Chapter 17

 

Helena snuck away at lunchtime to meet her sister in their favorite café.

“Karis!” She squeezed her sister until she squeaked.

“Easy, Helena,” Karis groused as usual.

“I can’t believe Emerson didn’t try to also steal this lunch break.” She waited until after they gave their order. As usual, Karis shone like the true beauty of the family. Everyone thought Helena beautiful until they met Karis. Her hair was a gorgeous, shining sable that was far more vibrant than Helena’s, whose hair was more chestnut colored. Her eyes were a clearer green, and her smooth caramel colored skin showed off their mother’s mixed heritage to perfection. Really, Karis was probably the most beautiful woman in the world.

“I told him I had made a date with you and that if he wanted to argue, he could take it up with you.”

She laughed. “Since he’s a wimp, he didn’t take it up with me.”

“He fears you could take him. Or, more likely, he remembers all too well that you’re dating a rather scary man.” Karis used her fishing voice.

“What do you want to know?” Her sigh was long-suffering.

Karis took a sip of water before she leaned forward. “Everything.”

“You need to be more specific.”

“Are you actually dating Vladimir Wellington?”

“Yes.” She frowned. “I think so.”

One of Karis’s perfect eyebrows arched. “You think so?”

“We see each other every night and I don’t want to date anyone else. So, yes, I think so.”

Karis pursed her lips. “You never have wanted anyone else.”

“That’s right. And here’s something - neither has he.”

Their server set their coffee in front of them and promised their meals were coming soon.

She and Karis barely heard him even though they thanked him. “Neither has he?” Karis repeated as though they hadn’t been interrupted. “That means like you, he’s never dated?”

“That’s what I took his statement to mean.”

“He’s never dated?” Karis’s eyes were wide but still lovely.

“I haven’t either,” she said gruffly.

“No, but that’s not so unusual for a woman. But the fact that Vlad, one of the most gorgeous, dangerous men alive, has never dated is blowing my mind.”

“I know. It did me, too. But I didn’t verify that he’s never dated before. He just said he wasn’t interested in other women.”

Karis took a cautious sip of coffee. “Kind of hard to clarify that statement.”

“That’s what I thought. Do I ask for more information and have my heart broken or do I pick the meaning I want and not ask for more details?”

“Definitely pick your own interpretation.”

She grinned. “Yeah, that was my thought. But the thing is, even if he’s had other women in the past, he knows that he doesn’t want them or he wouldn’t be with me.”

“One thing I remember about Vlad is that he’s got this core of integrity that’s legions deeper than most men.” Karis played with her spoon.

“That’s why I chose to believe he hasn’t dated other women.” She took a sip of her own coffee. It was delicious, as always. “Plus, he’s been pretty focused on his training.”

“Is he finished with that training?”

“As far as I know.”

Karis sent her a knowing look. “Do you even know what that training was?”

She sniffed. “Yes. He’s trained to become a warrior.”

“Oh.” Karis’s eyes widened again. “A warrior. Like the original Vladimir de Leos?”

“Apparently.”

This time Karis’s full mouth tilted down. “How do you feel about dating a full warrior like that?”

“I’m not certain. I want Vlad, but I wish he was a stockbroker or accountant or something.”

“That’s only because you can’t stand math and balancing your bank accounts is impossible.”

“Correct. Hence the need for a man who can do that stuff so I don’t have to.”

“Doesn’t Maks already do that for you?”

Shoot, caught out by her own sister. Karis was good at that. “Yes. He’s been handling my money affairs for several years.”

“Is it because Vlad asked him to?”

She paused. “I don’t know. One day Maks asked me about it so I told him I’m hopeless with financial stuff. He instructed me to bring all my records to him. I did and he’s taken care of it ever since.” He was currently busy sorting through the issue of her pay rate and back pay. For which she was very grateful to leave in his capable hands.

“You could ask Vlad.”

“I could, but I generally have more interesting things to do with him than talk.”

Fortunately their server brought their lunch so that broke up the conversation. For now.

After they had eaten quietly for a few minutes, Karis took a sip of her coffee before she fixed her with a determined expression that was all too familiar. “You don’t like the fact that Vlad’s job is dangerous.”

