could comfort her, make her feel safe. Now, she was just too grateful to feel anything else.
“It’s alright. I know it was hard for you, my dear. I’m just glad you’re here now. That we can reconnect. We’ve both lost people…,” There was a nearly imperceptible pause. If Karina was not so studied at hearing intonation and cadence in someone’s voice from her background in linguistics, she would have missed it. “…dear to us. We should bind together as the only family we have left. I think your parents would want that.”
Karina nearly hurled all the contents of her stomach. Alexei’s hand tightened on hers. As if he had read her mind, felt the wave of revulsion the sick bastard caused. She gathered her composure, bending her head as if the remembered grief had overtaken her, instead of a white-hot rage that sickened her for its intensity. When she looked up, there were tears in her eyes. Real tears. “Of course, Liam. I know how much my father respected you. He would want that.” The lie sat like lead in her stomach, made her mouth sour with its vileness.
Sullivan smiled. He reached his hand over and patted hers again. “And I think he’d want me to walk you down the aisle.”
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Alexei wants to go through with this marriage thing. Wow! This would mean that if they do it, she will legally be his wife in that country. Alexei, Alexei! Karina has his heart tight. No wonder he wants an extended honeymoon. :)
I can't wait to read more.
message 363:
by
Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal
(last edited Mar 10, 2012 09:20AM)
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Thanks for reading, Arch! Your encouragement keeps me writing! *Hugs*
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Thanks for reading, Arch! Your encouragement keeps me writing! *Hugs*"
You are welcome Danielle and hugs are going back your way. I love reading your story.
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:)
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http://pinterest.com/gatadelafuente/v...
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http://pinterest.com/gatadelafuent..."
Danielle, you and I are so much alike. I find inspiration pictures for my stories as well and save them to my favorites. Just the other day, I was thinking about doing a Cop/Sanjar collage like I've done for Sam/Alyssa, but I can't find a straight picture of my version of Sanjar. I've only shared a video that's she's in.
Your Alexei is cute. I can image that guy being Alexei, even if he doesn't have the hair length. Your Karina is pretty as well. I can image that woman being Karina, even though her eyes aren't the exact color. They are your Alexei and Karina.
That dress is sexy. No wonder Alexei's heart was jumping.
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I actually got the idea from talking to you and also seeing another author I read on Pinterest who does boards for her books.
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I actually got the idea from talking to you and also seeing another author I read on Pinterest who does bo..."
I might join pinboard and post some Trespassing related pictures.
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message 372:
by
Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal
(last edited May 09, 2012 11:42PM)
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Karina paused, with a carefully casual effort, she took another sip of her drink. The thought of this man walking her down the aisle, as if he was somehow worthy of the honor that belonged to her father, made her want to kill someone.
Suddenly, she felt the gentle brush of Alexei’s hand over hers. He closed his hand around her, and it was an anchor of sanity.
Sullivan was clearly waiting for a response, his blue eyes no doubt, deep wells of false caring, while underneath the gloating knowledge that her parents were dead by his orders, if not by his hands. She didn’t meet his gaze. She prepared a response, but Alexei spoke first.
“I’ve never liked that idea of a man’s bride being escorted by her father. Since I’m not marrying a child, but a grown woman, I always pictured my bride walking herself down the aisle.” He pulled the hand he was holding to her mouth and brushed a kiss over the back of it. “If Karina’s father was still alive, no doubt, I would go along with that tradition. But since he’s not. I’d rather forgo it.”
Karina shot him a very quick look of gratitude.
Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. In his typical fashion, he took control of that, and made a gentle peck of gratitude into a luscious exploration of the senses of touch and taste. Everything faded away as his lips claimed her. She forgot that she was sitting at the table with her enemy, the man behind her parents’ murders, she forgot that this man she was kissing was an assassin who she had every reason to fear, and she forgot that she was merely pretending to be with him. The only thing she remembered was her own name. Alexei’s tongue teased her closed lips gently. Her lips parted in response, and she became lost in the taste of him. And the strange sense of comfort and safety he provided in that moment.
To her dismay, she wasn’t the one who broke the kiss, it was Alexei. If Sullivan had cleared his throat or somehow worked to regain her attention, it didn’t even register on her radar. As he pulled out, her eyes locked with his. Their depths were as dark as ever, but they radiated heat and possession. If you hasked her what it looked like before now, she would have drawn a blank. But it was there. “I can’t wait until you’re my wife, and you have my name,” he said, his eyes still holding her captive. It didn’t sound like a carefully concocted bit of fiction. It sounded like the truth.
