The Master (40 page)

I
sat on Máxim’s lap as Vasili drove us to my new place. The day was a Miami stunner. I raised my face to the sun coming in the
window, starved for it after so long inside.

At the hospital, Vasili had opened the door to the (new) Bentley, literally hat in hand. He’d mumbled fervent Russian to me.

I’d asked Máxim, “What’s he saying?”

“That he’s very happy you’re better. And sorry for his suspicions.”

I told the man, “You took care of Máxim. How could I hold a grudge? You get a lifetime supply of
turrón.
”

Now we were slowing to turn onto a bridge. “I recognize this! We’re going to Indian Creek Island?” The tiny Miami eden for the ultra-rich was home to only fourteen families,
yet the enclave had its own police force and mayor. “I always wanted a cleaning job here, but the security was crazy.”

“In lieu of a job, would you accept owning the best house on the island?”

I gazed back at Máxim.
“En serio? Sí.
Let’s do that.” I craned my head to look at everything, squirming over him. My eyes widened when I felt him harden.
Máxim had definitely recovered from his gunshot wound. I slid him a smile.

The left corner of his lips curved. “And I’d been so good the whole way here.”

The doc had told me I couldn’t have sex until I got the all clear. I leaned back against the uninjured side of Máxim’s chest. “This chastity is going to be the worst of
all, isn’t it,
Ruso
?”

“I’d prefer another bullet wound.”

As we pulled into a driveway lined with majestic palms, my jaw dropped at the enormous mansion. Máxim hadn’t been kidding about ours being the best.

The design was modern, with an abundance of oversize windows, the stucco tropics-white. Lush landscaping abounded.

Inside, I turned in circles. The décor was warm and inviting. Tasteful art adorned the walls. The ceilings soared, giving the rooms an airy feel. Plush rugs softened the acoustics.

In the living room, an entire wall opened to the outside—and a breathtaking pool. A green lawn sprawled down to a beach and lapping blue waves. A cigarette boat hung in a lift.

“
Te gusta?
” he asked.

“We can live here today? It’s
krasavitza.
Beautiful!” I crossed to him.

He smiled at my Russian word. “You’re already moved in. I wasn’t joking about the kitchen spices. For the future, there’s a treadmill and the yard is fenced. Though maybe
you’d like somewhere else better? We could stay in Jacksonville, or the North Pole, or wherever St. Bernards serve brandy.”

I grinned up at him. “I like it here. But don’t you need to live in Russia?”

“Aleksandr wants to go into business. He has totally changed his mind about me. He could take over things in Russia, and I could expand here. In fact, you and I could start operations in
this very house.”

I was already heading into phase four of my life plan? “How many briefcases of cash did this place cost?”

“Many. But the markets were good—today we are billionaires. We should reward ourselves.”

“Okay, but when do I get to visit the motherland?”

“Once you’re fully recovered. Our estate there is beautiful in the spring.” He grazed his knuckles along my jawline. “I want you to meet Dmitri as well.”

I smoothed the lapel of Máxim’s blazer. “Won’t he hate me?”

“He called when you were in surgery, and I was out of my head with worry. I didn’t bother trying to hide how frantic I was. When I called to tell him you were better, he said,
‘You love her. I will meet her.’ This is huge for him.”

“Then count me in.”

“I let him know that I will always be there for him, but things have changed. My focus will be on the future.” Máxim’s eyes were full of promise. “Come, I want you
to see some things in your closets.”

The spaces weren’t
closets
—they were
rooms,
each one with new swag and clothes! He leaned against the doorway, content to watch me explore. When I found my red scarf, I
closed my eyes in relief.

“You should look at that new wallet as well.” He pointed to one of several.

I opened it. Credit cards filled all the slots. “Aww. Did you get me pin money?”

“Only in the checking. The savings is yours.”

