The Soldier's Seduction

by Jane Godman

  Laurie remained silent for a moment or two, still studying Steffi’s face. Then she nodded. “I can see it now. Your hair is different, of course, and I think you’ve lost weight since your last movie.” She looked around the group, her expression regretful. “You know I can’t ignore this, don’t you?”

  “I’m giving myself up.” Steffi smiled, and the words felt like a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders. “To you. But I want to ask you a big favor. Please don’t arrest me until after the charity fund-raiser tomorrow night.”

  “I’m not sure I can agree to that—”

  “Why don’t I help you serve dinner? While we eat, we can explain why the fund-raiser is so important.” Cameron stood and held out a hand to his wife. Reluctantly, Laurie allowed him to pull her to her feet.

  As they left the room, Steffi heard her whisper, “I only cooked chili. If I’d known we had a Hollywood superstar staying with us, I’d have fixed something fancier.”

  Steffi gnawed her lip before turning to Bryce. “She didn’t say yes.”

  “She didn’t say no.”

  “When you get to know Laurie, you’ll know that counts for a lot,” Vincente assured her.

  They sat around a big farmhouse table in the kitchen and ate Laurie’s delicious chili. Steffi was amazed at how hungry she was, even though she was still waiting to learn her fate. Would she end the night sleeping in Bryce’s arms in that big, cozy bed she’d seen in the guest bedroom? Or would Laurie slap the cuffs on her and drag her off to a cell?

  As she and Bryce recounted their adventures one more time, Laurie’s blue eyes grew increasingly rounder. She remained mostly silent, only interjecting an occasional question when the story became too entangled for her to follow. When they played her the recording, she covered her mouth with one hand.

  “I sat next to Walter Sullivan at a political dinner a few months ago.” Her voice was filled with loathing. “If I’d known then what I know now, I’d have stabbed him with my steak knife.”

  “Does that mean you’ll help us?” Bryce asked.

  Laurie nodded. “But I can only do what you’ve asked.” Her voice was sad. “You’re wanted for murder, Steffi. Even though that recording should clear you, once the fund-raiser is over, I’ll have to do this properly. I will have to take you into police custody.”

  “That’s more than I ever hoped for.” Steffi smiled.

  “I have the perfect dress for you to wear tomorrow night.” The speed of Laurie’s switch from discussing police protocols to party clothes made Steffi blink. “I ordered it online for a party Cameron and I were due to attend when he was reelected, but it was so revealing I thought it might give the Stillwater gossips a heart attack.”

  “Hold on a minute,” Cameron said. “Why haven’t I seen this revealing dress?”

  Laurie rolled her eyes in Steffi’s direction. The look was an invitation to camaraderie. Female friendship was something that had bypassed Steffi. Her ingrained shyness had made forming childhood attachments difficult. Now she was an adult, everyone assumed the Hollywood star had all the friends she needed. The truth was she had none. Laurie’s look offered fun. In spite of everything, it made Steffi want to giggle. If she had to stay cooped up in this house until the following night, waiting for the moment when she could confront Walter, she might as well enjoy herself.

  “The dress will be perfect for the sort of statement you want to make,” Laurie assured her. She cast a critical eye over Steffi’s appearance. “If you don’t mind me asking, who styled your hair?”

  “Bryce.”

  Laurie looked alarmed. “Never let him do that again.”

  * * *

  Bryce opened his eyes as the dawn light began to steal through a crack in the drapes. Steffi was spread across his chest. Her knee was pressed between his thighs, which explained his raging, early-morning hard-on. When he attempted to ease away from her, she murmured a sleepy protest and snuggled closer. Resigning himself to his enjoyable predicament, Bryce lay back with his hands behind his head.

  It felt like the cruelest twist of fate that he’d finally found everything he ever wanted. And there was no great mystery to it. All he wanted was Steffi. In his arms, in his bed, in his life. Forever. He loved her with a certainty and fierceness that hurt.