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I love how Alexei knows what Karina is thinking and how they speak to one another through body language. I don't blame either one of them for now wanting Sullivan to walk Karina down the isle. Sullivan must be blind not to see that Alexei is not letting him get anywhere near Karina. I know dangerous bad boy is steaming off of Alexei, Sullivan better wake up and see the steam. Alexei will not play with him.
Karina is enjoying their pretend, which it's really a reality for both of them. Alexei pulled back from the kiss and she wanted it to continue. Those sneaky heroines! :)
I can't wait to read the next installment. Take your time. I'm enjoying this story.
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I'll be looking out for it.
message 376:
by
Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal
(last edited May 23, 2012 07:03PM)
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Karina was planning a wedding. And never had there been a more reluctant bride. She made it through breakfast with Sullivan smiling stiffly at her, discussing options for setting up a quick Irish wedding. Apparently he had many connections. He would make a few phone calls and he’d have everyone come to his house to consult. In a week, she’d be married. She could feel the noose tightening around her neck, and she badly wanted to talk to Alexei in private to ask him what the heck was on his mind. Instead, she had to smile politely and thank Sullivan for his thoughtfulness, trying to act as interested as possible.
It was a different world. Even though her parents had been wealthy, they had lived a middle class lifestyle, instilling values of working hard and contributing back to the world instead of hoarding and spending wealth extravagantly. However, in Sullivan’s word, it took a two minute conversation, and one of the most exclusive wedding planners in Dublin was going to be at his home in three hours.
And it turned out she had her own cache of subcontractors, including a baker and exclusive, couture wedding gown salesperson that she would bring along with her.
When she sent Alexei a short, tight smile, her hazel eyes promising a conversation in the near future, he squeezed her hand, and smiled back at her unrepentantly.
“Wow. This is a lot to take in,” she breathed out nervously.
Alexei stroked her hand adoringly. “Every bride has jitters. I’d rather we got married as soon as possible. I don’t want you to get away from me. You might wake up soon and realize you can do much better.”
Sullivan laughed, sounding genuine. Karina supposed he liked the idea that Alexei was well aware that he wasn’t good enough for her. “I can see your reasoning, son. Looking back and knowing you missed your chance with the one that got away is not a good feeling.”
When Karina looked at Sullivan, she could see his deep blue eyes reflecting a certain sadness. He met her gaze, and he smiled at her. “And there’s no true replacement for that, although you’re always tempted to try.” He looked at her as though he was not seeing her, but that woman in his past. It made her feel like shuddering as though a chill breeze was blowing down her spine.
Later, she would ponder his words. Right now, she had to try to keep her game face on. And it wasn’t easy. Not when she was stuck between two crazy men.
It wasn’t a coin flip to figure out who to trust, but at the same time, Alexei was like a wolf masquerading as a well-trained lap dog. He hadn’t lied to her yet, but his motives didn’t make a lot of sense to her. Her heartbeat spread up at the thought of agreeing to marry him. What was he going to do? Was he going to pull a gun in the middle of the wedding ceremony and shoot Sullivan dead? She considered Alexei, who had a rather slumberous cast to his dark eyes. He looked content and satisfied like an overstuffed house cat who had just been fed a plate of salmon. Except this man didn’t have the plump dimensions of said cat. No, he was more like the large, lethal, and lean distant cousin, perhaps a jaguar maybe?
As if he was reading her mind, Alexei smiled, revealing white, strong teeth.
Alexei spoke then. “Are you done, chère? I thought we could take a walk and explore Sullivan’s beautiful estate grounds.”
He inclined a head towards Sullivan. “If that’s alright with you?”
“Of course,” Sullivan replied. “This time of year, the grass has a green color you won’t see anywhere in the world.”
“It will match the green in Cara’s eyes.” How easily her real name slipped off his lips.
“I’d have to change shoes,” was the only thing she could think of saying. But she didn’t demur, because she badly wanted to get Alexei along and give him a piece of her mind for putting them in a deeper trap than she’d started. She stood up and Alexei was there to pull her chair out like a gentleman. “I won’t take long.”
“Of course.”
“Perhaps you can wait here for her, and we can keep each other company,” Sullivan said.
Karina looked at Alexei to see how he would react, remembered how he had cautioned her earlier not to be along with Sullivan. “That seems fine.” Alexei gave Sullivan a relaxed, albeit catlike smile. “I would love the opportunity to get to know such a close family friend.”
