“I may have given it some thought,” he admitted, and rested his hands on her waist. “But I’ve put you in so much danger already.”
“Sometimes I think you forget that I survived all of it,” she said, catching him by surprise. Her hand reached behind her back, searching the area below her husband’s belt. When she found what she was looking for, she gave it a squeeze through the denim. Talvi clenched his jaw and groaned in pleasure as his wife went on massaging his ego.
“I’ve been through so much…the vampire attacks, the kidnapping, being locked in the basement of a slaughterhouse, having my memories erased, not being human anymore, watching your brother die, watching him walk into my dressing room, helping him get you out of prison…all of it made me stronger,” she went on with a determined look. “Don’t worry, babe. Whatever else is coming, I can take it.”
“Are you certain about that?” he asked while his hands crept closer to the zipper of her skin-tight black jeans. “A life full of risk and possible danger? I can’t protect you from everything. I can’t even protect you from myself. Not completely. Ninety-nine percent is not one-hundred percent. Accidents happen.”
Still leaning against him, Annika nodded her head and unfastened her jeans before coaxing them down her hips.
“I know. But I’m sick and tired of you not letting me make my own decisions, and I’m sure as hell not going to live in a bubble or have bodyguards watching my every move until the day I die. I want to live my life, and that means taking some risks once in a while! You know what they say; no risk—”
“No reward,” he murmured. Annika nodded in agreement.
“Exactly. That’s why I wanted to have this conversation sooner rather than later.” Annika was trying so hard to get through to him…was he even listening? Her gut instinct said yes, although she wasn’t sure if she could trust her intuition; not with the way he was looking at her body. “I’m willing to risk having a kid with you if it means we’ll be bonded in every way possible. I want to know that I did everything I could to make this relationship work. I’m serious, Talvi. I’ll do anything you want to make that happen.”
“Would you really?” he sighed in her ear, and pulled her jeans down closer to her knees.
“Yes.”
“You’ll do anything I want?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “Anything. I swear.”
Talvi’s eyes squeezed shut in pleasure as he savored her words.
“When you say anything, does that mean I only get one request, or can it be more than one thing?”
“I’m not a genie granting you three wishes, babe. I’m saying I’ll do anything you want to make this marriage work out.”
Talvi let his fingers slip between her legs until they were slick and wet. He unzipped his fly and brought the tip of his cock against her sex, rubbing it against her wet folds, yet he refused to push inside. Instead, he began kneading her round, supple rear in his hands.
“I’m not certain you realize all the things a promise like that could entail,” he crooned, and then pressed the length of his shaft against the groove that split her ass in half.
“I’m pretty sure I do,” she said, and took off her sweater. “Anything means anything.” She let it fall on the floor then leaned forward to support herself on the edge of the counter. “Within reason.”
“Yes, within reason,” he agreed while admiring the view from behind. “I wonder if you haven’t taken for granted who it is that you’re dealing with. A year ago you wouldn’t have thought me to be very reasonable at all.”
“A lot can happen in a year,” she said. “I’m trying to be open-minded.”
He continued to press his erection against her, guiding it up and down that deep groove, toying with her nerves and testing the limits of her mind. She watched in the mirror as his left hand reached around the front of her body, holding her close before wandering down her abdomen. She watched it drift between her legs and spread her apart just enough to deliver one soft, circular stroke of pleasure after another. Her eyes closed as her head sank down, letting each wave elevate her temperature and pulse higher and higher.
“If you swear you’ll do anything I ask, anything within reason, let’s sort out what’s within reason, shall we?” Annika nodded in silent, blissful agreement. “What if I told you I wanted to fuck you in a way you’ve never been fucked before?” he asked as he continued to grind against her. “What if I wanted to fuck you in a place you’ve never been fucked before? Would you let me do it?”
Annika’s head jerked up and she caught what might’ve been the most devilish and wicked gleam in Talvi’s eyes that she’d ever seen.
“If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, then I think I’ll need a stiff drink first,” she stammered. “Probably more than one.”
“There’s no need for all that; certainly not at your first lesson,” he snickered under his breath. “It only hurts if you’re doing it wrong, and you’re in very good hands.”
“Are you serious?”
“Quite. Now lean forward a bit more,” he instructed. “Go on, love. Arch your back and lift up that gorgeous ass like the kotka diva you say you are.”
Annika swallowed hard, finding herself too shocked, too aroused, and too vulnerable to think straight. With an obedient nod, she arched her back and braced herself for the unknown.
“Why are you suddenly acting so nervous and shy, my little dove? Weren’t you just waxing poetic about taking risks and living life to the fullest?” he taunted. “Now, these skin-tight trousers of yours won’t let me spread your legs nearly as much as I’d prefer, so you have to do your part and lift yourself up a little higher for me.”