  Whatever happened next, this was the last time they would wake up this way. Their adventure was coming to an end. They’d been living in an artificial world, wrapped in each other, fighting the enemy. Although he wanted the danger to be gone, Bryce wished the closeness and the sense of the two of them shutting out the rest of the world could continue.

  Steffi stretched and opened her eyes, smiling up at him almost shyly. Leaning down, Bryce captured her mouth, and her lips melted beneath his like a sugar cube dropped into hot coffee. He groaned as his erection hardened even further. Coaxing her mouth open, he used his tongue to simulate the action he planned to use in other, more sensual ways. Steffi looped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. The soft cooing sound she made almost tipped him over the edge. His hands roamed over her body, exulting in the silken feel of her skin and her slender curves. He cupped her breasts, enjoying the way his large hands completely covered the delicate mounds.

  When he slid his hand between her thighs, she was wet and ready. Steffi pressed into him as he slid a finger between her folds and circled it slowly.

  “Bryce,” she gasped, arching up to him again. He loved that he could make her feel like this as soon as he touched her. She gave a soft moan as her legs opened farther and she matched his pumping rhythm. Inserting another finger, he continued to massage her slick heat.

  The pressure built, driving both of them toward gasping delirium. Bryce withdrew his fingers and gripped Steffi’s hips, turning her so she was on her hands and knees. Reaching for a condom, he quickly slipped it on.

  Lifting her bottom in the air, Steffi stretched back toward him. Bryce got in position behind her, gripping her hips and holding himself steady against her entrance. Her skin was smooth and tender beneath his fingertips.

  She glanced back at him over her shoulder, her eyes glazed and pleading. As he entered her, ecstasy swept through him, sending tendrils of fire along his nerve endings. She was incredibly tight, her muscles clinging to him. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from surging violently forward. Slowly, inch by inch, he pushed into her. Finally, he was fully seated and he paused to allow her to adjust to this angle. Steffi bowed her head, going down on her elbows, the action taking him even deeper, and he groaned, caressing the smooth globes of her ass in appreciation.

  She stretched back against him. Bryce slid out and back in. Perfection. Pure and simple. He thrust freely. Wildly. Pounding out a rhythm that drove him to the edge of insanity. From the mewling sounds she was making, Steffi was experiencing a similar reaction.

  She cried out and clenched around him. Bryce hardened and tightened. Leaning over her, he braced one hand around her waist, lifting her higher against him while he thrust into her. When she came, she bucked wildly beneath him and cried out his name. Shaking uncontrollably, Bryce took the full hit of his own climax. It took every ounce of his strength to stop himself from collapsing on top of Steffi.

  When his trembling subsided, he trailed tiny kisses across her shoulders as he slipped out of her and rolled her over to face him. Her eyes were half-closed and a dreamy smile played across her lips. “That was wonderful, and it’s early. We still have plenty of time to say our goodbyes.”

  Goodbye. The word caused the warmth and comfort of loving her to ebb away. The future stretched ahead, aching and empty. How was he ever going to let Steffi go?

  Chapter 19

  Laurie was right. The dress was perfect. Steffi was a fraction taller than Laurie and, after losing weight, she was slimmer, but the gunmetal-gray silk clung to her figure perfectly. Ending just a
bove the knee, the dress was a high-necked, backless sheath. Luckily the two women wore the same shoe size and Laurie lent Steffi a pair of strappy silver heels that accentuated the length of her legs. The outfit might be a strange choice for someone who was planning to take down a dangerous murderer, but Bryce’s plan was an unusual one.

  “I can’t do much with your hair.” Laurie shook her head sadly. “But I might be able to neaten it up a bit.”

  For the second time in a week, Steffi allowed an unqualified person to approach her wielding a pair of scissors. Her stylist would never forgive her. Laurie was less brutal than Bryce and the end result wasn’t unpleasant. The harsh, black spikes were softened and Laurie managed to neaten the hair at her nape and over her ears. The new style still took some getting used to, but she no longer resembled an escaped urchin from a Victorian Christmas movie.

