by Unknown
That’s why I’m dancing for you.”
Sonia gaped up at her.
“We called the Czech police when you arrived and the British consulate representative is also on his way,” the dancer whispered.
“My name is Anja, and I’m a friend of your brother.”
A friend of Alec’s?
As realization slowly dawned, Sonia glanced back and saw that Oliver had indeed disappeared from his earlier spot.
She looked back at the beautiful dancer in front of her and forced a weak smile. Anja winked. At the other side of the bar, the stag party cheered and waved, clearly even more wired by the sight of the girl-on-girl action than by the earlier more public dance.
Sonia closed her eyes and counted to ten. Was this really happening? The surreal nature of the situation finally hit home and a disbelieving laugh escaped her. She surely had got the wild weekend Alison had wished her on Friday evening. From cavorting on her boss’s desk to incendiary sex in London and Paris to lap dancing in Prague, no, this was no ordinary weekend.
And they weren’t out of danger yet. She had to let the woman know about the guys at the bar.
When she moved closer, Sonia grabbed her wrist. “There are two men over at the bar. I think they were watching us,” she blurted.
Without batting an eyelid the woman nodded and leaned closer, fetching Sonia up off the sofa into her arms. “Dance with me,” she instructed, glancing over Sonia’s shoulder toward the bar as she rose. “Yes, I see them.”
Sonia moved awkwardly, fear and self awareness hampering her every move. Her legs felt leaden, her head dizzy with everything that was going on. In the background she heard a cheer from the stag party. Anja laughed and moved against her, flaunting them both, making them the spectacle of everybody’s attention.
“We go backstage together like you are one of the girls, okay?”
Sonia nodded. When the track changed Anja gestured at her to follow and danced her across the club and through the stage door.
She took a deep breath, relieved to get away from those prying eyes. They passed along a narrow corridor past open dressing room doors where she saw the blonde nymphettes and other women, and finally into a room where Oliver was waiting.
“Are you okay?” He rose from a chair and took her into his arms.
“What do you think? That was awful.” The public display,
the two suspicious men at the bar breathing down her neck. She glanced over her shoulder as Anja disappeared back down the corridor.
His eyebrows lifted in a sign of gentle chastisement. Stepping back, he folded his arms over his chest, lounging easily on the arm of a chair. “Anja gave you cover to come backstage. I’m sure you realize that now.” His eyes flickered with humor. She could tell he was holding back his amusement.
“It’s you that I’m annoyed with. You could have warned me.”
“Fair enough.” He smiled, calmly.
God, sometimes he was insufferably self-assured. ”Why didn’t you tell me what you were planning? That you were sending some dancer over to give me cover?”
“Sonia, Anja’s not just ‘some dancer,’ she’s the reason your brother’s been visiting Prague so often. She’s a PhD politics student and does this to fund her studies. Apparently exotic dancing is a flexible sideline that pays well and the girls here are well protected. He’s been seeing her for months. He’s pretty stuck on her and well… you might be hearing wedding bells soon.”
Sonia swallowed, color rising in her face. Shocked wasn’t the word.
“I’m only telling you because I don’t want you to say anything inappropriate about the club when Alec gets here.”
She nodded, and then a wave of indignation rose inside her.
All thoughts of telling him about the two men in the audience fled from her mind.
“Well, why the hell didn’t you just explain? Then I wouldn’t have felt such a fool.” She glared at him.
“You didn’t give me much of a chance.” He laughed. “Anyway, you look even more sexy than usual when you’re angry.” His gaze swept up and down as if her whole body was on fire. “Like now. I could just eat you up when you’re like this.”
Despite the nature of his comment, and the effect it had on certain nether regions of her body, she still felt indignant. “Of course I was angry,” she retorted. “I was angry as hell. I thought we had something special and there you were, flirting with her in front of me. Tossing me off in the most cowardly way imaginable.” The words were out before she’d had a chance to think it through.
“Sonia! Oliver…”
Turning toward Alec’s voice, she saw him standing in the
doorway to the dressing room. She stood up, breaking into a weak smile, her eyes growing damp as she took in the sight of her darling brother. He looked stressed, his normally relaxed expression haggard. There were dark shadows under his eyes and stubble on his usually clean-shaven chin.
He hugged her, then reached out and put his hand on Oliver’s shoulder. Her eyes filled with tears and she felt a weight lifting off her. She’d been desperately in need to see Alec, to help get him out of this mess and make sure Tarquin paid for setting him up. She didn’t care what happened to her along the way. She wanted Alec safe.
And Oliver.
***
The police officer was a crumpled-suit, unshakable type who
grasped very quickly the meat of the case. His sidekick, a skinny studious type, started by taking notes then got engrossed in what was being said and just listened. Anja, who had changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, translated fast and clear, never struggling for words as she alternated between languages.
Alec sat strained and tense until the officer made contact with his HQ and it became clear action was being taken at a higher level.
The British Consulate had sent a young officer who’d arrived straight from a function and stood around looking awkward in his evening suit. He was clearly overwhelmed by the situation and kept leaving the room to relay what was happening to the consulate general via his mobile phone.
