“You must eat something, Kristina.” Vlad set the plate of meats and cheeses on the table.
Her stomach rumbled at the wonderful scents, but she couldn’t eat a bite.
“I brought you some chocolates. From Belgium. Your favorites.”
Vlad knew her so well. “Thank you, but I’m not hungry.” She kept her gaze out the window and wondered if Matt or Rory had found her note at the bank. Despair gnawed at her no matter how hard she tried to believe they would save her. Now that Viktor had her egg, he had no reason to keep her alive. “What will happen to me?”
“I don’t know. Viktor hasn’t told me. I will do my best to keep you alive.”
She heard the sincerity in his voice. Words stuck in her throat.
“I’ll come back later.”
Kristina nodded.
She closed her eyes for a moment and saw Matt’s handsome face. A single tear escaped, gliding down her cheek. No. She couldn’t let Viktor get away with killing her parents, burning down her uncle’s home, and kidnapping her. He must pay. And she would be the one who made sure he did. A wave of courage filled her. If Viktor wanted to kill her, he would have a hard time.
Pacing the grand bedroom, she searched for a way out. Steel bars lined the windows, and Viktor’s goon had locked her in. Viktor had brought her to his country estate several times as his guest. Now she was his prisoner.
She sat on the lavish, handmade, cherry-wood, four-post bed and took a deep breath. Think, Kristina, think. A mixture of fear and panic filled her. If Uncle Jasper was with her, he’d tell her not to give up. Matt wouldn’t let her either. With joined trembling hands, she prayed for a way to escape. Another tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and forced her mind to find a way to escape. Glancing around the candlelit room, Kristina looked for something to unlock the door. She found nothing. No secret passageways either. She pounded the wall with her fist.
Shouts and other loud noises outside the room startled her. She laid a hand across her racing heart. What was all the commotion? Had Matt found her? A glimmer of hope sparked within her. With quick steps, she leaned her ear against the cold oak door. Through the drumming in her ears, she heard Viktor’s muffled curses. What was he saying?
A flash of light from outside caught her eye. She rushed to the window and saw men running toward the house with pocket lights. Who were these men? Were they her saviors or more of Viktor’s guards?
“Kristina!”
Shouts in the hall caused her to freeze. She took a step back. Her imagination was playing tricks on her. Did she really hear Matt shouting her name? Had he come for her?
“Kristina!”
It was Matt’s voice calling out her name. He had come to rescue her.
Before she could reply, a gunshot echoed outside her door. Then silence.
“No!” she yelled.
“Kristina!” the man shouted again on the other side of the door.
“Matt!”
He tried to turn the locked doorknob. “Kristina,” he said, banging on the door.
“In here,” she shouted.
“Stand back.”
With a loud crash, Matt knocked down the door. Kristina gasped.
At once, he took her in his arms and held her tight. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m all right,” she whispered against his ear. “You’re here. You’re really here.”
He rubbed her back. “Yes, love. And I’m never letting you go again. Now let’s get you out of here.”
Matt held Kristina close as they walked out of the room. On the floor, she saw Vlad with blood spewing from his chest. “Vlad. What happened?” She stifled a cry.
“He tried to kill me.” Matt lifted her chin with his thumb. “It’s all over. Come, love. There’s nothing we can do for him.”
Downstairs, she saw Viktor cuffed and surrounded by two police officers. Rory came up to her. “He will no longer hurt you. I believe this is yours,” he said, giving her the velvet case containing the Fabergé egg.
Staring at her family treasure, she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. She thought it was lost forever to Viktor. “Thank you, Rory.” Kristina wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for helping me.”
“My pleasure.” Turning to Matt, he added, “Take care of her and yourself.”
Matt nodded. “Thank you, old friend. Hope you come back to Elk Creek some time.”
He smiled. “You’ll see me soon, Mountie. By the way, you can use my car to take Kristina back to London.” Rory grinned.
Matt gave a nod and smiled back.
They walked outside; pinks and oranges lined the horizon. The early morning air pierced through her, making her shiver. Matt held her closer.
“Hungry?” he asked as they got into the car.
Kristina nodded as she stretched her weary back. “Famished.”