  Because she preferred subtlety, Steffi had always applied her own makeup. Her eyes needed very little enhancement, just a touch of eyeliner and mascara. This time she did it with a sense of surrealism. The past three months had changed her and, no matter how this night ended, there could be no going back. Staring at her face in the mirror when she had finished, she no longer recognized the person staring back at her. Anya Moretti was back for one final appearance, but in reality she had died that day along with Greg and Bliss. Steffi didn’t know what that meant for the future, and now wasn’t the time to make plans. All she knew for sure was that her movie-making days were over.

  “You look amazing.” Laurie didn’t look too bad herself, in a fitted scarlet dress that emphasized her curves.

  They made their way down the stairs to where the men were waiting. Cameron and Vincente had been to Bryce’s house to pick up his suit, and Steffi’s eyes were drawn straight to him. She thought she would hate seeing him dressed-up. He was her jean-clad hero. But he looked gorgeous. The dark blue jacket emphasized the width of his shoulders, and the matching trousers hugged his muscular thighs. A white shirt accentuated his tan. Steffi wanted to know she was the lucky woman who would get to undo those buttons and peel that crisp material from his torso tonight. Instead, the best outcome she could hope for was that she would be leaving the party in a police car.

  He glanced up as she approached and his jaw dropped. He looked so dumbstruck and adorable, she wanted to walk into the circle of his arms and stay there. They were on their way to an encounter with a murderer. How she looked shouldn’t matter. But it buoyed her spirits to see the flare in Bryce’s eyes when he looked at her.

  “Steffi, you look incredible.”

  “Tonight I’m Anya.”

  He moved closer, gripping her waist and sliding his thumbs over her jutting hip bones as though he was testing the slippery silk. “You will never be Anya to me.” He looked over her shoulder at Vincente. “Did you check out the sound system?”

  Vincente, who had spent the afternoon at the memorial hall carrying out Bryce’s meticulous instructions, nodded. “It’s all organized.”

  “And who else will be there?”

  “Dino and Toby Murray.”

  Bryce nodded, apparently satisfied with that information. “Did you get in touch with Leon Sinclair?”

  Steffi remembered that name. “Wasn’t he the doctor who came to my cabin when I had the stomach flu?”

  “I wanted to make sure we have a few people in the room we can trust one hundred percent,” Bryce said. Steffi shivered slightly. His explanation made it seem real. This was happening. “Do you have the cell phone?”

  She patted the purse Laurie had lent her. “In here.”

  “You’re going to hand it over to Walter? Just like that?” Vincente asked.

  “We have copies of the recording, and the cell phone is our reason to get him alone.”

  Steffi and Bryce were riding in Vincente’s car with him, while Cameron and Laurie were driving in their own vehicle. Once they reached city hall, Steffi would need to remain hidden until it was time to make her entrance.

  “Are you nervous?” Bryce took her hand, spreading her fingers over his thigh.

  She turned her head to smile at him. “I’ve made a few tricky appearances in my time, but I’d be lying if I pretended this was just one more.”

  When they arrived in downtown Stillwater, there was already a line of cars at the front entrance of the building, and the place was lit up like a Fourth of July celebration. Vincente bypassed the queue and drove around to where Cameron was waiting for them. Ushering them in through a side entrance, he escorted them upstairs to his office.

  “Walter is already here,” he told them. “Just give me the word, and I’ll tell him there is someone who wishes to meet with him in private in my office. Since there are a number of big name contributors to his campaign attending tonight, he’s likely to believe it will be one of them.”

  “Are you ready to do this now?” Bryce turned to Steffi.

  “Let’s get it over with.” Her jaw was rigid with tension, but she was determined to see it through. Getting some answers from Walter was just the start of the evening. There was more to come.

  “Once I’ve brought Walter up here, I’ll have to go down to the party,” Cameron said. “But Vincente and Toby will be outside.”

