by Lia Lee
Maddie turned and leaned her hip against the railing. “Vacation house” didn’t really do the place justice. The word “compound” or “estate” would have been far more appropriate. There were armed guards everywhere. From her position on the first floor balcony, Maddie could see two guys with guns standing in the driveway. There were two more in what appeared to be an old bell tower to the right of the main house. There was a crow’s nest sort of watchtower on top of the house with two more beefy, mean-looking men with guns and earpieces, and she knew there were at least four more stationed throughout the house because she’d run across them more than once. One did not forget coming face-to-face with a huge guy carrying an automatic weapon on the way to the bathroom.
Alex appeared from the direction of the living room. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Once I got over the fact that we took a private jet to Croatia, you mean?” Maddie didn’t bother to hide her sarcasm. “Next time you should really be more specific when you ask someone to come hang out at your place.”
“Is there a problem?” His eyebrows drew together in obvious confusion.
“Seriously?” She took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. This really wasn’t his fault. In fact, there wasn’t fault here, per se. There was just a lack of communication. “Look. I should have asked very specifically where we were going. I made assumptions, and I shouldn’t have.”
“What assumptions?” He moved in closer, leaning on the railing just a few inches to her left. “Help me understand what’s bothering you.”
“I suppose when you said ‘vacation home’ I was thinking Hamptons, Cape Cod, Montauk, you know?”
He shrugged. “I’m vaguely familiar with those places, yes. I have never been there.”
“I get that. You’re not a US citizen. You’re from Russian, and I guess rich people in Russia have houses on the Croatian coastline.” She blew out a stream of air that sent a few tendrils of her hair flying. “I just thought we were going someplace where I would be able to make it back to the city in time for my client’s party.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “So this is about missing a business commitment.”
“Yes!” She hesitantly reached out to touch him. “I’m sorry, but I really should go back.”
“And I’m sorry, but that isn’t possible.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “I will set up whatever you need to keep in touch with your clients. We have Skype, Internet, phone, fax, and anything else you might need. But we need to stay here in order for you to be safe.”
“Safe?” Now she was really confused. “How am I not safe at home?”
He inhaled and let out a long, slow breath as though he were trying not to lose his temper. “I know you’re not used to the world I live in, but this baby is a threat to the imperial succession.”
“There is no imperial succession!” Maddie was yelling now, and she tried to calm down.
“I know that,” Alex said quickly. “However, not all of the members of my family feel that way. It’s been a bone of contention for years. My mother especially doesn’t believe that the tsars will not return. She wants them to return once again.”
“And she wants you on the throne,” Maddie said dully. “Along with your pretty, legitimate, politically minded Russian wife and a whole passel full of kids. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“So basically you’re telling me that my baby and I are a threat, and as long as we’re not under all of this security—” She gestured to the guys with guns. “—we will be in danger.”
“Yes.”
She felt helpless, and that really pissed her off. “I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it either.” He very gently cupped her cheek. “Look, it isn’t the way I would have preferred to get to know you. But while we are here we can enjoy ourselves. And when you wish, you can work.”
Maddie felt suspicious. “When? You do realize that most of my work is hands on. I can do some things from a computer, but I can’t develop talent in New York from halfway across the world.”
“Just give me a few weeks to get things straightened out.”
“Weeks!” She was beyond trying to be reasonable. Her voice was so shrill and panicked that she was pretty certain she heard the glass doors behind them shiver.
“Maddie, please.” He actually put his arms around her.
The spontaneous gesture of affection shocked her into silence. He never did that sort of thing. It felt—well, it felt good to be held by him. She couldn’t stop herself from relaxing into his embrace. She slung her arms around his midsection and rested her cheek against his chest.
***
ALEX COULD FEEL Maddie begin to relax. He passed a meaningful look to his men, and they backed off. The four house guards had come to find out what the problem was thanks to Maddie’s loud outbursts. Not that Alex could blame her. She was an independent American woman who had been plucked out of one life and dropped into another. It probably didn’t help that he had been rather unclear about where he was taking her on vacation. It would be a lie if he tried to say he hadn’t already known she harbored a misconception. He had happily exploited that for his own uses, and he wasn’t about to apologize for it now. She was safe, and that was what mattered. Here in Croatia his mother had no power to make trouble.
“Since we are here,” he began slowly. “Why don’t we do a little shopping? I know you didn’t have any time to pack things for a trip.”
Alex expected her to be excited and immediately distracted. Most women of his acquaintance would have been. Instead, Maddie gave a little shrug and a sigh. “I suppose I do need something other than my yoga pants and a ratty sweatshirt to wear while I’m here.”
He rubbed his palms up and down her upper arms, enjoying the strength he felt there. She wasn’t like the other women he knew. He didn’t even know why he was surprised that she didn’t react the way his mother or cousins would have.
He signaled his men and gave quick orders in Russian.
“What did you tell them?” Maddie wanted to know.
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I told them that I intended to go out and that they should make the arrangements. Now go get ready, and I will meet you back in the kitchen as soon as you are done.”
