Destiny's Whisper (33 page)

“Pardon me?”

“I’ll put my question in its simplest form, Ms. Spenser. Do you or do you not have carnal knowledge of Sergei Rocmanov?”

“No.”

“You’re certain, you have no carnal knowledge of him?” Hunter rephrased the question.

“Well, not completely, but I’m hoping to very soon,” Chloe answered calmly, her cheeks blushing a soft pink as she watched Hunter’s eyes narrow in thought, saw him open his mouth to ask a question, only to snap it closed again and watched him shake his head in frustration.

“I was hoping you might be able to help me with that,” Chloe asked quietly.

“Help you with what?” He asked, a bit dazed.

“I have a few questions about seduction,” Chloe answered softly, her straight white teeth chewing nervously on her full lower lip. “You strike me as the type that’s probably managed to do it more than a few times.”

As Hunter had predicted, the morning wasn’t showing any signs of improvement!

At eleven forty-five, Hunter called for a lunch break; it was either eat or scream like a lunatic, and as appealing as the latter choice was, he didn’t feel it would exhibit the professionalism expected of his field or inspire any confidence in his skill. So, instead, he would bury his frustration in the greasiest food he could find and chase it down with a cold beer.

Sergei, stormed through the front door, sweat running down his temples into the towel he had draped around his neck and wearing a look that dared anyone to say the wrong thing. Sergei looked like Hunter felt, physically exhausted yet ready to kick ass if given the opportunity.

“Any suggestions on where I might find a burger joint that isn’t concerned with their food being ‘heart smart’?” Hunter asked darkly.

A hint of a smile pulled at the corners of Sergei’s mouth. “As a matter of fact, I do, but I wouldn’t suggest you go in there looking like that,” he nodded, his gaze encompassing the golf shirt and Dockers.

“What would you suggest?”

“Something that doesn’t require dry cleaning!” Sergei called over his shoulder as he sprinted up the staircase and headed for the shower.

CHAPTER 18 

S
ergei and Hunter made an impressive sight; each dressed in blue jeans and comfortable T-shirts, as they took the back path through the gardens that led to the garage.

Hunter casually tossed the keys to his Mercedes to Sergei, who looked at the sleek, black vehicle with lust-filled eyes, but laughed and gave a negative shake of his head before tossing the keys right back to him. “I don’t want to risk getting your baby all muddy; take a look at the clouds moving in.” Sergei cast his gaze toward the western sky where lazy clouds floated like cotton balls in the clear blue sky.

“You predict rain?” Hunter asked skeptically. “Before we finish lunch!” Sergei stated, opening the door and slipping into the driver’s seat of the Jeep.

Hunter struggled into the front seat, banging his head on the door frame and his knees on the glove compartment before he finally managed to move his seat back, and stretch out his legs so they were banging against his chin. “Let me guess, the girls were in here last.”

Sergei’s low laugh answered his question.

A turn of the key had the jeep coming to life, the engine purring like a contented kitten, compared to Hunter’s angry tiger of an engine in the Mercedes. Hunter’s pained expression and sorrowful shake of his head had Sergei chuckling.

“When you’re older, maybe you can own a real car, not one that requires the feeding of squirrels to get you around!” Hunter suggested in disgust.

“Don’t go bad mouthing the jeep; Mom and Dad refuse to drive anything else. They’re convinced they would never have survived their accident if it hadn’t been for the jeep they were driving,” Sergei explained. Giving him a quick rundown on his parents nearly fatal accident so many years before, he backed out of the garage and headed down the long driveway, slowing as Chloe appeared on the walkway that lead to the building housing the gym.

Stopping the jeep, he waited as she came around to his window, and propped her hands on her knees as she peeked in at the two men. “You two look like you’re up to no good,” she stated, her eyes running hotly up and down Sergei and only briefly touching on Hunter in the passenger seat.

“When the going gets tough, the tough go eat!” Sergei quipped, his gaze wandering toward the cleavage so readily visible as she leaned over.

“Please tell me you’re not going to take Mr. James to that horrible hamburger place you like so much!” Chloe pleaded.

“The man’s had a miserable morning, and like I, he knows it is possible to find comfort in food high in cholesterol,” Sergei stated knowingly.

“Sergei, the last time you ate there, for two days, you spent more time in the bathroom than on the ice!” Chloe argued.

“That’s one mental picture I could have done without!” Hunter grumbled.

“It was just a coincidence I got a case of the stomach flu at the same time,” Sergei countered, casting Hunter a look of commiseration.