  “Who is Toby?” Steffi asked as Cameron went out.

  “Toby Murray is a music producer. He and Cameron became friends in tragic circumstances. Before Cameron and Laurie met, he was dating Laurie’s cousin Carla. Carla was murdered by the same serial killer who also killed Toby’s girlfriend, Marie.”

  Steffi shivered. “I heard about the case when I was working for you. The Red Rose Killer, is that right?”

  Bryce nodded. “Laurie was the undercover cop who solved the case.”

  Although the words instilled Steffi with a new respect for Laurie, it was hardly the most mood-enhancing conversation. She moved to take a seat on one side of Cameron’s desk, and Bryce sat next to her. That left Walter with the chair behind the desk. Was that the arrangement she wanted? It would look like Walter was calling the shots.

  “You take Cameron’s seat.” How did Bryce always seem to know what she was thinking?

  She threw him a grateful glance and had just changed places when Cameron walked in with Walter. Pretending not to notice Walter’s look of surprise, Cameron closed the door behind him. “I don’t think we need any introductions here.”

  Walter nodded curtly. “I suppose not.”

  “Then I’ll leave you to it.” Cameron went out.

  “I hope this means you’ve decided to see sense and hand over that cell phone, Stefanya,” Walter said as soon as the door closed behind him.

  “Have a seat, Walter.” Steffi indicated the chair she had just vacated.

  “I’ll stand.”

  “Have it your way.” Now he was here, she was able to slip into a role. The nerves were gone. Crossing one leg over the other, she leaned back in the big leather chair. “I have a few questions for you before I hand over the phone.”

  “You may have questions, but I don’t intend to provide answers.”

  “No answers, no phone.” Bryce joined the conversation, and Walter gave him a look of undiluted dislike.

  “John Andover? Nice try, Bryce Delaney. You were supposed to die back at my house.”

  Bryce grinned. “I never do what I’m supposed to do.”

  “Now we have the pleasantries out of the way, let’s get to the questions I want to ask you—” Steffi held up a hand as Walter began to protest “—and hear me out. Who knows, you may find they’re not so difficult to answer after all.” He stared back at her in silence. “First of all, why were you so keen to be part of the decision-making process about who my adoptive parents were? Why did it matter to you, Walter?”

  When he didn’t answer, she continued. “There was a family that was prepared
to adopt Greg and me together, but you put a stop to it. Why was that? And, even when you got your way and placed me with June and Todd, why did you refuse their offer to take Greg, as well?”

  Walter remained silent. “On that recording, you said you made me. I know you sent me gifts and that you provided the money so that I could attend performing arts school. Why was that? Guilty conscience? If so, it was an expensive one.” Steffi withdrew the cell phone from her purse, swinging it between her fingertips. “But the burning question, Walter, the one I really want the answer to, is, what did you do at the end of this recording? What made Greg cry out in shock just before you walked away?”

  Walter moved toward her so suddenly that Bryce rose from his seat. Resting his hands flat on the desk, Walter loomed over her. “You want answers to your questions, Stefanya? You want to know what Gregori saw to make him cry out? It is the thing that answers all your questions.” She’d never noticed it before, but those strange, dark eyes lacked the ability to glitter.

  Reaching up, Walter pulled down the lower eyelid on his left eye. Sliding his index finger across his eye, he removed a contact lens he wore before repeating the process with his right eye. Stunned, Steffi gazed up into his eyes. Without the dark contact lenses he usually wore, Walter’s cat’s eye irises were identical to her own.

  “When I said I made you, I didn’t just mean I molded your career. You are my daughter. Ekaterina and I started our affair in Russia and continued it after Aleksander moved his family and his business to America. If she had done as I asked and left him, she wouldn’t have died that night.” Reaching over, he withdrew the cell phone from her lifeless fingers and slid it into his inside pocket. “And your expression is identical to the one your brother—or I should say half brother, since Gregori was Aleksander’s son—wore when I revealed our little family secret to him.”