She gave him a bit of a strange look, which he realized was probably due to the fact that he’d just told her to go get ready after they’d already established that she had no luggage.
He sighed and watched her head toward the bedroom and en suite bathroom. He had placed her in her own room to afford the poor woman some privacy should she want it. But it was impossible to tell what she thought of that decision, or pretty much of anything else.
“What is going on?”
Alex spun around, surprised by the intrusion. Then he realized that the somewhat sarcastic Russian tone belonged to Vladimir. Finally he would be able to get a second opinion on this entire situation that was not fueled by personal gain or responsibility.
Clapping his friend on the shoulder, Alex sighed with relief. “I’m so glad you were able to come.”
“I must admit that this is the first time you’ve ever requested my help with a woman.” Vladimir raised his eyebrows. “She’s pretty enough, but I don’t like to share, you know.”
The instant denial that rose to Alex’s lips left him confused. When Vladimir’s expression sank into one of knowing introspection, Alex realized that his friend had been baiting him on purpose.
“So. You’ve fallen in love.”
“What?” Alex snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Really?” Vladimir walked to the bar situated at the other end of the living room. “So you would be happy to share this woman with me?”
“No!” Alex rolled his eyes. Vladimir was the only one who ever teased or otherwise “messed with” Alex. It was very disconcerting. “The woman is pregnant with my child. I’m trying to keep my mother from having her summarily executed to avoi
d a challenge to my supposed try for the throne. Do you see my problem here?”
To his credit, Vladimir did not flinch at the outlandish nature of Alex’s confidence. But that was why Alex had wanted him here. He needed his friend’s cooler head to help make sense of this mess.
Vladimir threw back a shot of vodka. “That’s all very concerning. However, I believe the first question you should truly be considering is what place you want this woman to occupy in your life.”
“She’s the mother of my child!” Alex said it as though it were obvious.
Vladimir only shook his head. “No. If that were all, you would have paid her off like your mother wanted. There is something that you want from the woman, and it isn’t just a child.”
“Like what?”
“Did you enjoy her?”
Alex didn’t even have to think about it. “She is unlike any other woman I’ve ever met.”
“So screw her again and screw her often,” Vladimir suggested. “She is beautiful and very likely intelligent. Find out if this is something you can work out of your system. Then decide what you want to do about it. If she’s under your skin in a way that isn’t likely to change, I’d admit what you feel and hurry up and hang onto it.”
“That sounds rather mercenary, don’t you think?” Alex wasn’t certain he was on board with this plan.
“Perhaps. But you are not a man given to emotion. I might even call you emotionally backward, Alex. You were weaned on protocol and formalities. You’ve been groomed all your life for a job, title, and position that aren’t even yours to take. You have become successful at what you do, and yet you show not one iota of feeling for anything in life.” Vladimir slammed back another shot. “All of a sudden I see before me a man who is feeling things. He is wondering about his future and what it might hold. He finds himself unable to set aside a woman even though it would be better for him strategically to do so.”
“So?”
Vladimir snorted and poured himself shot number three. “That’s love, my friend.”
Chapter Eleven
Maddie had never seen anything more beautiful than the tiny coastal town with the name she could not begin to pronounce. The people seemed old fashioned. The streets were narrow. Buildings were made of natural stone. The color of the stone was almost sand colored, and each structure had a quaint, red tile roof. The buildings were jammed together, and yet there were still the most beautiful green trees sprouting between them. The colors were incredibly intense, and the sky that hung overhead was the deepest blue Maddie had ever seen.
Alex casually held her hand draped over his arm as the two of them meandered down a road lined with shops. Maddie tried to ignore the fact that there were two enormous, black clad guards prominently carrying handguns in holsters at their waist trailing behind. Unfortunately, it was a little difficult to forget.
“Do you see anything you like?” Alex gestured to a shop with windows that showcased rack after rack of jewelry.
Maddie bypassed the bling and headed for a boutique that carried airy sarongs, bathing suits, and other beachwear. “I think I need to focus on the practical and not the pretty, don’t you?” She cast a glance over her shoulder to find him looking rather perplexed.
Inside the boutique, she flipped through several racks of clothes. Pulling out a few possible choices, she draped them over her arm. A woman approached and took the dresses from Maddie. She gestured to a tiny cubicle with a curtain at the back of the shop. Maddie nodded. Apparently the world of retail did not need words in order to make a sale.
The woman glanced at Alex and gave a little start. Maddie frowned, wondering if men weren’t welcome in the store. Then the woman sketched a hasty bow, and Maddie realized the store clerk actually recognized Alex. Apparently here in Croatia, Alex was the equivalent of hanging out with a pop star back in New York.
Maddie continued browsing. She was so over any hint of the celebrity wow factor.
“I must admit,” Alex finally said in English. “I have never had a woman turn down the offer of jewelry before.”
“I bet.” Maddie left it at that and chose another long dress. The sundresses in this place were made of an incredibly beautiful, woven linen fabric and didn’t appear to be very expensive—that was providing Maddie remembered her exchange rate correctly.
