I gathered her up into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her up the stairs to my bedroom. Exhausted, she fell asleep before I’d even slipped her into bed.
“My lovely girl,” I said, slipping in next to her and pushing the soft brown hair from her eyes. I took her in my arms and she curled against me. I listened to the soft, gentle rhythm of her breathing. I knew I would never sleep tonight. And the ache of my own unsatisfied need seemed a small price to pay.
16
Ana
I woke to the delicious smell of coffee and the warmth of gentle morning light on my face. I sat up in the massive carved wood bed and looked around me, blinking and pushing the hair back from my face. For a moment I didn’t know… and then the memories of the night before came flooding back.
I sat up, naked in the tangle of soft sheets, and felt my whole body flush pink as I remembered. Max had stripped me and I’d begged him to… I caught my breath, thinking of the sensation of his mouth between my legs…
“Good morning Ana.” I jumped as he appeared in the doorway, breaking the spell. He smiled as he watched me, and I blushed even pinker. The sheets had fallen to my waist and his eyes roamed downward. “Hmmm... even more beautiful in the morning.”
He was dressed in jeans and a black pullover, his hair still wet from the shower. He looked sleek and dark, his green eyes glowing brightly. He reminded me again, of a powerful animal, fixed on its target.
“Coffee,” he said, holding out a steaming mug as he sat down next to me on the bed. I smiled and sipped. Hot and delicious.
“I brought your bags in from the car.”
I looked from him to the chair by the fireplace. It held my overnight bag, my handbag and my laptop case. “Breakfast will be ready by the time you’ve showered and dressed.” He caught my chin in his fingers and tilted my face to his, his lips full and close. “I have plans for you today, Ana. Plans for us.” He kissed me, pulling me into his arms and plundering my mouth. The feel of his sweater against my naked breasts left me aching with need. It seemed the more he gave me, the more I wanted.
“Or you could join me, in the shower,” I whispered against his mouth, surprised again at my own forwardness. Where had the old Ana gone? The one who had given up on men and was happy to sit at home alone…
“Soon, Ana. So soon,” Max said softly against my neck. “I won’t be able to hold back much longer… I want you so much.” I looked down to see the long, hard evidence in his jeans. He was huge. I could see the thick outline straining against his zipper. I reached out for him and heard him gasp at my touch. I felt so bold, so absolutely brazen.
“God, Ana. You have no idea how much I want this. I’ve never wanted any woman like this…” His breath came hard as he spoke, and I watched the muscles in his jaw straining. “But this is going to mean something between us, Ana. Maybe more than you know.” He took my hands into his and kissed my fingers. “I want to know you, sweetheart… and I want you to know me. Before we take that step. It’s important, for both of us.”
He held my hands to his lips, his eyes so full of emotion and intensity. For a moment I felt bewildered, lost in the notion that for once, I was the pursuer and the man I desired was the one holding back. So often, it had been me, wanted the man to understand, needing him to see there was so much more than just sex, when a man and woman joined together…
“It’s important to me too, Max. It’s just that I want to give you so much, the way you gave to me, last night…”
“You can, Ana. You will.” He cupped my breast, as his other hand held my face and his lips teased mine mercilessly. “By letting me inside you today, Ana. Really inside. By telling me your sweet secrets.”
He’d turned on the shower for me and set out a stack of fluffy towels. Then he left me with a seductive smile, to go back to the kitchen. I stepped under the flood of water and ran my hands over my body. How had I ever gotten so lucky, I thought, hugging myself. This wonderful man had just walked into my life, four short days ago, and already he was so important to me. I’d been so attracted at first, because he’d resembled the portrait of Anton. But it had taken no time at all to see him for who he was, a man of principles and integrity. The kind of man who would protect and take care of his woman. An old-world man in modern times.