Her sister made that announcement the same way she would the weather. It’s going to be sunny and warm today…

She knew how to play this game. They’d been doing it since childhood. Usually Karis won because she was sneakier and now that she was a parent her skills were that much better. Apparently kids were better at this than some adults. “You wouldn’t mind if Emerson was active military rather than ran the palace and most of Aleksi’s life?”

Karis laughed. “Emerson does poke his nose into far too much of Aleksi’s life.”

“Everyone knows that. So far, that’s been a fairly safe career for him. But imagine if he was still in the military.”

A shadow crossed Karis’s lovely face. “No, I don’t think I want to do that.”

“Okay, now imagine if Emerson wasn’t just regular military on active duty, but if our prince had sent him all over the world to become some sort of super soldier.” A knot formed in her stomach.

“No, I can’t imagine that.” Karis’s voice was thick.

“You can’t, because your husband works in a safe, comfortable profession. Not to mention a cushy environment.”

“Is Vlad a super soldier?”

“Yes. From what I’ve learned, that’s what Prince Aleksandr decided for him when he was five.”

Karis choked on her next sip of coffee. “Five?”

“Yes.”

Neither of them needed to point out that Karis’s oldest, Nadia, was already three. She was two years from the age that Vlad’s military training started.

“No child is old enough to start training for a career at that age,” Karis said tightly.

“Apparently Vlad was.”

Karis swallowed and it sounded really loud.

“Do you now understand why I’m so worried?”

“Oh yes.” Karis mangled her salad with her fork. It was rather obvious her healthy appetite had fled, right along with hers. “No wonder you’re so worked up by all this.”

“My fears are reasonable.” Helena worked at mangling the lettuce on her own plate. Goodness knew she couldn’t possibly eat more of it. Not with her stomach churning like this and the bile rising in her throat.

“This is why you’ve been such a mess,” Karis decided suddenly.

“You haven’t seen me in three days. There’s no way you can determine whether I’m a mess or not.” She fixed her with a sisterly stay-out-of-my-business stare.

Karis ignored the stare and instead raised an imperious eyebrow.

She relented. “I keep telling myself that everything is fine, but the thing is, men who are warriors sometimes don’t come home.”

“No, they don’t. But other men sometimes don’t either.”

When she looked up, it was Karis the nurse practitioner speaking, not her sister. “That’s true.”

“Yes. No one is exempt from vehicular accidents, disease, or just bad luck. Death comes whether we like it or not.”

She sighed. “It just seems like a stockbroker would be far less risky.”

“Yeah, except their blood pressure is usually really high, their waist bands keep expanding, and they shoot into the high risk category for stroke.”

“You know, it occurs to me that Emerson isn’t the only know-it-all in the family.”

Karis laughed, but she also patted her hand. “There are no guarantees. We only get so much time here. No one knows when their time is up. You need to decide whether Vlad is worth your time. Can you live without him? Would that be easier?”

The thoughts swirling like hurricane winds through her brain weren’t welcome. She couldn’t make heads or tails of any of them and it was driving her crazy. She picked up her coffee cup and took a long, fortifying sip.

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe you’ll have more answers if you think about this for a while.” Karis’s eyes were soft with sympathy. It was a look she did well.

“Whether I’d be better off without Vlad than with him?” Even saying those words caused the knot in her stomach to grow.

“Yes. Decide how important he is to you before you make any rash decisions.”

While that was good advice, she had no idea how to follow through. It might be safer to just go crawl back into bed and forget about life for a while.

Only that would set her free to dream and one man recurred in her dreams on a regular basis. There would be no rest if Vlad invaded her dreamscapes and he had already proven he was quite comfortable there.

She sighed again. Why hadn’t anyone warned her that men were dangerous to her mental health?

***

She trailed into the lab after lunch, her thoughts uncertain, and her mood… surly. She said hello to her lab mates before locating her toolbox to collect water samples. That would allow her time to think while keeping her out of the lab. Besides, it needed done.

“I’m off,” she announced once she packed up the bottles she needed, sterile wipes, and various other items necessary for the collection process.

“I have a meeting later.” Tia indicated the appointments calendar with her head. She nodded. That’s right, Tia was meeting with Graham at the hospital.

“Is Maria going with you?”

