Last Kiss (2 page)

Elaine’s gaze swept the crowd and she grinned. Yes, this was going to be an interesting few days. Her skin prickled as the hair on the back of her neck rose to attention.

Someone’s watching me.

She slowly scanned the room, looking for the source of her discomfort. Standing in the back as she was, she couldn’t see anyone paying her the slightest bit of attention until she looked up.

To her left, a balcony ran the width of the room and a man stood in the center, his gaze fixed on her.

His raven-black hair was long and loose, trailing below his shoulders. He looked quite tall with long legs encased in black leather knee boots and tight black pants. A burgundy velvet jacket covered impossibly wide shoulders while white ruffles from his shirt peaked through the open front. A simple black mask covered most of his face, but not his mouth. Unsmiling, he looked firm and commanding.

She looked away, willing her breathing back under control. She was being foolish. It couldn’t be
him
because
he
didn’t exist. He never had.

For as long as she could remember, she’d had dreams about a tall raven-haired man who was her lover. The dreams had started when she was in her late teens and they’d begun innocently enough. Every three or four months, she’d dream of walking under a full moon, his hand in hers, of stolen kisses that curled her toes under the cool, blue light. They would laugh, talk, and lie in fields to stare at the stars.

As she grew older, the dreams changed and increased in frequency. They were almost always sensual or erotic in nature, leaving her damp and aroused when she woke. On most occasions, she’d been aroused to the point that a simple touch from her hand would bring her the satisfaction she craved.

She glanced up once more and their gazes connected. He nodded, sending a shiver of anticipation through her as she saluted him with her glass and a big smile.

She’d rarely sustained a long-term relationship because, as crazy as it sounded, she’d always had the strange feeling that she’d been cheating on her dream lover. Face it, no real man had ever measured up to her nocturnal visitor.

What time she’d wasted being faithful to a figment of her overactive imagination. The man on the balcony probably wouldn’t measure up either, but she might have fun finding out.

A waiter dressed in a white loincloth distracted her when he offered her a mouthwatering selection of mini-quiches. Though she didn’t want one, she selected a mushroom quiche and nodded her thanks as he left. After nibbling her treat, she took a leisurely drink of her champagne before returning her gaze to the balcony.

He was gone.

Chapter 2

It was her, it had to be.

Count Alexei Romanov ran a shaky hand through his hair as he stepped into the seclusion of a small lavatory, taking care to lock the door behind him. No other woman had that smile or air of confidence that
she
possessed. When she’d tilted her head to the side while listening to Dirk, he knew he’d seen that head tilt before.

Even now, after seeing her in person, it was hard for him to believe it was her. He’d seen her photo in Dirk’s office, but his friend had been remarkably tight-lipped about Elaine. It had taken four years of haunting Dirk’s every move in pursuit of the woman in the photograph. And finally, she’d turned up at this event. He’d known that if he stuck close to Dirk long enough, the elusive Elaine would appear. And she had.

So many years had passed since he’d last seen her but he knew his memory to be true. To be sure, there was one more test, one sure way to find out if it really was her. With any luck, he’d know within a few short hours.

He tipped his head back, his eyes stinging with tears of joy. After all these years, his quest was almost over. He closed his eyes and offered a silent thanks to the Universe for showing him the way to his love.

* * * * *

Elaine turned away from the balcony, disappointed. Where had the stranger vanished to so quickly? She could only hope he’d reappear later and she’d get the chance to chat with him.

A round of applause brought her attention back to Dirk. “Dinner will be served in one hour. Until then, please partake of the wines, canapés…and anything else you might...desire.”

Elaine smiled as his voice dipped and he gave the crowd a slight bow. Stepping down from the dais, he headed toward her, pausing to exchange a word with one of the guests. Her heart swelled as his face broke into a broad smile when he reached her side.

“Darling!” He swept her into a hug. “I’m so pleased you made it.”

“And I’m pleased you invited me.” She returned his hug with a big squeeze. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He released her and stepped back to look her up and down, his gaze warm. “You’re looking well, my dear.”