I finished rinsing my hair and squeezed out the water. A few minutes later, I was dressed in jeans and a soft pink sweater. I combed out my hair and left it to dry in soft curls around my shoulders. I put a touch of gloss on my lips and headed downstairs, following my nose to the kitchen.
“Your timing is perfect, sweetheart,” he said, turning to kiss me. He flipped thick, golden brown cakes on a wide griddle and poured me another cup of coffee.
“What are those?” I asked, sniffing as my mouth began to water.
“Syrniki,” he said. “Like a pancake, but made with cottage cheese. My mother used to make them when I was little.” He scooped two onto a plate and sat it in front of me. “Put the fruit and sour cream on them.” He laughed, pushing the bowls closer to me. “Trust me. It’s worth all the calories.”
He put a generous spoonful of both on my plate and then heaped his own. He watched as I took my first bite and smiled. Then he dug into his.
We ate in happy silence and lingered over more coffee. Fat little birds sat in the wide windowsill as he gathered up the dishes. “Let me help,” I said, pushing him gently out of the way. “You cooked.”
“Is my sweetheart domestic?” he asked, dropping a kiss on my neck. I rinsed the dishes and he took them from me, loading then into the dishwasher.
“I do okay,” I said. “But I think you might be the better cook…”
“Hmmm, I’ll take it.”
“This reminds me of when we were little, my sister Ally and me, when my mom and dad were still alive. When we were a family.” I handed Max a dripping plate.
“What happened to them, Ana?”
“It was a car accident… on their anniversary.” I leaned against Max’s shoulder as I remembered. “They were coming back from dinner when it happened. Ally and I were waiting up. We’d made a cake for them…”
He took me in his arms and kissed my forehead softly. “I’m so sorry, Ana.”
“Those were the best times, when we were still a family,” I said. “I’m just so grateful for my sister, you know? I don’t think I could have made it without her. She was younger than me… she needed me to be strong.”
“And you have been, haven’t you, Ana? Ever since.”
“I owed it to Ally. Nothing’s more important than family, Max. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for family.”
Max held me as I pressed my face to his chest. I could hear the steady beat of his heart. We stood for a long while together, listening to the birds on the sill.
Hours later, we sat in the sunshine, curled together on a blanket. The remnants of our picnic, a roasted chicken and a bottle of white wine, sat abandoned. Max held a slice of apple to my lips.
“No, no more… I can’t…,” I squealed, twisting away and laughing. “I’m so full. I can’t take another bite.”
He rolled me onto my back and I smiled up at him. It was surprisingly warm for so late in the year, but the air felt crisp. A breeze blew gently past us, chilled by the water. We’d packed the picnic not long after breakfast and headed here, a lovely natural parkland by the Potomac. It was only Saturday, but I was already aware how quickly our weekend together would be over. And I’d go back home… I remembered my unlocked front door and the misplaced photo.
Max buried his face in my neck, kissing and nipping gently. I wrapped my arms around him with a shiver.
“What is it, Ana… are you cold?”
“A little, I guess. I was just thinking of where you found the picture, the one of the diamond. There was no good reason for it being there, on the floor…”
“No… no, perhaps not,” Max said with a frown. For a moment he seemed very far away, then he smiled and
kissed me. “How many people know, about the diamond… about when and how it’s being transferred over to Hillyard?” he asked, his voice light.
“Only a few… Stuart of course, and a few of our techs. And the loan review committee at the Smithsonian. Probably less than a dozen altogether.” I reached up to brush his hair back. “And you.” I smiled, as he leaned down to kiss me again.
“It’s a valuable piece…,” he said, working his way down toward my breasts.
“Over a hundred million,” I said, as his lips teased a tight nipple through my sweater. “Next to nothing though, compared to the value of the rest of Hillyard’s collection. But I think it’s priceless… from the history alone…”
“Because you believe it belonged to Catherine… and to Anton?”
“I know it did. I’m so sure…” I was panting as he pushed my sweater up and took one breast in both his hands. He rolled it gently, pushing the nipple up into the cold air, and sucking it between his lips. His mouth was teasing me, but his eyes were serious.
