The Russian's Tender Lover (The Sisterhood) (16 page)

“Consider me unled,” he replied, taking pity on her obvious embarrassment. “So, you don’t drink and, on your off time, you don’t wear makeup, prefer jeans to designer clothes and instead of hitting clubs every night or spending time with your most current lover, you hibernate somewhere until you’re prepared to go out night-clubbing once again. I think that sums up what I’ve been able to figure out about you so far. How far off am I?” he asked.

Adele chose that moment to bring in the appetizers, setting them down on a side table while dodging the puppies and the momma dog.

Darcy took that opportunity to call over the animals, grateful for their enthusiastic presence. “I think we need to name this lady,” she said, and fluffed her ears.

“And bath them. My secretary sent some shampoo and flea medicine with your new clothes as well.” Turning to Manuel who was bringing in the pitcher of reddish orange juice, he said, “Take the puppies and mother to give them another bath. Make sure to brush them thoroughly so they don’t have any more fleas.”

Darcy swallowed painfully. “I’ve already bathed them several times so they shouldn’t have any more fleas. But if you want them washed with your flea medicine, I’d be happy to do it myself,” she called out, even though Manuel was already leading the animals out of the room, all of them following with eager expressions, obviously hopeful of more treats.

“You haven’t answered my question Darcy,” he said and with that note of authority in his voice, she sat back down, her hands gripping her knees, unable to look over at him.

“So, what’s this all about?”

She stood up and walked to the bar, pouring herself a large glass of the juice just as something to do with her hands.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m exactly what you think I am,” she replied, desperately clinging to her façade even though earlier in the afternoon she’d been berating herself for becoming what she hated.

His voice was soft and gentle, and directly behind her now. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Why do you present to the world a person that isn’t who you really are?”

She took a long sip of the chilled juice, feeling instant relief as the cold soothed her throat and put a bit of energy into her muscles since she’d missed lunch. She debated back and forth, wondering if she could trust Sergei or if she should maintain her secrets. In the end, as she looked into his eyes, she knew she wanted to trust him, wanted to tell him everything. “You know who I am, right?”

“You’re Darcy DiAngelo.”

“And you’ve heard of my father?”

“Of course.”

“Then you have to understand why I do this.”

He thought about it for a long moment, his eyes roving over her pale features in an effort to try and understand. “No. I don’t think I do.”

“He’s a mafia boss,” she said, as if that explained everything.

He waited, but when she didn’t continue, he prompted, “And?”

She laughed bitterly. “And if I were the sweet, pretty little princess he wanted me to be, I’d be married right now. To some horrible guy who enjoys torturing and killing other people.”

The pieces fell into place. “Okay. I can see where you’d try and hide from your father. But you keep coming out and selling your…” he hesitated, “services, for lack of a better word,” he explained. “Your father could find you any time and bring you back.”

She smiled and raised her glass. “As long as I keep popping up in various cities, he knows where to find me,” she said. “If he can keep tabs on me occasionally, he feels like he’s in control. But if I were to disappear completely, he’d find me and bring me home. There’s also the added benefit of appearing to be something any decent Mafia man would never marry. A party girl is for enjoyment. Mafia men, in their silly, warped world, want some sort of Madonna for their wife and thankfully I don’t fit that image. As long as I keep up that image, I’m relatively safe.”

He nodded slowly. “I guess that makes sense.”

“No, it doesn’t. My father has some serious control issues but it’s not hard to figure him out. If he thinks I’ve turned out as horribly as he has, he’s perfectly fine with me doing whatever I want.”

“What do you do when you aren’t popping up in a nightclub and bringing all the paparazzi to a feeding frenzy to get your picture?”

She shrugged and looked out the window. “I keep myself safe.”

“And protect other animals?” he suggested softly.

Darcy’s eyes flew to his face, a shiver running down her spine at how perceptive he was. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, it makes sense that you would protect something smaller than yourself. I’m guessing your father hit you when you were smaller, didn’t he?”

“He didn’t mean to,” she said, forming an excuse for the man who’d sired her. But at his cynical expression she leapt to his defense. “No really, he was always angry and yelling and every once in a while, I would accidentally get too close when he was throwing his arms about. It wasn’t that he was trying to hit me, but nor did he really care after it happened. He thought it was his way of toughening me up when he’d walk away and I had to deal with my bloody nose or black eye.”

Sergei closed his eyes as fresh rage poured through is body. “But as soon as you could, I’m guessing you developed a plan to get out of the situation?”

“It wasn’t so much that I developed the plan. My lifestyle sort of formed around me, I guess.”

“How so?”

She stood up and took several bites of the cracker Adele had brought in. “I was at a night club one night dancing with some friends and the paparazzi took pictures of me, naming me as the naughty mafia princess. Next thing I know, some guy calls me up explaining that he was opening a new night club, asking me if I could show up. He said he’d pay me five thousand dollars if I would just dance for an hour at his club and let the paparazzi take pictures.”

“And a career was born.”

“Exactly,” she smiled. “The naughtier I behaved, the higher my price would go. It was silly really, but you can’t believe all those celebrities are struggling with drugs and rehab, do you?”

“Some of them, yes.”

She flushed. “Well, yes. Definitely some of them are having problems and they’re working hard to fix them. But most just need a reason to get into the tabloids for publicity.”

“The next thing you’re going to tell me is that they’re all as innocent as you are.”

