by Grady, D. R.
“Maks’ family must be here?”
“Yes. Graham and Maria are his parents,” Sara said.
Of course. “That’s who Maks reminds me of. Graham.”
“Yes. His sisters look and act like Maria, but he’s all Graham.”
The men rose and with Hubert skipping between them, left the room with barely a wave. “Action time, I take it,” Emma drawled as she watched her husband leave the room with the others.
“No one is likely to get hurt are they?” Tia asked, feeling a niggling of worry. Rockets could cause injuries. She knew this because she’d been the unwilling recipient of many.
“No, I don’t think so. Aleksi and Maks wouldn’t let anything happen to Hubert,” Sara said, but she had a pleat between her eyebrows.
“What about anything happening to Aleksi and Maks?” Tia asked.
“Well, that’s probably more cause for concern.” Sara exchanged a worried glance with her.
Tia bit her lip. “That’s what I thought.”
“Not to worry, ladies,” Emma said briskly. She set her napkin aside.
“Why not?”
“Rich is with them. He can operate the Space Shuttle, so surely he can engineer how to set off a cardboard toy rocket safely.”
True, but would the other two men listen to Navy SEAL Rich, especially since he was an admiral, and not on active duty? They all exchanged worried glances. “On that note, maybe we should supervise,” Tia put forth briskly.
“Good idea,” Sara and Emma seconded and the ladies beat a hasty retreat from the room.
Chapter 10
“I can’t believe you didn’t trust us,” Aleksi complained as Tia finished wrapping the bandage around his finger.
She raised a brow at him as she straightened. “You were the first rocket casualty,” she reminded him as she neatly tucked the heavy metal first aid kit back into the fifteenth century armoire where it lived. He enjoyed watching her brisk, efficient movements.
“I cut my finger on the wing.” He glanced at his “war wound” as he stood and was pleased at her concern. Aleksi was hard pressed to say a bandage was necessary. His finger had barely bled.
In fact, he couldn’t feel even a bit of pain. Of course, this gave him a perfect excuse for Tia to touch him, which was the only reason why he let her wrap the strip around his finger. So he was a rounder for taking advantage of the situation. He’d like to see any other man give up such an excellent opportunity.
“Yes, you did. We were worried you three would do worse damage, but there’s still time.”
“Worse damage? Your uncle alone could launch that rocket without a problem.” Aleksi felt compelled to defend his own.
She looked skeptical and as cute as Toni when she slept. He wanted to lean over and kiss Tia like he did Toni while she napped. Both were irresistible, only in different ways.
Looking to the left and right showed Aleksi something he hadn’t noticed. For the first time since Tia had arrived in his home, they were alone. She’d whisked him into the palace to the first aid kit in the downstairs bathtub chamber. And now no one was about.
Like any man could resist kissing Tia Morrison under such circumstances. He tucked a hand around her head to hold her close and leaned forward. Tia gasped but her eyes fluttered shut when his lips touched hers.
A shudder passed through her, or maybe through him, and he held her that much tighter. Her arms entwined around his neck and she turned her head and gave him improved access to her lips and mouth.
Aleksi didn’t wait for another invitation. He marauded and stamped his claim, wanting to imprint himself on her so no other man would satisfy. She moaned as his tongue slid along hers and he wanted to roar with manly pride and accomplishment.
Only, if he did that, he needed to stop kissing her, and there was no way he was interested in doing that. She tasted like the finest wine and juiciest steak he had ever consumed. Only much better. There was a feminine spice that intrigued and enticed him, one he thought he might never get enough of.
It would not be difficult to make his heir with this woman. The curves of her body fit his planes and slopes like she had been meant to be squeezed against him. She shuddered again and Aleksi realized if he didn’t breathe soon, he’d pass out at her feet.
Not the best impression for a prince to make.
Especially if he wanted her to be his princess.
He reluctantly separated their mouths, and he liked how she seemed as averse to breathing as him. Aleksi stared down at her, wanting to kiss her again. At least a few more hundred times today. Maybe that would ease the ache a little.
Her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him through hazy eyes. “Why did you do that?” Her voice was husky, sensual, a little unnerving even.
He shrugged. “I had to.”
Those gorgeous blue-green orbs popped wide open. “You had to?” she echoed, and her brow furrowed. “You wanted to kiss me?”
What? “Of course I wanted to kiss you.”
She frowned at him, and looked nonplussed. “But you didn’t have the time of day for me in college.”
It was his turn to stare at her in confusion. “I certainly had time for you. You didn’t know I existed.”
“What?”
Aleksi noticed she still stood in the circle of his arms, and her arms were still looped around his neck. He edged her a little closer, not wanting to let go yet. Tia smelled like all women should. Sweet, sexy, and utterly feminine.
“I knew you existed. You were the most beautiful girl on campus, but you didn’t have time for anything other than your studies. I could admire that,” he said gruffly.
“I had...” she trailed off and stared at him. “I had a crush on you.”
That was news to him. He blinked. “You did? I didn’t believe you even knew my name.”
“Aleksi, everyone knew your name. People who didn’t care knew your name. People who partied until they were sick knew your name. The janitors knew your name.” She cocked a brow at him, as though daring him to refute her statement.