His left hand continued to massage her with firm, soft caresses while the right took hold of his shaft. The moment she arched her back, he plunged his length into her aching sex. Once she realized she’d been misled, the relief it gave ignited a fire deep in her core. She pressed against his left hand and rocked back against his body, fighting to take her pleasure before he could have his. The harder she worked, the harder and faster he fucked, until he was bent forward on top of her, pinning her between his body and the hard surface below. His weight pressed her snug against the counter, and his right hand rested in the cleft of her ass, massaging the tight, forbidden entrance while his left hand fluttered against her clit. It was almost too much pleasure to process. She shuddered at the overwhelming sensations, feeling herself brought higher and higher to that coveted peak while being helpless to control what he did to her.
“That’s right,” he said with an urgent whisper. “I know you’re almost there, so I’ll tell you what I really want. I want you to come with me, Annika.”
She felt the heat of his breath against her ear, relishing the way it sent shivers down her spine; shivers that went all the way down to the fingertip still nestled at the base. He started to thrust slower now, slow enough to drive her into an animalistic frenzy. She pushed back against him and gasped as she felt herself be penetrated all over again. A deep, primal urge took over, deeper than hunger and desire, where all Annika wanted was to be completely filled and consumed by her lover.
One powerful thrust followed another until he planted himself deep inside and growled before exploding into her. His left hand sent one orgasm after another shooting through her veins, pulsating through every blood vessel and constricting every muscle in her body as she gasped for air. Each ripple that ran through her was more potent than the next. Talvi’s heavy breathing filled her ears and their glistening, exhausted bodies filled her eyes when she gazed at their reflection. The two of them moved as one unified entity, having merged their souls together for a few brief seconds. It was a glimpse of the way things could be if he’d only give it another chance. Annika threw a satisfied smile at him in the mirror, and he flashed her one to match. They both knew the odds were in her favor—her husband had made a career of playing with fire, and she was the flame. He was the rebellious arrow that had finally found its
target.
Once he’d caught his breath, he carefully slipped out of her body, then pulled her back against his chest. The contented expression on his face was priceless.
“I take it you enjoyed that quite a bit,” he said, nuzzling against her cheek. She laughed as his sideburns tickled her ear.
“I don’t know what I was worried about…we’ve never had bad sex,” she admitted. “I told you I’d do anything to make this marriage work, didn’t I?”
“You did,” he hummed from above. “You also said there was no limit to what I could ask of you…within reason. I’ve thought of something else I’d like us to do.”
“Okay…” she said, too pleasantly distracted to be concerned about what he might suggest. “What is it?”
Talvi let go of her long enough to turn her around and lift her onto the counter. He positioned himself between her knees, not to go for another round, but to look her in the eye.
“I want you to come with me. I want you to trust me, and do as I say. I’m older and more experienced than you are, and I don’t want you getting hurt. Not if I can help it.”
“I don’t understand,” she said, trying to read his mind. “Are you talking about sex, or are you talking about your new work assignment?”
“Yes,” Talvi replied with a deviant grin, and kissed the red hair that clung to her sweaty forehead. “If Stephan and nine vampires couldn’t kill you—make it ten vampires if we include Vaj—perhaps you’re made of tougher stuff than I’ve given you proper credit for.” The lighthearted twinkle faded from his eyes, and his face became deadly serious. “However, if anything were to happen to you, I don’t know what I’d do. That’s why you absolutely must follow my orders; it’s too dangerous otherwise. It’s risky enough as it is, but I don’t see any other way around it. I’m damned if I bring you, and I’m damned if I don’t.”
“So that means we’re leaving tomorrow, and we’re not going to Portland first?”
“Correct. The airplane tickets are a decoy to buy us some time.”
“And you don’t know how long we’ll be gone?”
“Also correct,” said Talvi. “If it’s any consolation, we’ll be together during the third week of June, just as you wanted. As long as things go according to plan, that is.”
“What about Tripp and Adams? Do they know about your plan?”
“Of course they do. They’re working more for me than for the government. I’m paying over ninety-eight percent of their wages.”
“What do you mean, ninety-eight percent? Last night you said you were only paying sixty-eight percent.”
“I was lying.”
Annika’s eyes flashed in surprise.
“But you didn’t—”
“Didn’t what?” he interrupted. “Play with my hair, and give myself away?”
“Yeah! You didn’t do any of that.”
Talvi revealed the smug smile that he wore so well, then reached for a washcloth and turned on the hot water. Once there was an abundance of suds, he washed himself off, rinsed and re-lathered, then handed the cloth to his wife.
“If I had a tell as obvious as twirling my hair every time I lied, I’d be dead a hundred times over,” he said and zipped up his jeans. “On second thought, make that a thousand times over.”
“But when we met, you said you were such a bad liar,” Annika insisted. “You told me that you always get caught!”
Talvi gave her an apologetic shrug.
“That was a lie as well. I only get caught when I want to. Most of the time.”
Annika stared at him in disbelief.
“So how do I know when you’re lying to me, and when you’re telling the truth?”
“Honestly?” he smirked. Annika pinched her mouth shut in frustration and climbed off the counter, tossing the washcloth in the sink. Being too self-conscious to wash her body in front of him, she pulled up her skinny jeans and picked up her sweater from the floor.
