AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Too easy.
He bent his head and swept her into a heated kiss, his big hands cradling her face as his tongue took possession of her mouth, branding her with every stroke.
He pulled away to trail kisses across her face — her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks. The tenderness of his lips on her skin was made more intoxicating by his size and strength. Here was a man who could easily hurt her, who could crush her, and she’d never been treated more gently.
It had been a long time since she’d been turned on by tenderness — probably because before Roman, it had been a long time since she’d felt it — but she felt the stir of desire at her core, the rush of heat between her legs.
And she wasn’t the only one. Roman’s cock was hard in his sweats and pressing against her belly, making it harder to deny the hunger beating a path through her veins.
He wrapped her in his arms, like that might stifle the flame burning between them. “You’re probably exhausted. You should go to sleep.”
She smiled against his chest. He was as turned on as she was but he knew it was Olivia’s first night, knew she’d want to sleep in her own bed, be there if Olivia woke in the night.
“Sleep isn’t what’s on my mind right now,” she said, “but you’re probably right.”
He looked down at her, still holding her tight. “Go to bed, sweetheart. We have all the time in the world.”
It didn’t feel true. Itwasn’ttrue.
But she let herself believe it. Just this once.
23
ROMAN
He made his way through the Met, hanging a left at the Great Hall. The serene walls were a sea of white, the artwork like colorful fish swimming past his vision.
Sometimes, when he’d been younger and chafing against his father’s control, smarting from his abuse, Roman would wander the halls as a kind of therapy. He would vaguely register the Renaissance and Impressionist paintings, the Italian sculptures and Egyptian artifacts, reading the accompanying placards like mantras until his turbulent mind calmed.
Now he didn’t have time for wandering and he continued past the Greek and Roman art until he entered the Exhibition Gallery. The room was devoid of people except for two women, both holding pamphlets for the current special exhibit.
They looked up as he entered and flashed him the kind of commiserating smile shared by gallery dwellers everywhere:you’re one of us, we’re the same.
They weren’t the same, but Roman returned their smile anyway, then started at the beginning of the exhibit, focusing on the pieces on display and hoping to head off any conversation.
He moved slowly, letting his gaze wander over a series of Fabergé eggs, on loan from the Matilda Geddings Gray estate. They were meticulously rendered, crafted in a series of vibrant enamel, each egg detailed in fine gold filigree shimmering with diamonds.
The other two women moved out of the room and Roman moved deeper into the exhibit, into a quiet empty room at the back. It was there that he found Mikhail Lavrov, wearing a suit and standing with his hands clasped behind his back.
Roman moved beside him, taking note of the object of his interest: a delicate pink egg, its secret ten-panel screen on display in front of it.
“Czar Alexander gave this to Maria on Easter,” Mikhail mused without looking up. “The screens bear images of her favorite places in Denmark and Russia.”
Roman let his gaze travel over the painted murals depicted on each small screen: boats resting serenely on stretches of blue water, country estates rising from surrounding trees. “Faberge made fifty-two Imperial Eggs.”
Mikhail glanced up at him. Was it Roman’s imagination that the lines had deepened in his face since their last meeting? “Yes.”
They continued to the next piece, a white egg open to reveal a gold replica of a palace.
“I must confess, I didn’t expect to see you again,” Mikhail mused.
“Did you know?” Roman asked. “About the attack at the funeral?”
“No, but if I had, it would not have been in my purview to warn you.”
Roman nodded. “They didn’t give me time.”
He was referring to Russia of course. They’d moved in so quickly, when his assault on his father’s position had barely begun.
