The Prince's Gamble (9 page)

He turned around to stare at the large and very empty space of his apartment.

Funny how it hadn’t felt empty with Kathleen there.

With a rueful shake of his head, he strolled toward the dining room and cleared the table. He loaded everything into the dishwasher before snagging his suit jacket and heading to his bedroom. As he walked, he pulled his shirt from his pants and unbuttoned it. Undressing, he carefully tended to his suit and tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper.

Contrary to what his sister believed, he didn’t need his majordomo, Ben, to clean after him, or to get him ready in the morning.

He could take care of himself, much as Kathleen had insisted earlier about herself.

Funny how alike they were in some ways.

Many ways.

He slipped into bed and opened the curtains to his bedroom to expose the wide expanse of sky, ocean, and city beyond the glass. He didn’t have to worry about prying eyes. All the windows on this floor were treated with privacy filters to prevent anyone seeing in. Not that there was anything to see at the moment.

Regrettably not even Kathleen. He sighed. “His little Cat” as he had called her in Russian earlier. He imagined her here beside him. Above him. Beneath him.

He grew hard with the fantasy and slid his hand down, encircled his erection, trying to ease the need, but self-fulfillment was worse than second best. Nothing could be as sweet as the real thing.

Alexander wasn’t normally a gambling man, but he knew the odds were against her giving in to whatever was happening between them. Or rather,
not
happening.

Surprisingly, that brought a smile to his face. He loved a challenge. And Kathleen was just that. A big one. But that was okay. This one time, he was willing to take a high stakes gamble to explore whatever was drawing them together.

Despite the odds, Alexander was certain the payoff would be worthwhile if he won the bet.

Now all he had to do was convince Kathleen to play the game.

…

Back in her room, Kathleen turned on her monitoring equipment and slipped in her earpiece. For long moments there was nothing but silence as she eased off her jacket and shoes so she could be comfortable while she took a power nap.

“Mason. Williams. Please report,” she said, calling out to the junior agents she had working surveillance on Petrov and his entourage.

Both men immediately replied in a similar fashion. “Petrov and the escort are still in the room. It may take all night.”

“Keep me posted via cell.” She shut off the transmitter and dialed Jim with her cell phone.

He immediately answered. “It’s going to be a long night. I’m betting she doesn’t leave until the morning.”

Kathleen had hoped the escort would make a quick exit loaded with chips, but it wasn’t meant to be. “Do you have an eye on the hotel corridor?”

“I do. As soon as she’s on the move, I’ll give you a buzz.”

“Thanks.” She placed the cell phone beside her on the table and turned on her transmitter again, but as before, there was just silence as her people waited for activity.

Turning off the lights in the room, she used the remote to open the curtains.

Soft moonlight spilled in, silvering the surfaces it touched. Creating shadows all along the floor. Moonbeam fingers of light reached toward her as she lay in bed.

Alone
.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had shared a bed with a man. At first she had been too caught up in the transfer from the New York City office and a variety of investigations. But even before that there had been very few men in her life.

Certainly no one like Alexander.

Alexander Ivanov. The
prince
. She desperately needed to create distance between them now that she had virtually knocked him off her list of suspects. So she made a different kind of list in her mind.

They had nothing in common.

He was paternalistic and demanding.

She was a woman who called her own shots.

He was royalty, and used to the finer things in life.

She preferred to live in jeans and the thought of gowns and heels and parties and all the other things she’d seen Alexander do in just two days made her physically ill.

So why could she not drive the taste and feel of him from her mind? Why did the sight of him get her blood coursing through her veins and bathe her body with delicious heat?

Even now as she lay there, her nipples tightened in anticipation as she remembered his first tentative touch of her breast.

The sharp chirp of her cell phone tangled with the reports suddenly spewing from her earpiece, and yanked her from her reverie. She grabbed it.

“Yeah?”

“She’s on the move.”