Oliver watched the drama unfold, but he was distracted. He was interested in the way the Czech police and the British Consulate handled the case, especially with its international repercussions, but he was much more interested in watching Sonia, beautiful, strong and feisty Sonia.
That morning she had changed into a denim mini skirt and a black slash-neck, long-sleeved top, and tied her hair into a loose knot. She looked subtly sophisticated, even when she was all hot and bothered about the lap dance. At first, after her outburst, she avoided eye contact with him, then she began to meet his stare, her expression direct, serious.
Now, he had to make a move and respond to her, say something, or she might just walk away. They needed to talk and it had to happen soon. God, he wanted her. The thought that she might just walk away when this was done made his gut twist into knots.
“Okay.” Anja stood up, redirecting his attention, and looked around to include them all. “The inspector wants us all to go the station to be interviewed properly and give statements.”
“If we’ve got that far along,” Oliver commented, reaching into his pocket to retrieve the plastic zipped bag with the various evidence they had procured, “it’ll be safe to hand these over.”
Anja nodded and explained to the inspector, who passed the bag to his sidekick.
“Oh God!” Sonia suddenly declared, her eyes wide. “The men at the bar.”
“Yes,” Anja nodded. “It could be important.” She turned back to the police man and again spoke rapidly in Czech. The police man turned and spoke to his sidekick, who stood up. “Dark haired in denim, blond in suit, yes?” she asked Sonia.
Sonia nodded.
The sidekick left the room.
Oliver frowned. He moved and was about to go take a look for himself when the police man put his hand up and blocked his passage.
“He’s going to get his men to deal with it. He’s called for a police
car to take us,” Anja explained. “He’ll have it brought to the back entrance.” She broke into a wide, relieved smile. “We’ll be safe now.”
Alec hugged her to him. “Thanks, guys, all of you,” he said as they followed the police officer down the corridor.
“Just wait till our mother hears,” Sonia said and she shook her head disbelievingly while Alec grimaced. “It will be great to get all this sorted out,” she added, with a sigh, as the four of them walked to the police car.
Oliver put his arm around her and drew her close. “And I intend to sort you out, Madame, just as soon as we are alone,” he whispered.
Falling for Trouble: Chapter 8
Forty-eight hours, three countries, two flights and God knows how many revelations since that first meeting with Oliver, and Sonia felt giddy with relief about what they had managed to achieve.
Now she wanted to move into Oliver’s arms, where she just
longed to be held. It was a long wait for that moment though and all the while his male power reached out across the waiting areas and the interview rooms they shunted around throughout that evening. He watched her the whole time, and she felt as if he had her pinned by the strength of his will, as if she would be unable to move away from him, even if she wanted to.
He’d said he was going to sort her out. What did he mean by that? The silent tension between them was stretched during the lengthy statements they had to give to the police. The waiting was unbearable.
Finally, after they’d all been interviewed, they were left alone in a waiting room, gratefully indulging in steaming mugs of tea and crusty bread stuffed with flavorsome ham and cheese that had been brought for them. After they’d eaten, Anja was explaining some of what had been said by the policeman when the door opened and a new face entered the room, a mature man in a neat suit.
“Charlie Douglas,” Oliver exclaimed, his tone surprised and he stood to greet the man.
“What is it with you, Oliver? Can’t you ever keep away from trouble?”
Oliver put up his hands. “Hey, I’m on holiday, just here to support my friends.” He nodded over at the three of them.
Sonia glanced at Alec in query, but he shrugged his shoulders.
Charlie shook Oliver’s hand. “The minute I heard your name was involved I said I’d come down myself.”
Oliver made the introductions. “Charlie Douglas,” he explained,
“an old friend of mine from the force. He’s working with Interpol these days.”
“You’ll be pleased to know the Czech police have just picked up Jack Watson not far from the meeting point location you gave them. Two further arrests were made at the club, both known associates of Watson with outstanding warrants in three countries.”
Sonia breathed a sigh of relief and Alec got up to shake hands with the man who’d delivered the good news.
“And Tarquin Smythe?” Oliver asked.
“Soon,” Charlie replied with a serious tone. “His wife was having him followed, which was useful. She put us in touch with her PI, and Scotland Yard are on their way to pick him up from the flat he shares with his bit of fluff.”
Poor Gloria, Sonia reflected. At least she’d forewarned her of trouble and she had the feeling Tarquin’s wife might relish public humiliation for her errant husband.
Shortly afterwards they were told they could leave the station, but not to leave the country for another twenty-four hours. It was late when the four of them finally stepped outside the police station. The streets were dark and almost empty but for a few stragglers on their way home.
“I’m exhausted.” Alec rubbed his forehead distractedly.
“He hasn’t slept in three days,” Anja explained.
“Thanks to you two, I had the nerve to put a stop to this. I can’t thank you enough.”
“It’s Sonia who got the evidence.” Oliver put his arm around her shoulder fondly.
“It’s me who got him into this,” she declared, “I had to do something.” She leaned into Oliver’s embrace, her arm going round him readily.
