The Russian's Dangerous Game (12 page)

Instead
of telling her all that, he took her hand and showed her how to pet the horse.

“I don’t…” she starte
d to say, unconsciously pressing her back against him to try and put space between herself and the enormous horse’s head in front of her.

“You do,” he countered, not letting her move away. “Just like this,” he told her as he lifted her hand, placing it on the horse’s nose.

Thor turned his head slightly to get more of her hand, sniffing her scent. “Don’t be nervous,” Rocco coached, his voice very close to her ear. “He’s just trying to smell you. Turn your hand like this.” And he turned her hand so the palm was up, giving Thor more access to her hand and her scent.

Brianna giggled slightly at the ticklish feeling of the horse’s whiskers against her palm. “He’s sweet.”

Rocco smiled but knew she couldn’t see him. “He’s a wild beast when you get him on the open trails,” he said. “He likes to take off, see how fast he can go.”

Brianna tilted her head so she could see him. “Just like you?”

Rocco laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist, squeezing gently. “He and I get along pretty well, once he knows who’s in charge.”

Initially she’d stiffened at his touch, but after only a second, she relaxed. Even smiled and rolled her eyes at his comment before turning back to the horse. “He wants to run around in the pasture, doesn’t he?”

Rocco patted the horse again before moving on to the next stall and handing Brianna another apple. “They all do, but the snow is too deep right now. My stable man might let them out later today, but they’ll probably just come right back inside again.”

“Why?”

“They don’t want to be cold,” he said as if that were the most obvious reason in the world.

Brianna grimaced. “Sorry. I guess that was a stupid question. I just thought, because of their winter coats, they wouldn’t mind the cold.”

“Normally they wouldn’t. But I think at a basic level,” he moved even closer, unable to stop himself despite the wary look that immediately came into her eyes, “that all creatures want warmth and comfort, a tender hand,” he moved even closer, “and a bucket full of oats.” That was so far from what she’d been expecting, Brianna couldn’t help but laugh outright.

Rocco smiled, enjoying her laughter.

“Come along,” he said. “We need some exercise.” He took her hand and led her out of the stable, back out into the cold afternoon. “Tell me more about Nikki and Rachel.”

Brianna turned her face towards the sunshine, closing her eyes and enjoying the bright light. “They’re good friends. We would do anything for each other.”

“How did you meet?” he asked.

This was not a subject she was going to delve into. “In school,” she replied, an evasive, but safe answer.

Rocco knew exactly what she was trying to do, but he wasn’t going to change the subject. The evasiveness of her reply told him that he had stumbled onto an important subject.

“It’s interesting that you don’t want to talk about your friends.” He looked down at her.
“Very revealing about who you are as a person.”

Brianna pulled her hand out of his and put more space between them. “I just prefer to keep my professional and my personal life separate.”

“And yet, you’re here only so you can find out what all of my private secrets are. Ironies abound, don’t you think?”

Brianna glared at him for a long moment,
then decided he had a valid point. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

He smothered his amusement and looked towards the edge of the field. “Primarily, why don’t you want me to know about your friends?”

She grumbled at that question. “Why are they so important to you?”

“We surround ourselves with people that make us comfortable. The fact that you don’t want me to know about these women tells me that they might reveal a secret about your past.”

She stomped ahead of him. “Rachel and Nikki are good, wonderful people. Rachel is married to a very nice man. I was in their wedding just last month. Nikki is a bit too independent to deal with a man. She’s smart and beautiful and strong.”

Rocco enjoyed watching the fire in her eyes. “Who is Rachel married to?”

“Just a man,” Brianna replied, trying to respect Rachel’s privacy. Her husband had a reputation for being almost a recluse in the world. Not in the small town in which the two of them lived. There, he was known as “Jack” and was a laid-back, fun-loving guy. But he was really a hard core investment broker and people shivered with fear whenever he ventured into New York City.

“Does this man have a name?” Rocco prompted.

Brianna shook his head. “I’m sorry. But the man prefers his privacy. I’ll tell you what I can about my own friends, but Rachel’s husband is off limits.”

Rocco actually respected her more for that statement. “Okay, so tell me how you met your friends.”

Brianna bit her lip, unaware of the biting cold. “Nikki and I met in a foster home,” she finally said. “My mother died when I was a baby and my father,” she stopped and looked around, unable to look at his face when she admitted the rest. “Well, he couldn’t cope without her. And he sort of…checked out.”

Rocco understood that her father had committed suicide and he cursed silently for this kind, generous woman. When a man becomes a father, there were more important things to consider than one’s sadness over a lost spouse. The man had responsibilities to his child. “I’m sorry.”

Brianna was surprised by the anger she detected in his voice. She’d always hated sympathy, finding it superficial and uncomfortable. But this man was angry on her behalf? “For what?” she asked softly.

“Because your father should have stood up and helped you instead of wallowing in self-pity. A child deserves better.”

Brianna had thought those guilty feelings so often over the years but had suppressed them, feeling awful for even being angry at her father who had abandoned her, leaving her to the cruel and usually heartless world. Hearing him say the exact thing that she’d been thinking so many times released a band of steel around her chest she hadn’t even realized was there. “Thank you,” she said, not even thinking about it. Just feeling now.

Rocco took a deep breath, trying to release the anger.
“And what about Nikki?”

Brianna started walking again. “Nikki’s parents died in a car accident. We were in the same foster home.”

