Broken Wings (The Broken Series Book 3) (39 page)

I
glanced at Nika uncertainly as I perched on the edge of the bed.

She
smiled. “Why don’t you lie on your stomach?”

I
clutched the towel to my chest as I climbed onto the bed. My mind was immediately
bombarded with images of Maxim. Deeply erotic images. I forced the images aside
as I sank into his bed. The bed was so much more comfortable than the broken
down mattress at the hotel, I immediately relaxed.

Oksana
began rubbing lavender scented lotion onto my legs, while Nika towel dried and
combed out my hair. Nika pulled my arms over the side of the bed when she
finished combing out my hair. She massaged my hands and arms while Oksana massaged
my feet.

My
entire body hummed.

Nika
nudged the towel down so it covered only my bottom. She slathered the hot rocks
that had warmed the towel with oil, then gently worked them into my back.

I
melted into the bed. My eyes slid closed as I drifted off to sleep.

Nika
pressed wet, hot towels against my back to soak up the excess oil before she whispered
in my ear. “You can roll over now.” She helped me adjust the towel.

Oksana
resumed the leg massage while Nika began massaging my shoulders and neck. She
slowly made her way down my chest, stopping just short of my breasts.

Nika
whispered in my ear again. “We need to do your hair and makeup now.” Both women
walked into the bathroom to wash their hands.

I
wrapped the towel around me as I eased out of bed.

Nika
motioned me toward a small sitting area near the window. The table held a
variety of makeup products and a curling iron that was already plugged in.
Oksana began painting my toenails a dark metallic gray while Nika curled my
hair. Nika finished my hair and applied makeup while Oksana painted my
fingernails.

Eventually,
the two women stood back and stared at me. They smiled as they admired their
work. Nika turned to face Oksana. “Do you think he will be pleased?”

She
nodded her head as she continued staring at me. “Yes,” she whispered
breathlessly.

Nika
ducked inside the closet. She returned with a dark gray gown. Chunky silver
sequins and sparkling rhinestones adorned the fitted bodice, then dripped a bit
more sparsely along the dark gray fabric that fell to the floor. Oksana handed
me a set of silver bangle bracelets, a pair of strappy gray heels, and a small shopping
bag.

I
peeked inside the bag and gasped. “I’m supposed to wear this?”

Oksana
nodded. With a straight face!

I
set the shoes down and tugged the bracelets over my wrist so I could pull the black
lace g-string from the bag. I gaped at the silver beads that formed the string.
“This is supposed to go between my legs?”

Nika
giggled.

I
eyed the dress again, then sighed. “I can’t wear a bra with this dress.”

Oksana
shook her head as she motioned for me to put the g-string on. My cheeks heated
as I slid it on under the towel. I groaned when I felt the beads settle between
my legs.

Nika
eased the dress over my head. The thin silk fabric dipped dangerously low against
my back. Nika tied the strings that crisscrossed over the back and adjusted the
dress so it didn’t reveal the top of the g-string. The dress skimmed my breasts
and hips seductively before falling to the floor. A long slit ran down the
right side of the dress.  

Oksana
slid my heels on before the two women pulled me toward the mirror.

I
took two steps and froze. The beads from the g-string rolled against me with
each step I took. I looked down in horror as my nipples hardened against the
dress. Maxim was clearly determined to give me another orgasm.

I
fought for my composure as I walked gingerly toward the mirror. I took one look
in the mirror and gasped. The woman staring back at me looked like she belonged
on the cover of a fashion magazine. The dress was breathtaking, the makeup was
flawless, and my blue eyes had turned a stormy gray in the beautifully beaded
gown. I turned and glanced over my shoulder as I examined the back of the
dress. The strings that tied across the open back were clearly designed to
seduce. The back was cut very low, but at least the g-string didn’t show. My
hair hung halfway down my back in glossy blond waves.

The
two girls grinned. “Do you like it?” Oksana asked.

I
turned to face her. “How could I not? You two did an amazing job. Thank you.”

“Let’s
see if Mr. Markov approves,” Nika said as she nudged me toward the door.

Ethan
was standing outside the door with Brady. They had already changed into their tuxes.
Ethan’s eyes widened as some expletive fell from Brady’s mouth. Maxim’s
security guard reached for his crotch as he adjusted himself.

I
looked at Nika and Oksana, who were now giggling. “This cannot be good.”

I
stepped carefully down the stairs. Everyone hung back in the foyer when I
entered the sitting room. Maxim was standing at the bar with his back to me. He
turned when I entered the room.

My
breath caught. The man looked devastating in a tux.

Maxim’s
eyes turned black. The wine glass shattered in his hand. He didn’t even notice.
Shards of glass scattered across the floor as he walked toward me.

I
didn’t breathe a word as Maxim walked around me, examining the dress. My heart
clenched. Michael had walked that same walk a million times. I squeezed my eyes
closed, so I wouldn’t see Michael when I looked at him. My heart began to race
even as it began to ache.

Maxim
ran his hands down my arms as he stood behind me. Goose bumps danced along my skin.
He traced the edge of the dress until he reached my lower back. His fingers dipped
beneath the fabric until they touched the top of the g-string. He pulled
gently. Pleasure tore through me as the beads rolled against me. “How do you
like the lingerie?” he whispered silkily.

I
swayed against him. “It feels…
interesting.
”

He
pushed my hair to one shoulder, then gently kissed my neck. His hands skimmed
my breasts as they ran down my sides. “You make me feel…
interesting
.”

I
looked down at my hardened nipples, completely mortified. “That’s going to be a
problem.”