“Yeah, honestly,” she said in a muffled voice while she tugged her sweater over her head.
“Well, that’s just it. The truth is that you probably won’t be able to tell when I’m lying,” Talvi explained. “Not for some time, anyway. My father’s quite good at sussing it out, but then, he’s been a judge for so long that it comes naturally to him.”
“When’s the last time you lied to me?” she asked, afraid of what she was going to hear.
“Oh, I lied to you this morning,” he said, sounding downright chipper about it. “When I said that you’d drained me for good, that was a lie. And last night when I said you’d be better off with my brother, that was definitely a lie. And when I telephoned you a few days ago and told you that I’d prefer it if we were only friends, there wasn’t a shred of truth in that statement whatsoever.”
Annika was aghast by his cavalier confession.
“Then why did you tell me all of that stuff if you didn’t mean a single word?”
Talvi couldn’t help gloating.
“Simple. Rejection is a magnificent aphrodisiac.”
“That doesn’t sound like something you read in one of your relationship books,” she accused, although she couldn’t help grinning at him. The mischievous twinkle was burning brightly in his eyes, and a smug, satisfied smile rested on his lips.
“I can assure you that it’s not. However, I did write the book on seduction, and chapter one is all about how to leverage rejection to your advantage.”
With his cat-like way of moving, he slinked in front of Annika and lifted her back onto the counter. He wrapped her legs around his waist as he stroked her long hair. She lifted a stern brow at him, although she was still smiling.
“So you played me? You lied to me to get me to fly out here?”
Talvi’s hand ran up her thigh as he gave an unapologetic shrug.
“I needed to know how you truly felt about me…about us. I needed to know how committed you were to being married. Now I know.” He bent down and kissed her cheek, then her forehead, then her mouth. She kissed him back, although she kept watching him with feigned disapproval.
“Still…you played me.”
“Like a harp.”
25
The Two Princes
Annika stared out the window to her left, taking in the view of the landscape below as the plane began to make its descent into the city. Her heart began to thump a little harder as she wondered whether she’d made the right decision on where to land. Saying yes to Portland meant saying yes to her career, yes to her music, yes to her friends and her family, and a life she was familiar with. It was a logical, rational, responsible choice.
And she’d turned it down.
“Have you got your stories straight, or shall we go over them again?” Talvi asked from the seat beside her.
“They’re not exactly hard to remember,” Annika said. “While we’re in Prague, we’re on vacation. If we cross into Prinza, or anywhere else on Eritähti, then you’re conducting business on behalf of the Imperial Trade Commission. Some company wants to buy another company, but I don’t know anything about mergers and acquisitions because I’m just your run-of-the-mill, modern bimbo human wife.” She reached over to his lap and gave his inner thigh a soft squeeze. “I’m only good for one thing…that’s why you brought me along to keep you company in between meetings. Nobody would doubt for a second how lonely you were in prison.”
“That’s one word for it,” he said under his breath, and gently pushed her hand away. “What a shame that this flight was so short. I’m feeling rather lonely right now…so much that it hurts. Hopefully, my next meeting won’t take too long. All I want is to get you into a hotel room and out of these clothes.”
“Where are we staying? Somewhere in Prague, or are we crossing into Prinza right away?”
“I can’t tell you.”
Annika gave him a seductive grin.
“Ooh, is it a secret, or just another one of your lies?”
Talvi shot her a seductive grin of his own and leaned
down closer to her ear.
“It’s neither. The location of where I’ll be fucking you tonight depends entirely on how my meeting goes. My objective is to keep you out of the public eye as much as possible…preferably on your back, or your knees.”
“If you’re that concerned, why don’t I wear some sort of disguise?” she offered. Talvi shook his head.
“I don’t want you to wear anything at all.”
“I’m being serious. What happens if someone recognizes us together and word gets back to your boss?”
“I really could not care less,” Talvi said in a disenchanted tone and buckled his seatbelt as the plane prepared to land. Annika cast him a confused look.
“What if you get fired for good? I thought you loved your job.”
“Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t. This is one of those times.”
“How come?”
Talvi shook his head and gazed out the window, searching for an explanation that his wife would accept.
“Oh, you know how it is…sometimes we have to do things we don’t agree with to please those who are more important and more powerful than us. But you don’t have to worry about it, my little dove. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Annika leaned back in her seat and watched as the horizon came closer, then closer.
“I’m pretty sure that last thing you said was a lie.”
Talvi snickered as he took her hand.
“It was. However, we’re together and we’re on holiday, so let’s not worry just yet.”
The plane landed without incident, but Annika’s skin prickled when they stepped out of the aircraft and walked through Václav Havel Airport.
“I’ve been here before,” she hissed as her eyes darted around the different terminals and kiosks.
“With Stephan—I know,” Talvi said. Annika’s head whipped upwards to stare at him.
“How did you know?”
“I saw the surveillance footage,” he explained. “You were in a disguise, but I knew it was you.”
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