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“Wow,” she murmured, her own voice sounding dreamlike to her, “you really know how to kiss a woman.”
Nik slowly released her and she swayed. He kept one hand on her upper arm, seeing the heat in her half-closed eyes, seeing it in the richness of her parted lips, and in the flush creeping up into her cheeks. “You make a jaguar hungry, Daria,” was all he could force out, the throbbing in his erection clear proof that he wanted this woman: body, heart and soul. She fueled the yearning in him, whether she knew it or not. She was a soldier, a strong woman with confidence to burn, and he’d tasted all of that in her bold, arousing kiss. Daria didn’t seem at all afraid to commit to him. The only real question was: was it real between them? Or only part of her undercover act?
It hadn’t been from his end. Not at all. Nik wanted to lead her through the open door, shut and lock it behind them, lift Daria into his arms and carry her into the bedroom where he wouldn’t allow her to leave his arms until he’d pleasured her, and then she would never want to leave his side again. It was all a fevered dream, but one that had sprung to life within his chest and lower body until he couldn’t think coherently any longer. He felt as if a wild, primal animal was howling within him. One that wanted to be released.
He saw Daria’s faint smile, saw the arousal clearly in her eyes this time. No woman could fake that look, and he knew it. Joy flowed through him as this realization hit him. Nik reached up, caressing her cheek, pushing a few strands of hair back behind her ear.
He said, “I’ll see you tomorrow at tena.m.? Wear your jungle hiking clothes? Boots? And bring a knapsack with water. I’ll bring us something to eat for lunch.”
She gave him a heated look, her hand moving down his other arm. “That sounds wonderful. Thank you for a lovely day and night, Nik. Please stay safe?” and her gaze dug into his.
Nik heard the concern in her husky voice and released her arm, allowing her to stand on her own. “I’ll be fine,moya Kotza.” He nodded toward the open door. “Go inside? Lock the door behind you.” He saw the regret in her eyes, the way her mouth closed, that lower lip in a slight pout, enticing him all over again.
“Yes,” she said in low voice. She let her hand fall from his arm. “Goodnight…Moy prekrasnyy yaguar, my beautiful jaguar…”
Nik gave her a slight smile and touched her cheek one last time. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Daria. The invitation was there in her eyes. Was it real? How he wanted it to be! But she was a consummate actress and it might well be for Brudin’s benefit. Waiting until she slipped inside and quietly closed the door, Nik stood there until he heard the lock slide into place. Turning, he walked slowly down the steps, the round metal pipes of the railings beaded with the dampness of the high humidity hovering over the town.
As he walked into the now thinning crowds and the music blaring out from the restaurants at the top of the hill, Nik felt the nape of his neck prickle in warning again.
A sleazy shape he recognized slid out from under the shadows of an eave.
“Well,” Brudin growled, giving him a leering look as he caught up to Nik in the center of the street where they started dodging clumps of tourists, “that was a sweet kiss you gave her, Morozov. Why didn’t you follow her inside? She looked like she wanted you to do just that.”
“Because I’m not like you.” Nik reined in his irritation at the bald-headed soldier who was dressed in a dark green t-shirt and cammos and muddy, wet hiking boots. Nik smiled inwardly. Brudin had spent quite some time in the mud, hiding among the plants near the window, while himself and Daria had eaten their meal in warmth and comfort inside. He knew Spetsnaz-trained soldiers were tough and that physical discomfort was something they had learned to ignore. Still, it gave him a considerable sense of satisfaction that Brudin had spent two hours in the damp chill and rain watching them.
Brudin chuckled darkly, matching Nik’s stride down the street toward their hotel at the base of the hill. “She’s a fine piece of tail.”
“Shut your mouth, Brudin.”
Brudin grinned, showing two lower teeth missing in the front of his mouth. “Touchy, are we?”
Anger soared through Nik, but he instantly clamped down on it. “I will NEVER treat a woman like any of you do.”
Crowing, Brudin delighted in his prickly reaction. “Why, Morozov, I don’t know what to think. Ever since I joined the team, you’ve been a monk. Now, suddenly, this new woman coming into town has turned your head. It’s rather fascinating to me. We’ve never seen you around a woman before. Maybe you can teach us something, Comrade.”
Grimly, Nik flashed him a glare. Brudin was thicker and heavier than he was, but a good three inches shorter. “None of you treat a woman with respect. I always will.”
Chuckling, Brudin gave him a merry look. “Right. I saw that erection of yours. You’re no better than we are, Morozov. And you’re a liar. You want to fuck her, pure and simple. No question about that. And just because we don’t wine and dine a woman, it doesn’t mean our objective isn’t the same. We need a good fuck. That’s what women are good for.”
Ignoring the laughing Russian, Nik said nothing. He’d learned a long time ago that Brudin was a bully who delighted in torturing anyone else, man or woman.
“So,” Brudin said, “tell me about her.”
Nik gave Brudin her cover story. The idiot’s thick brown eyebrows rose.
“She’s from Kiev, Ukraine?”
“You know every nation on Earth comes to Machu Picchu. Why not Ukraine? Do you know what a botanist is?” Nik goaded him.
Shrugging his meaty shoulder, Brudin shrugged. “A biologist.”
“Close. She is an expert on plants and South American orchids.”
“So?”
“She’s here to write a book about them.” Nik was going to drip-feed as little information about Daria to this piece of shit—even about her cover identity—as he could, feeling aggressively protective of her. He saw the interest in Brudin’s eyes for Daria and that wasn’t a good thing. The Russian soldier got this same feral look in his face whenever he was going to run a woman down and rape her. The nape of Nik’s neck tightened. His hands curled into fists but he forced himself to relax.
“So,” Brudin muttered, sliding him a sly glance, “that means she’s going to be around here for a while, eh?”