Wait . . . I looked at the ID. “This is
me
!” The picture was from my former license. Oh, I looked so young! “You got the Hatcher taken off so quickly! I’m
officially me again.”

With that gleam I loved so well, he said, “Maybe you can still be Cat and Katya—on occasion.”

I traipsed closer to him. “This kitten will want
a lot
of toys. Let’s dedicate a room.”

He inhaled sharply. “
Sí,
let’s do that. For now, you have more exploring to do. Your jewelry.”

All my previous bling was organized, along with tons more. Among my pearls and gold was my mother’s rosary. “Oh, Máxim, you got it back?” When the import of what
I’d regained truly hit me, I would surely lose my shit. In a way, that rosary had been on as wild a trip as I had.

“Of course.” He took my hand. “When you feel like it, you can decide what you want to do with your home in Jacksonville as well.”

“I wish the place would be the same, just minus that one room.”

He raised his brows, as if to say
challenge accepted.

As we strolled toward the pool, I said, “I got the strangest text from Ivanna this morning. From what I could decipher, she wrote that her family would be in the States by the end of next
week. And that her new place was amazing.”
(hus s amzasng!1)
“You know anything about that?”

He shrugged. “If she hadn’t sent you to me . . . I am very beholden to her—and to Botox in general.”

“She was a little pissed that I hadn’t asked for help, but she understood too.” I already had a friend in Miami! “She also texted that Anthony closed up shop and is on
the run from the
mafiya.
”

A raised brow. “I will prolong that for as many years as it pleases you.” Beside the pool, he sat on a lounge chair, then gingerly pulled me into his lap. Sun bathed us in light,
dappling the blue water beyond.

“When do you think we’ll christen this chair,
Ruso
?”

He groaned. “Unfortunately, not for a while.”

“I understand, baby boy. After all, you
were
shot. And at your age too?” I fake-winced. “But I’m sure they’ll clear you for duty”—I wriggled over
the growing bulge in his lap—“eventually.”

His voice was husky. “Little witch.”

“I guess I’ll give you a reprieve because you took a bullet for me.”

“I’d do it to eternity to have this moment. Though you know I won’t rest until you’re mine in every way.”

“It’s you for me,
Ruso.
You are stuck with me. But what if I want to wait awhile before thinking about marriage?” Even with the man of my dreams, I didn’t want to
rush things.

I had this feeling that I’d know when the time was right.

“Then I’ll propose to you weekly.”

I found that fair, since we both knew he could use a magic wand, rope, and the strategic application of a chastity belt to get me to yes.

I twirled my finger over the left side of his chest. “You aren’t done with me yet?”

He pinned my gaze with his own. With a surprisingly smooth accent, he told me, “
Nunca voy a terminar contigo.
” I’ll never be done with you.

Jacksonville

Graduation day

“Y
ou can’t be late, Lucía,” Máxim rasped in my ear as his body worked mine. “How did you talk me into
this?”

“It’s your own fault for looking so hot in that suit,” I told him, my nails digging into his shoulders. “When your woman needs it, she needs it. We’ll be
quick.”

I was getting it on with a Russian sex god. In a closet on campus. In my graduation robe. Because I could.

Life was sweet.

“Am I hurting you?” He was asking me that after what we’d done last night?

Though I was totally healed up, he
still
asked. My scar wasn’t even that bad. But as Máxim had said, “I can
see
how close I came to losing you.” Sometimes,
he would shudder and kiss it. Well, no more than once a day. He’d also said the mark was much “daintier” than his own “rugged” bullet-wound scar.

His was on the right side of his chest; mine was on my left. Whenever Máxim and I kissed, so did our scars.

Because we were intertwined. In sync. Lock and key. Our bodies, our lives.

“Hurting, Máxim? I’m in agony here.” I rubbed my face against his, purring Spanish in his ear—that I needed him, I needed every inch of his gorgeous body, and
every inch of his magnificent cock—which made his hips surge, because the devil understood it all.