“I’m feeling well.” She smiled. “Very well in fact.”

He caught her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “I’ve been worried about you.”

She caught the glimmer of concern in his eyes and her heart tightened. One of the hardest phone calls she’d ever had to make was to tell Dirk of her returning illness. Together they’d fought the same battle five years before and now it was back with a vengeance. Homemade soup and hand-holding wouldn’t save her this time.

She widened her smile and gave his hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry about me, not this weekend anyway.”

His smile reappeared. “You’re right. This weekend you’re well and, for that, we shall be thankful.” He nestled her hand in the crook of his elbow, leading her from the room. “For the next few days, I only want you to think about pampering yourself. I’ve arranged for a daily massage at 1 P.M. in the privacy of your room.” When she made a noise to object, he shushed her by placing a finger over her lips. “No, dearest, let me do this for you.” He replaced his finger with a quick kiss. “I know how important it is that you be as relaxed as possible.”

She nodded, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “You’ve been a good friend to me, Dirk.”

“And you to me.” His expression turned serious. “Elaine, I wanted to—”

“Mr. Dirk,” Nigel approached. “I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, but we have a slight problem in the kitchens that requires your immediate attention.”

“Oh bother.” Dirk rolled his eyes theatrically. “I’ll be there in a minute.” He steered Elaine toward a large set of open doors. “I want you to see my new acquisitions in the gallery. I shipped many of the paintings from the New York apartment to make room, however, I bought a new one specifically for this house.” He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a warm kiss to her knuckles. “I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“I’m sure I shall.”

Elaine couldn’t prevent a smile as Dirk moved away. He was such a kid, spending his outrageous inheritance with his usual dash and style. Which was not to say that he was indiscriminate, he wasn’t. He donated much of his money and free time to various charities. The reality was that he was so darned rich he didn’t know what to do with it. She’d always thought that he had more money than sense at times and she loved him for it.

Stepping into the gallery, the noise of the party faded behind her. Here, only a few drifted around to view the impressive collection. She wandered past a Gustav Klimpt that Dirk had acquired almost twenty years ago, one of his first serious purchases. They’d been in Germany when the painting had come up for sale and he’d been determined to buy it.

Next came a Degas in pastel, a group of young dancers. Then a lesser-known Manet hung beside a series of Picasso’s work from the later period. An impressive collection of small Monet’s were hung above a delicate gilt table topped with a vase of flowers.

He had exquisite taste in art.

She spied the new painting at the end of the room and she turned toward it, eager to see what gem her friend had found. Before she could get a good look at it, a couple entered the gallery, their laughter disturbing the calm of the room. Elaine stepped to the side, ducking behind a potted fern as the man’s gaze swept the room.

“We’re alone, darling.” He spoke to his companion.

“Smashing, just smashing.” The woman grabbed his arm and led him to a padded bench near the center of the room. Pushing him down, she zeroed in on his lap, concentrating on releasing him from his trousers. Pulling her voluminous skirt up, she climbed into his lap, impaling herself with a squeal on his erection.

So much for foreplay.

As the woman set to work, Elaine clapped a hand over her mouth to thwart her laughter. Heavens, what did she do now? She couldn’t very well step out of her hiding spot and make her escape. They’d see her and know she’d been watching them. Maybe she could—

Their shared groans escalated and she bit her lip, trying desperately not to laugh. Just a few feet away were the terrace doors. Maybe she could sneak through there and make her escape into the garden, then around to the front of the house. She could only hope the alarm wasn’t armed.

She shot a glance at the amorous couple and noted they were oblivious to anything around them. Holding her breath, she moved the few feet to the door and curled her fingers around the handle. With a quick, silent prayer, she opened it with nary a sound and she slipped outside into the darkness, careful to quietly shut the door behind her.

