Vivian had told me, Ivan had been in a spot almost identical to Sergei's once. He had gotten out and made something of himself, becoming hugely successful and wealthy. If it had been done before, perhaps Sergei could follow in Ivan's footsteps.
Grasping the front of Sergei's shirt, just above his belt, I dragged him down for a kiss. Before our lips met, I caught a whiff of cheap, nasty perfume. It was the sort of alcohol-tinged, too heavy on the musk drugstore concoction that the girls I went to high school with used to wear. I had an idea of what sort of women might still wear it, and I wasn't pleased.
Recoiling from the stink of it, I stepped back and let go of his shirt. That's when I noticed the glitter dusting the front of his shirt and now stuck to my palm. Holding up my hand, I demanded angrily, "What the hell is this, Sergei?"
"Look, it's not what you think, Bianca."
"It had better not be," I warned. "Because you look and smell like you've been hanging out a strip club!"
"Okay," he said carefully. "I was at a strip club this afternoon. But," he cut in quickly, thwarting my outraged outburst, "I wasn't there for pleasure. It was business."
"Business?"
He wavered before confessing, "A couple of dancers were beaten up at a private party. The club is partly owned by a friend of mine, and he needed some help. I took the dancers to see a doctor and then got them situated in a safe place. That's it, Bianca. That's all that happened."
I studied his handsome, sincere face. He was telling the truth, but I sensed there was way more backstory to the situation. "I believe that nothing happened with the strippers."
He seemed relieved. Sliding his hand along my nape, he peered into my eyes. "I don't want any woman but you, Bianca. Sometimes I have to go places that aren't very nice to conduct business, but I'm not interested in anything those women have to offer."
Gripping the front of his shirt again, I hauled him down with a sharp tug. "Convince me."
And he did. With a kiss so erotically sensual that my panties grew damp, Sergei staked his claim on me and proved that he wanted me and only me. His tongue fluttered against mine before dipping deeper. He sucked my lower lip and gave it a light nibble, making me rise up on my toes and clutch at his brawny arms.
Though I wanted the kiss to go on forever, he ended it gently and let his hand glide down my spine to rest on my bottom. He gave my backside a pat and grinned boyishly. "I want to show you something."
"Okay."
Holding my hand, he led me down the sidewalk that curved through the backyard and along one side of the house. Out front, I spotted his SUV pulled up against the curb. "You can park out back, if you'd like. There's plenty of space behind my car."
He smiled at me. "Is that your way of inviting me to stay the night?"
Glancing away from him, I felt suddenly shy. "Well, I mean, if you want to stay..."
He curved his arm around my shoulders. "I'm staying."
I had a sneaking suspicion he meant for much longer than one night.
When we rounded the side of the house and turned toward the front porch, I immediately spotted the new door. My lips parted with shock. "The door! You found my door!"
Sergei chuckled happily and brushed his fingertips along the side of my neck. "I took the picture from your inspiration board. My friend had a door that looked almost exactly like the one you wanted."
"This is one is so much better!" I hurried up the steps for a closer look. Unable to help myself, I ran my hands along the highly polished wood and traced the gorgeous panes of stained glass. "It's so beautiful, Sergei."
His warm hands settled on my shoulders. A moment later, he pressed a ticklish kiss to the side of my neck. "I'm glad you like it." Another kiss made me shiver with anticipation. "Come inside. Dinner is waiting."
I let him lead me inside the house, all the while wondering what this night held in store for me.
Chapter Seven
Later that evening, I flicked through
Grasping the front of Sergei's shirt, just above his belt, I dragged him down for a kiss. Before our lips met, I caught a whiff of cheap, nasty perfume. It was the sort of alcohol-tinged, too heavy on the musk drugstore concoction that the girls I went to high school with used to wear. I had an idea of what sort of women might still wear it, and I wasn't pleased.
Recoiling from the stink of it, I stepped back and let go of his shirt. That's when I noticed the glitter dusting the front of his shirt and now stuck to my palm. Holding up my hand, I demanded angrily, "What the hell is this, Sergei?"
"Look, it's not what you think, Bianca."
"It had better not be," I warned. "Because you look and smell like you've been hanging out a strip club!"
"Okay," he said carefully. "I was at a strip club this afternoon. But," he cut in quickly, thwarting my outraged outburst, "I wasn't there for pleasure. It was business."
"Business?"
He wavered before confessing, "A couple of dancers were beaten up at a private party. The club is partly owned by a friend of mine, and he needed some help. I took the dancers to see a doctor and then got them situated in a safe place. That's it, Bianca. That's all that happened."
I studied his handsome, sincere face. He was telling the truth, but I sensed there was way more backstory to the situation. "I believe that nothing happened with the strippers."
He seemed relieved. Sliding his hand along my nape, he peered into my eyes. "I don't want any woman but you, Bianca. Sometimes I have to go places that aren't very nice to conduct business, but I'm not interested in anything those women have to offer."
Gripping the front of his shirt again, I hauled him down with a sharp tug. "Convince me."
And he did. With a kiss so erotically sensual that my panties grew damp, Sergei staked his claim on me and proved that he wanted me and only me. His tongue fluttered against mine before dipping deeper. He sucked my lower lip and gave it a light nibble, making me rise up on my toes and clutch at his brawny arms.
Though I wanted the kiss to go on forever, he ended it gently and let his hand glide down my spine to rest on my bottom. He gave my backside a pat and grinned boyishly. "I want to show you something."
"Okay."
Holding my hand, he led me down the sidewalk that curved through the backyard and along one side of the house. Out front, I spotted his SUV pulled up against the curb. "You can park out back, if you'd like. There's plenty of space behind my car."
He smiled at me. "Is that your way of inviting me to stay the night?"
Glancing away from him, I felt suddenly shy. "Well, I mean, if you want to stay..."
He curved his arm around my shoulders. "I'm staying."
I had a sneaking suspicion he meant for much longer than one night.
When we rounded the side of the house and turned toward the front porch, I immediately spotted the new door. My lips parted with shock. "The door! You found my door!"
Sergei chuckled happily and brushed his fingertips along the side of my neck. "I took the picture from your inspiration board. My friend had a door that looked almost exactly like the one you wanted."
"This is one is so much better!" I hurried up the steps for a closer look. Unable to help myself, I ran my hands along the highly polished wood and traced the gorgeous panes of stained glass. "It's so beautiful, Sergei."
His warm hands settled on my shoulders. A moment later, he pressed a ticklish kiss to the side of my neck. "I'm glad you like it." Another kiss made me shiver with anticipation. "Come inside. Dinner is waiting."
I let him lead me inside the house, all the while wondering what this night held in store for me.
Chapter Seven
Later that evening, I flicked through
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