Tangled Vows

“Flee?” She arched a finely shaped brow as she looked at him. “What makes you think I’d want to?”

“Oh, perhaps the way you’re twisting the strap of your bag.”

She looked down at her hands. “I’m just nervous. Like I said before, I’ve never done this.”

“Nor have I,” Ilya assured her swiftly. “So let’s agree to remain open with each other about how we’re feeling, okay? Let me know, so I can relieve your nerves. Well, here we are.”

Ilya approached the portico of his home. He’d fallen in love with the Mediterranean-style property nestled on forty acres of land the moment he’d seen it. It was a half-hour drive from the airport and Horvath Aviation—less time, of course, if he took a chopper—and now he’d get to share it with Yasmin. He set the suitcases down and pressed a finger on the reader at the front door before pushing the double doors open to reveal the entrance.

“Welcome to our home, Yasmin.”

She started to move forward but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Allow me,” he said and stepped closer to swing her up into his arms.

She stifled a squeak of surprise and hooked her arms around his neck as he crossed the threshold. She felt ridiculously light in his arms, but the press of her body against his had all the impact of a jumbo jet blast when it came to his senses. One hand curved around her ribcage, just beneath her breasts. Oh, yes, for all her slenderness she had curves, all right. What would she do if he followed tradition even further and kissed her again?

The brief peck on her lips after their ceremony had been both a tease and a torment for him. The second he’d felt her lips beneath his he knew he wanted to explore her further, but with a room full of family and friends looking on, he’d been forced to acknowledge there was a limit to what was acceptable in public. Even now that they were alone, her obvious apprehension about the day meant he would have to take things slowly, he reminded himself, as he set her back down on her feet again.

But then she shifted and leaned closer to him. His arms closed around her, pulling her against him, and he lowered his mouth to hers.

He felt a shock ricochet through him as her lips parted beneath his. She might be slight, but oh boy, did she pack a punch when it came to kissing. For a moment all Ilya could think of was the sweet taste of her, the softness of her lips, the texture of her tongue as it swept against his. He deepened the kiss, taking his time to relish the moment, to relish her. If this was a sign of things to come, they had a great deal to look forward to. She made his head swim with need, or maybe it was the blood heading to other parts of his body that made him so lightheaded.

He drew her lower lip between his teeth, sucking on it gently before tracing its fullness with his tongue. He wanted to do that all over her body. From her gorgeous, beautiful mouth to her breasts and lower. Just thinking about following his instincts left him aching with need—to pick her up again, take her upstairs to his bedroom and show her exactly how good their marriage could be.

But he felt her hesitation, that infinitesimal withdrawal. With the greatest reluctance he pressed one final kiss against her lips then let her go, steadying her on her feet as he did so. Yasmin’s eyes were bright and her cheeks flushed.

Ilya walked to the entrance and picked up their suitcases, bringing them inside and closing the large wooden front doors behind him.

“Do you want the full tour now?” he asked. “Or would you rather wait until the morning?”

He watched her as she looked around the entrance and past it to the formal dining area and living room before turning back to face him again.

“I didn’t expect your place to be so big,” she said. “All this for just one person?”

“Well, when I bought it a couple of years ago I kind of had a vision of filling it with a family.” He still had that vision and it grew sharper and clearer with every moment he spent in her company, even if it might be too soon to be thinking along those lines just yet. “How about you? Have you always wanted kids?”

“Yes,” she answered emphatically. “Like you, I grew up an only child, but I didn’t have cousins to fulfill a pseudo-sibling role as I understand yours did. I always swore that if I ever had children I would have more than one. I guess that’s one of the reasons we were paired.”

He breathed an inward sigh of relief. Some of his relationships had failed in the past because the women weren’t at all interested in starting a family. It was vitally important to him that Yasmin be on the same page.

“So, the house—do you want to see more now? Maybe pick out a nursery?” he teased.

“It’s probably a little too early for that,” Yasmin answered with a chuckle. She stifled another yawn. “I’m sorry. Perhaps we can wait on the tour until morning.”

“Sounds good. I’ll show you your room. Follow me.”

He led her up the stairs and a short way along a landing. He stopped outside the door to a guest bedroom and opened it. He gestured for her to precede him in and set her suitcase down on the blanket box at the foot of the large sleigh bed.

“You should be comfortable here. There’s an en suite bathroom and my housekeeper will have stocked everything you need in terms of toiletries.”

“We’re...um...we’re not sharing a room?”

“Not yet. Unless you’d like to?”

“I...” Yasmin’s voice trailed off again.

“It’s okay. I think you’d probably prefer that we get to know each other a little better before we take that step.”

The words tripped glibly off his tongue, but inside his body protested strongly. He’d like nothing better than to whisk her down the hall to the master suite, lay her gently on his massive bed and show her exactly how well he wanted to get to know her. But the relief that spread across her face was about as effective as a cold shower.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t wish you a good-night, though. Sweet dreams.”

Before she could say another word, he bent to kiss her gently, sweetly on her lips. He felt her lean toward him, but this time, rather than lose himself in the caress, he forced himself to keep it brief—to pull away and to leave them both wanting more. If he had to go to bed in a state of torment, then so could she. It was only fair.

He hesitated in her doorway on his way out. “My room is just down the hall if you change your mind.”

And with that parting comment he left her alone.

Four (#u2ffcc786-1dea-53eb-9ca2-469ba06d0dd6)

It took Yasmin longer to get to sleep than she’d expected, considering how exhausted she’d been when Ilya had left her. But weariness aside, his kisses had fired up her imagination and as she lay between the cool crisp sheets of her lonely bed she couldn’t help wondering what her wedding night could have been like if she’d just been brave enough to reach for him after that sweet goodnight and beg him to show her more.

She had no doubt he would be a consummate lover. From what she could tell, the man was incredibly accomplished in all that he did. And now she was married to him. She had the rest of her life to discover just how skilled he was. If they went the distance.

The next morning she rose and went downstairs, following the sound of a blender to a large kitchen. Ilya stood at the granite kitchen counter, oblivious to her entry. She took a moment to watch him—to appreciate the way his Henley hugged the muscles of his shoulders and skimmed his pecs. A decrepit pair of jeans hugged his hips and she felt that all too familiar tingle through her body as she noticed how the denim had faded in certain areas. The blender stopped and Ilya looked up, a smile creasing his face as he saw her hovering in the doorway.

“Good morning,” he said. “I hope you slept well.”

“Thank you. I did, eventually.”

Yasmin perched on one of the bar stools that lined the counter and watched as he poured two smoothies into tall glasses. Ilya pushed one toward her.

“I figured if we were so perfectly matched, you’d probably like one of these for breakfast,” he said with a crooked grin. “But if you’d prefer bacon and eggs, I can do that, too.”

“No, this is fine. I don’t usually have breakfast anyway.”

“Well, you’ll need the energy for what I’ve got planned this morning.”

“Oh?” She looked up at him, raising one brow.

“I love the way you do that,” he said, reaching out and stroking her brow with a fingertip.

The sensation of his skin against hers made her hand tremble and she set her glass down on the counter with a sharp click. Ilya laughed and turned his attention to his smoothie, downing most of it in one gulp.

“And what is it you have planned for the morning?” Yasmin asked, picking up her glass again and taking a sip. “Oh, that’s good,” she exclaimed in surprise. “What did you put in it?”

“First question first. We’re going for a hike. Have you got hiking boots or something suitable in your suitcase? If not, we can do something else. As to the smoothie, that’s a closely guarded secret,” he said with a sly wink. “One day I might let you in on it.”