Everlasting

by Iris Johansen

  Her glance slid away from his. "It's common knowledge. I just don't bury my head in the sand way Stefan does."

  "Perhaps." He unfastened his seat belt as the Lear Jet came to a rolling stop before a hangar in the private sector of the airport. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you in such good spirits all of a sudden?"

  She still didn't look at him. "Why shouldn't I be happy? You've promised to free Marna and that's very important to me."

  His hand reached out and fastened on her arm. She could feel the warmth and strength of it

  through the linen blazer. His eyes met hers with searching gravity. "No games. Truth."

  She opened her lips to make another evasive answer and then closed them again. She didn't

  want to evade him, even if it meant exposing her vulnerability. "I don't know," she said simply. "I'm just happy. I think it has something to do with you, Zack."

  His hand tightened on her arm for the briefest instant. "Dear Lord, I hope so-" Then his hand was releasing her and he was rising to his feet. "Come on. Let's get this show on the road. The sooner we can get Marna out, the sooner we can move on to more important things."

  She raised an inquiring brow. "For instance?"

  His eyes twinkled. "Why, the mondava, of course."

  She cast him an exasperated glance. "Now who's playing games? If you won't let me in on the big secret, it's not very kind of you to tease me with it."

  "Sorry, you're right. I'm not being fair." His voice lowered to velvet softness. "I think I went a little giddy for a moment. You see, I find I'm very happy too. Strange, isn't it?"

  She was having trouble tearing her gaze away from his. She was sure his eyes spoke of many fascinating things if only she could understand. She stood and picked up her handbag. "We haven't decided what story we're going to tell Stefan about our relationship. Hadn't we better put our heads together?"

  "Not exactly the portions of our anatomies I was interested in joining," he murmured. "But if you insist ..." His brow gathered in a thoughtful frown. "Where were you six months ago?"

  "Sedikhan."

  "Then that's where we met. I was really in seclu­sion in Switzerland, putting together a pharma­ceutical combine, but only a few people know that. It wouldn't have been unheard of for me to fly to Marasef for a conference with Alex Ben Raschid and run into you there. I took one look at you and—voild—instant passion."

  She frowned. "I'm not the kind of woman who inspires instant insanity in men, Zack. Do you think anyone will believe it?"

  He slowly shook his head. "What am I going to do with you? In case you didn't notice, only this morning I gave an extemporaneous demonstration of how insane you're capable of driving a man." His finger gently touched the hollow of her cheek. "I promise to be very convincing. Okay?"

  "Okay," she said softly. Happiness bubbled up in her like a clear, golden stream. She turned away as the door of the Lear Jet opened and stairs were rolled up to the entrance. "If you don't think Stefan will think something is fishy."

  "Let me take care of it. I've probably handled more difficult customers than your brother Stefan. Corporate types are far more ruthless than diplomats.'"

  "I just might do that. I haven't had any great degree of luck in influencing Stefan up to the present."

  "I've noticed," he said dryly as he took her elbow and urged her toward the door. "I'm surprised that Marna didn't just put a spell on him instead of your unfortunate suitors."

  "She couldn't. It would have been a gesture of disloyalty to the royal household and would haveb roken the tradition that binds her people to the Rubinoff dynasty." She suddenly frowned as her

  gaze swept over his big body, still garbed In the sweatshirt and jeans he'd put on that morning.

  "Where is your jacket?"

  His eyes widened in surprise. "What?" "You can't go outside like that." He went still. "Is Her Highness ashamed to be seen with me?"

  "Don't be stupid," she said crossly. "It may be hot in Tucson, but it's autumn in the Balkans, and it can be very cool here in October. You can't run around just in jeans and a sweatshirt. You might catch cold."

  "Really." A flicker of tenderness transformed the wary hardness of his face. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want to do that. A cold in the head might prove very inconvenient at the moment." He opened a shallow closet, pulled out a beige suede jacket, and slipped it on. "Satisfied?"

  She nodded contentedly. "Yes. Now you're being sensible."

  "I'm known to be a very sensible man." He directed a grin at her before he stepped back to allow her to precede him down the stairs. "Some­times."