Backing away, she allowed a wild giggle to escape. That had certainly been a new experience for her. She’d been caught in quite a few embarrassing moments in her life, but this one took the cake. Dirk would get a laugh out of this and she couldn’t wait to tell him just as soon—

She stumbled as she backed into something solid, throwing her off balance. Pin-wheeling her arms, her breath caught as hands descended upon her shoulders, hauling her back into a broad chest. Warm breath tickled her neck as her unexpected companion leaned down to speak in her ear.

“Shh, don’t make a sound. We don’t want to disturb our friends.”

A shiver ran down her spine and those strong hands guided her back across the terrace. Once she was sure they were safe from detection, she turned to face her rescuer.

It was
him
, the man from the balcony. He smiled and her breath caught. As he captured her hand and raised it to his mouth, a jolt of awareness raced up her arm and her throat went dry.

“Allow me to introduce myself, I am Alexei.” He kissed the back of her hand, then raised his head, his gaze meeting hers. “And you are?”

She swallowed hard. “E-E-Elaine. My name is Elaine.”

A spark of amusement lit his eyes at her nervous stammer.

Great! She meets the most handsome man on the planet and she’d just proven she was a nervous Nelly who can’t even say her name successfully.

“A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

His accent was faint and yet somehow familiar. Did her dream lover have an accent? In her dreams, she couldn’t actually say that she’d heard him speak. It had always seemed like she just
knew
what he was saying.

She shivered as he turned her hand over and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Where are you from?” she blurted.

“Here and there.” He rose, still retaining his grip on her hand. “I am from Moscow originally, but I have lived all over the world.”

“Since Russia fell?”

He smiled as if her question amused him. “You could say that.”

She bit her lip and his gaze immediately dropped to her mouth. Disconcerted, she parted her teeth to release her flesh as his thumb stroked her palm, causing a shimmer of heat down her spine.

“So what brings you here?”

Great Elaine, we all know why we’re here.

His smile grew. “I am here for a variety of reasons, mainly to visit my friend, Veronique.”

Elaine nodded. She guessed he was talking about Veronique LeMonde, Dirk’s lover. They’d been together for years.

“Ah, so you know her as well?” he asked.

“Oh yes, I’ve known Dirk for most of my life and I remember the day he and Ronni met.” She grinned. “He mowed her down on his rollerblades in Central Park.”

Alexei laughed. “I remember that. She had to appear onstage at the Fall Fashion Preview with a bandage on her forehead.”

“And still managed to look stunning.” Elaine chuckled.

Their laughter faded, the night sounds enveloping them as their eyes met and clung. Shadowed by the mask, she couldn’t tell what color his were but she felt the heat of his gaze as it swept her, scorching her from the inside out. Her breasts tingled and her nether regions involuntarily clenched. Already she knew that she wanted him. With only a few words and a touch, he’d managed to move past her defenses and firmly plant himself in her psyche. The next question was how to get him into her bed? She licked her lips. Was he even interested?

A loud cry from the amorous couple within the gallery brought a rush of heat to her cheeks, forcing her to avert her eyes.

He squeezed her hand, jerking her attention back to his face. “They are very… energetic, yes?” He nodded toward the doors, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

Elaine couldn’t prevent her smile. “You could say that.”

“He makes too many mistakes.” Still retaining hold of her hand, Alexei urged her to walk with him. “He’s hurrying too much and doing a disservice to his woman.”

Alexei stopped to lean against the stone railing, turning her so she faced the house. From their new position, she could see directly into the gallery and the couple writhing within.

“I don’t think we should…“ She tugged at her hand but he refused to relinquish his hold.

“Shh, watch and learn.”

He pulled her into his arms, her back to his front. She had to part her legs to accommodate his feet as his hands slid down to grasp her waist. His big hands cupped her hipbones, pulling her snug against him, the press of his erection evident despite the layers of clothing that separated them. Lust unfurled in her gut, moving lower to pool in the apex of her thighs.

That answers that question…

A rush of feminine power hit her at the thought of bedding this handsome man.

“He’s greedy.” His voice sounded in her ear, pulling her attention from her buttocks where he pressed against her, back to the couple. His breath tickled her neck as his chin brushed her skin, eliciting a shiver from her.