“Fine, go eat your ‘comfort’ food. But I don’t want to hear a single complaint when Dee drags your sorry butt out on the ice as soon as you get back; she’s talking about making some changes to both our long and short programs. I’m on my way to meet her at the gym now; we’re going to look at practice tapes.”

“Have a great time!” Sergei offered.

“I hope you have a cast iron stomach, Mr. James. Despite what Sergei says, that food is anything but comforting!”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but after this morning, dying might be the kindest thing to happen to me today!” Hunter stated darkly.

Chloe’s eyebrows lifted in surprise; a bewildered expression lighting her blue eyes, “Okay,” was all she could muster. Stepping away from the car, she cast a final smile at Sergei and turned to head toward the building where Dee awaited her.

Sergei watched, in appreciation, the gentle sway of her hips as she walked away from him. Honking the horn in two quick toots, Chloe turned around, and he asked, “How’s your neck?”

With eyes flashing blue and fiery, Chloe turned away from Sergei’s smugly smiling face, slapped one side of her bottom and sashayed her way up the path, until she disappeared inside the gym building.

Sergei’s deep laugh had Hunter frowning in confusion. “What the hell was that all about?”

“Chloe’s subtle way of telling me to
kiss her ass
,” he laughed.

Hunter shook his head in disbelief, remembering all too well, the very long session he had just spent with her, trying to figure out the way her mind worked. “You have to understand the subtleties of her mind,” Sergei offered, proceeding down the driveway and out onto the street.

“I’d be happy to understand any part of the way her mind works; subtle, or otherwise. I’ve just spent the last two and a half hours trying to get answers to questions that should have taken no more than forty-five minutes. Getting answers from her is like trying to steal food from a starving dog; next to impossible!”

“Chloe’s been through a lot in the last few years; she’s very cautious around strangers, men in particular.”

“She doesn’t display such caution around you!”

“We grew up together; we’ve known each other for most of our lives.” Sergei explained. “If you could have seen how carefree and happy she was before she started skating with Andrew, you’d understanding just how much damage the shithead’s inflicted on her. I keep hoping she’ll make it all the way back to the way she was when she was little. Believe it or not, there was a day when she could give as good as she got and she didn’t back down an inch; not from anyone or anything!”

“I have difficulty believing Chloe could have changed so much,” Hunter stated, thinking of the calm, reserved young woman who had spent the morning answering his questions with questions of her own.

“Believe it. When she was nine years old she told me to go
fuck myself
because I’d pissed her off about something-I can’t even remember what it was. When I found her lying unconscious on the ice, the first thing that popped into my head was that I wanted to hear her tell me that again. Is that weird or what?” Sergei shrugged, shaking his head as he tried to clear the picture of her pale and silent on the ice from his head.

Hunter felt anger begin to simmer in him as he listened to Sergei’s deep voice describing the incident on the ice and wondered what type of man got his rocks off by beating on a helpless woman. With a suddenness that surprised him, Hunter knew in his heart he was going to do whatever it took to see the Manning’s pay for all they had done, not only to Chloe but to the Rocmanov’s as well.

Sergei’s voice held a tenderness and respect as he spoke of Chloe, and when Hunter asked him outright, of his feelings for her, without hesitating Sergei stated, “I would give my life for her!”

Hunter’s brief nod acknowledged Sergei’s statement.

“What about you? Any special woman in your life?” Sergei posed the question.

Dani’s face immediately came to mind and with an abrupt shake of his head, he firmly pushed her from his mind. “Nope. Women are fine on a temporary basis, but I’ve got no desire to be tied down to someone’s who’s going to expect your constant, undivided attention.” Hunter stated flatly.

Sergei cast him a sideways glance, “You just haven’t met the right woman yet,” he forecast.

“Christ I hate dealing with men who are in love!” he growled and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “So, how much longer until we get to this den of cholesterol you keep raving about?”

Five minutes later they pulled up in front of
Smitty’s Best Burgers,
whose sign boasted,
if you’re worried about your cholesterol, worry somewhere else
!

“Now this is my kind of place!” Hunter stated, a broad smile finally breaking across his face, his mood improving a good hundred points. “Let’s eat!” he demanded and headed toward the door that led to fat heaven.

Within three minutes of entering the small diner, none other than Smitty himself, had Sergei and Hunter seated at a small table. A small, spry man, despite being nearly eighty years old, whose sparse gray hair stuck out in little tuffs all over his head and his grizzly chin which he humorously referred to as his
Miami Vice look
didn’t detract from the keen, sparkling blue eyes that dashed about mischievously.