  "Your dual personality?" she asked over her shoulder. "I would think you'd feel very Jekyll and Hyde with—"

  "Who's that?" Zack's gaze had focused on some­one beyond her shoulder and his voice was so sharp it startled her.

  Her head turned to follow his gaze and she unconsciously tensed. "We're evidently about to be honored," she said quietly as she watched the tall, lean man approaching them with leisurely catlike grace. "It's Sandor Karpathan."

  Zack gave a low whistle. "This little junket may

  EVERLASTING - 57

  prove more entertaining than I thought. I can see why he made you uneasy. He has—"

  "Condor. Strength," Kira finished flatty. "Mama says he is a disek, one of the exceptional ones who can be anything he wants to be. But diseks can be evil as well as good. She doesn't trust him. She says there is something not as it should be."

  Condar. Yes, the word suited Karpathan, just as the impression inherent in the word power fitted Zack. He was in his middle thirties and his slender body was clothed in a flawlessly tailored three-piece beige suit, which he wore with effortless grace. His hair was dark and barbered by a master hand, his shoes shined to a mirror gloss. His fea-tures were just as perfect as his dress and he should have looked a trifle effeminate. But there was nothing effeminate about Sandor Karpathan. He appeared to be tough, intelligent, and dangerous.

  His smile was a brilliant flash in his bronzed face as he stopped before her and bowed. "Your High­ness, I was informed by immigration that you would be arriving this afternoon and I took this opportunity to come and meet you." "How kind of you, Sandor," Kira said ironically. "I didn't realize you'd missed me. I've only been gone three days."

  "But we always miss you, no matter how short your journey," he said softly. "There are some peo­ple who take the sunshine with them when they leave."

  "How very flowery. I'm sure both you and Tamrovia survived my absence." Karpathan and Zack were sizing each other up like two gladiators about to enter the arena, and she doubted if either man heard her. "However, I think it far more likely you were interested in the information immigra­tion gave you regarding my companion."

  Karpathan shrugged. "I admit to a touch of curi­osity. After all. I'm only human." His smile was totally charming. "The two of you made every newspaper in Europe this morning. Mr. Damon is such an elusive man; I found it very interesting that you managed to capture him."

  "But she didn't." Zack took a step closer and his arm slid around her waist in swift possession. "I'm the one who captured her. Introduce us, Kira."

  "Of course, "she said quickly. "Zack Damon, this is His Grace, Sandor Anton Karpathan, the Duke of Limtana and personal adviser to my brother."

  Karpathan held out his hand. "My friends at Oxford called me Sand." He grinned. "I think it was meant to remind me that the title didn't give me any right to put on airs. I hope you will call me Sand."

  Zack took his hand and found himself looking into eyes of deep sapphire-blue. Very familiar eyes. He glanced at Kira. "You're related?"

  "The eyes?" She nodded. "We're distant cousins. That particular color seems to pop up repeatedly in the family."

  Karpathan grimaced. "You notice the emphasis on distant? I can't seem to convince Kira what a wonderful fellow I am. I hope you'll be more ready to accept my friendship."

  "Why do you want to be friends with me?" Zac
k asked bluntly. "I'm here purely for a social visit because Kira wanted me to see her country."

  "How very sentimental," Karpathan murmured. Kira must have a very odd effect on you. I hadn't heard that you were prone to such emotion."

  "She does have an odd effect on me," Zack said quietly. "But I'm enjoying the hell out of it."

  There was an elusive flicker in Karpathan's eyes.

  I believe you're sincere. How refreshing. I'm afraid I've become something of a cynic, and I admit I doubted your devotion to my little cousin."

  "I'm very devoted." Zack smiled gently. "Why shouldn't I be? You said yourself that Kira walks in sunshine."

  "Not you too," Kira wailed, wrinkling her nose.

  I'm beginning to get a little nauseous with all this sweet talk floating around."

  You're right. She's very hard to convince." Zack's gaze met Karpathan's. "That's why I'm here. 'When we met six months ago in Sedikhan, I told her we were meant for each other, but she thought I was crazy. I've got to convince her that I'm not a man to change his mind."

