The open space was illuminated by moonlight coming in from the large glass windows above the front door. But there was another light. She walked downstairs and saw a soft glow coming from inside the office. The door was open. She walked over and saw Mikhail sitting at his desk. His head was down, but she knew he wasn’t asleep. She stood there a moment just watching him.
A single lamp shone down on his desk. His laptop was on, and the monitor’s blue shadowy radiance cast a soft glow across his face. Both elbows on the armrests, he just sat there.
Nothing had prepared her for meeting him. And the day he walked into her life had changed everything. She’d always known she wanted to have a child. But it wasn’t until Derek died and Mikhail came to her that she knew who she wanted the father to be. It was like divine fate had brought him to her that day. And as soon as she’d seen him standing in her doorway, she’d known he was the one. And now she was even surer than ever.
“Hey.”
Mikhail looked up at Cyanna standing in the office doorway. He smiled and sat back. “Hey, yourself.”
“May I?”
“Sure, of course. Come on in.”
She walked farther into the office and looked around. She’d seen it earlier, but at night, in the wee hours of the morning, it looked much different. It looked lonely. He looked lonely.
She knew he watched her as she walked around. She could feel the deep penetration of his eyes on her body. She turned to him and smiled. He nodded.
“Come here,” he said.
She raked her teeth over her lower lip. “I think you like ordering me around.”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, I do.”
“Thought so,” she said, standing her ground. But the seductive twinkle in his eyes soon weakened her resolve. A few seconds later she walked over to where he sat and slowly turned his chair around to face her. She sat down on his desk in front of him. He sat up, pulled the tie and opened the silk robe. He looked down at her naked body and smiled openly.
He leaned in, licked and kissed each nipple. Cyanna sighed, rolling her head back and bracing her hands on the desk. He licked her again and suckled. He was hungry, and her body fed him completely. His kisses burned her skin with near-mindless intensity. In mad passion they devoured each other. Mikhail stood. He abandoned restraint, released the drawstring on his pants and let them drop to the floor. His arousal stood straight at her core. He raised her hips from the desk and entered her in one smooth sealing motion.
She gasped and shrieked until his powerful kiss covered her mouth. Her arms circled his neck, and her legs wrapped securely around his waist. She held tight as he pushed into her over and over again, filling her body completely with each vigorous thrust. They looked into each other’s eyes as their rapture neared. Seeing him seeing her was more sensual and erotic than she ever imagined.
Then an instant later their desire exploded. Their bodies tensed rigidly as spikes of ecstasy held them, then slowly released. Breathless, he picked her up and cradled her as he sat back down in his chair. Soothing kisses covered her neck and shoulder. He wasn’t done touching her, and she wasn’t done wanting him. They went back upstairs. The dance of love continued until the early hours of dawn.
Chapter 7
The next few days went by quickly in an exciting blur of joyful entertainment and sensual pleasure. Cyanna and Mikhail spent most of the time together talking, getting to know each other and enjoying the intimate pleasures of their newly forged pact. Later, Mikhail took her out and around to see the wondrous sights of Key West. She saw his world through his eyes, and she loved it.
At first they visited the usual tourist locations, but then he took her to his favorite places on the island and beyond.
At the end of the week Cyanna woke up to a gentle kiss on the back of her shoulder. She moaned sleepily, then exhaled her exhilarated joy. The past few days she’d been living a fantasy on cloud nine. Mikhail was amazing. Each morning they’d wake up late and naked, wrapped in each other’s arms. They’d make love in the tub or shower stall. They’d eat, relax, talk, read, swim, then retire to the secluded backyard getaway and make love all over again. At night they’d lie out beneath the stars and enjoy each other’s bodies until the early-morning dawn.
As a lover he was without equal. He was loving, tender, spontaneous, confident, attentive, creative and extremely generous. Just thinking about what he’d done to her body the past few days made her stomach shudder with excited delight. Every time he looked at her, she wanted him all over again.
Every care, every desire, every need and every want had been thoroughly and completely fulfilled by him. He had cherished her mind, her body and her spirit. Being with him had exceeded all her desires. She had never been so elated. She smiled to herself. He was right—this was so much better than a sterile room in a fertility clinic.
A second kiss came; this time he moved her hair aside and added a sweet nuzzle to her neck as he pulled the top sheet away from her body. He massaged her neck and shoulders, then stroked the length of her back and caressed her buttocks. She smiled again, loving the feel of his hands on her body.
He leaned in and kissed her ear. “Good morning,” he whispered.
“Good morning,” she hummed.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked, continuing to kiss her earlobe.
She giggled at his tickling tongue and tender kisses. “Great,” she said, rolling over to the side and looking up at Mikhail. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. “You’re dressed. Are we going out this morning?”
“I am. I need to take care of a few things at the marina. It’ll probably take a good part of the day.”
“Aw,” she moaned, commiserating. “Back to work. Reality looms already.”
He smiled and nodded while gently stroking the length of her body. “Yep, already, but I’ll be back later this afternoon.”