She couldn’t worry about Alexei. He was too dangerous a man to be vulnerable to Sullivan. It would take a whole troop of men ten times more lethal than he, and she didn’t think that was possible. She smiled at Alexei as a besotted engaged woman might smile and then a concocted smile that said, “I am so glad to see you again,” when she really hated him, at Sullivan. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“I’ll be counting the minutes,” Alexei replied, his voice sounding authentic although underlaced with a subtle humor she might have missed had she not learned that humor was as much a deadly weapon for this man as a gun or knife.
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I can't wait to see her get him.
Alexei and Sullivan's alone time will be interesting. Alexei wants to kill the man.
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message 379:
by
Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal
(last edited May 30, 2012 07:49PM)
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As Karina walked away, she dearly wanted to be the fly on the wall for the conversation that would go on while she was gone.
Alexei stared benignly at the man he wanted badly to kill. It was strange feeling, a heated desire to end someone’s life. Especially when his blood was usually ice cold when he made a kill. He had thought himself angry a couple of days ago when the thugs had come to his apartment building. Nothing close. This man, he was going to enjoy ending his life.
Sullivan stared back at him, and his expression changed when Karina was out of view. His cold blue eyes grew colder. He pushed back in his chair, a move no doubt used to intimidate many subordinates. Alexei concealed his amusement when the older gave him a onceover that ended with a disdainful look, clearly one that translated to Sullivan finding him wanting. He smiled and waited for the Irishman to speak.
“Mr. Bardin, I’m curious what you hope to achieve with this relationship,” Sullivan said, clearly not one to mince words.
Alexei arched a brow in the way of his grandmother. One designed to say with no words that the person who was the focus of that look was clearly mentally addled. “I’m not sure what you mean.” Alexei knew exactly what he meant, but he wanted to see where Sullivan was going to take this.
Sullivan tapped on the glass table with a thick, inelegant finger. “You say you met Cara and fell in love with her. I don’t believe you. So I wonder what you are after.”
“So cynical, Mr. Sullivan. You don’t think Cara is the kind of woman a man could lose his heart to?”
Sullivan shook his head. “A worldly European like yourself. Surrounded by a banquet of available, willing, less encumbered women….Not likely,” he delivered in a crisp way that resonated with his Irish accent. He leaned forward. “And you are a bit of a mystery. Russian father, French mother. You come from Russian industrial money and a French jewelry empire, but are involved in neither. Your early childhood, adolescence, and first military years are documented. But then, you fall out of the grid.” He tapped his forehead. “One can’t help but wonder what you were doing in those lost years.”
Alexei stretched out, all indolent, unconcerned. That was true. Sullivan knew nothing more about him than he allowed anyone to know. The rest was a shadow, one that didn’t exist unless you paid him to do a job and went way happy or went away dead if you compromised him. Either way was fine with Alexei.
“I like my privacy. Like I’ve said, I can afford to live the kind of life I enjoy. Answering to no one.”
“Yet, you find Cara, all of a sudden, and you want to settle down?”
Alexei shrugged. “I’m not getting any younger. She’s given me the urge to grow roots and start my own family.”
Alexei knew he had hit a nerve. Hateful emotions stirred on the face clearly experienced in hiding what he didn’t want revealed old man. Sullivan churned out the next words like chips of ice. “How much to make you go away?”
Alexei raised an eyebrow again. “Pardon?”
“You go away and forget you ever knew Cara. You break her heart, perhaps, but she’ll recover quickly. She’s young. She doesn’t need some Continental wastrel tying her down.”
Alexei sipped his drink, unconcerned. When he spoke, his words were still casual, but there a keen edge to his words, more curious than threatening. “First of all, what makes you think you have enough to buy me? And secondly, why would you want to see a young woman you claim to care about devastated when her lover leaves her, right after he asked her to marry him?”
Sullivan leaned forward again. “I do have enough plenty of money to buy you off.” He looked over Alexei’s elegant outfit, clearly expensive and highly fashionable, his expression dismissive. “I’m sure your…lifestyle costs a lot of money. And to answer your second question, you’re not good enough for her. Cara has a life that I allowed her to leave behind to mourn her parents. It’s time she came back home and took that up again.”