“Hmm.” Alec’s eyes narrowed. “I might be exhausted but I’m not brain dead, so would you kindly explain what the hell’s going on between you two?”
Sonia stared at him, surprised. She hadn’t thought about how Alec would react about her and Oliver.
Silence followed. Then Oliver’s hand tightened on her shoulder and he drew her closer against him.
“Sonia and I finally got to meet, and, well, I think I can safely say we enjoyed each other’s company.”
She nodded her agreement and he smiled down at her.
“I hope you don’t object, Alec.”
Silence struck again. Sonia was stunned into it. The two men were eyeing each other like territorial big cats. It never would have occurred to her that they would be that way over her.
Alec shook his head. “I should give you a good pasting.” His expression was deadpan. “But you’re lucky that I’m too knackered to do anything.” He laughed. “In fact, all I can think of is how made up The Widow Harmond will be by the news.”
Sonia groaned then laughed. “We can use it to take the attention off your run-in with the police.”
As the tension broke, the men shook hands and the women
hugged.
“I’m sorry I have no room for you to stay over with us, but my flat is so small,” Anja said. “I feel so bad.”
Sonia shook her head. “Please, don’t. We’ll find a hotel.”
“Oh no. I’ll tell the taxi driver the address of my uncle’s hotel.
I’ll give you a note for him and you will have a free room.”
Sonia caught a few glimpses of the woman her brother had
fallen for, strong, beautiful and friendly—and a doctorate in politics. The Widow Harmond was going to be in for quite a few shocks pretty soon. She looked at Oliver. Would they really be one of them?
They climbed into the first taxi that pulled up. Alec and Anja waved them off, and the driver sped away, following the directions Anja had given him, past the Charles Bridge that led from the old town to the area called the lesser town, passing the moonlit gothic buildings lining the riverbank.
She rested against Oliver in the dark interior of the taxi, and his fingers stroked the back of her neck. She savored the feeling, savored the very outline of his thigh as it pressed against hers and his arms wrapped around her. She stroked her fingers up his shirt, searching for his body beneath, feeling the firm muscle that moved under her hands, his body as responsive to hers as she was to him.
She breathed his scent, the fragrance that whispered passion to her body.
“You feel so good,” she whispered as she rested her head on his chest.
He squeezed her and kissed the top of her head.
She glanced out at the passing streets. The lights blurred into one another as the car sped past, a streak of orange, green, blue light. Too bright. She wanted intimacy.
His hand stirred on her hip, and she looked up at him. The lights flickered on his face and showed the intensity in his eyes. What would happen between them when they were alone? What would be said?
The hotel was in a cramped side street and they rang the bell three times as Anja had instructed. A light flicked on over the doorway and a tall, sleepy-faced man appeared a minute later. He rubbed at his stubbly beard while he read the note and then broke into a grin, nodding.
“English, like Alec, yes?”
That touched her so much she felt like crying. “Yes,” she
smiled. “Like Alec.”
“Welcome, welcome, English-like-Alec.” He led them inside, bolting the outside door and plucking a key from a row of hooks nearby, he led the way up the narrow staircase to their room.
Then, finally, they were alone.
Oliver stood in the doorway, watching her. She walked into the room looking at the furnishings to distract herself from the intensity of his stare.
Sparsely furnished, the room was decorated
in bright sunflower yellow paint, with a high ceiling and an old stone dado rail running around the wall. The bed was high and plump with sky-blue quilts and pillows. She stared at it, picturing them there. Would this be their last night together? Would he want to be with her afterwards, or had this only been a fling during this investigation? Was there more to it for him too?
He still stood at the door, looking only at her. She could hear her heart rushing in her ears, the tension between them palpable.
She walked over to the window, looking down at the street with its haphazard leaning buildings outlined in the moonlight, and set her bag down on the wooden cabinet.
When she heard him finally click the door shut, she turned to face him. What was he going to say? Did sorting it out between them mean he’d tell her it was goodbye after tonight? If so, could she hold it together?
He sighed. “I want to hold you in my arms, desperately want to make love to you, but we need to get a few things straightened out.” He threw the keys onto the bed. “Sonia, I wasn’t trying to push you away when I took you to the club.” He closed on her, his hands reaching for her arms. “I might not have been what you call a reliable sort up to now, but I’m disappointed you thought I was that shallow.”
She shrugged, somehow stripped defenseless. Things between them had become naked and real.
“Okay, I jumped to conclusions, but I was kind of.. hurt.” She was falling fast more like. Just looking into Oliver’s sharp green eyes could make her heart miss a beat. “I was wrong about you and I apologize.”
She knew he felt something for her, after that thing with Alec where he claimed her, no matter what the consequences. She just didn’t know how deeply he cared or what she meant to him. “I just wondered if I was another challenge to you, like your other more challenging leisure activities.”
He walked her back against the wall, his hands planted on either side of her head.
“You’re not like any challenge I’ve ever experienced, Sonia Harmond.” He bent and kissed her neck hungrily, his teeth marking her skin. He was taut with sexual tension. He was exuding testosterone. “I want you. I want more time with you. I want more than this.”