The Prince's Gamble

by Caridad Piñeiro

  He tightened his hands on the chair, making his knuckles turn white. He turned to her, his stomach clenched in a knot. “You know very well what a man like Petrov will expect from you.”

  …

  Kathleen looked down at her feet and pushed out a breath. “I hope to hell it won’t come to that.”

  She had worked undercover before, but she had never done anything like she was proposing now. Nevertheless she was confident she could sell her role as a paid escort, and that Petrov might then ask her to help him with laundering the money. She also knew Petrov’s interest might demand having sex with her, so she hoped to formulate a plan that would avoid it getting that far.

  Alexander finally released his death grip on the chair and clasped her face in his hands, urging her gaze upward. His earlier anger had abated somewhat, but like the remnants of a powerful thunderstorm, some of it still lingered beneath the restraint he was showing. “You know how much my family’s reputation, my reputation, means to me.”

  It was impossible to miss the concern in his eyes and voice. “I understand you have a great deal invested here, and that any hint of wrongdoing could seriously hurt your family.”

  He nodded and ran his hands upward, threading his fingers through her hair. The touch was possessive, but tender. “Do you know what matters even more to me?”

  Her heart raced with his touch and the heat in his gaze. “I know you want to find Vanessa,” she said trying to avoid where he was going.

  Because all this was too much, too soon.

  …

  The fear in Kathleen's eyes was unmistakable. But Alexander hadn’t gotten this far in life by being impatient. With a final skim of his hands along her hair, he stepped away.

  “This isn’t an easy thing you’re asking of me.”

  “I know, but I have to ask it,” she said.

  He nodded and jammed his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her again. “I know, but I’m going to request one thing of you as well. Tell me that you trust me. Tell me that you think I’m innocent.”

  Just moments ago he’d asked for her heart, but she hadn’t been able to give it. But this she could. She could give him her trust and know that he would honor it.

  “I believe you, Sasha. I trust you,” she said without hesitation.

  With a tight smile, he nodded and said, “Tell me what you want me to do.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Kathleen took a long, surprised look at the image in the dressing room mirror.

  Tatiana had been recruited to help her get ready for tonight’s introduction to Petrov. Alexander had invited him to one of the premier events, an exclusive invite-only wine tasting, being held at Russian Nights that evening, and since it was a formal affair, Kathleen had to be dressed for the occasion.

  The form-fitting merlot-colored gown and three-inch heels from one of the casino’s designer shops that Kathleen was expected to wear hadn’t been enough to please Tatiana. Alexander’s sister had insisted on a full beauty treatment at the spa, including a facial, haircut, pedicure, and manicure.

  The end result was a woman Kathleen didn’t recognize as she did a slow turn, stunned by the change. Liking it more than she thought she would, and yet discouraged as well.

  This glamorous female in the mirror was the kind of woman Alexander would want in his life. A polished and primped and expensive woman. A woman she could never be, other than in her pose as the prince’s current lover.

  “I’m not sure this is a good thing considering how dangerous it is for you,” Tatiana said, “but I think Alexander will have a stroke when he sees you and Petrov…let’s just say he’s got no pulse if he doesn’t notice you.” She stood to one side of the dressing room, a conflicted look on her attractive face. A face that reminded Kathleen way too much of Alexander’s, with its coloring and perceptive blue eyes.

  “Our relationship is not what you think, Tatiana.”

  “Sure, Kathleen. Keep on saying it and maybe it’ll be true,” Tatiana teased, but then her cell phone chirped and she excused herself to deal with the call.

  Kathleen shook her head and with a last look in the mirror, made sure the wireless earpiece was securely placed. A sleek black clutch sat on a nearby settee. Kathleen grabbed it and the familiar weight of her small pistol tucked inside reassured her.

  That pistol and her job were what she was. Not this glittering and almost unrecognizable version of herself in the mirror.