The questions he had for this man were being answered as the Irishman called himself interrogating him and putting him on the spot. What Sullivan didn’t realize was that he was dealing with a man who had dealt with a lot bigger bullies in his time. “I wonder what Cara thinks of that.” He shrugged. “Cara knows what she wants in life. And that’s me. I can give her all that she needs, and make her happy. Keep her safe. And I’ll be honest with you.” Alexei smiled. He allowed a small bit of that ruthless core of his to show. Just enough. “I’m not a man to let go of what I consider mine. And Cara is definitely mine. She’s not my prisoner or my property. She’ll stay with me because she knows I will give her everything she could want, need, or desire. That I will take care of her and cherish her life a queen. Why would she want anything else? You might be her past, but I am her present and future.”
Sullivan grimaced. “We’ll see about that. Consider yourself warned. You are not welcome around my…niece.”
“I wasn’t aware you were related.”
“I grew up with her father.” Sullivan answered in clipped words. “I’ve known her all her life.”
Which made the betrayal all that much more painful, Alexei thought. It made him want to rip the man’s heart out, right then and there, but the pragmatist in Alexei knew this was not the time.
Unsaid was that his claim to Cara was set
in stone and time-tested compared to Alexei. It told me much of what he needed to know about Sullivan, which was his point of this little discussion. “Why did you offer to have our wedding here if you're opposed to it?” Alexei asked.
“I want to have the time to talk her out of leaving you. This is just my vacation home. I’ll take her home to America when you are out of the picture.”
Alexei allowed his fingers to twirl around the stem of the orange juice glass, as though he couldn’t control the nervous motion. “I’ll consider myself warned. But I don’t scare easily.” He put the glass and rose to his considerable height, taking the opportunity to look down at the short, older man. Enforcing the fact in Sullivan’s mind that he was not weak in any way. He stayed in character though. It was plausible that a man his background could take care of himself.
He smiled a wolfish smile. His real smile when he allowed himself that visible display of emotion. “I am Russian. It takes a lot to intimidate me. And I am also French, and we do not allow ourselves to feel inferior to anyone. The best of both countries.”
With no more words, he dismissed the older man and looked towards the house. “ Cara, moya dorogaya.”
He didn’t see the virulent look Sullivan gave him, but he felt it all the same, and cared not one whit. Sullivan didn’t scare him. Bullies never did. The man didn’t know his days were numbered, but Alexei wasn’t going to tell him. Only a fool warned his enemy he was coming. Let Sullivan take him for granted. He wouldn’t live long to regret it.
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I hope Alexei tell Karina what he and Sullivan talked about and what he told Sullivan.
Sullivan may not want them to get married at his place anymore, but that's okay. Alexei doesn't need his place.
I love how the dangerous bad boy shows their enemy just how bad they are without touching them. I love how bold they are. Sullivan better know without a shadow of a doubt that Alexei will kill him.
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I can't wait for their conversation. I'm patiently waiting for the next installment.
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You are welcome. Don't rush your story. Take your time. I'm always happy to read an installment.
Writers sometimes need a break from writing. :)
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:), If you have to post one to two pages, do so.
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Alexei was satisfied with this short one-on-one with Sullivan. He had gained more information about his enemy. He had learned how to push his buttons, which was a good asset in this forthcoming battle. Also he had represented himself as an enigmatic character who had a stake in Cara’s life, something that made Sullivan far from happy. But Alexei didn’t congratulate himself too soon. He still hadn’t figured out his final move.
He knew that he wouldn’t live Sullivan alive. He was too dangerous for that. Alexei knew more than ever that Karina wasn’t safe as long as the man was alive. There was something deeply wrong about Sullivan’s attitude towards Karina. And while Alexei knew he was far from the ideal guardian angel, he had taken on the role, and not for the most philanthropic of reasons. It was because in just two days, he knew that this woman had worked her way into his heart, and he wasn’t going to let her go.
As he watched her walk out the French doors and onto the gray flagstone patio, he admired her fresh, elegant beauty. Her intrinsic grace called him to him. Look at him waxing poetic. But it was true.
She brought a curious feeling of light to his heart. It had started just as this prickling inside when he’d seen her sitting in that church, looking so vulnerable. Although having those men show up gunning for him had pissed him off, set him on her tail for vengeance, he acknowledge that part of him knew all along he wouldn’t hurt her. He was grateful that he’d looked into those beautiful eyes that reminded him of the farewell kiss of summer as it faded into fall, that he knew he believed she was innocent of double-crossing her. And when he could have let her go, even if it broke his rule about compromising his identity, he’d known he didn’t want to do that. Instead, he’d seen her loneliness, her broken heart, and her need, and knew he wanted to be her champion. Now, he watched her walk towards him, her eyes searching and finding her safety, and a smile coming to her face when she made eye contact with him. He believed nothing else that his destiny was to be here for her now.