  "I don't think there's any doubt about it," Karpathan said lightly. "When we heard you were coming, Stefan and I hoped we could interest you in investing in a few industries that need a little shoring up. We're obviously going to be disap­pointed." He shrugged. "Oh, well, perhaps we can still lure you into our toils. Stefan is giving a recep­tion in your honor tomorrow night at the palace. I'll invite a few key men to whom you might be interested in talking. Now, may I offer you a ride to the palace? Stefan is very eager to meet you." "I just bet he is," Kira muttered. Karpathan gave her an amused glance. "You can hardly blame him. It's not every day that Zack Damon is brought into the fold. You must admit you've proved very difficult in the past, Kira. Stefan is delighted that you've finally managed to get it right."

  Kira opened her lips to speak, but Zack quickly said, "We don't need a lift." He nodded toward the dark brown Mercedes parked by the high wire fence bordering the runway. "I arranged to have one of my people meet us."

  "Oh, yes. I forgot you have contacts everywhere. Even in our small and unimportant country." He inclined his head. "Then 111 see you at the palace." He turned and walked swiftly in the direction of the navy-blue limousine parked to the left of the hangar.

  Zack was silent as he escorted Kira across the tarmac to the Mercedes. He greeted the driver briefly and helped her into the backseat of the car. Then he settled back against the cushioned uphol­stery with an absent frown on his face. The car started and began to move out of the airport park­ing lot with an almost soundless hum of motion.

  Kira turned to face him. "Well?"

  He looked at her inquiringly.

  "Karpathan," she said with a touch of impa­tience. "What do you think?"

  "I think both you and Marna are right," he said quietly. "He is a disek.. As for what else he is, I have no idea. I'll have to find out." He reached out and laced his fingers through hers. It was a compan­ionable, intimate gesture, and a tiny river of warmth flowed through her. "And I think we're def­initely going to have an interesting few days in pic­turesque Tamrovia."

  Four

  Stefan appears to be an amazingly lax guardian of your morals," Zack said from the doorway of his adjoining suite. "He didn't even pretend to want to save you from my clutches."

  Kira took off her suit jacket and tossed it on the couch. "if he hadn't thought I was willing to sleep with you, he'd probably have put you in here with me and seen that the door was locked every night."

  Zack lifted a brow. "Surely you're exaggerating."

  "Perhaps a little," she said wearily as she kicked off her high heels. "But you saw how Stefan fawned all over you when you were introduced. My clever cousin was correct. It seems that at last I've done

  something right in Stefan's eyes. Maybe I should have turned whore for the glory of Tamrovia and Stefan before this. It might have been easier than fighting his plans for an arranged marriage."

  The amusement left Zack's face. "I guarantee it wouldn't have been easy at all," he said with dan­gerous softness. "And totally impossible now that you've agreed to belong to me."

  Her eyes widened in surprise. "I was joking, for heaven's sake."

  "There are some subjects I don't find funny. You just happen to have hit on the one at the top of the list." He was silent for a moment, his gaze on her face. "And I don't think you find the idea amusing either. What's wrong, Kira?"

  She laughed shortly. "Why, nothing at all. What could possibly be wrong? Shouldn't I be thrilled to have spent the last hour with the three of you treating me as if I were a prize poodle to be petted and taught new tricks? I'm a person, dammit!"

  "I know that," he said quietly. "I thought you realized I'd have to behave with you as I ordinarily would with a mistress."

  She felt a swift jab of pain. "You did it very well. You would, of course, considering your experience. How many women have you—" She broke off. "I'm sorry. So sorry. I don't have any right to ask you such a question. And I know you had to act as you did in the throne room." She met his gaze fiercely. "But Stefan didn't and neither did Sandor. I felt . . . valueless."

  "I have an idea Karpathan was following Stefan's lead," he said thoughtfully. "Giving an inch so he could take a mile at some other point along the road. I'm sorry I didn't cut the meeting short when I saw the way it was going, but I wanted to observe Karpathan with your brother." He smiled faintly. "It was very enlightening."

  "Enlightening?"

  "Karpathan is very clever. The strings are almost invisible and Stefan is completely unaware he's dancing on them."

