Authors: Elizabeth Moynihan
“Does he really?” Chloe asked shyly, her china blue eyes glowing brightly.
“Oh, Chloe, you can be so dense sometimes!” Dani laughed softly, pulling her friend into her arms and hugging her tightly. “He’s loved you almost as long as you’ve loved him,” she stated knowingly.
Chloe pulled away and looked into Dani’s shining emerald eyes. “How do you know?”
“If you could see the way he looks at you, Chloe. I swear I could melt into a puddle just thinking about it. I can’t decide if he wants to consume you, protect you, or worship you. All I know, is it makes me hope that someone looks at me that way someday.”
“Really?”
“And you want to know the funniest thing about it?”
Chloe nodded encouragingly.
“You look at him the same way!” Dani whispered softly, smiling at Chloe’s surprised expression.
“I do not!” Chloe’s attempt at a disapproving tone was lost as the sound of the door opening was followed immediately by Aleksei Rocmanov’s deep voice discussing the situation with the officer.
In the flash of an instant, Chloe found herself swept into Sergei’s arms and held so tightly she could barely breath. Her face was covered in kisses before his mouth finally settled hotly over hers, and she surrendered to the heat of his kiss. It was a kiss filled with concern, relief and joy, love and desire, and promises yet to be made. Chloe’s entire being melted when Sergei’s tongue gently caressed her own and she was glad the strength of his arms kept her from simply sliding to the floor in a puddle. An eternity later, he lifted his mouth from hers and scanned every inch of her face, a thousand questions in his dark gaze.
“I’m okay,” Chloe answered his unspoken question softly, her blue eyes shining brightly.
“I’m okay too, thanks for asking,” Dani chimed drolly, casting the two an amused look from where she stood, wrapped in her father’s arms, safe and happy.
Sergei and Chloe turned and smiled at Dani, their arms still wrapped snugly around each other. With a sigh, Chloe rested her cheek against his muscular chest, found comfort in the steady beat of his heart and smiled when she felt him kiss the top of her head and rest his chin on it.
“Did you see the car?” Chloe asked sadly.
Sergei nodded affirmatively. “Don’t worry, we’ll get it fixed. Everything’s going to be okay.” he stated, hoping it would be.
Before coming to see the girls, Aleksei and Sergei had spent twenty minutes with Officer Randolph, the head of mall security. All had been very happy to learn that security cameras in the parking lot had picked up the act of Chloe’s bug being vandalized and the perpetrator was none other than Andrew Manning, his bright red Camaro parked only three spaces away. It looked as if this time Andrew might not walk away freely. Of course, any statement Chloe made also held a lot of weight and without her identifying him, and pressing charges, Andrew still had leeway to slip away unscathed.
“Nothing will be all right until Andrew’s held responsible for his actions,” Chloe stated firmly, looking directly at Officer Randolph and in a steady voice stated, “I want to press charges against Andrew Manning!”
“
M
arcus, tell me this isn’t happening!” Aleksei growled into the receiver, running his free hand through his hair in frustration and swearing beneath his breath, as he looked out the kitchen window and into the garden where a steady drizzle rained down. “How is this possible?”
Four sets of eyes watched him silently from where they sat at the table, the sumptuous breakfast set before them forgotten, as Aleksei listened intently to the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Oh no, Daddy’s jaw is ticking–bad sign!” Dani stated quietly, casting a quick look toward her mother who held one finger up to her lips and she shushed her daughter.
Sergei reached for Chloe’s hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze, adding a jovial wink as he tried to lessen the tension that suddenly filled the room.
“Okay, Marcus, do what you can. I didn’t expect it to be easy but I didn’t expect him to just walk away on a free card,” Aleksei concluded. With a press of a button, he ended the connection and tossed the phone to the counter in frustration, ignoring the loud crash as it hit, skidded off the counter and on to the floor; the door to the battery compartment popping off and skittering away.
“I will assume that was Marcus Carlton,” Jordan said, referring to their attorney and dear friend. “How bad is it?” She asked softly.
“It obviously pays to have friends in high places! Manning Senior pulled in a couple of favors and Andrew walked out of there free.” Aleksei growled.
“How can that be? Security cameras caught him in the act of trashing Chloe’s car,” Sergei argued.
“Yes they did. Unfortunately Manning Senior was able to convince the judge that this was nothing more than mischievous misconduct gone overboard and promised to have the vehicle repaired, or replaced, at Chloe’s request, immediately.”
“What a bunch of shit! What about the cameras in the food court? Did anything show up on them?” Sergei growled.
“Nothing clear enough to use as evidence. Andrew was much more cautious about his interior appearance than his exterior shots. Marcus said all that was visible were a pair of arms from the elbows down, no jewelry or identifying marks; the rest of his body was blocked by a tree.”
“Stupid place for a tree anyway!” Dani complained, and cast a commiserating glance toward Chloe. “What about the security guard? He wasn’t twenty-five feet away from us?” Dani suggested.
