Stranded but not Alone (Midnight Moanings Collection) (12 page)

“The doctor died years ago.”

“So why not just call and tell us not go through all this?”

“Because some families knew their babies were stolen. I couldn’t chance losing the only connection if your parents wouldn’t cooperate.”

“And you thought I was trying to kill you in the woods?”

“Someone took our bags off that taxi van and left Simone and me to die out there. She only knew me and had no enemies. That van didn’t just go over the cliff. That crash happened on purpose,” Seth said.

“I agree,” Josef said. “Only it wasn’t Anya and I who did those things. Maybe we should contact the authorities and have them at least inform the families of those in the van that perished.”

“Will you call your parents, Seth? I would love them to come for a few days. Your mother must be beside herself wondering what you’ve found up here,” Anya said.

“I was hoping you would welcome them to your home. I will go make the arrangements, “Seth said.

“Wait, Seth.” Mikhail followed him down the hall. “You and Simone are not a couple?”

“She’s not your type, brother.”

“I think I’ll leave that up to her.”

Seth fixed his new brother with a cold stare. “She’s not the woman for a playboy.”

“I just wanted to take her out. If you aren’t together, what are you worried about?”

“She’s not for you, Mikhail. Believe me.”

“I’ll just go down to the hotel, take her out to dinner. She can tell me herself if I’m not her type.”

“You’d go after her knowing…”

“If you don’t want me to ask her out, then say it, Seth. But not asking her out because you don’t have the balls to won’t stop me from going out with her.”

Seth wanted to be mad, hell he was mad, but Mikhail was right. He had the balls, not the sperm to give her the children she craved. If they hit it off then maybe Mikhail could make her happy.

“Let’s grab a drink tonight. I’m leaving after my parents get into town, so this will be my only chance to get to know you. I have a job in Italy and then Dubai.”

“So you’re cool with me seeing Simone?”

“No, but Simone’s a grown woman. I can’t make that decision for her and it’s unfair for me to say I can.”

“Look, Seth, I’m physically attracted to Simone and was instantly attracted to her personality. If you like her so much, and for whatever reason don’t pursue it, at least take her out. I’ll go with you. We’ll take her dancing or for some dinner. To be honest, I thought you two made a good couple, but hey, I have no idea what either of you has going on. From what you told me, she came here to get over someone and something. Has she done that yet? No. You owe her a night out. Come on, it’ll give us a chance to get to know each other and Simone to relax because, hey, she knows you.”

~~~

Seth’s T-shirt hung down to her thigh. Simone crawled up to the headboard of her bed in her hotel room, leaned back, and let her body sigh. She sank into the think pillows and just let the muscles go.

Giddy, she ran her tongue over her lips tasting Seth’s kisses still warm on her mouth. She will never meet anyone like him again, that she knew. Her body ached with the scent of him rising off his cotton shirt. She couldn’t believe he let her take it off him once they made it down the mountain to the hotel.

The sound of her girlfriend clearing her throat brought her head up.

“I’m sorry, Kim. What did you ask me?”

“If you can stop smelling that shirt long enough, I said that was incredible. Think you’ll miss them when we get home?”

“Not them. Seth. I met Mikhail a couple hours ago,” she said and stretched out like a cat over the fluffy comforter.

“But they’re twins. How can you not be attracted to both?”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t attracted.” She stuffed a pillow under her face on the bed. “I had the every woman flash fantasy—”

“The three of you together.” Kim slapped her hands together. “I knew the real Simone was in there somewhere. They look that much alike?”

“Oh yeah.” She rolled over on her back. “Seth, I think, is more mature. Mikhail I think is more playful, sexy playful.”

Simone scooted over as Kim lay next to her on the bed. “When we go back home, will Seth visit some time?”

“No. I agreed to go out with him before we leave, but that’ll be the end of Simone getting her groove back.”

“I think you’re crazy for not pursuing him. People have long-distance relationships all the time. I wouldn’t write him off just yet.”

She rolled onto her side, facing Kim. “I won’t lie. If Seth lived in the states, I would see him. But London? That’s crazy.”

“Think you could handle both of them,” Kim said, leaning up on elbow. “Just once—three of you.” She waggled her pristinely plucked brows.

“How much beer did you have? You’re a horn-dog.”

“I saw Seth remember? I’d give it a go.”

Simone sat up and crawled off the bed. “You didn’t see him naked. The man’s not working with standard-issued parts.”

“If I got stranded with a man it would be Mr. Magoo. Not Hercules. The guys on my tour were…” She waived a hand through the air. “Ehh, so-so.”

Simone pulled the curtain back, peering out over the Danube River. Seeing the setting sun reflecting on the calm water brought the lake and swimming with Seth to mind. The way he kissed her afterward to warm her body. She gathered a handful of the T-shirt and inhaled his delicious scent. Running a hand through her hair, she came back to earth, and her friend giving her the eye.

“You can’t get him out of your mind, can you?”

“Not yet… hungry? I’ll call for room service,” Simone said, flipping through the menu. She couldn’t get the man out of her mind and Kim wasn’t helping.

“A chicken salad for me,” she told her. “From the way you keep smiling at that shirt, I’d say our Russian has you tied in knots, Miss Daniels.”

“I’m waiting for the attraction to fade.”

“And if it grows?”

Gratefully the phone rang; she picked up the receiver. “Simone Daniels.” She lifted her eyes to Kim. “Mrs. Sultar… what’s wrong?”  Kim angled the phone to her ears.

“Mother…” Kim sank down on the bed. “But he’s okay? Oh no… I love you. Tell father I love him. Mother, let me call you back. I need to book a flight. Okay, give grandfather a kiss for me.” She ended the call and Simone waited for the news.

“Anything you need me to do?”

“Grandfather has made a turn for the worst. The family is going to India. I have to get packed and get a flight out to India.

“Well, you call the airlines and I'll pack your stuff. Sweetie, I’m so sorry. Do you want me to come with you?”

“Stay here. Enjoy Austria. Take pictures. Eat weird food. Take Seth up on his offer to take you out. Hell, go out with him and his brother. Create some fun memories to take back home.”

She nodded, knowing every word Kim said made sense. “Give your family a hug for me and if there’s anything you need…”

“I need you to take a second look at Seth. Long distance may work.”

“Call the airlines.”

“Call Seth.”