  "You think Stefan is being manipulated?"

  Zack nodded. "I'd say Stefan hasn't made a move that wasn't in accordance with Karpathan's wishes since your cousin became his adviser."

  Kira shivered. "I thought so. Which is going to make it much more difficult to get Marna out of Tamrovia, isn't it?"

  "Possibly." Then, as he saw her troubled frown, he added gently, "But we'll do it anyway. I promised you, Kira."

  She could feel power and reassurance flow out to her and her expression gradually cleared. "I know

  you did, and I'm definitely going to hold you to it," she said lightly. "Do you have any ideas as to how we're going to manage it?"

  "A few," he said absently. His gaze traveled past her to the photograph on the wall across the room. "Is that one of yours?"

  She turned to the black-and-white blowup he was indicating. "Yes," she said carelessly. She gestured to the opposite wall where there were a half

  dozen framed black-and-white photographs. "They're all mine. Photography is one of my hobbies."

  "Yes, I know." He crossed the room and stood before the photograph that had caught his atten­tion. "This is magnificent. You can almost feel the rage and frustration the man is feeling."

  "Stefan thought so too," Kira said with a touch of grimness. "The original photograph appeared in the Belajo Sentinel. That's Marc Naldona, the trade union leader. I took it at a secret torchlight meet­ing in the woods north of the city a little over a year ago. Stefan was perfectly furious. He confiscated my camera and lectured me for two days." She regarded the photograph somberly. "He also exiled the editor of the newspaper and installed one of his stooges in his place. Then Stefan tried to arrest Naldona, but he was warned and fled the city before the soldiers arrived."

  "Don't look now, but I think your madcap facade is slipping drastically," Zack said softly. "Do I detect a note of patriotism?"

  She shook her head. "I tried to do something when I realized how bad Stefan was for Tamrovia, but he made quite sure I was helpless. I was a doll to be manipulated. That was why I chose to spend my school years in America and my vacations in Sedikhan. I don't want to care when I have no power to change what's happening here."

  "But you do care."

  She smiled a little sadly. "Then I'll have to get over it, won't I? Because if I manage to get Marna out of Tamrovia this time, I don't think I'll be able to co
me back. Karpathan will make quite sure that Stefan refuses to let me return." She straightened her shoulders with a touch of bravado and lifted her chin. "It looks as if 111 have to consider a career. Do you think I could make a living as a photographer?"

  "Yes, if that's what you want. I think you can be anything you want to be," Zack said gently. "These photographs are brilliant. Did you take them with the Nikon?"

  "Yes, I used a long-range—" She stared at him. How did you know I had a Nikon?"

  "I must have read it somewhere." His eyes were till on the photograph.

  She frowned. "I didn't think any of the reporters knew about my work. It's not something I talk about." "How else could I have known?"

  She shrugged wearily. "I guess you couldn't.

  Lord, there's no way to keep anything private these days, is there?"

  "Was it the Nikon your brother took away from you?"

  "Yes, it nearly broke my heart. I loved that camera.

  Marna gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday and it was absolutely wonderful. It must have cost her a small fortune. I felt guilty accepting it from her, but I couldn't resist." She made a face.

  "Stefan wasn't about to let me have anything that might stimulate my independence and take my mind off what he considered my duty."

  "You made good use of the camera while you had it. These photographs are exceptional. I'll buy you another one as soon as we return to the States."

  "No," she said emphatically. "I'll buy it myself and this time I won't let anyone take it away from me."

  There was a little flicker of pride in his dark eyes. "No. I don't think you will." He turned away from the photograph. "Well discuss it once we're out of Tamrovia. I believe we'd better accomplish that as soon as possible, considering Karpathan is here."

  She became very still. "When?" "I think tomorrow night during the reception will be as good a time as any. From what he said, Stefan appears to be inviting practically the entire business and social world of Tamrovia to the festiv­ities. It should be relatively easy to smuggle Marna out of the palace during the party."

  "Tomorrow?" Kira felt a frisson of nervousness, but she suppressed it immediately. He was right, the sooner the better. "Easy? There are two guards in front of her door at all times."