“But how can you be so sure… how can you ever know for certain…?”
“The dates are right, for one thing. The cut of the diamonds and the design of the setting. There’s written evidence from the late eighteenth century, that Anton’s family owned a large blue diamond. It could only have come from Catherine. Their affair was well known, and a diamond that rare would only have been owned by royalty.” My breath caught as he rolled my nipple in his fingers.
Max looked from my breasts to my eyes. “Evidence. But the world of science needs proof.”
“It’s there Max, I know it. I’m staking my professional reputation on it.” I stroked the side of his face and felt silken stubble along his jaw. “It’s why I have to have the stone in my hands. To see it for myself. I know there’s no photographic proof of an inscription in the setting, but I know it’s there. I can feel it.” I turned my face away from the intensity of his look. “I’ve had dreams of it, Max. I know how silly that sounds… but I just know.”
My phone began to buzz and I reached for my bag, pulling my sweater into place.
“Hey, Annie. I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me.” Ally’s voice made me smile. My sister, I mouthed silently at Max.
“Not a chance, baby girl,” I teased. “You were supposed to call me last weekend, if I recall…”
“Yeah, well. I’ve been busy… I sorta met someone.”
“No way,” I said. It was too perfect. I smiled at Max, who kissed my cheek. “Me too. But you go first and tell me everything.”
“Well, there’s not much to tell… at least, not yet.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “We met at a club and we’ve met for drinks a couple of times. His name’s Sandy and he’s a lot of fun. He’s got this sexy accent and this whole mysterious foreign thing going on.”
For a moment, I felt an unfinished thought, like a hiccup in my brain. I was blank, searching for the flash of meaning that was gone almost before it had started…
“It’s amazing, Ally,” I said, so happy for her. “And you’re never going to believe this…” I sucked in a breath as I watched Max wander off toward the river’s edge, whistling tunelessly.
Twenty minutes later, I’d told her everything… well, almost everything. How Max and I had met, his interest in my work, how supportive he was. How wonderfully protective.
“What does he do? Sandy’s into computer programming.”
“He… he, uh,” I stumbled, realizing for the first time I wasn’t really sure. He’d said something
about investments… “It’s a family business,” I said quietly, thinking back on what he’d told me. I just couldn’t remember what kind...
“Oh… I’m sorry. I’ve got another call coming in. I love you, Annie, and I’m so happy for both of us. Call me, soon!”
I clicked off the phone and slipped it back into my bag. I thought about what I’d told Ally about Max and me. It had mostly been how he made me feel, how he listened to me, and paid attention to me like no man ever had. He was sexy and kind and so different from any man I’d ever met. I felt like a different woman when I was with him.
But I wasn’t sure where he worked. As a matter of fact, he’d never said anything about having to go to work. I knew he’d come to the states about ten years ago, but he hadn’t said anything about the family he was in business with…
I watched him as he headed back, a warm smile on his face. I grinned back and pushed the troubling thoughts away. We’d only known each other for about a week, after all. There was plenty of time for discovering each other. All I needed to know at this moment, I already knew. No man had ever made me feel the way Max did. It was as if we belonged to each other somehow. And I knew I wanted more. So much more.
He looked down at me for a long time, like his thoughts were far away. A cloud drifted over the sun, darkening the sky and I shivered.
“I think it’s time for me to get you home,” Max said softly.
We packed up our picnic in the fading light and headed for the car. Max tucked me into the car with a soft plaid blanket around me and turned up the heat. He kept my hand on his hard thigh, trapped under his own as we drove home.
“Ana, I know the police weren’t too concerned about what happened at your apartment… hell, neither was I. But now, after hearing about the history of the diamond, the value…” He brought my hand up to his lips and held it tightly. “You’re important to me Ana… and the things that matter to you are important to me too.” He brought my hand to his chest and I could feel his strong heartbeat. He pulled into his driveway and came around to open my door for me. I could get used to this. Being treated like a lady.