“Can I come?”
He smiled mischievously. “You want to come?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
She nodded again.
“Okay,” he said and began pulling the sheet down from her body. His eyes immediately focused on her pert breasts, dark areola and soft nipples. “Ah yes, now this is what I call the perfect morning delight.” He leaned down and nibbled and licked her nipples until they were as hard as diamonds. She gasped and sighed. His hot breath made her body burn and her blood sizzle. He opened his mouth and took her in. Panting gently, she cradled his head, moaning at the sensuous sucking. His hand reached down to her thighs and then came up between her legs.
She giggled and squirmed away from him, rolling to the other side of the bed. He reached for her again, but she blocked his hands. “That’s not the kind of coming I was talking about,” she playfully scolded.
“Really? Are you sure?” he said.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” she said.
“Come here,” he said. She shifted closer. He kissed her lovingly. “I’ll be back in a few hours.” He stood and turned to leave.
“Promise?” she said, watching him go.
He turned and nodded. “Stay right there. Get some rest. I’ll join you soon.”
She raked her teeth over her lower lip and smiled as her stomach fluttered. The look in his eyes told her he had all intentions of spending the rest of the day in her arms. She lay back down, listening to his footsteps as he walked down the steps. Shortly afterward she heard the front door open and close. She got up and headed to the bathroom.
She showered and dressed and then went down to the kitchen to get something to eat. As soon as she reached the foyer, the front doorbell rang. An overnight deliveryman was standing there with three extra-large boxes addressed to her. She knew these were the things she’d asked Donna to send. She signed for them, and he brought them ins
ide. As soon as he left, she opened the first two boxes, delighted that her clothes had finally arrived.
She turned her attention to the third box, labeled Fragile. More lightweight than the other two, she opened it and saw the exorbitant amount of foam peanuts and padding on top. Without going farther, she knew exactly what it was. She hadn’t asked Donna to send it, but here it was. She knew this was her practice instrument without removing a single peanut.
She pulled it out, fingered the bow and strings, then placed it on the foyer table and turned her attention to the clothes. She took the first two boxes upstairs and looked through her selection. Although suitable and comfortable, the outfits were far more practical and businesslike than she’d expected. She really didn’t own any casual lightweight clothing. Disappointed, she shook her head, realizing she’d have to get some new things sooner rather than later. But right now she had a call to make.
“This is Donna Van Kelp.”
“Hey, Donna, it’s me. I just received the boxes. Thank you.”
“Sure, no problem. I hope everything arrived in one piece.”
“Yes, everything’s just fine. By one piece I presume you mean my violin.”
“Okay, I know. I know. But I couldn’t resist and you know I can’t mind my own business. I was standing in your bedroom packing your clothes and I saw the instrument sitting there on the stand. And like I said, I couldn’t resist. I had to send it. I’m not going to let you walk away and just give up on your talent.”
“I know and I’m not,” Cyanna said. “And thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Also I got a call from your friend in Qatar. He still wants you back, or rather his grandfather does.”
Cyanna sighed heavily. “When?” she asked.
“Yesterday, today, right now, as soon as possible. Apparently his grandfather is asking for you constantly. I told him you weren’t in town, but he insisted he’d send his jet to pick you up wherever you are.”
Cyanna looked around and shook her head. “No, I can’t. I need to do this.”
“And the money?” Donna asked.
“I need to do this,” Cyanna repeated.
“All right, as long as you’re sure,” Donna said.
Cyanna nodded, affirming her position. “Yes, I’m positive.”
“Okay, I’ll take care of it. So, how’s everything going down there?”
“Great, fantastic, couldn’t be more wonderful,” Cyanna said, smiling and thinking of Mikhail. “Mikhail is an amazing man. Hopefully this time next month I’ll be headed back home with a little something extra tucked away.”
“Cyanna, can you really walk away just like that?” Donna asked quietly.
Cyanna stopped smiling. She paused a moment before answering her friend. She knew she wouldn’t have a choice. As soon as she was pregnant she needed to move on and get back to her life. “Yes,” she said softly. “I can. I have to.”
“Okay, Twitter me, text me, keep me posted.”
“I will. Take care.”
She ended the call and looked around at her clothes scattered on the bed. She gathered them up and began hanging them in the closet and putting them in the drawers. Just as she finished, she heard the front door open and voices calling out for Mikhail. She stopped and looked around. They were female voices. She walked out of the bedroom and over to the stairs and peered over the banister. There was no one in the foyer, but she heard talking and laughter coming from the kitchen area. She called out, “Hello? Can I help you?”
Two women walked back to the foyer and looked up the stairs. Neither spoke. They looked at each other and then back to her.
“Mikhail’s not here. May I help you with something?”
“And you are?” one of the women asked sternly.
Cyanna started walking down the stairs slowly. “I’m a friend of Mikhail’s. And you are?”
They looked at each other again, smiled and then turned back to Cyanna. “I’m Tatiana,” one answered.