Chapter Ten

Kathleen reached the security area just in time to catch Petrov’s lady friend cashing in a purse full of chips. But instead of leaving the hotel, their suspect returned to Petrov’s suite. Either there wasn’t laundering going on or they planned to have someone else collect the money at another time. They waited. And waited. Nothing.

“We should call it a night,” Jim said. He provided instructions for his third watch on what to do in case anything happened.

Kathleen wasn’t going to argue. The shift of men she had on surveillance had come on only a few hours earlier and would be fresh until the morning. She likewise needed to be alert to deal with her ADIC and the new detail who would arrive at around nine in the morning. Plus, there was one other thing to handle.

“I’m assuming you’ll be briefing the prince first thing in the morning?”

“Sunday breakfast is a bit later. Eleven o’clock.”

Judging from Jim’s inquiring glance, he expected her confirmation that she would be attending, so she nodded.

“I’ll be there,” she said. After a final set of instructions to her men, she returned to her room. This time she undressed, removed her earpiece, and dropped into bed, every bone and muscle in her body feeling the stress of the long day.

But even with that, as she closed her eyes, the taste and smell of Alexander wove its way into her dreams, chasing her long into the too short night.

…

Alexander reclined in his chair, reading the Sunday paper and sipping a cup of rich, dark tea sweetened with honey and lightened with cream. He glanced toward the door as someone entered and was surprised to see Tatiana stroll through the entrance.

He set aside the paper, rose, and went over to hug his sister. “I wasn’t expecting you until next Friday. I thought you had studying to do?”

“You seemed like you could use a friend the other night, so I decided to come back.”

He peered over her shoulder in search of her boyfriend Kevin, but Tatiana was alone.

“Did I scare him off?” He kept his arm around his sister’s shoulders and guided her to the table, where he pulled out a chair for her as one of the wait staff hurried over.

“I don’t think so, but he wanted to sleep in, so I decided to come on my own.”

Alexander tried hard not to grit his teeth at the mention of sleeping together, but couldn’t hold back from offering his sister a little advice.

“Don’t be so quick to let him avoid obligations. A worthy man will endure such inconveniences if he cares about a woman.”

Tatiana laughed out loud, but with obvious love. She laid her hand on his as he raised his cup of tea. “Sasha, you are neither an obligation nor an inconvenience. I love spending time with you, even if you are a little uptight and too formal.”

He was about to protest her latter statement when a discreet cough caught his attention.

Kathleen stood at the door, wearing charcoal grey slacks, a light blue sweater that draped softly over her breasts, and over that, a navy blazer. Professional, but lovely.

“I hope I’m not interrupting.” She maintained her position by the door.

Alexander rose and walked over. “Not at all. Good morning. You look a little more rested,” he offered, admiring the brush of color across her cheeks and the bright gleam in her eyes. They looked more blue today, thanks to the colors she had chosen to wear.

“The bed is quite comfortable and your shower set-up is heavenly.”

He smiled and bent toward her, catching a hint of a flowery scent in her hair, as he slipped his arm through hers and escorted her to the table.

“Good morning, Kathleen,” his sister said, a dimple winking with amusement when her gaze drifted over to where their arms were linked together.

He ignored her and held the chair out for Kathleen, getting her settled to his right just in time for Jim’s arrival. Once they all had their hot beverages, two chefs emerged pushing carts.

At Kathleen’s questioning glance, Alexander explained. “We try to stay casual on Sunday, but we also try to keep some traditions. So we have
blinichikis
with an assortment of fillings.”

“
Blinichikis
?” she repeated and he translated.

“Blinis. Russian pancakes.”

As she watched, one of the chefs fired up a stove on a cart, whipped out a pan, spilled some batter into it and with a quick hand, swirled the pan around.

“The first one is yours, Sasha,” Tatiana urged playfully.

“So cruel, Tatochka. You know the first one is always for the dog because it’s lumpy,” he chided, dragging a laugh from not only his sister, but the two cooks busily working beside the table.