“Cara, ya skoochayou pa liubeemai,” Alexei said, telling her how much he missed her in Russian. He registered her understanding by the sweet, shy smile that spread across luscious lips that he wanted to take in demonstration of who she was to him in front the man who had hurt her sitting behind him.
He extended a hand, and noted with relief how quickly she took it. Of course, he realized his was merely the lesser of two evils. Although he didn’t miss how his touch affected her. That kiss she’d given him before she left a few minutes earlier was full of passion and not false. And there was how a soft peach blush sped over her cheeks as he pulled her close now and kissed her lips very quickly. At this point, he’d take what she’d give him and be satisfied, at least temporarily.
“I’m ready,” she said breathlessly in English.
She looked over at Sullivan, and he felt that stiffness overtake her, subtle enough perhaps for Sullivan to miss. But not for him. He wrapped a supporting arm around her waist, and pulled her tight against his side. Giving comfort in those ways he could. Soon, he promised her mentally. You won’t have to fear this man. You’ll be free of him. And then I’ll take you in my arms, and all of you will be mine. It won’t be out of desperation then. You won’t want to be anywhere else.
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I like how Alexei speaks Russian to Karina.
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Yeah, can you imagine a sexy guy speaking Russian to you? Swoon!
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:)
I love your writing style and the story is very good. I so hopes he turns into a hero I can root for!!Good job Lady D :)
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He's always going to be edgy, but he's using his powers for good now. :)
How sad for her.Gotta run for now, but will definitely be back to read more of your and arch story!!
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He gave Sullivan a tight smile. “We’ll take that walk now.”
Sullivan’s sharp look could have cut stone. Alexei could tell he was working hard to maintain his composure in front of Karina. “Of course. Enjoy yourself. I’ll have my secretary compile that list of wedding arrangers for you to get started with.”
Karina stiffened slightly, but managed a smile. “Thanks, Liam. I appreciate you doing that. This wedding thing is a bit stressful.”
Alexei squeezed her affectionately, kissing her neck. “I know, baby. But it will be so much better when we’re married.”
Karina looked up at him, luminous adoration in her eyes. She was a lot better at this then she thought. “Of course.”
With a wave at Sullivan, they walked towards the steps leading off the flagstone patio, and down onto the ripe Kelly green of the grass. The farther away they got from Sullivan, the more Alexei could feel her relax. He divided his attention between watching Karina’s body language and surveying for security coverage. Sullivan’s estate was large and beautifully maintained. Clearly it had cost Sullivan a lot of money.
“You did well, milaya moya.” He kissed her ear, even though they were too far away for Sullivan to see. He kissed her because he wanted to. And because the beautiful contours of her facial features and her silky tan-colored skin was too luscious to resist. Karina shuddered under his touch, and he knew it wasn’t from disgust. But he didn’t like that she moved slightly away from him when she realized they were out of view of Sullivan. She moved her arm lower down, around his waist, and adjusted her long legs into a comfortable gait aided by subtle heels next to his. Alexei forced his gaze away from the delicious sway of her hips as she walked and onto their surroundings. He searched the horizon, his senses taking in the fact that they were almost certainly under surveillance. His eyes caught various security agents lurking around. They were good at their jobs, good at keeping themselves clandestine. However, Alexei was better. Not close up, but likely from sentries that Sullivan had placed around his property. They wouldn’t see anything other than a man walking with his fiancée.
Karina breathed in the sweet-smelling air, redolent with new grass and a large body of freshwater not too far from here. “It’s so beautiful,” she said.
Like you, he thought. Still unspoiled, despite the trespasses visited upon them by men like Sullivan. He was only glad that Sullivan hadn’t managed to touch her, not in the way the old bastard clearly wanted to. Sullivan clearly had an obsession with Karina. He thought it was probably years in the making. She had managed to slip out of a trap he’d set, including her parents’ deaths. That part, Alexei was still working on figuring out. That wasn’t directly about Karina. It was about another motive just as powerful as lust. Greed.
Leaning down slightly, he asked in a low voice, pitched just for Karina’s ears, “Tell me again about your father’s work.”
Karina nervously tried to brush back her hair. Probably a leftover habit from when her hair was longer. Immediately, she seemed to register her very short curls. Her hand clenched and lowered to her shapely hip. He caught that hand in his own. A grip that was inexorable, but not hurtful or restrictive. “He was an engineer. He designed a microchip that could power very advanced machinery. It leaves the ARM microchips in the dust.”