“I’m Natalia,” the other added. “We’re his sisters.”
Cyanna smiled and walked down the rest of the steps quicker. “Tatiana, Natalia, hi. It’s a pleasure to meet you both and finally put a face to the stories. I’ve heard so much about you. Mikhail talks about you and Nikita all the time. I’m Cyanna, a friend of his.” She shook each sister’s hand happily.
“Sorry for just letting ourselves in like this. We wouldn’t have just walked in had we known someone was here. Unfortunately, Mikhail didn’t mention the house was currently rented.”
“It’s not rented. I’m kind of staying here with him for a while.”
“How long is a while?” Tatiana asked with her usual journalistic inquisitiveness.
“Actually we’re not sure yet. We have an understanding of sorts,” she added, purposely trying not to say too much.
“What kind of an understanding of sorts?” Tatiana continued questioning suspiciously.
“It’s a personal arrangement,” Cyanna answered vaguely.
“Okay,” Natalia said. “Do you know where he is?”
“Yes, he’s down at the marina this morning. I expect him later. If you’d like to come back or leave a message...”
“No, that’s okay. We’ll head down there and catch up with him. Thanks. It was nice meeting you, Cyanna.”
“You, too,” Cyanna said.
The sisters looked at each other, nodded and headed to the front door. Just as they opened it, Cyanna called to them.
“Um, maybe you can help me,” she began. They turned around. “I need to buy some clothes more suitable to this climate. Can you suggest a few places I can shop in town?”
“Sure,” Tatiana said.
“Actually, we were headed out to a few boutiques ourselves. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like.”
“Sure,” Natalia chimed in, adding a nod to the invitation.
Cyanna smiled. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“No, not at all. Please, we insist. We’re having a girls’ day out—lunch, shopping and gossip. Join us. It’ll be fun. We can hear some of those stories our brother’s been telling you.”
Cyanna smiled. “Great. I’ll grab my purse and be right out.”
A few minutes later Cyanna got into Natalia’s backseat. “Thank you so much.”
“Not at all, it’s our pleasure,” Tatiana said. “Since you’re obviously a good friend of our brother’s, this is the perfect way to get to know you.” She paused briefly as Natalia pulled out of the driveway and headed into town. “So, where are you from?”
“I live in New York City.”
“Cool. What do you do there?” Natalia asked, looking up in the rearview mirror.
“I’m a classical musician. I play the violin.”
“Wait, are you Cyanna Dupres?” Tatiana turned and asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“I know you. Or rather I know your work,” Natalia said. “I love it. I play your performances all the time, especially in the Teen Center. Your music relaxes me and really helps me concentrate and focus, and it introduces the teens to another form of music. Hey, maybe we can arrange for you to come and talk to the kids. I know they’d love to meet you.”
“That sounds like fun. I’d like that.”
“Oh yeah, I enjoy your work, as well. You are very talented,” Tatiana added. Natalia nodded in agreement. “So,” Tatiana began again after a short pause. “You and our brother are friends.” Cyanna nodded. “Have you known him long?”
“A little while,” Cyanna said, circumventing their curiosity.
“Good friends, as in seeing each other romantically?” Tatiana hinted for more clarified information.
“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” Cyanna hedged.
“What do you mean complicated?” Natalia asked as she parked.
“Ah, I think I’d better let Mikhail tell you when he’s ready.”
Tatiana looked at Natalia. They knew for certain something was up now. They just had no idea what it was. And, knowing their brother, he’d never tell them. Getting it from Cyanna was their only hope.
Their first stop was to Nikita’s Café for a quick breakfast snack. Over beignets and lattes they talked and joked about Cyanna’s music experiences, Tatiana’s strangest interviews and Natalia’s high-spirited sons, Brice and Jayden. Afterward they headed to a popular local boutique. They went in and were immediately welcomed by their friend and the store’s owner. The sisters helped Cyanna pick a few stylish outfits, then Cyanna and Natalia assisted Tatiana in choosing a dress for a red-carpet music affair later that week.
They shopped at a few more boutiques, then continued to another larger store, where they bought several more summer outfits. Their last stop was a children’s boutique, where Natalia and Tatiana found a number of seasonal outfits for Brice and Jayden. While the sisters stood in line to pay for their purchases, Cyanna waited and browsed, wandering around the store.
After paying, Tatiana looked around. “Hey, where did Cyanna go?” she asked.
“I don’t know. She was right here a few minutes ago.” They started walking around the immediate area; then Natalia entered the baby’s department. “There she is, over by the display.”
Tatiana walked over, looked around and saw Cyanna standing at a display holding a tiny Onesie and admiring a pair of knitted baby booties.
Natalia turned to her sister and whispered questioningly, “Baby booties and a Onesie?”
Tatiana shrugged and nodded. “Uh-huh, that’s what it looks like to me.”
Cyanna turned, seeing the sisters and smiling awkwardly. “Hey, are you guys ready?” she asked as she put the booties and Onesie back on the rack. “Um, I was just looking at the baby things,” she said.
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