Matt drove down the road until they reached a small diner and parked the car in front before stopping the engine. Staring out the window, Kristina wondered if any of Viktor’s men had escaped and followed her.
“He cannot hurt you anymore. Rory and his team are arresting his men as we speak. You’re safe.” Matt touched her cold fingers.
“Are you sure?” She trusted him, but part of her wondered if Viktor had planned to kill her no matter what happened to him.
He nodded. “Scotland Yard has found more evidence to put his men away. Viktor can no longer hurt you.” He kissed her brow. “Are you okay, Krissy?”
She nodded and gazed at him.
He touched her hand. “Let’s get something to eat, and then I’ll take you home.”
Kristina admired the horizon. The sun rose a bit more behind the leafless trees. His thumb rubbed her fingers. Their eyes met. He smiled at her, and once more she forgot everything that happened to her in the last week.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she murmured.
He smiled. “Where else would I be? I worried about you when my brother told me someone had kidnapped you.” He took her hand between his. “For the first time in my life, I felt lost. I should have stayed at home with you.”
Kristina took his fingers. “I was safe in your home. You couldn’t have known about Viktor’s men finding me there. They are trained to follow orders without anyone seeing them.”
“Please forgive me, Krissy. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
“There was no way you could have kept me safer.”
He brought her hand to his lips. Why did she have to love him so much? She had to let him go and live her life without him in it. He was still a married man, not free to be with her. Until his divorce was finalized, they could only be friends and live their lives separately, only seeing each other on rare occasions when she visited Uncle Jasper.
“Are you hungry, love?” Matt ran his hand over her forehead and cheeks.
Kristina didn’t have much of an appetite. Knowing Matt would leave her soon caused her insides to churn. A lump formed in the pit of her stomach. She shook all over.
“Let’s go inside for a bit to eat.” Matt wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
They walked inside the warm, quiet restaurant. Kristina looked around and noticed an older couple eating their breakfast. For a moment, she imagined what life with Matt would be like.
They placed their order and the waitress brought their food. Kristina watched Matt eat his bacon and eggs heartily. She stared at his lips. Heaven help her! She wanted to taste his mouth just once more before he returned home. She wanted to feel his skin against hers so she’d have memories to warm her lonely nights.
“I have something to tell you, Krissy.”
Fear twisted her gut. She swallowed hard against the lump forming in her throat. “You do?”
“Before you say a word, please hear me out.”
She nodded. “Go on.”
“I love you.”
“You know I love you too, Matt.”
He smiled. “I know you do. Please let me finish. Debbie finally signed the divorce papers.”
“She did?”
“I was waiting all this time for her to sign them so I could finally be free of her.” He paused, taking a sip of his coffee. “Before you came back in my life, I thought she and I might have a chance to make things work. But then you came along.”
“I’m sorry.”
He took her hand. “Oh no. Don’t apologize. Your return is a God-send. It made me avoid a huge mistake.”
Kristina hid the smile forming on her lips with the back of her hand.
“Do you want to be with me, Krissy?”
She nodded. “You know I do, silly boy.”
Matt brought her hand to his lips. “You have made me the happiest man in the world, Kristina Scott.” He kissed her palm and added, “Let’s get you home.”
As they walked outside after breakfast, a few snowflakes escaped the gray clouds above. It didn’t snow often in this part of England, but when snow came, it reminded her of Elk Creek. Home. She smiled. For a moment, she forgot her woes. She forgot Matt was leaving soon. Turning around, she faced her dear childhood friend. She loved him, but it no longer mattered.
“When are you leaving?” she asked, hoping the pain in her heart wouldn’t hurt like hell.
He took a step forward and rubbed her arms. Giving her his jacket, he said, “I’m in no hurry.”
His husky voice reverberated within her. Heat infused her. She cleared her drying throat. “What shall we do during your stay?”
Matt brushed a finger along her jaw. “I can think of a thing or two.”
Her shaky hands found Matt’s hard chest. More snowflakes twirled around them. Nothing else existed. His gaze fixed upon her lips. In one swift move, he braced her face between his warm hands and his mouth captured hers, moving over her lips in a gentle dance, and Kristina wondered when she’d wake up from this dream.