He
didn’t bother hiding his arousal as he pulled my bottom against his hips. “The
dress is meant to show off your body. I think it looks amazing on you. Do you
like it?”

“Yes,”
I grudgingly confessed.

He
slowly turned me in his arms. “I want you to be with me tonight. I don’t want
you thinking or pretending I’m anyone else. See only me when you look at me.”

I
sighed softly. I wondered how he could have possibly known I’d been thinking of
Michael. I straightened the tie on his tux, then smoothed my hands against his
jacket. “Kind of hard not to, given how you look in this tux.”

Maxim’s
eyes softened as his hands cupped my face. His lips captured mine in a kiss so
tender it brought tears to my eyes.

I
stared at him, thoroughly confused. How could such a dangerous man have this
effect on me? Was it his resemblance to Michael or something more? I shook my
head as I tried to force Michael from my mind.

Maxim
settled his hand on the small of my back as he steered me toward the door. “Thank
you for being my date for the fundraiser.”

I
tried not to smile as I shot him a sidelong glance. “Did I really have a choice?”

He
chuckled. “No.”

Maxim’s
eyes flared when he helped me into the car. The long slit was already proving
problematic.

Ethan
and Brady looked miserable as they folded themselves into the back seat of the car,
but neither man said a word. Maxim’s security team followed in a second car.

Maxim
pulled next to the curb in front of the hospital a few minutes later. He hadn’t
overstated the importance of the event. The hospital was offering valet
parking. The media was set up alongside the sidewalk that led into the building,
and the sidewalk was now covered with a long royal blue rug.

Maxim
reached for my hand as he helped me step out of the car. I was nearly blinded
by the bulbs that went off. A few members of the media shouted at Maxim in
Russian. He eventually responded, “Kristine Annabelle Stone.”

I
leaned toward his ear as he tucked my hand in the crook of his arm. “You’ve
done your research if you know my middle name.”

His
eyes captured and held mine. “I know you better than you know yourself.” He
paused in the middle of the sidewalk and pulled me in for a sultry kiss. The
bulbs began flashing all over again. “That should make the front page,” he
whispered mischievously.

Ethan,
Brady, and four other men trailed behind us as we entered the hospital. Maxim
navigated us toward a large conference room at the end of the hall.

The
conference room had been converted into a ball room. Endless reams of black,
white, and silver fabric were draped along every wall. Three large chandeliers
hung across the massive room. Maxim steered us toward a table near the dance
floor. Elegant place cards marked our seats. I studied the card that held my
name. I couldn’t believe they’d made the effort to print my name on the card
when I was obviously a last minute addition.

Ethan
and Brady stood against the wall directly behind our table. A waitress
approached with flutes of champagne. Maxim handed me a glass, then took one for
himself.

“
Spasibo
,”
I whispered softly.

He
smiled. “
Budmo
.”

I
tapped my glass against his. “
Budmo
.”

A
number of people came by the table to greet Maxim. They always began their
conversations in Russian but switched to English when he introduced me. “This
is Kristine Stone. She’s visiting from the United States. She will be teaching
peacekeeping at the Tavrida National Vernadsky University next week.”

This
would spark a number of questions about my life in the United States. A crowd
gathered when I began sharing stories from the Great Urban Race, which had
benefitted St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

I
found it fascinating that so many people approached Maxim. He had no need to
work the room or to seek out acquaintances because everyone came to him.

Eventually,
Prime Minister Azarov made his way to our table. Every person at our table
stood, including me. The Prime Minister spoke in Russian as he extended his
hand to Maxim. He was an older gentleman with a kind face and snow white hair.
His attention quickly shifted to me.

Maxim
put his arm around me. “Prime Minister Azarov, I would like you to meet Kristine
Annabelle Stone.”

I
extended my hand. “
E
to bol
'
shaya
chest
'
s vami poznakomitca, ser…
It’s
an honor to meet you, sir.”

The
prime minister’s brown eyes glinted with amusement as he shook my hand. “Maxim
tells me you will be teaching peacekeeping at the Tavrida National Vernadsky
University this week.”

I
nodded, relieved that he had switched to English. “Yes, sir. I’m grateful for
the opportunity to teach at your universities. You have a beautiful country,
and I’ve found the people here very kind.”

He
stroked his jaw as he studied me. “Tell me, Ms. Stone, what do you think of
President Medvedev’s refusal to back sanctions against Iran?”

I
swallowed nervously as Maxim tightened his hold on me. I met the prime
minister’s gaze head on. “I respect the need for all political leaders to do
what they feel is in the best interest of their people.”

Maxim
relaxed as the prime minister gave me an appraising look. “Spoken like a true
diplomat. What do you think of the Ukraine’s application to join NATO?”

I
smiled. Sammi had thoroughly briefed our team on this issue. “I think the
Ukraine’s acceptance into NATO would prove beneficial to all NATO countries. Our
countries share a love of peace and human security. NATO membership would also
strengthen the Ukraine’s economy as it is sure to increase trade with European
partners, especially if you proceed with plans to extend the Odessa-Brody
pipeline to Plock.”

The
prime minister stepped back in surprise. He looked at Maxim, who was now
beaming at me. “She is beautiful and smart. You must keep this one, Maxim. Find
her a permanent position at the university.”

My
breath caught as the prime minister reached for my hand. “It was truly a
pleasure to meet you, Ms. Stone.” He kissed my hand, then walked away.

Maxim
pulled me into his arms. He looked utterly besotted as he rested his forehead
against mine. “Thank you,” he breathed.

I
stared at him a bit dazedly. “For what?”

He
smiled. “For being you.” He lifted my chin, then gently kissed me on the lips.
“Dance with me, Kristine. I want to feel you in my arms.”