“Kathleen, you can fill your blini with any of the savory items on the cart.” Alexander motioned to the chef who removed the covers on the serving tray.

“Or if you have a sweet tooth, please serve yourself,” he added with a regal sweep of his hand to the various jellies, sugar and honey on the table.

Alexander and Tatiana encouraged her to try an assortment of fillings in the blinis until her stomach protested with fullness. Jim and Alexander seemed to have no such problem, finishing off another plate before they, too, called it quits and the wait staff cleared the table.

Unfortunately, the end of the breakfast meant that it was time to turn to the business of the day.

Alexander sensed the change in her mood and understood what she wanted. “I’m assuming you and Jim have news.”

“Petrov spent the night with one of the escorts, boss. She cashed in about twenty-thousand in chips last night after meeting him in the restaurant.”

“Did she leave with the money?”

“She’s still with him. It’s possible she’ll take it with her later, when she leaves.”

Kathleen decided to chime in with her part of the report. “I have men ready to follow her to see if there is any connection to this Stravinski guy. Plus, my people advised me earlier this morning that there appears to be a link between Petrov and a Russian mobster living in Europe who’s suspected of running a white slavery ring over there.”

“I’m sorry. Since I haven’t been in all the meetings, I’m a little confused. You’re saying there is a connection between Petrov and Stravinski and Vanessa?” Tatiana began, and looked worriedly to her brother, to Jim, and then back to Kathleen.

“If there is a connection, it may be possible that your hostess, Vanessa, is being sold by Stravinski through Petrov to the slavery ring he’s linked to,” Kathleen said.

Tatiana gasped and grew pale. “We have to stop it. Alexander, tell me we can stop it.”

“We will, Tatochka. I promise you, we will. But for right now, what do the two of you propose we do about Petrov?” Alexander rose from the table and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand as he began to pace in front of the windows.

“We need to push him for information,” Jim said.

Alexander laughed harshly. “Nicolai is not the kind of man you push, Jim. He’s a hothead and violent.”

“And he likes his vodka and women,” Kathleen noted.

“Women are possessions to him,” Alexander said as he continued pacing.

He was dressed casually today, in faded jeans which hugged his lean hips and muscled legs. The name of the designer on the back pocket confirmed they were worth more than her entire wardrobe. A black sweater covered his upper body, cashmere she guessed from the soft way it caressed the swell of his chest and arms before falling free along his lean midsection.

“I’m assuming that he not only doesn’t like to share, but likes to play with other people’s toys,” she said.

Alexander stopped dead and faced her. Tatiana was the one who spoke first, her voice shaky and her demeanor plainly troubled as she realized Kathleen’s intent. “You plan on having someone suck up to him?”

“Not just someone. She plans on doing it herself,” Alexander clarified for his sister, understanding what Kathleen had in mind.

“I’ll need your help, Alexander.”

“Absolutely not. What you’re proposing is crazy and dangerous. This is not a man you want to mess with. That much I know about Petrov.”

Kathleen shook her head. “You don’t get it. This is my job. It’s what I do and I won’t be going it alone. I’ll have backup. And you, if you’ll help me.”

Alexander could not believe that she was willing to take such a risk with her life and he wasn’t sure he was willing to assist. He resumed his pacing again, distressed at what she was asking. Trying to make up his mind about whether to help her.

She pressed onward with her plea. “I need you to introduce me, Sasha. But I also want you to do something else.”

His nickname on her lips did nothing to ease his anxiety. If anything, it served to remind him that the woman with whom he was falling in love might have to imperil her life for him and his casino and Vanessa.

“Why do I get the sense that I’m not going to like this part of it any more than the last?”

Kathleen just smiled, but there wasn’t an ounce of humor in her face. “I need you to convince Petrov that you’re willing to play dirty.”