They both turned to Vlad’s mother. “I don’t think I can. I have to process all my water samples.” Maria was busy plating some things Tia needed.

“I’ll process those when I return,” she offered. “I’ll have all mine to do, so it won’t make any difference if I do yours as well.”

Jorge pushed away from the bench where he was cleaning up his work station. “In that case, should I go collect my samples and Tia’s?”

They all looked at each other before voting in favor of that. Processing the samples would keep her busy for the rest of the afternoon. That made her happy as she waved goodbye and exited the lab.

She hadn’t seen Vlad and wondered where he was occupying himself. As though her thoughts conjured him up, he appeared at her side before she rounded the last corner to the hallway that led outside. “Where have you been?”

“I had lunch with my sister.” She craned her neck so she could peer up at him.

“She’s been gone a few days.”

“Yes, so Emerson has been hogging her time. I managed to talk her into meeting me instead.”

Vlad nodded. He was so handsome her heart clenched as she peered into those dark eyes.

“I suppose he should learn to share her.” He didn’t sound like he liked that idea.

Her heart clenched again as she thought about that. This man wanted her. She could see that. She wanted him. More than ever before. Maybe she needed more faith.

“He should. They have children, so sharing is something they should be teaching their children.”

His lips curled up. “True.” Again, he didn’t sound convinced.

“It is.”

It was then he noticed the toolbox in her hand. “Why are you carrying a toolbox?”

“This is my water sampling kit.”

“You have to take samples this afternoon?”

“No, I don’t have to, but I thought I should get them out of the way.”

“You choose whenever you want to take them?” He frowned, like that seemed far too lenient. Maybe it was, to a military man.

“Things are pretty loose in our lab. We don’t much care for rules and regulations.”

“I see.”

She guessed he didn’t. “Civilians have a lot more leeway than you guys in the military.”

He wasn’t impressed. “How long will this sampling take you?”

“Probably an hour. Fortunately my samples are close together. Then I’ll run all of them when I return.”

His brows drew together. “There will be that many to run?”

That required a brief explanation on processing everyone’s samples.

“The longest part of any task is the preparation.”

She regarded him, wondering about that statement. Except that his face gave nothing away. They probably needed to talk about it because Vladimir Wellington had definitely mastered concealing his emotions.

Then another, scarier thought welled. What if he had simply trained himself not to feel his emotions? What if he had become such a super soldier that now he simply didn’t feel?

His lips quirked and she squirmed at being caught staring instead of replying to his comment. “Yes, the prep time takes far longer than the task sometimes. Although with all these samples, the actual processing will also take time.”

Vlad reached out and tenderly ran a finger down her cheek. “You are beautiful.”

She shook her head. “It’s obvious you haven’t lunched with Karis recently.”

“I’ve never lunched with Karis.”

“See, if you had, you would know then that she’s the beauty.”

“I disagree. You are the beauty.”

“You are biased.”

“Yes,” he agreed as though that was obvious, but it did lighten her heart to know that he thought so. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world.” Then he leaned forward and kissed her.

Since she lost her breath and her reasoning skills, she couldn’t reply.

“Excuse me, this is a public thoroughfare.” Emerson’s voice smashed through the love haze.

When Vlad lifted his head, her skills all rushed back. She glared at her brother-in-law. “Like you don’t kiss Karis whenever and wherever you are.”

“I didn’t get to kiss her at lunch today.” He appeared unhappy that she usurped him.

She rolled her eyes. “You have kids. You’re supposed to know how to share before you can teach them.”

“I share.” Emerson sounded wounded.

Beside her, she was aware of Vlad’s amusement at this inane, but typical, conversation with Emerson.

“You wouldn’t if your wife and I didn’t make you.”

“I make him, too,” Aleksi inserted.

She turned amused eyes on him. “Hello, Aleksi.” She smiled at their prince. “I’m happy you can force Emerson into being a real human being.”

“I try, but it is hard.”

“We of Rurikstan are heartened by your willingness to improve the country.” She rocked her toolbox as she gazed at Aleksi. The contents inside rattled.

“That’s why we’re here.” Emerson and Aleski both turned to Vlad.

“Ah, you’re here for me.”

“Yes, we need to speak with you.”