“Said he didn’t see anything,” Aleksei stated with a disbelieving shake of his head, his tone stated otherwise.
“Yeah right. I bet Manning Senior showed him something and he saw a whole bunch of it, all green.” Sergei offered flatly.
“That’s entirely possible, it wouldn’t be the first time Andrew’s daddy has bailed junior out of a jam.”
“I should have screamed the roof down like I threatened to. Then maybe we would have had a couple of witnesses. Manning couldn’t have gotten to everyone if I’d done that,” Dani stated firmly.
“Very likely not, but you know he’s got long arms and lots of highly placed friends,” Jordan stated firmly.
“So where does that leave us?” Sergei asked in frustration.
“On alert!” Aleksei answered flatly. “The good news is Marcus did manage to finagle an Order of Protection for Chloe; Andrew’s not legally allowed to be within three-hundred feet of her.”
Sergei rolled his eyes, “Right Dad, a piece of paper’s going to keep that psychopath away from Chloe,” Sergei growled, “How many other women have been killed and injured while under
Orders of Protection
?”
“Sergei, please,” Jordan said softly, a beseeching look clear in her green eyes as she directed his gaze to Chloe who sat pale and silent.
“I didn’t say it was perfect, but it’s what we have to work with for the time being. Ranting and raving isn’t going to change the situation, and until it is resolved, no one goes out of here alone. Is that clearly understood?” Aleksei ordered firmly.
All heads nodded in agreement.
“I’ve put you all in the middle of something you didn’t deserve. It was never my intent to involve you in this ugliness. I should go home, my mother should be home soon,” Chloe suggested quietly, her voice quivering as she tried to control the emotions that had her shaking and wanting to collapse.
“Sure, head on home, but before you go, allow me to put a point value on your ass! We might as well make this easy for Andrew!” Sergei growled dangerously, swiveling in his chair and grabbing Chloe by her shoulders and turning her to face him, his dark eyes daring hers to look away. “If I ever hear such a crazy comment come out of your mouth again I will personally cover your gorgeous mouth with duct tape and make you write everything you want to say down so you’ll have to think before you let such ridiculous thoughts slip out. You’re here-you’re staying here–it doesn’t’ matter how long it takes. Got it?”
Chloe stared at him, her mouth open slightly in surprise, her blue eyes shining brightly at his outburst and finally nodded up and down in understanding only to be suddenly crushed against his chest as his arms came around her and held her as if he’d never let her go.
A feeling of complete and utter calmness washed over her, making her feel more secure than she could ever remember, and she returned his hug, closing her eyes to keep the tears that suddenly glazed her vision and threatened to spill down her cheeks in check.
Jordan and Aleksei silently watched the interaction between their son and Chloe. They saw the gentle, caring way in which Sergei whispered words of comfort in her ear. Watched as he gently ran his hand up and down her back, calming her. Jordan nearly sighed out loud wistfully as Sergei placed a soft kiss against Chloe’s forehead before he slipped from her arms.
If Jordan had ever had any doubt as to their son’s true feelings about Chloe it was banished in that instant and she acknowledged, with only a little sorrow, that her baby was well and truly in love. Casting Sergei a look that wished him only happiness, emerald green and ebony eyes met and silently spoke.
Aleksei silently watched their interchange and smiled a knowing smile as his wife looked up at him. Blowing her a quick kiss, he returned his gaze to Sergei and Chloe and warmth and happiness filled him as he looked at the pair.
“Now that that’s settled. Suppose we finish breakfast before it’s completely ruined? There are people who need to be on the ice soon.” Jordan suggested and with a smile for everyone, raised her glass of orange juice and made a toast, “To new beginnings and happy endings!”
Five antique crystal glasses clinked together, as all agreed with Jordan’s toast, and the room filled with conversation, laughter and happiness as suddenly the sun filled the room with light and the air of doom disappeared.
“Come on, push those edges. Sergei, I want your ass six inches closer to the ice, dig that toe-pick in, trust it to hold you!” Whittaker yelled across the ice as he watched the pair practice their backward outside death spiral for the umpteenth time.
Sergei held Chloe’s hand tightly, pushed harder against the toe-pick that anchored him in place against the ice and let the momentum of her body swing them silently in a circle. Her body stretched parallel to the ice, only the outside edge of the blade of one skate connecting with the ice. Round and round they turned; once, twice, a third time and then with a gentle pull, Sergei pulled her back to a standing position and the two of them finished the move with a gliding spiral as they faced each other.
“How’d that one feel?” Whittaker asked, his voice echoing in the quiet of the building.
“More secure,” Sergei answered, looking to Chloe for confirmation.
“At least he didn’t lose me this time,” she teased.