“Maddie?” Alex actually sounded amused. “Are you ignoring me on purpose?”
“I’m shopping, sweetie,” she told him with a chuckle. “I’m busy. Give me a minute and I’ll pay attention to you, all right? I’ll even go back to the jewelry store if that will make you feel better.”
Maddie glanced at Alex from the corner of her eye. He looked miffed. Good. Maybe he deserved to remember that she wasn’t some call girl who was too enamored by his celebrity status to expect him to treat her right.
***
ALEX COULD NOT believe Maddie was essentially ignoring him. Vladimir’s suggestion to just have sex with her a few times to work her out of his system was looking better and better. He was Alexander Maximovich Stepanov, for goodness sake! He should not be trailing around behind a woman while she ignored him in favor of perusing a rack of clothing that obviously hadn’t been designed by any reputable fashion guru. How could she seem so pleased by such poor quality goods?
Less than ten minutes later, Maddie had made an efficient trip to the dressing room and chosen her items. The sales clerk rang up the paltry total, and Maddie reached for her wallet and credit card.
“I’ll take care of it,” Alex told the sales clerk in Croatian. “Just send the bill to my estate.”
“Yes sir.” The young woman bobbed another quick bow and then waved at Maddie to put her card away.
Maddie swung around. “Did you just pay for my stuff? I really don’t need you to do that.”
“The entire bill was less than half the cost of the last pair of shoes I purchased,” Alex told her. “I promise I won’t even notice. I would like to do this for you to make up for taking you on vacation to a place you had not anticipated. Yes?”
She shrugged. “I guess that’s fair.”
The sales clerk quickly wrapped Maddie’s parcels in tissue and then put them in a string handled shopping bag. Maddie gathered her things and walked out of the store. Alex fell into step beside her, and they walked for several minutes in companionable silence.
“There’s a really wonderful restaurant up here on the corner,” Alex said as they approached the end of the street. “Are you hungry?”
Maddie glanced behind them at Igor and Ivan. The brothers had been on Alex’s personal security detachment for nearly a decade.
She made a vague gesture to indicate the men. “What do you do with Moe and Curly when you stop like that? Do they just stand behind us inside the restaurant? Do they wait outside? Do they get another table?”
“This bothers you excessively?” Alex realized suddenly that it absolutely did bother her. He was used to such things. He supposed that to her it might seem unusual.
“I’m used to celebrities having bodyguards. There are bouncers and bodyguards all over New York. Sometimes I swear it’s one of the largest growing professions in the city.” She sighed. “But I’m not used to people following me or worrying that someone might actually want to kill me—or kill us.” Her hand drifted down to her belly, and Alex felt a faint stirring of protective instincts as well.
“Their names are Igor and Ivan,” Alex told her quietly. “They will simply make themselves part of the scenery in the restaurant. They are quite good at what they do. I know that this is odd for you, but honestly it is for our protection. I don’t want any harm to come to you—” He took a deep breath. “—or our child.”
***
THE WAY HE said “our child” did weird things to Maddie’s heart. And truthfully she was starving. She wanted nothing more than to sit down and chow her way through a plate of food that preferably included lots of bread.
“All right.” She nudged him gently with her shou
lder. For once he did not rebuff her affection. So she smiled up at him. “I’m not going to tell you that I don’t want to eat. I’m pretty much starving every second of every day.”
His broad smile left her wondering which of her words he found most amusing, but soon they were entering the most adorable restaurant, and Maddie forgot everything but the scenery. It was cool and inviting inside. The walls were whitewashed and then painted with scenes of the town with the blue-green ocean behind and the brilliant sky overhead. Little hand crafted sconces held candles that gave off flickering light and provided just the right amount of atmosphere.
A man greeted them eagerly, jabbering away in a language Maddie couldn’t decipher at all. He gestured for them to follow, and Alex led the way through the low ceilinged, cozy dining room to a terrace.
Maddie gasped. “It’s so gorgeous!”
The view was spectacular. The restaurant sat midway on the town’s hilly terrain. The terrace managed to overlook the rest of the town as it spread out below them before meeting the beach and the sea far below. Maddie could see boats chugging into the harbor and hear the hustle and bustle of town life. The sun was just beginning to set, and the water was like a mirror image of the sky capped with white tipped waves.
They were seated, and Maddie couldn’t stop staring at the sight before her. “I can absolutely see why you vacation here.”
“It’s relaxing, no?” Alex murmured.
The man came back moments later and had a discussion with Alex, presumably about the food. In what seemed like moments the table was filled with hearty fish soup and thin sliced ham that reminded Maddie of her favorite prosciutto at the deli back in New York.
Alex had wine, but the waiter brought Maddie some sparkling water. Then the man brought a plate of what looked like whole shrimp tossed in a tomato-based sauce and something that resembled an octopus.
“Yeah, I’m usually pretty brave when it comes to food,” Maddie told Alex. “But there’s no way I’m doing squid with this baby in my belly.”