  A knock came at the door and she called out, “Come in, Tatiana. I’m ready.”

  When she turned, however, it was Alexander standing there. A dangerous gleam entered his gaze as it danced across the new haircut, make-up, and dress.

  “Ready for what, I wonder?” The low tone of his voice was intimate. He stalked to her, one hand tucked into the black pants of his tuxedo and the other gripping a square velvet box. When he was barely a few inches away, he stopped.

  With his nearness, and the high heels Tatiana had insisted on, her lips almost grazed Alexander’s chin. His warm breath spilled against her forehead. Needing distance, she took a wobbly step back. She so hated heels, and wondered how she would ever be able to last the night in such instruments of torture.

  “Is it time to go?” she asked.

  He grinned. “It is, but first…”

  Raising the velvet box, he popped it open to display a ruby and diamond necklace with matching pendant earrings. It was jewelry fit for a queen. She laid a nervous hand against her throat, afraid he meant for her to wear it. As she met his gaze, no doubt remained that was precisely what he intended.

  “I can’t. It’s worth a fortune.” And she wasn’t that kind of girl—unlike the women he was used to.

  “It’s not that valuable. Besides, if we want Nicolai to believe you are mine, you must be outfitted appropriately.” With a long, appreciative look, he continued. “I see Tatiana has taken care of most everything, and this will complete your outfit.”

  Before she could renew her protest, he took out the necklace. The metal and stones were chill against her skin when he placed it around her neck, but the iciness warmed from his nearness. With the weight of the jewelry as a vivid reminder of their different stations in life and all that she hated, she nevertheless held still as he removed the earrings from the box and clipped them on her lobes.

  “Beautiful.” He tossed the box onto the settee and laid his big hands on her bare shoulders. Gently he urged her to face the mirror again, where their reflections stared back at them.

  It was impossible to deny they were the kind of couple who would turn heads. First there was Alexander’s rugged masculinity mixed with his elegance in a high fashion tuxedo. But more shocking was the woman who stood before him, looking nothing like a tired and uncertain FBI agent.

  That woman was nothing short of a princess standing beside her prince. They looked so right together that for a moment she imagined it might actually be possible, but then pushed that idea far away and forced herself to think about the job she had to do.

  …

  Alexander had known this was an insane idea. He should never have agreed to it. He tamped down his anger that Nicolai would be as entranced with Kathleen as he was. She was stunning. Beautiful, desirable, and vulnerable as a young girl as she gazed at him for approval—though she’d probably shoot him if he said so aloud.

  “Will Petrov take the bait?” She met his reflected gaze in the mirror, and raised a brow.

  “He’d be a fool if he didn’t,” he managed.

  Looping his arm around hers, he escorted her from the designer shop. Heads swung around to follow them as they walked out and with each step that they took, a low buzz could be heard as people stopped to stare and talk about them.

  Alexander understood the interest. He was a prince and Kathleen was as gorgeous and regal as any high-born royalty. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

  For the sake of show, and because he wanted the buzz and talk in case Petrov was anywhere nearby,
he made a point of leaning toward Kathleen to murmur in her ear.

  “We must make this convincing, Ko’shechka maja.”

  She inclined her head an inch, bringing her lips dangerously close to his. “How do you propose we do that?”

  He answered her with his mouth, taking hers in a searing kiss and wrapping his arm around her waist, dragging her close.

  They kissed for long moments, until a ding warned that the elevator nearby had arrived.

  Almost stumbling onto the elevator, they broke the kiss, both of them breathing heavily.

  Kathleen wiped her stray lipstick from his lips and he did the same to her, smoothing away a smudge at the edge of her mouth. Wanting nothing more than to take her lips again and not stop until they were lying in bed together and using their mouths for other, even more pleasurable things.

  He coughed to control his desire, but stayed close, with his arm possessively around her waist. She smoothed his lapel, making sure the small mike tucked beneath was not visible. The mike would hear everything said within a few feet and relay it back to the team recording the night’s events.