A few minutes later, I was settled under a blanket in front of a roaring fire and Max was beside me. He took a sip of brandy from his glass and handed it to me. It seemed to evaporate on my tongue, leaving a lingering warmth in my body that seemed to ignite when Max touched me.
“I want you tonight, Ana,” he breathed into my ear as his lips trailed my neck. “I want you with me tonight, and the next… and the next…” He pulled me against his rock hard chest. His heart was beating almost as fast as my own.
“I don’t want you going back to your apartment, Ana. At least, not without me. I want to keep you with me, until you have your diamond safely in hand.” He reached to the hem of my thin sweater and lifted it to expose the lace of my bra. His green eyes glittered in the firelight and I felt the brandy and my own powerful desire racing in my veins.
“I’m going to make sure you’re safe, Ana. I need to know you’re always safe.” He unhooked my bra and watched as my breasts spilled out. “And until you have the diamond, Ana, I’m not letting you leave my side.”
17
Max
Everything seemed simple when I held her in my arms.
I looked down at the soft, full mounds of her breasts. Her skin glowed in the firelight and I could see pure fucking desire in her eyes. My heart was pounding mercilessly in my cock. How the fuck had I managed to hold back this long?
I pulled Ana to me and stroked the soft skin of her back, feeling the delicate bones of her spine under my palms. With one fast move I pulled off my own sweater and heard our breath catch in unison as our bare skin touched…
“Max… oh my god, Max,” Ana’s voice was low, almost harsh with her own need. I remembered how powerfully she’d climaxed from just the touch of my hands, my mouth. Fuck, how would it feel when she was coming like that on my cock?
I stood, lifting her easily into my arms. I held her for a moment, searching her eyes. “Tell me you want this, Ana. Tell me you want me now,” I demanded. There was no fucking way in hell I was taking no for an answer…
Her eyes were shining and her breath came in shallow pants. She pushed her hands up into my hair and her hot, fucking lips parted.
“I can’t live without this, Max,” she said, so softly I moved my face even closer to hers. “And neither can you.”
I watched in fascination as Ana smiled, her naked breasts heaving against my chest as I held her tight. I saw that fucking hot, naughty look shining in her eyes. “I need you to fuck me, Max.”
I was up the stairs, with her in my arms in a dozen long strides.
Moonlight was streaming in through window. I wanted to see every inch of her. And I wanted to see her eyes, when she saw all of me.
“Ana, my beautiful Ana.” I put her down and reached for the zipper of her jeans. “I need you completely bare… I want nothing but your skin and mine.” I slipped her jeans and lace panties down, stroking the length of her hips with my hands as I pushed them to the floor. She stepped out and stood naked before me, reaching for the waistband of jeans.
My huge cock burst free as she unzipped me. I watched as she gasped, her eyes enormous. “It’s… you’re… my god, Max,” she said, breathing hard.
She looked up into my eyes and I smiled down at her. It felt so fucking good, standing naked and primal in front of her. I felt her eyes on my cock like a touch. I sucked air through my teeth. I stood in front of her, my thick cock bobbing, the head huge and dark… already dripping.
She reached out for me. The first touch of her fingers was like fucking electricity. Her tiny hands wrapped my shaft and the jolt hit me hard. My balls pulled up tight and my spine jerked like a bullwhip. “Christ, Ana.” She tightened her grip and worked her hands along my length. “Fucking hell, baby... what are you doing to me?” I rocked with the movement of her hands.
“I told you, I want to give, like you gave to me,” she panted. She stroked a hand down my chest, over my abs. She trailed a finger down the vee of muscles at my hip and traced the length of me. She dipped her fingertip into the wetness seeping from my cock. Then she put it to her lips. At that moment, I was her fucking slave.
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