She blushed under his teasing tone but shook her head. “No, I think I’m the only prude in our set, but definitely don’t believe everything you hear. People prefer the gossip to reality.”

He shrugged. “Normally, reality is pretty close to perception. You’re the one person I’ve met who has completely stumped me.”

“And you’re the first person I’ve met who has been able to see through my disguise.”

“The martini was the last piece that threw me over the puzzle.”

Her eyes widened as she figured out what he’d done. “You’re a real rat! You made me the martini’s tonight knowing that I wouldn’t drink them.”

He stood up and chuckled, pulling her into his arms. “I suspected that was the case, but until I saw you choking on the gin, I wasn’t sure.”

He took her hands and put them around his neck. “Let’s eat dinner and you can tell me more about how you’ve fooled the world.”

Since he’d pulled her right into his arms, she was breathless as she stared up into his dark, enigmatic eyes that definitely saw way more than she was comfortable with. Standing this close, she felt her heart shoot into overdrive and she wanted to step back, put some space between their bodies, but he held her close, his hands splayed on her back and waist as he looked down at her.

As she watched, his mouth descended to hers.

Several hours later, Sergei pulled away and looked at the sensuous woman in his arms. She was definitely not the normal type of woman he took to his bed. There was something about her, something frail and delicate that made his protective instincts come out strongly. But this was different than how he felt for his mother or his sister. This protectionism was laced with something much headier, more powerful. He wanted her in his bed, and his life, with a drive that was growing with each moment he spent in her company. Every new discovery about her only fueled the flames. And now, understanding that she was painfully innocent despite the softness, the lushness of her delicate body, he wasn’t going to relent but at least he could take it a bit slower.

He woke her up and nibbled on her ear. His body reacted when she sleepily rolled over and smiled without opening her eyes. “You need some food,” he whispered in her ear.

“Not hungry,” she argued and snuggled against him.

“You have to eat,” he repeated and bit her ear lobe to finish the wakening process.

In the moonlight and soft candlelight, Sergei asked her questions and for the first time since she’d allowed Emma and Claire into her secret world, she was fully honest and free with her answers, not hiding anything in her effort to make him understand why she did what she did.

It was a lovely night and she savored the lemonade that Adele brought to the table, thankful for the sweet gesture so she didn’t have to pretend to drink wine again. She also asked Sergei more about his family, asking why his sister thought her fiancé was in love with Darcy. There wasn’t a clear answer, and she honestly couldn’t remember meeting anyone named Nicolai or Nico at any of the clubs recently. “I’m sorry, I wish I could help you find him.”

“I’m not sure I want him to be found. My sister needs to break free from someone who would treat her like that but she’s determined.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Anya is a bit pigheaded. I doubt she’d listen to anything you had to say. I think we should simply let her deal with the consequences of her choice for once.”

Darcy cringed, knowing that heartache was just around the corner for the mysterious Anya.

“Enough about my family. I think we need to focus on you,” he said and stood up to come around the table.

“I’m not sure I have anything more interesting to say about me.”

He smiled and pulled her out of her chair. “Then don’t speak. Let me make my own discoveries,” he said and swung her up into his arms, carrying her to his bedroom.

Darcy didn’t mind at all, putting her arms around his neck and giving in to the sweet rapture she experienced each time he touched her. This time would be different from earlier. This time, she wouldn’t run away, she’d be brave and find out what would make him feel the same way she felt each time he touched her. She wanted to give back to him this precious gift he’d taught her to crave.

Chapter 13

Darcy stretched out on the bed, feeling wonderful. She turned to look at the man next to her and almost chuckled at the horrified expression on his face as he leaned on one elbow and looked down at the bottom of the bed. “Are you okay?” she asked, already knowing what the issue was.

He looked down at her, his face relaxing somewhat even as he shook his head. “Can you explain to me why there are five animals sleeping on this bed with us?”

Darcy laughed softly and shifted slightly, gently moving her legs so she didn’t disturb any of the puppies. “Because they’re dogs and dogs are social creatures that enjoy being with other dogs and humans.”

He sighed and looked back down at them. “I can understand that, but why do they have to be on the bed? And why so close?”

“Because they’re pack animals and want to keep you safe.”

He grimaced as he leaned down and picked up one sleepy eyed puppy and moved it over to another corner. “Do they have to protect me so closely?” he growled.

“Now you’ve done it,” she warned.

“Done what?”

Darcy sighed and looked down. Sure enough, all the puppies were slowly waking up, stretching and looking around. That look meant only one thing. “They need to go out for a walk now that you’ve woken them up.”

Sergei looked down at her as if she’d just told him that the world would explode in the next few moments. He was quick to recover though and shook his head. “No way.” Grabbing a robe, he tightened it around his waist, then proceeded to rounding up all the puppies and their mother, he herded them out the door, bellowing for Manuel to come immediately. “Take them out for a walk, then into the kitchen for breakfast,” he ordered without preamble, then slammed the door as the last of the puppies waddled happily down the hallway in anticipation of relief and breakfast.

A moment later, the robe was tossed over a chair and he slipped back under the covers, his hand immediately reaching for her and pulling her close. Sergei’s hand on her leg moved upwards, cupping her breast and waking her the rest of the way. “I like it when you smile,” he said, his voice also husky with sleep. “And I like it even more when you wake up next to me.”

She laughed and ran her hand along his muscular arm, all the way up to his shoulder. “I think you’re about to take advantage of my inability to get up last night and find my way to my own room.”