Authors: Elizabeth Moynihan
Keeping an eye on the water level, she began to shed her clothes, anxious to finally feel the silken caress of a long soak in a bathtub. It had been weeks since she’d been allowed such a luxury, most often settling for a sponge bath or an occasional shower with her cast leg wrapped in plastic, and suddenly she couldn’t wait to slide into the water and be gently swallowed by its heat.
The Velcro straps that held her removable cast in position came apart easily, the recognizable sound of ripping fabric made her smile. At last, she was free of the encumbering cast and she cautiously moved her foot in a careful circle, frowned at the stiffness and slight discomfort and then closed her eyes at the sight of her flaking skin, and
long over-due for a shave
lower leg. Mortification at the thought of her doctor having witnessed what she believed to be obnoxiously long leg hair had her blushing a deep pink and immediately searching for her razor, which, of course, sat in a small bag on the counter out of her reach.
Lightly chiding herself, she hobbled the short distance to the bag, retrieved her razor, and cast a haphazard glance at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the reflection that gazed back at her. After six weeks without the constant strain of wondering what would anger Andrew at any given time, she’d been able to eat regularly and keep down what she did eat. Her figure suddenly looked more womanly, her breasts actually full, her hips gently rounded; yet her waist still remained as narrow as ever. A small frown creased her brow as she tried to remember the last time she’d had to take something for her upset stomach and realized she hadn’t had to rely on any type of antacid since she’d been with the Rocmanov’s. Her eyes sparkled happily, a clear, bright blue, and her skin shone with a healthy glow; gone were the blotchy splotches of red that appeared when she found herself stressed out.
With a final quick glance at her body, she proclaimed herself decent enough to look at and limped back toward the tub. The candles that surrounded the tub caught her eye and she set out to lighting them, easily finding the lighter set aside specifically for that purpose, peeking from behind one large candle in the corner.
With a quick turn of the faucets, the water stopped and she breathed deeply of the flowery scent that filled the room. Two quick hops across the room had her flicking off the light switch, and picking up her portable CD player, the headphones dangling from her fingers as she quickly made her way toward the beckoning water.
Her breath hissed in surprise when her bare bottom hit the cold tile as she sat on the edge of the large tub and she swung her legs over the edge then slipped her feet into the bubbles. A low moan of pleasure rumbled in her throat as her feet hit the water and then she slowly lowered herself into the heated depths. The sensation was purely sensual and she closed her eyes as a rush of warmth washed over her, leaving her strangely energized and lethargic at the same time. Barely finding the energy, she slipped her headphones on and pressed the play button on the CD player, immediately transported to an imaginary world of magic as the music of Scheherazade filled her head.
Surrounded by the soft glow of candles, the warmth of the water caressing her body and the sensual music that heated her blood, Chloe closed her eyes in sensual bliss and wasn’t surprised when the image of Sergei filled her mind, crept into her heart, and finally claimed her soul.
“Sergei….” Chloe’s subconscious whispered softly.
Down in the kitchen, Sergei was busy making himself a sandwich when he heard his name called, no more than a whisper inside his mind, and yet his body instantly became alert. Scowling, he yelled into the air, “I’m not talking to you, Dani. If you’re hungry, you can make your own sandwich-in fact-you should be making mine!”
Silence was all that answered and he flexed his shoulders at the tension that tightened his muscles. Adding the finishing touches to his meal, he cleaned up his mess, scooped up his sandwich and took his first bite. Leaning against the counter, he looked through the windows and into the garden, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dani from where ever she was hiding and calling his name. Automatically biting, chewing and swallowing, before he knew it his sandwich was gone and there was still no sign of Dani to be seen, the garden remained undisturbed.
With a final dark scowl toward the gardens, he left the kitchen, headed for his bedroom and stopped as he heard music coming from his sister’s room. A quick peek through the partially opened door showed Dani sitting on her bed, busy painting her toenails and singing quietly along to the music.
