But Andrei, two years older, had always been the leader, the protector. He could still remember six-year-old Viktor panting as he struggled through the snowy two miles to school. Wait for me, Volodya! Wait for me!But he’d never waited. If you want to follow me, keep up, Viktor . Stop being slow.Now, as Andrei remembered that long-lost adoration in his brother’s eyes, his heart gave a strange, sickening jump in his chest. Tightening his jaw, he pushed the memory away. He looked at Illyra.“No one will ever threaten you or yours again.”Her lips parted. “What will you do?”He narrowed his eyes. “They threatened to break a child’s legs,” he said roughly. “So I’ll break every bone in their bodies. First their legs. Then their arms. Then—”“Who are you?” she cried.He stopped, surprised at the horror on her face. “What?”“You’re so ruthless.” She swallowed. “There is no mercy in you. It’s true what they say.”“You expect me to, what—give them a cookie and tuck them into bed?”“No, but—” s
Two days later, Lyra stared up at him with consternation. “You have to bejoking.”“Come on,” Viktor wheedled, holding out his hand beneath the hotafternoon sunshine. “You said you wanted to do it.”Glancing back at the tallest sand dune, she licked her lips. “I said itlooked fun in theory.”“You know you want to.” Wind ruffled his tousled black hair as he smileddown at her. He was casually dressed, in a well-worn black T-shirt thathugged his muscular chest and large, taut biceps and low-slung jeans on his hips. He looked relaxed and younger than she’d ever seen him. He lifted adark eyebrow wickedly. “You’re not scared, are you?”Lyra licked her lips. When he looked at her with that mischievous smile,he made her want to agree to absolutely anything.But—this?Furrowing her brow, she looked behind her. Three young Berber boys,around twelve or thirteen years old, were using brightly colored snowboardsto careen down the sand, whooping and hollering in Berber, the primarylanguage
Share his bed?Lyra’s lips parted, her heart beating frantically as she looked up at him.Let him make love to her?She’d been trying to build up enough courage to kiss him. What would itbe like to have him make love to her?With a shuddering breath, she looked up at him. “I thought you said our marriage was in n-name only.”“I changed my mind,” Viktor said huskily. “You know I want you. And I’ve come to enjoy your company. There’s no reason we shouldn’tbe...friends.”“Friends who will divorce in a few weeks.”“We could still see each other.” He looked at her. “If you want.”Her lips parted. “If I want?”“I would very much like to still see you, after we are divorced.” His blue eyes seared through her soul. “For as long as you are still interested in seeing me.”Lyra sucked in her breath. For as long as she wished to see him? Thatwould be forever!She looked back over the edge of the dune. It didn’t look so frighteninganymore. Not with this new challenge. Not with her very virgini
There would be no seduction. Instead, from this night forward, she’d besleeping alone in a separate tent.Once, Lyra would have been relieved.But now...Numbly, she rose from their bed. Grabbing her backpack, she started togather her clothes. Then she stopped, looking around the tent. Viktoralways dumped everything on the floor, in that careless masculine way,knowing it was someone else’s job to follow after him and tidy up. Lookingacross the luxurious carpets piled thickly across the sand, Lyra’s eyes couldsee the entirety of her husband’s day: the empty water bucket of solid silver.The hand-crafted sandalwood soap. His crumpled pajama pants. And in acorner, his black leather briefcase, so stuffed with papers that it could nolonger be closed, none of which he’d glanced at even once since the daythey’d arrived here.In the distance, she heard a sound like rolling thunder.Tears rose to her eyes, and she wiped them away fiercely. She didn’t wantto leave him. This was the pl
Illyra stood alone in the surf, staring bleakly out at the moonlit ocean, wishing she was far, far away from Hawaii. She felt the waves against her bare thighs, felt the sand squish beneath her toes. She shivered in the warm night, wishing she was a million miles away.How could she have given him her virginity? How could she let him sleep with her after everything he had done to her?How could she have let him kiss her, touch her, make her explode with pleasure? How?Allowing Andrei to make love to her had brought back all the memories of the way she’d once loved him. How could she have allowed herself to be so vulnerable? Why hadn’t she been able to protect herself, to keep her heart cold?Because he’d always known how to get past all her defenses. Always. He hadn’t forced her. He hadn’t needed to. All he’d done was kiss her, and she’d surrendered, melting into his arms. And she’d been able to hold nothing back. Her feelings had come pouring out of her lips. How she’d loved him.How
Andrei left a trail of sand and water as he crossed the floor of their bedroom, then gently lowered Illyra to her feet beside the bed.Neither of them spoke. Almost holding his breath, he slowly stroked down her soft arms to her slender waist. He undid the silken tie of her robe. Never taking his eyes from hers, he peeled the wet, translucent silk off her shoulders and dropped it to the floor.She now stood before him naked and beautiful, her eyes luminous in the moonlight. Looking at her, this sensual angel, Andrei trembled, racked with desires both sacred and profane.He’d taken her virginity. He couldn’t undo that.But he could change her memory of it. He could make it better than the last time. Pulling her naked body into his arms, against his bare chest, he cupped the back of her head, tangling his hands in her long wet hair, and lowered his mouth to hers.This time, without so much anger and prejudice in his heart, he finally felt her inexperience, the way she held her breath a
Putting his hand on her cheek, he lowered his head to hers. As he kissed her lips, his hands stroked her satin-soft skin, cupping her breasts. Moving down her body, he kissed first one breast, then the other, with hot need, suckling her until she gasped. His fingertips caressed down her belly. When he reached the mound between her legs, he stopped. His body was shaking, screaming for him to push inside her.But he did not. He moved abruptly to the bottom of the bed. Taking one of her feet in his hands, he slowly kissed it, suckling her toes, tasting salt from the Pacific on her sweet, warm skin. He felt her tremble as he kissed the hollow of her foot, then moved up her leg to her calf, and the tender spot behind her knee. When he reached her thighs, he pressed them apart, spreading her.He risked a glance upward. Her face was rapt, her eyes tightly closed. He heard the rasp of her breath and felt the tremble of her legs as she nervously tried to close them. Smiling to himself—he could
“But, sir!”“My cartel and his can win in a fair fight.”“Of course we can!” the man replied indignantly. He continued in a bewildered voice, “It’s just that we’ve never tried.”“No more dirty tricks,” Andrei said harshly.“It will be harder—”“Deal with it.”The man cleared his throat. “You were expected in St. Petersburg today for the signing of the new operation and merger. How long do you wish us to delay...?”Andrei gritted his teeth. “I will be at the office tomorrow.”“Good.” He audibly exhaled. “With ten billion dollars on the line, we don’t want anything to—”“Tomorrow.” Andrei hung up. Tossing his phone on his desk, he left the study, with its computers and piles of paperwork. Walking outside to the courtyard, he stopped by the pool. Closing his eyes, he turned his face toward the bright morning sun. He felt the warmth of the golden light, and took a breath of the exotic, flower-scented air."I think the man I love is still inside you.""He’s dead and gone.""Are you sure?"