The Thrill of You

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  “Are you—” Natalia asked.

  “Me? Oh no,” Cyanna said. “It’s just that I can never resist baby things. They’re so tiny and so precious.” She paused, sighed and repeated, “No.”

  “Sounds like your biological clock is ticking,” Tatiana said.

  “I guess it is. I love babies and children.”

  “You should have some.”

  “I hope so. Maybe one day,” she said wistfully. “Ready?”

  “Yes, it does sound like you’re ready,” Tatiana observed.

  “You know you can always go to an in vitro specialist. I did and I have two incredible sons to show for it,” Natalia said.

  They talked about Natalia’s experience as they walked out of the store and continued shopping. An hour later, after stopping at a food market and then for take-home dessert from the café, Natalia and Tatiana dropped Cyanna off at Mikhail’s house.

  Twenty minutes later, Natalia and Tatiana were parked at the marina. They walked along the long private dock to one of their brother’s boats.

  “Hey up there,” Natalia called, raising her hand to block the bright sun from her eyes.

  Mikhail looked over the rail at his sisters standing on the dock. They waved.

  “Hey, I didn’t know you guys were coming by today. I’ll be right down.” He finished wrapping up a rope, then jumped down from the boat. “What’s up?” he asked.

  “You tell us,” Tatiana said. Natalia grinned.

  “What do you mean?” he asked after hugging them.

  “You’re not hiding or protecting her or you never would have left her alone in the house....” Tatiana began.

  “Plus we would have never met her,” Natalia added.

  Tatiana nodded. “You don’t usually have traditional relationships, so we can eliminate the ‘I’ve fallen in love and she’s living with me now’ scenario.”

  “And with everything I’ve read about her, she’s not likely to be a one-night-stand type. So, what’s the deal with you and Cyanna Dupres?” Natalia asked, ending their deductive reasoning.

  Mikhail smiled. “You stopped at the house?”

  They nodded. “Oh, we did more than that,” Natalia hinted.

  “What do you mean you did more than that?” he asked.

  “What’s going on, Mikhail? Why is Cyanna Dupres staying at your house? And we know it’s not business or we’d never ask.”

  “She’s a friend,” he said.

  “Yeah, we got that part from her. What else?”

  “She’s visiting the area,” he said, watching Fannie hurrying down the dock toward them. She waved at him. He knew he was needed in the main office.

  “And...” Tatiana prompted.

  “And she needed a place to stay, so I—”

  “Mikhail,” Fannie called out. “Got a minute? We need you.”

  “Sure. I’ll be right there,” he told Fannie. She nodded, turned and walked back down the dock. “Sorry, ladies, duty calls.” He smiled at his sisters. “I’ll check in with you later.” He hugged them again and strolled down the dock.

  “Not funny, Mikhail,” Natalia called out after him.

  He waved and kept walking. Natalia and Tatiana looked at each other and shook their heads. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he planned that,” Tatiana said.

  “I know better, and he probably did,” Natalia said as they headed back to the car and drove home.

  Chapter 8

  Mikhail knew his sisters well. Once they had a taste of curiosity, there was no way they were going to just give up on being interested about Cyanna’s presence in his home, especially Tatiana.

  As soon as he walked in the front door, he smelled something cooking and heard salsa music playing. He headed to the kitchen, but hesitated when he saw the overnight delivery package containing the violin and bow on the foyer table. He picked it up and examined it. It was much smaller than he’d expected. He plucked one of the strings, listening to the sound reverberate within the wooden instrument. He put it back down and continued to the kitchen.

  He paused in the doorway, watching Cyanna sway and gyrate her hips as she peering into a large pot on the stove. She was dressed in a colorful floor-length body-hugging halter dress. She looked stunning, sexy and undeniably inviting.

  The thin ribbon tied in a bow behind her neck tempted him to release it. He licked his lips as his fingers itched at the thought of pulling her dress away and thrusting into her over and over again until their bodies tensed and exploded in unrestrained passion. The desire to make love to her right there on the kitchen table sent a rush of excitement through his veins directly to his groin. A familiar firm tightness pulled at the front of his jeans.

  She had a way of affecting him like that. His breath quickened, and his body tensed. He wanted her all the time, and right now he wasn’t sure this feeling was ever going to stop. He was getting very used to coming home and having her there waiting for him. After everything he’d done in his life, this was what he’d always wanted. Peace and serenity at the end of the day with a woman in his arms. But not just any woman—he wanted Cyanna. The truth in his words echoed in his heart and mind. Yes, he wanted her.

  He’d known the moment she’d opened her apartment door months ago that she would be important to him. It wasn’t until later that weekend that he’d realized how important. But she wasn’t ready for him after so soon losing Derek. That’s why he’d had to walk away before she got too attached. He’d done it once. Could he do it again? Could he really end this when the time came to walk away with her carrying his child? He shook his head slowly, mentally answering his own question. No, having a child could be the beginning of a new life for both of them.

  “Hey,” he said, leaving his thoughts and walking over to the stove to greet her.