* * * *
Matt poured his heart and soul into his kiss. He wanted to chase away all of Kristina’s worries and fears. He held her tight. He wanted her with every fiber in his body. Blood rushed from his head and centered in his groin.
His tongue glided along her bottom lip, an invitation he hoped she’d accept. All it took was a bit of coaxing before their mouths entwined. A low moan escaped his throat as her cool fingers slipped under his wool sweater, sending a jolt through him.
At that moment, he remembered they were outside. “Let’s get in the car.” He opened the door for her.
Matt started the engine and drove down the road until they reached a quiet side road.
“What are we doing here?”
He grinned. “Something I haven’t tried since high school.”
She looked at him with a confused gaze.
“Do you trust me?”
She nodded.
Matt scanned the road ahead, making sure no one would interrupt them. His heart raced with anticipation. He hadn’t parked on a remote road with a female since he was a teenager. Blood pulsed through his veins.
“This place is perfect,” he said, stopping the engine. Pine trees surrounded them. A light snowfall made for a perfect moment.
He looked at Kristina and smiled. He could tell she was nervous. Taking her hand, he brought her fingers to his lips. With the tip of his thumb, he turned her chin toward him. He loved her so much. Now was the best time to tell her.
She leaned her cheek into his palm. Without another moment of hesitation, he said, “I love you, Krissy.”
“I know you do.”
Kissing her fingers again, he said, “I love you like a man who loves a wonderful woman like you. My life is empty without you.”
Tears filled her pretty eyes. She braced his chin with her trembling hands and kissed him, moving her mouth against his in a gentle embrace. Then she tilted her chin and deepened her kiss. Her lips left his and trailed a path toward his ear.
“I love you, Matt Logan,” she whispered. “I love you with all my heart and soul.”
His lips trailed a path down her neck, and his hands cupped her breasts with a firm yet gentle grip. A low gasp escaped her throat.
She sat back and pulled her thick sweater over her head, revealing her white lace bra and bare skin. He ran his hands over her as if he had no sight. His fingers and palms memorized every inch of her skin. His eyes captured a picture of her sweet face and the way the curls in her hair cascaded against her creamy shoulders. His thumb caressed her mouth. Her hot breath made him shiver. Matt took her lips hostage. His head spun with desire. His whole body cried for her.
She pulled away and looked at him. “Follow me,” she said with a hint of huskiness in her voice.
She slipped into the back seat, and Matt followed her, discarding the rest of his clothes along with hers. Then she straddled him.
As he entered her, she glided her fingers along his chin. “I love you, Matt.”
He smiled. “I love you, Kristina.” Touching her mouth gently, he traced her moist and warm lips.
Everything around them ceased to exist. Their souls fused as their bodies joined. He thrusted within her until she cried out his name.
* * * *
Strong arms held her close. Kristina felt a hand smoothing her hair. Warm lips brushed her temple.
Sinking deeper into a dreamlike embrace, she savored the warmth of the man’s body. Comforting. Reassuring. Secure.
“Good morning, love,” Matt whispered against her ear.
With the tip of her fingers, Kristina reached behind her and touched his face. She wasn’t dreaming Matt’s presence.
She opened her eyes to a familiar sight—her bedroom. She turned and faced Matt. “How did I get here?”
He smiled. “You fell asleep in the car. I brought you home so you could rest.”
She touched the light whiskers on his cheek. “Thank you.”
He kissed her fingers. “I love you, Krissy.”
“You do?” she teased.
“Of course. I love you with all my heart and soul.”
Kristina saw the honesty in Matt’s eyes. Before she said a word, he captured her lips and showed her his love.
“Matt,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Yes, love?” He kissed her neck.
She cupped his face between her hands. “You should know something.”
“What is it?”
“You’re the only man I’ve ever loved. I’m yours forever.”
He smiled.
“Take me home.”
“Your wish is my command. But first…” He rose from the bed and then kneeled next to it. “Will you marry me?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “I must be dreaming. I thought you just asked me to marry you.”
He chuckled. “You aren’t dreaming, love. Will you marry me, Miss Scott?”
Without hesitation, she nodded. “Yes, of course.”