“Was it a good one?” he asked, afraid of what she might say next. He’d heard some pretty horrible things about foster homes. Some were excellent with warm, caring people who helped children through some horribly difficult times. But there were some who could cripple a child’s emotions and development with cruel treatment.

Brianna thought about that question for a moment. “It was a safe place to be,” she finally responded.

Rocco knew there was more. “What did Nikki need to protect you from?”

Brianna turned to look up at him, squinting into the sunshine. “I’ll tell you
what, you answer one question for me answering one of yours. How about it?”

Rocco smiled and stepped closer.
“Deal. So what did your friend protect you from?”

Smiling, she shook her head.
“Nope. I’ve already answered several of yours. It’s my turn to ask questions.”

“No way.
You just negotiated the terms. You can’t make the deal retroactive. So give in,” he commanded, stepping closer so that his head blocked the sun from her eyes. “Why did you need protection?”

She debated how to answer and was about to respond when he stopped her. “Don’t even think about telling me a lie. I can see everything you’re thinking on your face.”

Brianna didn’t like that, but she adjusted her answer so it was more honest. “The homes were safe enough. It was the other kids in school that Nikki helped Rachel and I deal with.” Before he could even open his mouth to ask the next question, she stopped him with her own. “Who is the man I saw you pretending not to speak with at the dance club last week?”

Rocco smiled slightly. “His name was
Nazar.” With that, he turned and started walking away.

Brianna ground her teeth in frustration.
A first name? Really? That was all he was going to give her?!

Nikki had taught her never to let someone take
advantage of her and she wasn’t going to start now. The man’s phone rang and he was momentarily distracted as he answered the call.

Bending low, she grabbed a handful of snow, excited that it was early enough in the winter season so the temperatures weren’t well below the freezing point. That made the snow perfectly packable and her gloved hands quickly formed a snowball.

In hindsight, she should have channeled her temper in a safer direction. But at the moment, she was too irritated by his non-answer and the numerous questions she’d answered for him. She’d been more than forthcoming about her life and he’d answered with just the man’s first name? Oh no! She couldn’t let him get away with that!

Nikki had taught her well. The snowball hit him smack on the back of the head. There was a silence as Rocco stood there with his back to her, the cell phone about an inch away from his ear.

And then he turned. Slowly, as if he still couldn’t believe what she’d just done.

And even at that moment, she should have run. But instead, she stood there, smugly happy with her perfect aim.

“I’ll have to call you back,” he said to the person on the other end of the phone line. Without waiting for any response, he clicked the phone off, tucked it casually into his pocket, then….

Brianna’s confident smile turned to a screech of horror and laughter as Rocco raced after her. She ran as fast as her shorter legs and the deep snow would allow, but she was no match for Rocco’s longer and stronger stride. Within moments, she was flung down into the snow, landing with a laugh and a thud on top of his chest. Even then, she was up and running once again, slowed down by the laughter that was debilitating her.

The next thing she knew, she was plucked out of the snow and flung over Rocco’s shoulder. “Do you give up?” he demanded.

Between gasping laughter, she tried to slip off of his shoulder.
“Never!” she yelled right back at him.

“I’ll just have to ramp it up a bit,” he came back.

Within moments, they were at the back door to his house and he flung her upright. But he wouldn’t let her go and her laughter was still in full force. Even when he pinned her against the mudroom wall, her mind didn’t acknowledge the danger she was in. So when his mouth covered hers, she was still laughing. Her hands automatically moved up to his broad shoulders and she gasped in excitement, still delirious from her laughing to stop him.

By the
time his hands were moving up underneath her shirt, she could barely breathe because of the overwhelming desire that swamped her. It was just like the last time, only more intense.

“Tell me you want me,” he commanded as his hands swiftly found her soft, full breasts.

“Would it matter?” she asked, her head falling backwards as his expert thumbs found her already hard nipples, slamming her with an electric jolt so strong, she could barely hold herself upright. If it weren’t for his strong arms, she might have melted along with the snow puddling at their feet as it melted off of their bodies.

“Tell me!” he commanded more forcefully as his leg pressed between her
s.

“Yes! Don’t stop!” and she pressed her body closer to his, needing more, needing all of him. Her own hands were gripping his neck but she didn’t want that any longer. She needed to touch him, to feel his skin and all those glorious muscles she’d felt the last time they’d been together.

A small part of her brain couldn’t believe she wanted this so badly, needed him after only being in his company for one day and one night. But there was just something about him that she couldn’t deny, something so elemental, it made her feel whole and complete when he was touching her and she could touch him.

He didn’t carry her up to his bedroom this time. There wasn’t any time. Their urgency was too intense, too demanding.
He tore his hands away from her breasts and she cried out, instantly missing his touch. But then his arms lifted her up and he carried her into another room. She had no idea where they were, but suddenly she was laying down and he was standing over her, pulling her clothes off at such a rapid rate, she was naked in what felt like seconds.

There was no time to worry, no
time to wonder about the crazy need that this man, only this man, could instigate so deep inside of her. As soon as her clothes were off, his hands were working on his own, discarding shirt, jeans and boxers at a surprisingly fast rate. A moment later, he was right back with her, leaning down and kissing her even as his body found hers, sliding skin against skin. Brianna groaned as she felt a tingling all over her body, pooling right at her core as her need increased to an almost painful level.

“Please, Rocco!” she begged as his legs moved between hers. She was more than ready for him but he wasn’t ready to give her what she wanted. He moved lower, capturing her nipple with his mouth and teasing her. Brianna arched up against him, whimpering as the feelings overwhelmed her. “No more,” she gasped, trying to pull his head away.