  Thankfully, the ride to the event room was blessedly short— because he was having a hard time containing his need to keep kissing her. Once the doors opened, he escorted her to the front of the ballroom, where a small orchestra was softly playing classical music.

  He was pleased to see that quite a number of celebrities had accepted the invitation to the wine tasting dinner. Along the front of the room was an elegant display of assorted American wines, including a good representation from New Jersey and New York.

  As he reached the display, one of his assistants approached with a microphone. Alexander quickly introduced himself and the various vineyards whose wines would be showcased during the meal.

  “But first, we have entertainment and a cocktail hour. Please enjoy,” he said, and shut off the mike. He returned it to his assistant and then hurried back to Kathleen. He slipped his arm around her and nuzzled her ear playfully before they began a tour around the room.

  …

  Kathleen kept her eyes and ears open while she and Alexander moved together like Siamese twins through the crowd. She smiled and shook hands with his guests, hoping that Petrov would soon arrive. Her mouth ached from maintaining the constant smile. Another thing she hated almost as much as the gown and heels was the fakeness of always being on for the crowd.

  She didn’t know how Alexander did it. But then again, he had been born to it and didn’t know any other way of life. She could not imagine doing this on a regular basis.

  When the cocktail hour was nearly over, there was still no sign of their suspect.

  Alexander exerted delicate pressure on her waist and urged her toward their reserved table. The seating was by invitation only and most of the spaces were already occupied.

  Except Petrov’s.

  But after Alexander had introduced her to the others at their table, mostly representatives of the vintners, Petrov rushed in, looking a little disheveled.

  “So sorry to be late, Alexander. I had some business to attend to.” Petrov raked back his tousled blonde hair and straightened his jacket.

  Alexander shook Petrov’s hand and clasped his shoulder with exaggerated affection. “So good to see you, Nicolai. May I introduce my guests? This is my friend Katerina Martin.”

  Effortlessly, Alexander made the other introductions and seated Petrov at a spot between the two of them. “You don’t mind do you, Kat? I’d love to catch up with my old friend.”

  “Not at all, Sasha,” she purred, playing her role as the sexy Kat. They had agreed to keep her cover name as close to her real one in case Alexander slipped up. Not that she thought he would. He was too detail oriented for that, but why take the risk?

  “Sasha? Only his closest people call him that,” Petrov said with a surprised glance.

  “Sasha and I are quite close,” she cooed sexily, earning the expected reprimand from Alexander.

  “I’m sure Nicolai is not interested in our personal life, Kat,” he chided in harsh tones. They wanted Petrov to think there was something off between them and that he could displace Alexander in her affections.

  It worked. The tension between the two caught Nicolai’s attention immediately. Nicolai had never been overly friendly with Alexander and always relished seeing him have problems.

  “I was surprised by your invitation, Sasha. So nice to see an old friend.” His eyes shifted. “And even nicer to meet this stunning creature,” he said, indicating Kathleen. “I see your taste in women has greatly improved with age.” He grinned as he bent over her hand and kissed it in a courtly gesture. “And you’ve gotten less rigid, as well, it seems. That kiss!” He winked broadly.

  Alexander didn’t have to pretend to look uncomfortable. He had never been one to parade around women, much less suggest publicly that he was involved with one by displays of affection.

  Kathleen giggled, and he shot her a warning glare, both keeping to the script perfectly.

  “I’m fascinated, Alexander,” Nicolai taunted, watching the byplay.

  Faking a world weary sigh, Alexander responded. “I need it now more than ever, my friend.”

  “Why is that?” Waiters came around and placed the first course on the table along with a tasting of two local wines.

  “First there is Tatiana. Do you know how hard it is to keep an eye on an eighteen year old in America?” Alexander’s made his tone as exasperated as that of any parent.

  “Not like in Mother Russia, I wager,” Nicolai replied.