“So, why haven’t you kicked Manning’s ass yet?” Smitty asked grouchily, dropping menus down in front of the two men.

“Hunter, I’d like you to meet Smitty. Smitty, this is Hunter James, my attorney,” Sergei made the introduction.

“Oh, you’re the barracuda Dani’s been complaining about,” Smitty offered with a smile, extending his hand, then wiping it on his sparkling white apron before shaking Hunter’s in a firm grip.

‘Nice to meet you,” Hunter stated.

“Hunter’s only been here a few days. When was Dani in here bending your ear about Hunter?” Sergei asked.

“She hasn’t been in recently, and that’s the problem. She had me order in those giant-size cinnamon rolls she can’t get enough of, and she hasn’t even done me the courtesy of hauling her skinny butt in to eat one. You tell her, I’m putting those rolls on the
specials
menu this weekend and I intend to sell every last one of them and I won’t reorder them for her, no matter how much she begs and flashes that pretty smile of hers!” Smitty warned.

“Dee’s holding her hostage. They’re re-doing some of the choreography for her upcoming competition and you know how Dani gets before a competition,” Sergei explained. Anybody who knew Dani knew when a competition was at hand, your best bet was to stay the hell out of her way or you might come away missing a body part.

“Dee’s back? When did that old dragon fly in?” Smitty growled.

Hunter choked back a laugh, and intently perused his menu.

“You sound like Whittaker, that was pretty much his reaction too. What can I say, they make a winning team and I have to admit, things have taken on an energized, up-beat attitude since the team of Carlen and Whittaker have been reunited,” Sergei stated.

“Christ, it’s only a matter of time until she gets her claws into you and Chloe then too!” Smitty gasped.

“Sooner than you think. I’ve got exactly ninety minutes to eat something that will no doubt remind me of its presence until sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

“Don’t you talk about my fine cuisine that way! You voluntarily entered my place of business,” Smitty argued.

“Actually, it wasn’t my idea. The barracuda here was looking for something to eat that could pretty much guarantee knocking off a good tens years of his life by clogging his arteries,” Sergei laughed, nodding toward a scowling Hunter.

Smitty looked at Hunter, could almost see the waves of frustration emanating from him. Despite being dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, the man looked pure city with his fancy haircut and city attitude. The only thing that changed Smitty’s opinion of the man was the fact Hunter scowled at Sergei, flipped him the bird, and gruffly ordered two beers to start, the largest, greasiest burger on the menu (double the cheese) and a double order of onion rings.

“Sounds like your day’s been a shitty one!” Smitty commiserated, looking to Sergei for his order.

Sergei’s laugh deepened as Hunter’s scowl increased and he ordered his usual: iced tea with extra lemon, and a cheeseburger with all the fixings, extra pickles and curly fries.

“Sure you don’t want to live dangerously, like your friend here?” Smitty asked.

“You still like Chloe?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course I like Miss Chloe. Who doesn’t?” Smitty answered with a confused look.

“Because in less than two hours, I’m going to be breathing in her face and a double order of your onion rings would make that, at the very least, cruel and unusual punishment!” Sergei explained, taking Smitty’s light jab to his shoulder in stride.

“Smart ass little shit,” Smitty grumbled.

“Just looking to keep my girl breathing and happy,” Sergei corrected with a laugh.

“Which brings me back to my original question. When are you going to kick Manning’s ass?”

Sergei looked over at Hunter, smiled as Hunter shook his head back and forth in amusement and shrugged his wide shoulders. In a conspiratorial whisper, Sergei stated, “As soon as the barracuda’s not looking.”

“Good! Give him a kick for me while you’re at it!” Smitty encouraged and headed off toward the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, heaping plates of burgers, smothered in onions and cheese were placed before the men. The aroma of hot onion rings, curly fries and red meat filled the air and Hunter breathed deeply in appreciation.

“I made yours rare, you have the look of a man who likes his red meat barely dead,” Smitty offered as he nodded toward the heaping plate of food before Hunter.

Hunter’s grunt of satisfaction seemed to be answer enough and he looked at Sergei for approval, a wide smile filling his face with lines as he got a thumbs up from Sergei.

Leaving the men to their meal, he headed back for the kitchen.

Half way through the meal, Sergei leaned back in his chair and took a breather from the heavy food that he could already feel filling his stomach, and sipped at his iced tea. “Okay, I’ve fed you your greasy meal. Care to tell me what Chloe said that’s got you tied so tight?”