“Of course.” Vlad’s eyes, when they turned to her, were chagrined. “I had hoped to accompany you.”

“It’s just as well you won’t. You’re a huge distraction.”

Emerson sniggered. “He is huge.”

Vlad didn’t react but she turned a scowl on Emerson. Who threw up his hands and wandered off down the hall, not alarmed in the least. Before he got eight steps, one of the palace staff waylaid him and Emerson hurried off to take care of their problem.

“He keeps this palace running smoothly,” Vlad said, as though this was an all new concept to him.

“I’m convinced the place would fall apart without him.” Aleksi fanned the papers he carried. “He also makes it look easy.”

“Does he ever fluster?” she wondered.

“In all the years I’ve known him I can think of only one time.” Aleksi appeared deep in thought as he now rolled the papers.

“And that was?”

“When your sister started dating Fergus MacCormick.”

“Oh, I remember that.” She pursed her lips. “That was not a happy time in Emerson’s life.”

“No. He took care of the situation with his usual aplomb but Maks and I stepped lightly around him for a few weeks.”

“She dated another man for a few weeks?” Vlad sounded incredulous.

“Oh yes. Karis doesn’t mess around.”

“Not at all.” Aleksi switched hands with the papers. She hoped they weren’t important.

Vlad’s brows rose. “What did she do to him?”

Both she and Aleksi laughed. “Anything and everything she could to make him suffer.”

“There’s a ruthless streak in Karis that Emerson learned about early on.”

She shook her head. “That he slammed into.”

“Yes.” Aleksi nodded. “I’m very happy that Karis has not taught Tia any of her tricks.”

“What did Karis do to him?” Vlad repeated patiently.

“Emerson wanted to wait until he finished his military stint before dating her,” Helena began.

“But Karis had other ideas,” Aleksi finished. He tapped the rolled up papers against his opposite palm.

“She wanted to date before Emerson finished his military duty?”

“Yes. She let him know in no uncertain terms she was not interested in waiting for him to ‘pull himself together,’ as she put it.” She swung her toolbox.

Aleksi winced. “I remember her being quite succinct.”

“That’s Karis.”

“Why did she wish to date so suddenly?”

She shrugged. “We grew up with him, but one day Karis ‘noticed’ Emerson and he had already noticed her. After she saw him in this different light, she was ready to start dating, but Emerson likes to control everything.”

Aleksi rolled his eyes. “Yes. He excels at that.”

“Karis sent him a very clear message.” She tilted her head to stare up at Vlad.

“That message being that she intended to date other men if he didn’t do her bidding?”

“Oh yes. He needed to realize she wasn’t going to be some little ‘yes’ woman. Karis is smart, funny, and impressive. She was already well educated and on her way to a responsible job. Since she was ready Karis drew the line for Emerson.”

Aleksi nodded. “You have to do that or he’ll steamroll you.”

“She figured that out. Karis is the perfect match for him. But he wanted things his way, so she started dating other men.”

“Other men?” Vlad clarified.

“I don’t remember any men other than Fergus.” Aleksi stared at her.

“Fergus was the first. Remember Tomas Carmichael? Followed by John Warren and Brad Cloftenstein, and there was another one I can’t remember.”

“I do recall all of them now. She did throw a lot of men at his head.”

“Yes. She made her point.”

“What point was that?” Vlad’s eyebrows were nearly in his hairline and for once she could read his expression. He didn’t look happy.

“That other men found her attractive and she was willing and able to date as many of them as she wished.”

Aleksi tapped the papers again as he grinned. “There wasn’t a thing Emerson could do to stop her unless he dated her himself.”

“I take it he got the picture?” A muscle ticked in Vlad’s hard jaw.

She nodded. “Oh yes. He put his foot down and told her she couldn’t date anyone but him.”

“How did she take that?” His voice gave nothing away. His face had turned to stone.

She and Aleksi traded glances. “Since that was her plan, I’d say she took it well.”

“She’s never dated anyone else that I know of,” Aleksi added.

“Karis has never wanted anyone else after she realized she wanted Emerson.”

“Her manipulation worked then.” It wasn’t a question. And although Vlad’s voice still didn’t give anything away, she figured he wasn’t impressed.