~~~

That next night rolled around. The hotel lobby hummed with couples and business associates going to or coming from dinner in a highly perfumed haze. Seth and his brother Mikhail lounged by the fireplace waiting for Simone.

After finding out her friend had a family emergency, he was glad they decided to take her out.

The elevators opened. The woman that stepped out wasn’t the same woman he argued, teased, and swam through the lake with. His eyes trailed the soft material caressing the swell of her breast. The gentle dip it took to form over her small waist. The easy way it lay over her hips, down over her thighs to hang just below her knees where firm copper legs seemed to pour from beneath it, strong and curved. Damn if she didn’t have on spiky black heels the kind he liked a woman to leave on when he made love to her.

“Judging from the way you’re staring, I’d say strapless was the right choice.”

“Tell me again why I should let you go back to the states, Sim? You look amazing,” Seth confessed.

“So do you,” she said.

He eased in, closed his hands over her waist. She gave no resistance as he pulled her into him, her face soft under his kiss.

“Sorry your friend had to leave. I hope everything turns out okay,” he said and soaked her in.

“Believe me, I’ve been praying ever since she left.”

“We could eat dinner here at the hotel if you prefer, Simone,” Mikhail offered  pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I just wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday.”

Seth held her close, jealousy tugging at his heart, watching her smile for his brother. He found himself massaging the nape of her neck standing there. Her exotic scent clouding his senses. The way she wore her hair up, exposing the lickable skin down the column of her throat made him hard behind his trousers. He felt her fingers began weaving between his on her waist.

“Mikhail, it’s in the past. Don’t worry about it. Let’s go and enjoy tonight. Show me Austria on the arms of two handsome and kind gentlemen.”

“You’re absolutely breathtaking,” Mikhail confessed, holding his arm out.

“I’ve never gone out with two men before. This feels a bit decadent. Thank you for thinking of me and inviting me out like this. I needed it after Kim’s grandfather fell ill and she had to go home to India.”

“We figured you never had your vacation and Seth and I didn’t want to look like a bunch of hard legs out without a woman,” Mikhail said with grin that made Seth take a second look at his brother. He was flirting with Simone. Walking away from her just became impossible.