“One time. She slips out of my grip one time and that’s what I’ll be hearing about for the rest of my life,” Sergei complained, skating in small circles as he tried to loosen the knots that were already tightening in his thigh muscles. He was amazed how much harder his muscles had to work just dropping the position those few inches, but his legs were definitely notifying him of their displeasure.
The sudden shrill ring of Whittaker’s cellular phone and his subsequent brusque answer had him shaking his head in frustration and agreeing to meet with whoever was on the other end of the call in five minutes. With a brusque, “I’ll be back in an hour, skate a cool-down and then hit the hot tub for a while,” he was off without a backward glance.
“That was interesting,” Chloe stated with a confused shrug.
“That’s Whittaker,” Sergei offered in explanation.
Chloe watched Sergei as he pressed the heels of his hands against his upper legs, saw the muscle spasm in his thigh through the snug skating pants he wore and grabbed for his hand, pulling him forward. “Come on, Sergei, skate with me before that spasm turns into a full-blown cramp!” She encouraged, falling into a familiar rhythm of long, fully extended strokes that had them circling the ice at a steady speed; their blades silent as only the fine lines in the ice marked their passing.
For ten minutes they did nothing but skate around the perimeter of the ice, moving as one, with their hands laced together. Chloe would occasionally glance at Sergei’s thigh, then run her palm over the pulsating muscle to see if the spasms were subsiding. Sergei silently tolerated her gentle ministrations but wasn’t certain how much longer he could survive her gentle touch on his leg. Suddenly the last thing he was thinking about was the muscle that spasmed in his thigh and he found himself fighting the picture his imagination conjured up of Chloe’s hand moving a little higher up his body.
“How’s it feel?” Chloe asked quietly, her hand again running over the painful muscle, frowning as she felt another spasm cause the muscle to ripple.
“Damn!” Sergei ground out, lifting his foot, grabbing his skate by the blade and pulling his foot up toward his bottom, stretching his quadriceps as much as possible.
“You need those muscles massaged,” Chloe suggested, pulling him toward the exit while he balanced on one foot, continuing to stretch his still screaming quadriceps.
“I hate Whittaker’s hands, he might as well be pummeling me with a meat mallet,” Sergei complained.
“Your father raves about Whittaker’s massages,” Chloe countered.
“My father’s a masochist. He doesn’t mind having his muscles removed and then put back in after they’ve been rolled, twisted and stomped on. You’ll get a more realistic version of the truth of Whittaker’s massages from Mom, she made the mistake of letting him touch her only once!”
Chloe’s eyebrows lifted in question. “So who takes care of your Mother’s cramping muscles?”
“Dad. Period.”
“He must have magic hands,” she stated reverently.
“Almost as magic as mine,” Sergei answered softly with a hint of arrogance, his voice a deep rumble that sent tingles through her and had her cheeks blushing a soft pink.
“Come on, I’ll save you from Whittaker and massage you myself.” She offered as they reached the exit of the ice and she let him leave before her. Batting his hands away and ignoring his complaints, she helped him slip the blade guards on his skates before slipping her own guards into place.
“I can still manage to put my own guards on,” he growled, grimacing as his muscle screamed in protest.
“I’m sure you can. I’m simply trying to get you to the massage table before your leg decides to totally freeze up on you. I’m not in the mood to listen to your whining,” Chloe growled back, breezing by him and leading the way toward the locker rooms off the ice rink which also housed a massage room, sauna and hot tub.
Despite the pain in his leg, Sergei had to smile at Chloe’s retreating back, although it was her shapely bottom, covered only in a form-fitting skating dress with a sheer skirt, that truly drew his interest as it swayed enticingly from side to side. The low whistle that escaped his lips happened before he could stop it and suddenly he was watching as Chloe retraced her steps and came to a stop directly in front of him.
With a defiant lift of her chin, her blue eyes flashed with a decidedly wicked light and clutching two fistfuls of his shirt, she lifted on to the toes of her skates and pressed her mouth to his. The tip of her tongue ran a slow path over his lower lip before it slipped sweetly into the warmth of his mouth. As quickly as the kiss began, she released him and, without a word, headed back toward the locker room, leaving a thoroughly confused Sergei standing in his tracks, all thoughts of any cramping muscles gone.
As she reached the door, she cast a saucy glance his way and stated in a knowing tone, “Are you going to ogle my ass all day or do you want me to take care of that spasm?”
“Can I do both?” He asked, his voice a husky whisper that carried in the chill air.
Chloe’s sensual laugh warmed him and he wondered if she knew how much power she held over him; if she knew how she could fire his blood with a simple look, gesture or word? He certainly hoped not; a man could only survive such torture for so long before he caught fire and turned to cinders.
Then again, there were worse ways to die!
Sergei limped through the locker room door to find Chloe slipping her tights from the top of her boots, removing her skates and pulling off the thin nylon socks she skated in. His eyes widened in surprise as he spotted her left ankle, wrapped in athletic tape. “What’s that about?”