  Cyanna turned, smiling, then put the wooden spoon she’d been stirring with on the dish beside the burner. “Hey. I didn’t hear you come in. But, as usual, perfect timing.”

  “Actually I have to get back to the marina shortly. I’m expecting a very special delivery. But I thought I’d take a break and come home for a quick snack,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist while moving his body with hers to match the rhythmic salsa music. “Umm, delicious.”

  “That would be dinner. I thought I’d cook for you tonight.”

  “Yes, what you’re cooking smells delicious, but I wasn’t talking about the food. I was talking about you. You look mouthwatering, and I’m a starving man.”

  “Well, starving man will have to wait a few more minutes,” she said, playfully pushing back against him with her rear.

  “Ah yes, do that again,” he joked.

  “You’re incorrigible.” She chuckled and pushed back more slowly this time.

  “Yes, I am, but only for you. So, what’s cooking?” He reached around her and tipped the lid on a small pot of steaming rice. Then he reached to look into the larger pot as she moved to the side counter.

  “It’s seafood gumbo, my own special recipe. It’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes, but it’s even better when it’s heated up later this evening. I just have to add the shrimp, lump crabmeat and the last few ingredients.” She began chopping a small bunch of flat leaf parsley.

  Mikhail grabbed a spoon from the drawer and tasted the steaming-hot brew. “Mmm, this is good. Spicy, exactly how I like it.”

  “Me, too. Oh, do you have any filé powder?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” he said, checking his seasoning cabinet, then pulling down a small glass jar from the top shelf. He placed it on the counter beside her. “Need any help?” he asked.

  “No, I’m good,” she said.

  “And tasty,” he muttered as he kissed and nibbled the sweet curve of her neck and pressed his body close. The music slow
ed to a more sultry, seductive melody, and his body slowed to the new rhythm. He kissed her neck again, and she turned within his embrace and their lips locked instantly. The kiss was ravenous, sweeping them both up in its consuming intensity. When his mouth pulled from hers, she gasped breathlessly.

  “Stove, pot, I need to turn it off,” she muttered.

  He nodded, and reaching over, he turned off the burner and slid the pot aside. In one smooth move he stepped away from the stove and pressed her against the counter. He held her tight, and his mouth and hands were all over her body. She loved it. “I’ve been thinking about you lying in bed waiting for me all day,” he murmured as a deep guttural groan rumbled from his throat. “Do you have any idea how much I want and need you right now?”

  Her body reeled from his confession. They kissed again, and the rage of passion exploded. He released the bow behind her neck and pulled the front of her dress down. Her breasts stood pert and waiting with her nipples already hard for him. He gazed at his treasure with ardent approval. He licked his lips, then tasted one and then the other. He suckled, and her head rolled back as she gasped and panted. His mouth and tongue were deliciously thorough, and she wanted everything he gave.

  Unable to take much more, she pulled back. He looked into her eyes. She reached down, feeling the thick bulge between his legs, and her wetness flowed freely. She stroked and rubbed the full length of him as his eyes seared into hers. She moved to unzip his pants and felt a vibration in his pocket. “Your phone,” she said.

  “What phone?”

  “In your pocket, it’s ringing.”

  “It’s work. Forget it,” he said.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Answer a phone right now, when I have you in my arms, are you kidding me?” he said as he nibbled her neck.

  She smiled, pleased by his answer. “But what if it’s important?” she whispered in his ear and then kissed his neck.

  “Then they’ll call back.” The vibrations in his pocket stopped. “See, it stopped, not important.” An instant later the house phone began ringing.

  “I think they just called back, and that would make it important.” She leaned back. “Looks like it’s gonna be work first, darling. We have plenty of time tonight.” His cell phone vibrated again. “Answer the phone.” She smiled and went back to the stove to resume cooking.

  Mikhail answered and had a brief discussion with the person on the other end. Even though her back was turned, it was impossible for Cyanna not to overhear his side of the conversation.

  “Hey, did she get there yet?...Okay. How long?...No, I’ll take care of that when I get there...Nah, go, I’ll be back later.” He glanced at his watch, agreed to something else and finally ended the call and came back to stand behind her at the stove.

  It was obvious that the nice romantic dinner Cyanna had planned was overshadowed by whoever “she” was. “I guess you have to get back to the marina now,” she stated.

  “Later,” he said, tasting the food again. “So, how was your day?”

  “Interesting, you had a couple of visitors earlier,” she said.

  “Yes, I know. Tatiana and Natalia stopped by the marina.”

  She smiled. “Your sisters are really cool.”

  Mikhail chuckled. “Yes, they are.”

  “We talked, we laughed and we shopped most of the day.”

  He nodded. “I presume they wanted to know who you are and why you’re here with me.”

  “Yes, they did, repeatedly.”

  He smiled. “And you wouldn’t tell them.”

  “No, I wouldn’t.”

  He chuckled. “Good. But of course that’s not the end of it.”

  “I didn’t think it would be.” She stopped stirring and looked up at him. “Are you going to tell them about us, what we’re really doing, trying to do?”

  “Our arrangement,” he noted. “No.”