  Alexander nodded in agreement. In their old home it would be quite easy to keep a watchful eye and rigorous control on a child. Certainly, Petrov’s parents had done the same with Nicolai after his brother’s death. Maybe that explained in part why Petrov, like Tatiana, had always chafed at the restrictions.

  “So many things here are different than in our home. It makes things difficult.”

  “Like what, Prince Alexander?” one of the vintners asked, overhearing their discussion.

  Alexander feigned apprehension at the question, but then quickly relaxed and replied, “You know, all these regulations. FDA. USDA. EPA. I’m sure you have your share of paperwork to do.”

  That was enough to get the winemaker discussing the demands caused by red tape and it gave Alexander some breathing room. He sat back and ate. Drank some wine and then more and more, hoping that Nicolai noticed. As the event wore down, Alexander had hoped that he had played his hand well, but there was one more test of how well he had done that night. Alexander invited Nicolai to his private quarters for a night cap.

  Nicolai accepted the invitation readily, relieving some of Alexander’s anxiety. Nicolai followed him and Kathleen to his penthouse apartment. Once inside, Alexander offered some more drinks and the three sat down in his living room to chat.

  “This is quite an amazing space,” Nicolai said, eyeballing not only the expensive antiques and priceless paintings on the walls, but also the multi-million dollar view of Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore.

  “It is beautiful,” Alexander replied, although his gaze was on Kathleen as he skimmed his finger along the line of her shoulder. “Beautiful, but expensive to keep.”

  “Surely money is not a problem?” Nicolai asked, presumably nibbling at the bait Alexander had been tossing out.

  Alexander bent and dropped a kiss on Kathleen’s cheek. “Why don’t you give us some privacy, Kat. I’ll be in shortly.”

  Kathleen made it clear she didn’t like being dismissed. With an abrupt surge to her feet and her lips in a rigid slash, she rose and held out her hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Nicolai. Hopefully we will see each other again soon.”

  He stood and shook her hand. Watched as she flounced from the room without giving Alexander a second glance.

  “Women,” Alexander murmured, sat back, and sipped his brandy.

  “A handful, but so delightful in bed.”

  Alexander la
ughed out loud. “Quite delightful, so much so I may decide to keep her around for a lot longer.”

  “Really? She doesn’t seem like the kind who would interest you.” Nicolai eased back down onto the full cushions of the butter-soft leather couch and then sipped his drink.

  “Why is that?” Alexander challenged, eager to discover what was going on inside Petrov’s head. He hoped that he and Kathleen had been convincing in their roles.

  Nicolai arched a brow, crossed his legs, and peered at him while swirling the brandy in his snifter. “Well, you were always so perfect. So rigid, eager to follow the rules.”

  Alexander shrugged negligently. “Things change. Surely you understand that.”

  “I do.” They both knew Alexander was referring to what had happened after Nicolai’s brother’s death.

  “I thought this casino was a good move, but it cost a great deal more than I thought. Especially with all the extra work that had to be done to repair the boardwalk and building after Hurricane Sandy. Plus I have one government agency after another in here all the time, breathing down my neck with their crazy regulations.”

  “Not so easy in this country to slip them a little and have them go back to their dingy little offices,” Nicolai replied with a sneer of disdain.

  “Not easy at all. If I don’t get the money flow turned around soon…” Alexander took a big gulp of his brandy before loosening his tie and yanking it off, his actions intentionally jerky and portraying disgust.

  “It would be a shame to let such beauty fail.” Nicolai’s greedy gaze drifted over all the possessions in the room before skipping down the hall to the room Kathleen had disappeared into earlier.

  Alexander met Nicolai’s gaze and the look there made his skin crawl. The other man hadn’t changed in all the years since they’d been in school together. Still greedy and covetous and not above breaking the rules to get what he wanted.

  “I see,” he said, much more calmly than he was feeling at the thought of what Petrov wanted with Kathleen.