He smiled and tugged her tighter. “So long as you know my name, I don’t care,” he decided. And bent his head to kiss her again. She had siren’s lips.
A man could lose himself in her perfection, and the fact that she’d had a crush on him during school seemed fitting. It was only fair, since he had experienced a similar malady.
“Did you really know my name?” she whispered when he freed her lips again.
“Of course. Most of the men in my classes knew who you were.”
“I was a freshman,” she argued. A frown formed between her brows and he kissed the lines away.
“That didn’t matter. You were still the most beautiful girl on campus.”
“Aleksi, how long have you needed glasses?”
Tia couldn’t believe she was in Aleksi de Leos’s arms, kissing him. And he was kissing her back. In fact, if she was correct, and she was pretty sure she was, he initiated the kiss.
Wow. Those were her insides quivering like a plate of gelatin. Her breathing came a little too fast for comfort. Her knees were shaky and her thoughts dreamy.
Dreams did actually come true. Imagine that. The prince of her dreams had kissed her. He even looked like he enjoyed the experience and came back for more. Would wonders never cease?
But then visions of pink and makeup and high heels danced in her head and Tia drew back a step. His arms prevented her from moving away from him. This man might be worth the effort of heels and pink. He’d have to deal with her no makeup policy though. ‘Cause no man was worth the itching and tearing eyes makeup caused her.
Still... what an impressive specimen.
What a wonderful kisser. She would be perfectly content to remain in his arms the rest of the day. “What’s in this for you?” she asked on a gasp, when he finished kissing her for the third time.
“What do you mean what’s in it for me? You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
&
nbsp; “Aleksi, I tripped at my high school prom and broke my nose. There was blood everywhere. If you ask any of my high school classmates about me, that’s only one of many such stories they could tell you. Beautiful and Tia do not go together.” She frowned, this information shouldn’t be rocket science. So why didn’t he appear to care?
“You broke your nose?” His lips twitched and he leaned forward to inspect it.
“Yes,” she answered, bending over his arms to try to place distance between them. But he held her wrapped tightly against him, so she couldn’t go far. Not that she tried very hard.
“Your nose is cute,” he finally decided and leaned down to kiss it.
She sighed. This man was beyond wonderful. Her six-year-old Halloween costume rose to the foreground of her mind, and she sighed again. She could be a princess.
“What? Doesn’t The Princess like my dirty socks?” Bryan’s voice, shortly after she’d worn that costume, bellowed through her mind again, and with a totally different type of sigh, Tia stared up at Aleksi and finally managed to place some room between them. Not that she wanted to be far from him, but she knew what she couldn’t have, and all the signs (contrary to the gorgeous man in her arms, and looking like he even wanted to kiss her again) pointed in the direction of her not getting this particular prince. Even if she did, her brothers would be intolerable.
Of course, Rurikstan was thousands of miles from Hershey, Pennsylvania, so there might be something to be said about that. And since she’d be the princess, maybe she could put forth a decree banning the Apes.
Now there was a thought.
“Aleksi, Tia?” A familiar voice called and with a guilty start, she and Aleksi separated. He grinned sheepishly at her and ran a hand over the back of his head. Tia was sure her cheeks reddened, because she could feel the heat there.
“We’re here, Aunt Emma,” she called, and gathered up the paper pieces from Aleksi’s bandage. Oh, that was close.
“Here you are. I was wondering how our first wounded was doing?”
“He’s fine,” Tia said at the same time Aleksi said, “I couldn’t be better.” His eyes told her exactly why as those gorgeous dark brown orbs dipped to her lips and lazily inspected her face.
Her heart jumped and Tia swallowed, dropping her eyes to the roll of gauze she held in her hand. Why was she holding gauze? Why was her heart racing so hard she could hear it?
Why did Aleksi have to be so sexy and kiss so well?
Why did he have to kiss her?
“How are they doing out there?” Aleksi asked her aunt.
Emma waved a negligent hand. “They appear to be doing fine, but didn’t want to launch the rocket without you.”
A new type of interest flared in his eyes, and with a last, searching, sweeping look at her, one that made her hot all over, he left the room. Tia barely suppressed a groan. The man should be illegal. Or should come with warning signs. Burns ahead.
General Emma’s eyes also swept knowingly over her, and Tia knew her aunt saw more than she should. “So, you took care of his wound, did you?”
“That’s why we came in here,” Tia answered. She was darned if she was giving away what else they’d been doing. She hurriedly placed the gauze roll inside the antique armoire.
“Kissed and made it better, did you?” Emma’s voice dripped with interest, teasing, and something Tia couldn’t identify.
“I did my part,” Tia said, trying to keep her lips, lips Aleksi had thoroughly kissed, from twitching.
“I see.” Emma drawled out the second word.
Tia refused to meet her eyes. That would incriminate her, and this way, Emma couldn’t tell her mother definitely what Tia was up to here in Rurikstan. No need to raise her mother’s hopes of marrying off her chick. No need for that whatsoever.
Her brothers would be impossible. Tia suppressed a groan.