  She nodded slowly, suddenly feeling a hollow emptiness in the pit of her stomach. The fact that he had no intention of telling his sisters and probably the rest of his family about her and their hoped-to-be child hurt her more than she’d thought it would. It was suddenly painfully obvious that neither she nor her child would be welcome as legitimate members of the Coles family. “I get it. You don’t think they would understand.”

  “Actually, they would understand. More than you know, particularly Natalia.”

  “But what we’re doing is very different.”

  He nodded. “Yes, it is, but the same end results.”

  She turned and went back to stirring the gumbo. “And you still won’t tell them.”

  “No.”

  She stopped and released the spoon.

  “Having second thoughts?” he asked her.

  “No, no, of course not, I want this child, my child, very much. I just... I guess I hoped...” She stopped and took a deep breath. “Never mind.”

  “No, tell me. What is it?”

  She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Why don’t you get back to the marina and do what you have to do. The sooner you get there, the sooner you’ll be back.”

  He nodded. “Okay. I don’t know how long this is going to take. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “I’ll be here.” She turned and watched as he left the kitchen. As soon as she heard the front door close, she turned everything off and sat down, cupping her chin. She took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. She should have stuck to her original plan and insisted that Mikhail go to the in vitro clinic. She knew that if she didn’t step back she was going to be in for a lot of heartache. As soon as he got her pregnant, she’d walk away.

  “That’s it, no more feelings, no more emotions and definitely no more pity party,” she vowed, disregarding her heart. “This is business, just business.”

  The door opened and closed again. Cyanna looked up at Mikhail walking back into the kitchen. “You’re back.”

  He nodded. “I’m back.” He walked over to her and put his hand out. She took it and stood.

  “I thought you needed to be at the marina.”

  He shook his head. “No. I’m exactly where I need to be right now, with you.”

  Cyanna smiled. How could a man make her feel so good and know exactly what to do and say to melt her heart? “Let’s eat.”

  Cyanna finished making the gumbo while Mikhail cleaned up and set the table on the patio. They sat out and ate, relishing the comfort of each other’s company and the ease of conversation. Afterward they cleaned up and Mikhail loaded the dishwasher. Cyanna went back outside into the yard while he finished. Whoever she was and whatever he needed to do with her seemed to have completely faded away. As far as Cyanna was concerned, in his eyes tonight, she was the only woman on the planet, and she loved that feeling.

  She stood, thinking about getting pregnant. The joy she felt filled her heart. She stepped out farther and looked up at the brilliant sky filled with stars. There were so many, and they were so breathtakingly beautiful. She’d never seen them so stunning. When she traveled she never took the time to look up and appreciate their beauty, and when she was home the city lights of New York drowned and obscured their radiance. So this was a rare treat. She looked down, stroked her stomach and smiled, thinking about showing her child all this beauty for the first time.

  “Soon.”

  She turned to Mikhail behind her. She nodded and looked back up at the sky as if to make a silent wish. “You know, it really is so beautiful here. It’s perfect serenity.”

  “Yes, it is. So, tell me, you’re on leave right now,” he said, moving beside her. She nodded. “And how exactly does that work? Do you just stop playing for a while?”

  “Yes, something like that. I finished my performance tour schedule three weeks ago and I don’t have to go into the studio for anoth
er few months. That means I’m completely free except for a few personal performances and a few I usually give for a very special fan.”

  “A very special fan?” Mikhail queried.

  She nodded. “Yes, he flies me in for a couple private performances. I stay a few days, hanging out, and then I go back home. I’ve cancelled them for the time being.”

  “Should I be jealous?”

  She chuckled. “No, I don’t think so. Aziz Robah is close to eighty years old. He’s a very sweet, very old man who smiles when he sees me. He played violin when he was younger, and he enjoys listening to my music.”

  “I don’t presume he makes the travel arrangements for you.”

  “No, his grandson makes the arrangements. They have a private jet, actually several private jets. Ammar comes and picks me up personally. They live in Dawlat, Qatar. It’s a small nation close to—”

  Mikhail nodded tightly. “I know Qatar. So this fan and his grandson, Ammar, they must be very wealthy to fly you in special every year just to perform.”

  “Actually it’s more like every few months. They have means.”

  “So you just go over there and perform for Aziz?” he said.

  “Well, the rest of the immediate family is there, as well.”

  “Which includes the grandson no doubt,” he said. “And then what happens?”

  Even in the soft veranda lighting, she saw the tight grimace cross his face. She sighed, knowing where this was going. It was the same line of questioning she’d gotten from her brother years ago. She began walking down the narrow path to the cabana. Landscape lighting illuminated as she walked. He followed. “Then I usually spend a few days hanging with the family, shopping or just touring around the country. It’s a very modern and beautiful region, and their home, a palace, is extremely serene. I’m respectful of their country’s culture and traditions and also they pay me extremely well. And Aziz has a small crush on me.”

  “It sounds more like the grandson has the crush, not the grandfather. Let me guess, Ammar personally escorts you around the country, first-class everything, impressive lunches, exotic dinners and so on.” She nodded. “And he is always very respectful.”