Alexei’s interest in computers and microchip was relegated to how functional they were when he needed them. He was vaguely aware that ARM-microchips powered most Smart technology today, like cellular phones. He didn’t care much more about it other than this. But he listened intently as Karina described the technology. While her area of study was in liberal arts, she seemed to understand what her father did fairly well. His brain latched onto it when Karina mentioned that her father had rejected the idea of using the microchip for military applications, even though there was a lot of money to be made. Her parents were true believers, apparently. Until he’d met Karina, he hadn’t thought such a thing was possible. Not for a long, long time.
“I think he wanted to go public with the tech, and give it to the world, and from what I had overhead of some discussions between my parents, Sullivan didn’t seem on board with that decision.”
“So Sullivan definitely had a motive for their deaths?”
Karina stiffened. He felt her go cold. He knew she was thinking about how she’d found her parents. A memory that would never fade, no matter how many years passed. “Yes,” she said with a calm that clearly cost her.
“Could he bring the tech into production without your father’s approval?”
“I don’t think so, not if the patent wasn’t in his name.”
“Is it in your name?”
Karina met his gaze. He could see the understanding dawn into her hazel eyes. “I…don’t know.”
“We need to find out.”
Alexei took out his cell phone. He guided Karina over to a tall tree and into its surface. Then he proceeded to kiss her, while he palmed the cell phone in his right hand. Karina looked at him with a question in his eyes, but she returned the kiss with an enthusiasm that he found very gratifying. He had to deliberately divide his attention between the delicious taste of her mouth, and the tentative brush of her tongue against his and how good it felt, and the phone call he needed to make. He positioned himself so that the phone was concealed by the embrace he shared with Karina. His phone call was resistant to being monitored. No cell phone was inviolate, but his had an additional layer of protective defenses hardwired into it. A friend of his from his mercenary unit who was a wiz with electronics had designed the phone for him. Regardless, Alexei took precautions. He dialed a number and got an innocuous sounding male voice in French. Alexei rattled off quick bursts of French that he was sure Karina understood. It would not make sense, not in light of their present circumstances. He sounded as though he was ordering cuts of meat. But his contact was an information gatherer, and he spoke in code.
When he ended the call, he knew that The Butcher was going to call him back with a complete dossier on Sullivan in less than an hour. At Karina’s look of confusion, he explained that his call would provide what they needed. “Now, where was I?” he asked before leaning down and kissing her.
Karina’s vocal objections were swallowed by the press of his lips into hers. But any objections didn’t seem to last long. She melted into him, pressing her soft curves into his body. Her smell and taste assaulted his senses, until he almost forgot where they were. Almost, but not quite. He barely kept hold of his analytical focus on the mission, but he didn’t stop kissing her. He relished the simple pleasure of it. The luscious feel of her lips, and the shy brushes of her tongue against his. He didn’t need to kiss her anymore. He wanted to, and he’d take advantage of the opportunity. He could feel the walls come down between them with each moment they spent together.
She was opening up to him. But that vulnerability wasn’t one-sided. His attack on her defenses was costing him as well. He could feel her seeping deep inside where he’d been obdurate, unmoved, and happy to exist in the shadows so long, he hadn’t known he was missing anything.
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Leaning close to her ear in case someone was able to hear them, he said in Russian. “You did very well.”
Alexei watched the sensual haze fade from her luminous eyes. It made him angry that he couldn’t enjoy being in a world of their own making, where this young woman could feel free to flirt and enjoy the dance of attraction with a man if she wanted. That man being only himself, of course. But he was too disciplined to dwell or allow expression of that anger. “He was watching every move you made, and you gave nothing away.”
Karina stiffened, but Alexei preempted any move to pull away. He cupped her chin in his hand, gently and lovingly. “He’s not an easy man to fool. He has plans.”
Her eyes hardened with intent, and she asked him sharply, also in Russian, “Why did you go along with his suggestion for us to get married here?”
Alexei kissed her nose, partly to see how she’d react, part for show, and part because he just plain wanted to. “Because I want to see what his next move is. Also, marrying is a good idea.”
“In what fresh hell?” Karina asked poetically. “How is that a good idea?”
Alexei smiled. He didn’t take it personally. Not much. He answered her question. “If you’re married to me, it will protect you from him. What did we just talk about? The intellectual property of your father’s microchip.” He spoke this so softly, that Karina had to learn forward to hear him, her eyes locked with his. To those who were most certainly watching, it looked as though they were exchanging love words as any besotted, newly-engaged couple might do. “If you’re married, then the microchip goes to your next of kin.” He took her hand and pointed a short, manicured finger at his chest.