Shaking his head in confusion, Sergei silently walked on toward his room and cast a quick look at the closed guest room door in which Chloe was staying, in all probability hiding or at the very least, evading the eternal quarreling. He took two steps toward the door, words of apology swirling in his brain, before he changed his mind and returned to his room, flopping down on the bed and draping one muscled forearm over his eyes in the hopes of stilling the pounding pulse of a beginning headache.
The sharp, loud ring of the phone on his bedside table had him groaning and he quickly answered it, his “Hello,” deep and abrupt.
Static filled his ear as a female voice, fading in and out, asked for Chloe.
“Mrs. Spenser?” Sergei asked, rising to his feet and heading for Chloe’s room.
“Sergei, is that you?” a static filled line buzzed in his ear.
“Hi, Mrs. Spenser. How’s it going in the land of fruits and nuts?” he asked, trying to sound casual, knocking on Chloe’s door, receiving no response and then opening it wide enough to peek in and see she wasn’t anywhere in the room. With a quick turn he headed toward Dani’s room, maybe she was in there with her.
“Crazy. They’ve extended the merger date out at least another three weeks. Mr. Manning insists I remain and oversee the entire merger.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me,” Sergei growled, frowning at Dani’s
I don’t know
shrug as he’d silently mouthed
Where’s Chloe?
“I hate to further impose on your parents, they’ve been so generous allowing Chloe to stay with them for so long,” Mrs. Spenser stated, her voice growing faint, then stronger, then faint again; so much for modern technology and cell phones.
“It’s no problem, Mrs. Spenser, really. Chloe’s fine, give me half a second and I’ll get her for you before you lose your cell site,” Sergei yelled into the phone, cursing as he heard her voice fade away yet again. “Chloe!” he yelled into the air, expecting a response and scowling when nothing but the sound of Dani slamming her door reached his ears.
Sergei looked at the closed bathroom door. Although no light shone from beneath the door, it was closed and that, in itself, was unusual. Unless in use, it was always open. With only a slight hesitation, he knocked firmly-no response. He tried again, knocking a little harder and received the same response–nothing. With a muttered curse, he opened the door and was assailed by a wave of warm, humid Honeysuckle scented air, and the sight of Chloe, flushed a soft pink and covered with a dewy sheen and a layer of bubbles. Mesmerized, he watched as she rested one shapely leg on the edge of the tub and ran a razor carefully over her skin. The vision set his heart pounding madly and made him unable to draw a full breath.
“Chloe,” he finally managed to gasp.
She continued to shave her leg, oblivious to his presence and he nearly melted into a pile of ash when he watched her scoop her hands into the water then stretch them toward the ceiling, her head dropping back and exposing the long, beautiful length of her neck. The water cascaded down her arms, sweeping away the bubbles in its path and wound a lazy path over her shapely breasts before disappearing into the bubbles that surrounded her.
“Chloe…” Sergei’s gasp was a deep, sensual growl and he took a step closer to her. His body was on fire, his blood boiling, as he watched this most feminine ritual and wished his mouth could travel the same path the water had only just traversed. He called her name again and still received no response. It was then that he spotted the headphones that effectively blocked out all outside noise and had her safely locked away in a world of music.
Saying a prayer for strength, he walked the short distance to the tub, tapped her on the head and held out the phone. Chloe’s sharp, startled scream of surprise echoed in the misty room, and she flung her arm out defensively, knocking the phone from Sergei’s hand. In shock, the two watched the phone plop into the tub with a small splash and disappear beneath the bubbles.
Chloe pulled the headphones off, draped them around her neck and looked at Sergei, her eyes the color of midnight. Her breasts rose and fell in agitation as she tried to still her racing heart and when she noticed the direction of Sergei’s eyes, she glanced down, blushed a deeper red and crossed her arms over her nearly bare breasts.
“What are you doing in here?” She finally asked, her voice husky, her throat as dry as a bone despite the fact she was sitting in a huge tub of water.