In Russian, he told me he wanted to fuck me forever, that my body was his heaven and my skin tasted like sun—which made me rock my hips on him in a frenzy. Because I now knew more than
four words of his language.

He had to muffle my screams with his palm, and his own yells against my neck.

Forehead to forehead, we caught our breath.

“You like me when I graduate,
Ruso
?”

A sound of satisfaction rumbled from his chest. “Woman, I
love
you when you graduate.”

We made each other presentable, then hurried to the auditorium, hand in hand. Beside the stage, he gave me a lingering kiss. The man could not possibly look prouder of me. “Behave up
there,
moyo solnyshko
.”

Behave? Just for that, I mussed his hair before I ran to take my place in line.

The dean was moments away from handing me my holy grail! All it’d taken was half a decade, a near-death experience, and teaming up with a Russian mobster.

Natalie, Aleks, and Jess were waiting for Máxim in the audience, saving him a front-row seat. They all laughed at his disheveled appearance.

I’d begged the three of them not to come, but they wouldn’t be dissuaded. Because I was family.

Jess had been on her best behavior, because she wanted to coordinate hot
mamí
’s wedding, the one everyone knew would eventually happen. Organizing two billionaire weddings
would pretty much set her up in the coordinator biz.

After this, we were all flying to Russia to see Natalie and Aleks’s estate and vacation at Máxim’s own—which he insisted was half mine. Which meant every horse was half
mine!

I was also going to see Dmitri. I was nervous about that, but optimistic since he’d wanted to meet. Máxim remained committed to reuniting his brothers, and thought Dmitri visiting
with someone who was a big fan of Aleks and Natalie could only help.

Also going to Russia? Scrappy Miami mutts. Máxim and I had kind of gotten
three
discerning dogs. At the pound, I hadn’t been able to pick between a trio of badass brutes.
He’d frowned. “Why choose,
solnyshko
?” He bribed them as shamelessly as he spoiled me.

I hoped the pack didn’t trash the jet (as they had the Bentley and Vasili’s shoes!).

After our visit to the motherland, I planned for Máxim to take me to Paris—so I could experience the infamous Le Libertin club. I’d become an ardent and aggressive fan of my
Russian’s kinks. Late last night, I’d still been primed after our earlier marathon session. I’d woken him by trailing the end of a rope along his torso. “You like me when
you tie me up?”

He’d groaned, “I love the fuck out of you, woman, but I think I’ve created a monster.”

Sigh. I loved the fuck out of him too. He was the man I was always supposed to be with.
Muchas gracias, Botox.

Ivanna would’ve been here for my ceremony, but she was overseeing the reroofing of my old apartment building. Máxim had given me the property for our second month anniversary.
I’d asked Ivanna—a seriously savvy businesswoman—to manage it.

Yes, Máxim had set her family up financially, but she’d needed something to do. As she’d told me, “There’s only so many times I can take my mother and sister to
Disney World. The song ‘It’s a Small World’ gives me hives.”

Shadwell had lined his pockets so heavily, the apartments had turned a profit from month one.

I’d finally learned how the man had discovered my hidden “safe.” The perv had secretly
filmed
me and other female residents.

But the strangest thing had happened—Shadwell had . . . disappeared. Never to be seen again! I’d asked Vasili if he knew anything about this. The man had said, “Al-ee-gahtor
accident?”

Now the name of the game for that apartment complex was repairs. We planned to turn it into the neighborhood’s oasis. Already people’s lives were so much better.

In the meantime, Máxim and I eyed our next acquisition. We’d been working together every day, plotting to take over Miami. As we read reports and evaluated holdings, the dogs lazed
at our feet.

He and I took plenty of time off for
cafecitos
, and each night we jogged and cooked. On weekends, we’d go boating, exploring islands and keys. Often he would use
persuasion
to make me shop. Well, when the vendors just showed up, I guessed I could.