“That would be me.”
Karina considered his words. “Then that makes you a threat to Sullivan.”
“Exactly.”
Karina shook her head. “Why would you put a target on chest like that?”
“Because I promised I would protect you from him and because I want him to see me as a threat.” Alexei spoke the unvarnished truth.
Karina looked around them, seemingly taking in the beautiful green glory of Ireland. “He could have gun pointed at you right now, ready to pull the trigger.”
“He’s not going to do that. He’s too much of a manipulator for that. He wants you to trust him, to view him as a safe place. If he has your fiance’ killed right on his property, that’s not going to happen. Or say, your enemies came here and managed to kill me on Sullivan’s land, with him being completely ‘uninvolved’, that sends out a message of weakness. That he can’t protect what’s his. Either position is undesirable to Sullivan.” He said all this up close, in a whisper. His eyes holding hers. They caressed her, all over. Like he wanted to do with his hands, his body.
Alexei could feel her tremble. He knew that the intimacy of their position was getting to her. It certainly to him. He was pretty sure Karina could feel what it was doing to her through the fabric of thin spring dress. Her luxurious lips parted, and he wanted to take that as an invitation to kiss her again, but he kept his mind on what he was saying.
“He’s going to play another card.”
“What’s staying here a week going to accomplish?”
Alexei smiled then. He was sure that the wolf lurked in his face and his eyes. “I spring my trap for him.”
Karina flinched. He was sure it was the cold brutality in his eyes that scared her. Not fear for Sullivan, but for the kind of man she’d allied herself with. He knew very well how much she hated Sullivan. She’d never shed a tear for that man, not after what he’d done to her parents. He knew he couldn’t blame her for being afraid of him, and what he was capable of.
“What happens to me?” she asked in a near whisper.
Alexei kissed her cheek then, brushing the side of her mouth as if to wipe away the frown that lurked there. “You come out of this rich and safer than you were before.”
Karina arched a brow. “You want access to the microchip in exchange for that?”
Alexei laughed at her. “I don’t need to marry a rich wife to make money. I have plenty of money of my own, and the means to get more if I want it.”
“Then why marriage?” Karina looked tense, and there wasn’t much Alexei could do about that. He knew that Sullivan would assume she was still dealing with her parents’ death. Possibly thinking about how they weren’t here to see their only daughter married. He was sure Sullivan would take pleasure in thinking he’d screwed her father over in the end.
Not just by killing him and taking over the company he’d built with his heart work, ingenuity, and inventions, but also getting his daughter to run to him as savior, and taking her too. Alexei schooled his figures not to show the sharp jolt of rage at the thought. He might not be able to bring back her parents, but he could prevent Karina from falling into Sullivan’s hands. That wasn’t going to happen. He’d make sure of it.
“Why not?” Alexei shrugged, but kept the smile on his face. “It’s time to settle down.”
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Alexei ran the back of his hand down the soft skin of her neck to her collarbones, near the pulse at the base at her neck, which beat strongly against the tips of his fingers. “You underestimate your appeal, milaya moya.”
Karina closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, which did interesting things to her neckline. He couldn’t help but notice. But he missed little, and even less when it came to this woman. “You’re always playing games. I can’t keep up with you,” she said softly.
“Remember, I always play to win.” Another kiss, this time on her lips, still slightly parted.
Enough to make him want more, and deeper. But he pulled back again. “You and I are the same side now, daragaya.”
Karina looked dubious about that. She seemed to make a determination, from the way she exhaled again. He deliberately kept his eyes on her face, instead of where her breasts moved alluringly with each breath. No hardship. Despite her beautiful, sensual curves, her face was the thing that drew him to her most of all, at least physically. But deep down, there was more than just looks that drawn him to her and kept him captivated with her. He’d seen a fire in her, even in her careful disguise when he’d first laid eyes on her. He’d known that she was not going to be just another client. Another entity who wanted his services to turn living, breathing problems to non-issues. The more time he spent with her, that sense only grew stronger. Even when he’d thought of her as someone who’d crossed him, a disposable inconvenience, he’d known he wasn’t going to hurt, certainly not kill her. He could argue with himself all he wanted. Nothing had changed.
Not really. He’d made that essential decision a while ago.
“Have I told you how gorgeous you look in this dress?”
“You picked it out, so I guess you do like it,” she reminded him tartly.