“Oh, I’m a decoy, am I?” Simone joked and her light banter brought a warm glow to her soft brown skin. Seth could still feel her beneath him asleep on the lumpy sofa in the shanty. Cuddled against him for comfort, he hadn’t slept for wanting to watch her sleeping peacefully. Something she said she hadn’t done since her baby died.

“You’re a beautiful decoy,” Mikhail teased Simone.

“I’m glad you approve. Without Kim here, this hair-do almost didn’t happen,” she said, touching the spiraling braid trailing down her back.

“Before that dress or the hair-do draws any more attention, let’s go eat,” Seth said. “That is a dress, isn’t it, Simone?”

“You don’t like it, Dragoslava?” She nudged him with her hip and his arousal grew heavier behind the zipper.

He leaned close and whispered against her face, “I like it very much.”

“I thought you might,” she said and winked at him.

They left the hotel and Seth found it hard to share Simone with Mikhail. It pleased him to see during dinner that although he and his brother were visually similar, Simone had a preference—him.

~~~

The low lights and warm scents of the restaurant added to the romantic feel of dinner. Simone found she gravitated toward Seth more and more. She also didn’t miss the interest coming off Mikhail. Not many things surprised her, but the two of them so different, yet interested in her, left her puzzled. Were they attracted to the same qualities in her? Were they competing for her attention? She shifted in her chair as Mikhail’s hand covered hers on the table. Aware of Seth’s body stiffening beside her, she angled her body to face Mikhail. Maybe this is why you’re not supposed to have your hands on the table, people tend to catch you off guard.

“Simone, Seth tells me you’re a natural in the forest. Used a crossbow? I’m impressed.”

They all looked up as the waiter came with their dinner. Placing the napkin over her lap, she looked over at Seth starting in on his meal.

“Did I impress you too, Grizzly Adams?” She joked and startled when he growled under his breath along her shoulder, leaving a warm kiss on her bare skin before returning to his meal. Sparks crackled down over her breast and she prayed her strapless T-shirt bra kept her excitement from showing. Playing it off, she patted his leg under the table while turning her attention to the other man.

“My father made certain I could do everything my brother could do when we went camping. I had my first rifle when I was ten, but as I told Seth, I prefer the crossbow.”

“Sounds like you’re close to your family,” Mikhail said, then forked a large piece of steak into his mouth.

“Family’s everything,” she said, playing a spoon through the creamy sauce on her plate. She took a breath, feeling a lump forming in her throat. Then the gentle caress of Seth’s fingers played over her stomach under the table.

He leaned in. “My chest is still available to catch those tears.” The vision of the cabin came flooding back to her and him saying the same thing as they went to sleep that first night.

“Did I miss something?” Mikhail asked, holding Simone’s hand again.

She blinked back the waterfall swirling behind her eyes. Her makeup was not going to make it beyond dinner tonight with the way they made her emotions flip around. Taking a sip of water, she leaned into Mikhail. “I came on this trip to help me heal after losing my baby four months ago. Your brother has been a rock these last couple days,” she told him, and before she said another word, he had his arms around her stroking his hands down her back.

“And I yanked you out of the shower like a mad man. I’m sorry, Simone. I didn’t know.”

“You weren’t supposed to,” she said, concerned how much his body felt like Seth’s, strong and welcoming. Even more disturbing was the raw image playing through her mind of the three of them in bed. Her writhing beneath Seth, as he worked himself inside her, smiling down over her. Mikhail kissing down her neck until her breast filled his mouth his hungry pulls arching her back off the bed. The flick of his tongue teasing her nipples to hard peaks. Seth’s slipping one of her legs over his shoulder, pressing deeper into her. Each thrust building on the one before it until she would splinter from the manic sensation. The sheets twisted in her fevered grip.

“Simone.” Mikhail held her by the shoulders, setting her away from him and bringing her back to the moment. “Your heart is pounding. We can talk about something else,” he offered.

She took a breath, clearing her mind of the image vibrating through her body and soul, daring not to mention the real show going on in her head. “Hugs make me feel good. They are so personal. You can feel the other person’s heartbeat. Know whether they are truthful or not. Your hug was sincere. Thank you.”