“You have to do that with Emerson,” Aleksi repeated quietly, with power. She nodded with vigor. “You become… What’s that American word?” Aleksi frowned at her as she jiggled her toolbox.

“Roadkill,” Vlad supplied.

Aleksi used his rolled up documents to point at Vlad. “That’s it.”

“In any event, their relationship not only works, it works really well. For them.”

“I would hate a relationship like theirs.”

She nodded. “So would I.”

“What does that mean?” A tiny note of suspicion leaked through Vlad’s voice.

“Their relationship is personal. It’s what they both need. They’re more in love now than when they were dating.” She stared at Aleksi.

“Their relationship has evolved. I don’t think there’s much manipulation now.” Aleksi unrolled the papers then rolled them up again.

“There is probably some. They like that challenge and when one wins, the other is always impressed.” She grinned.

“Yes. I’m really happy Tia doesn’t do that.”

She tapped a finger to her cheek. “As I recall, my boss left for a meeting with you about our lab budget and when she returned, her hair was messy, her lips were swollen, and she had that glow in her eyes.”

Aleksi contrived to look innocent. “Perhaps you recall incorrectly.”

She wasn’t deterred. “And as I remember, correctly, she didn’t return with a settled budget, either. Apparently the person who decides those issues decided not to make a decision.”

This time, her prince’s lips curled up in a masculine smile of satisfaction. “Her budget will be the very last one approved.”

“Exactly. Because a certain budget approver likes her technique.”

“I enjoy those meetings with her very much.”

“We know. She also enjoys them, far too much.”

“I noticed she’s never sent you.”

“Oh please. One of my mocha swirl cookies and you’ll beg.”

“I have done that.” Aleksi glanced at Vlad. “Don’t try one of those cookies. They’re evil.”

She laughed.

Vlad’s lip curled up. “I have been warned about those.”

“I could send Tia into those budget meetings with a few.” Aleksi’s eyes darkened with what could only be lust. That’s when she tugged out the big guns. “To eat them in front of you and not share.”

Aleksi’s groan was so pained that Vlad turned to her. “That wasn’t nice.”

“That would be cruel and unusual punishment,” Aleksi stated hoarsely.

“But our budget would be finalized.”

“Perhaps.” Aleksi recurled his papers. “You could make some mocha swirl cookies and give them to me.”

She sent him a sardonic look. “Do you really think you’d get them? Emerson works here.”

“I have heard tales of Emerson’s legendary ability to steal sweets. Is it true?” Vlad glanced between them.

“Yes,” she and Aleksi answered at the same time.

Jorge turned the corner then, swinging a bigger toolbox than hers, since he had his and Tia’s samples to collect. “What are you doing? Don’t you have samples to collect?”

“Yes, but I got distracted.”

Jorge turned to Aleksi. “Don’t you think it’s bad enough you distract Tia, but now Helena?” He glanced pointedly at Vlad. “It’s not like she hasn’t been distracted enough lately.”

“No mocha swirl cookies for you,” she stated weakly. Mostly because Vlad’s lips curled up in the same masculine sign of appreciation Aleksi’s had displayed moments ago.

“I don’t think I’ve ever tried one before.” Jorge stared at Aleksi with a scowl.

“You have to be faster, Jorge.”

“I don’t steal from my prince.” Jorge sounded all pious.

“Yes, you do. If you got the opportunity, you’d run me down.”

“Perhaps.” Jorge turned back to her. “The first one back talks Maria into making her American cinnamon rolls.”

Everyone in the group groaned. Vlad took charge. “You two go take your samples. Aleksi and I will start on her now.”

Before she could turn to leave, he slipped a hand around her and tugged her close for a quick, hard, proprietary kiss. It left her reeling for a long moment. He and Aleksi were already partway down the hall when her senses wheezed back to life.

An amused Jorge took her arm to haul her out of the palace. “You have work to do.” He kindly marched her across the street and then pointed her in the direction she needed to go.

Really, Vlad Wellington needed to be declared illegal.

It would take the rest of the afternoon for her senses to right themselves so she could actually work.

Men with devastating lips like that needed to be outlawed.

Except that all she wanted was to kiss him again.

Samples. She had samples to collect.

If she messed up these tests they’d have to boil their water again…