“I like you in it.” His eyes went over her with the discerning glance of a connoisseur. He made sure she knew he liked what he saw.
“Yeah, you seem to know your way around women’s fashion.” She arched a brow. “Funny that.”
Alexei laughed. “Not really. I learned from a master, or should I say mistress. My grandmother was one of the most respected matrons of fashion for many years. She wasn’t about to raise an uncultured grandson, not as the sole heir to a jewelry empire.”
He had no problem with Karina knowing about his real identity. He had so far managed to keep his military/wetwork identity secure and separate from his true heritage. He wasn’t going to kill her, even though she knew who he was. At this point, Karina had more to lose then he did if she revealed how they’d met. She’d paid him to commit a crime, after all. And deep down, Karina wasn’t ever going to go back to that clean cut life. She’d been changed by what Sullivan had done to her family. Changed, but not destroyed. That essential identity, that powerful energy within her, had merely molded her into something different.
Karina lifted her free hand to examine her ring. Years of his grandmother’s teaching came back to him, and mentally he recited the facts about her ring. 1.85 carats, platinum setting. Art Deco Asscher square cut. The setting had smaller diamonds embedded in two rows around the larger central diamond. Because the cut drew eyes to the diamond, only the best quality diamond was acceptable. It was an expensive ring.
He doubted Karina knew just how much it cost. He’d seen from Sullivan’s accessing glance at the ring, that Sullivan knew it was expensive. While a person who knew nothing about jewelry would think anything less than 2 carats was small, a real jewelry expert knew that size was not the issue with diamonds. It was color, cut, and clarity. And that diamond was the best of the best. He’d taken the time to select one from the reserve stock that was nothing but the best at the Lyon location of Bijouterie St. Julien, while Karina was at the salon. The manager had recognized him from trips to the different stores as a teenager with Grand-mère, and had personally taken the time to show him rings. For some reason, Alexei had felt the need to pick up a ring that went above and beyond for Karina. He hadn’t wanted to think too hard about it, chalking it down to window dressing. Paying thirty thousand American dollars (he’d refused the family discount and paid full price) for window dressing didn’t make him bat an eye. Just part of the job. Aga, shazz! Basically, “Yeah, right!” in Russian.
“It’s a beautiful ring,” she said. “Not that I know that much about rings.”
“It’s serviceable,” Alexei replied. Which was an understatement.
Karina gave him a look that suggested she didn’t believe him. She wasn’t stupid. But she didn’t pursue it. Instead, with a bit of calculation and a fair amount of curiosity in her hazel eyes, she asked, “So what did you talk about when you were alone with Sullivan?”
“He tried to buy me off,” Alexei answered honestly.
He busied his hands with touching the dangly earrings she wore.
“I’m going to assume you declined,” she said.
“I told him he didn’t have enough money. I don’t need his money or yours.”
The look in Karina’s eyes told him she wanted to ask why he was an assassin if he came from money and a lot of it, but he knew she was too careful to do so. She rightly assumed they were being watched.
And besides, Alexei was pretty sure she was scared to ask him such a personal question. One day he’d tell her. Not today though. She wasn’t ready for it. He didn’t want to remind her that she should be afraid of him. At this point, that was the last thing he wanted her to feel for him. “He looked annoyed when I came out,” she said, still remembering to keep her voice low. Her face was angled up him. Her look intent, as though he was the only thing in the world to focus on. “I imagine you did you best to annoy him.”
Alexei smiled. “I did my very best.” His smile faded and he gave Karina an intent look, commanding her attention. “You need to understand that he has a particular agenda for you.” His words were quiet and intense. He wanted Karina to understand him very clearly. He’d warned her last night, and his instincts told him even more strongly what he’d suspected of Sullivan was the truth.
Karina’s eyes looked wary but she focused on what he was saying, he knew he had her attention. “He wants you.”
“He wants control of my father’s invention.”
“Yes, that he does. But that’s not all. He wants you.
Alexei took Karina’s shoulders in his hands, compelling her attention. “He wants you the way he wanted your mother and was denied. He doesn’t intend to be denied this time.”
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Karina better realize that Alexei wants her heart. He will never let Sullivan have her. I like how he broke it down to ther that Sullivan wanted her!
I can't wait to read more.
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Arch, Alexei didn't think much of his dad, but like all of us, he has a lot of his parents in him. He doesn't like thinking about his parents, it's a painful thing. I'll explore that more later in the story.
This is a very short chapter, but it felt more natural to end it here.