“I can’t date this man,” she all but wailed and sank into the chair behind her.
Emma dropped onto the twelfth century bench nearby. “Why not?” She soothed a hand up and down Tia’s spine, just as she had when her brothers had been particularly trying.
“Because the Apes will make my life miserable. Plus, he’s a prince, what would he do with me? And I have no desire to marry into a royal family.”
“I see.” Emma chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m not sure you have a choice in the matter, lovey.”
Tia’s head sprang up and she stared at her aunt. “Why not?” She would not panic, she would not panic, she would not panic...
“Rarely do we choose who we fall in love with. That’s often not our choice. Love simply happens where it may, Tia.”
“Who said anything about love?” Tia sounded belligerent, but she didn’t care. Pink was not her best color.
Emma chuckled. “Ah, it might already be too late for you, baby girl. But that’s okay.”
I will not panic. “What are you saying?”
“He’s an honorable man. Comes from an excellent family, and he’ll take exceptional care of you. That’s all we want for our nieces and daughters.”
“I’m not marrying a prince.”
“Don’t let your brothers stop you. You might not have noticed – but they have grown up.”
Tia frowned at her aunt. “I’m sure last time I was home, a month ago, Josh held me down and gave me a noogie,” she refuted.
Emma sighed. “Okay, so they’re still working on that, but think about it this way...”
“Yes?”
“Hershey, PA is a long way from Rurikstan.”
Tia nodded and sighed. “Yeah, I already thought of that.”
Chapter 11
“We have been to the first appointment,” his Aunt Loletta stated in their native language – her voice not at all muted by the distance between them.
He leaned back in his desk chair. “How did it go?” Aleksi was almost scared to ask. His mother had been acting so oddly he almost wished to hear she had a problem that created her strangeness.
“It was a physical today, and they believe she is fine. Although they are planning to run some tests.”
“How is she emotionally?”
Loletta sighed. “I’d say the change of scenery has done her the most good. She’s excited and happy to be here.”
“I wish I had realized sooner.” He regretted that he hadn’t thought to do something more for his mother’s increasingly strange behavior.
“I’ve heard all about this American who’s come to Rurikstan to overthrow things.” The humor in Loletta’s voice kept her statement from sounding like it had come directly from his mother’s lips which he was sure it had.
“Tia is here to save our wells,” Aleksi corrected.
Loletta’s laughter bubbled over the phone. “Yes, love, I know. Without this American, you’d be in deep trouble.”
“Yes. We still might be.” He tapped his pen against the blotter, wishing they had more information.
“Are more people falling ill?” The concern in his aunt’s voice made him swallow.
“Not nearly as many, but yes, a few are still coming down with the same illness. We can’t determine what is making them so ill. Everyone should be diligent about boiling the water now.”
“I hope this young lady figures out the problem.”
“So do I, Aunt Loletta. So do I. I also hope these doctors can figure out what’s wrong with Mother.”
“I believe they will. She’s certainly not herself.”
“You picked up on that?”
“Of course. I’ve heard it in her voice for the past year. Since losing your father, she hasn’t been the same.”
“You don’t recall her acting strangely before he died?”
Loletta sighed. “I don’t know. That was such a tumultuous time, I’m afraid I don’t remember.”
“Neither do I. I wish I did.”
“Aleksi, you had plenty to contend with at that time. No one is going to blame you for not remembering every detail. Your responsi
bilities went from learning and ceremonial to running the principality. All while you were grieving for your father.”
He shoved a hand through his hair and thought about that. “I barely remember the funeral or the first few weeks afterwards.”
“I don’t doubt that. You were saddled with all this responsibility you hadn’t thought to have for years. His death was rather sudden.”
“That’s something I don’t understand either.”
“What don’t you understand, love?”
“Father sickened rapidly and he died nearly as quickly. Didn’t it seem...abrupt to you?”
“It did. But sometimes that’s what happens.”
“He wasn’t that old though.”
“He was in his mid seventies. That’s plenty old enough, Aleksi. He was a man with responsibilities, which might have contributed.”
“But he took care of himself.”
“Yes, but doesn’t mean long life.”
“Usually it does.”
“What’s worrying you?”
“I can’t get the idea out of my head that he was poisoned.”
He heard her gasp. “Aleksi, you haven’t mentioned this theory to anyone else, have you?”
“No. I’ve more sense than that. But you are the most levelheaded person I know, so I wanted to mention my theory to you first.”
“I think I need to think about that. I was there in his last days...” When she trailed off, Aleksi breathed a little easier. His aunt Loletta wasn’t one for conspiracy theories, but she would think about his worries and give him a well thought out answer.
“I was also there when the illness started. I didn’t think about it at first, but since conducting some basic research about wells, I’ve grown rather concerned.” Aleksi stared at the picture over his mantel, hating the thought that someone wanted his father dead. Enough to actually kill him.
“Aleksi,” Loletta whispered, “You’re scared your mother killed your father.”
He cringed when he heard his private fears spoken aloud. “Yes. She loved him, so I can’t figure out why she’d do it. But there is no doubt she’s been acting oddly all year.”