He stalked back toward the table and grasped the top of the chair tightly, his heart pounding with the fury simmering inside him. He’d done so much to convince her of his innocence. That he was a good man and not involved with what was going on. Worse, she knew what a danger it was to him and all he stood for if anyone thought he wasn’t squeaky clean. That she should ask this of him was not only a slap in the face, but a threat to all that he had built here. “Dirty? As in doing something illegal?”

She stood and grasped his hands with hers. “I know I’m asking a lot. I know how much the honor of your name means to you. How it could affect your reputation and the casino’s, but there’s so much at stake here, including a woman’s freedom. Maybe even more.”

“Is that it, Kathleen? This life, my life’s work, as payback for that woman’s life in the warehouse?”

Tatiana rose then and approached him. She laid a hand on his arm, her gaze puzzled. “Sasha, what does that mean? What are you talking about?”

He forced a smile to his face and attempted to reassure his sister. “I’ll explain later, Tatochka. In private. Right now I have to deal with Special Agent Martinez’s request.”

Kathleen jumped, as if struck by his use of her title, but quickly schooled her emotions. “Does this mean you will help?”

“Fine,” he said dully. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

Kathleen nodded. “We’ll provide a script for you to feed Petrov. Maybe something about how you need money, and quickly, so when you introduce me, he’ll be more trusting of the setup.”

“And once I introduce you and play my role, your hope is that Petrov will want to steal you away?” Alexander’s gut clenched at the thought and he glanced down at her, hoping beyond hope that she had something else in mind.

But she didn’t.

“You were the one who said he’s the kind to covet someone else’s property, Sasha.”

“It makes sense, Alexander,” Jim chimed in, appreciating his unease with the plan.

“Sasha, you can’t be really thinking about doing this,” Tatiana challenged at his prolonged silence.

“I don’t like this plan, but if it’ll help get Vanessa back, I’m game. But first I’d like a private word with Kathleen.” He looked toward both Jim and Tatiana, who quickly complied, leaving him alone with Kathleen.

He tightened his hands on the chair, making his knuckles turn white. He turned to her, his stomach clenched in a knot. “You know very well what a man like Petrov will expect from you.”

…

Kathleen looked down at her feet and pushed out a breath. “I hope to hell it won’t come to that.”

She had worked undercover before, but she had never done anything like she was proposing now. Nevertheless she was confident she could sell her role as a paid escort, and that Petrov might then ask her to help him with laundering the money. She also knew Petrov’s interest might demand having sex with her, so she hoped to formulate a plan that would avoid it getting that far.

Alexander finally released his death grip on the chair and clasped her face in his hands, urging her gaze upward. His earlier anger had abated somewhat, but like the remnants of a powerful thunderstorm, some of it still lingered beneath the restraint he was showing. “You know how much my family’s reputation,
my
reputation, means to me.”

It was impossible to miss the concern in his eyes and voice. “I understand you have a great deal invested here, and that any hint of wrongdoing could seriously hurt your family.”

He nodded and ran his hands upward, threading his fingers through her hair. The touch was possessive, but tender. “Do you know what matters even more to me?”

Her heart raced with his touch and the heat in his gaze. “I know you want to find Vanessa,” she said trying to avoid where he was going.

Because all this was too much, too soon.

…

The fear in Kathleen's eyes was unmistakable. But Alexander hadn’t gotten this far in life by being impatient. With a final skim of his hands along her hair, he stepped away.

“This isn’t an easy thing you’re asking of me.”

“I know, but I have to ask it,” she said.

He nodded and jammed his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her again. “I know, but I’m going to request one thing of you as well. Tell me that you trust me. Tell me that you think I’m innocent.”

Just moments ago he’d asked for her heart, but she hadn’t been able to give it. But this she could. She could give him her trust and know that he would honor it.

“I believe you, Sasha. I trust you,” she said without hesitation.

With a tight smile, he nodded and said, “Tell me what you want me to do.”