“It was your mother was on the phone,” Sergei answered softly, he voice deep and low, as he nodded in the general vicinity the phone disappeared. “I knocked on the door, but I guess you didn’t hear me,” he offered haltingly, pulling his eyes away from the gorgeous sight she made sitting in her fading bubbles, her skin flushed and dewy and beckoning.
“The headphones,” Chloe stated unnecessarily, her words drawing Sergei’s attention back to her neck and chest, her breasts suddenly feeling swollen and tingly under his dark gaze.
“Yeah,” the single word was a deep growl that sent shivers of wanting through her; what exactly she wanted she wasn’t sure, but suddenly she was antsy and filled with anticipation.
“Is she coming home soon?” her soft voice brought his eyes back to hers.
Sergei shook his head back and forth, his shining ebony eyes never leaving her deep blue gaze, each lost in the wildly swirling emotions that silently traveled between them. “The merger’s been bumped back; she’ll be gone for another few weeks,” he stated softly.
Chloe nodded in understanding, “Oh, okay.” She whispered softly, unable to pull her gaze from his and feeling her strength seem to dissolve beneath the onslaught of his sensual gaze.
“Okay,” Sergei repeated, trying to find the strength to leave, as he knew he should. With a Herculean effort, he pulled his gaze from hers and turned to leave the room.
“Sergei?” Chloe’s voice was a soft whisper.
“Yeah,” he answered quietly, his back still to her.
“I forgot to get a towel.”
Sergei’s breath escaped him in a harsh rush, and he closed his eyes, hoping to block the image of her nearly bare breasts, flushed a soft pink and covered with wispy bubbles, from his mind. He failed miserably! Displaying more calm than he felt, he pulled a bath sheet from the cabinet and summoning every ounce of control he could muster, returned to the tub, and knelt beside it, placing the towel on the tiled platform behind her.
“Thank you.” Her voice was a breathy whisper.
The simple reply sent flames racing through his body and it took every ounce of control he had, not to pull her warm and dripping wet from the tub and ravish her on the cool tile. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked softly, the flames of the candles reflecting in the ebony depths of his eyes, his beautiful mouth drawing her attention and making her own part as she wet suddenly dry lips.
Kiss me!
she wished silently to herself, her eyes widening in surprise as she watched Sergei’s eyes flamed even brighter, as if he’d heard her unspoken request. “Not that I can think of,” she finally answered, swaying slightly under Sergei’s mesmerizing gaze. “Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked hopefully, her breath stalling as she awaited his answer.
Sergei looked down into her flushed face, her eyes were dilated and glazed, only a thin bright blue ring of color surrounding her pupils, and her full lips parted as she breathed in shallow little puffs.
Make love with me!
he shouted silently and watched as a shiver washed over her and set her trembling. His already pounding heart bumped up a notch when she tightened her arms, her motion displaying her dew-kissed breasts even further and the image of Chloe in his arms as he worshipped her body had him closing his eyes and asking for salvation. Drawing a deep breath, he stated instead, “You’re cold.”
“I ran out of hot water.”
“Then maybe you should get out,” Sergei offered quietly, his voice a seductive purr, his eyes filled with a sensual light.
“Maybe you should leave so I can,” Chloe countered softly, secretly wishing she had the nerve to ask him to stay.
“What are you going to do if I don’t?” He teased lightly.
“Probably turn to stone in this cold water.”
I’m already there
! Sergei thought coarsely and shifted slightly in an effort to find a more comfortable position without shocking her. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for you freezing to death in our bathtub. My reputation would never survive such an ungallant act.”
Chloe’s gentle smile nearly undid him. “It’s good to know chivalry is not dead.”
“Sometimes simply more dominant than others. Don’t always expect chivalry to be present; sometimes it’s more fun to be a bit wicked,” he stated quietly, his voice carrying a seductive deepness and a bit of danger, his eyes sensually hooded. Unable to resist any longer, he ran one finger from her shoulder to her elbow, a knowing smile curving his lips as he heard her breath catch at his touch.