Too shocked to react Kallie quickly revised her opinion of public displays of affection, as she found it hard to pull back from the soft, slow, sensual glide of Sasha’s tongue. His hands cupped the back of her head, his fingers meeting the smoothness of her tightly-cinched hair where he usually played with her loose strands.

He was just trying to control her, Kallie told herself as she tried to mentally resist seeing the kiss as anything more. But their carnal chemistry felt so once-in-a-lifetime it was hard not to believe it meant something more.

When he pulled back to catch his breath, she slapped him.

Sasha didn’t even react. Instead, he waved to the bartender. “Later.” He then took Kallie by the hand.

He didn’t have to do a thing. They stepped out and his driver rolled up to pick them up. Sasha gave his request in Russian.

Kallie assumed they were going back to the town home, but after a few minutes meandering through town she realized they were headed in a different direction. The city gave way to highway. After about five miles, the driver took an exit.

“I’m sorry I slapped you.”

He shrugged. “I deserved it.”

“Jeremy and I aren’t planning anything.” Why did she have to tell him that? She had a plan to get her money back. Why was she sabotaging her own scheme?

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. Jeremy’s an asshole. You’re better than that.”

That’s it? “Where are we going?”

“My house.” He hesitated. “If that’s okay with you.”

She nodded and stared out the window. Crazy woman goes to Russian mob boss’ house. That’s what the papers were going to say.

However, there was something very exciting about that prospect. The suburban setting gave way to rolling country roads and estates that spread out and grew larger. Kallie had made a good living before and had dealt with wealthy clients. Still, there was something overwhelming about Sasha’s fortune.

He didn’t know that she’d looked at his asset profile. But even as she made a rough estimate of what he was worth, she wasn’t prepared for the grandeur of his place.

The car glided onto a smoothly-paved driveway. There was a slight drop in elevation that caused her stomach to pull, as though she were riding on a roller coaster. Nerves made her laugh.

Sasha squeezed her knee.

The driver hit the garage door opener and the car pulled in.

Sasha acted so casual about it all, but Kallie gawked at the enormity of the garage alone. There were four collectors’ cars spread out on the cement.

He guided her inside.

Big houses like his often didn’t feel lived in but this had a homey feel, as did the town home. It seemed very comfortable. Safe.

His hand never left the small of her back, touching however lightly. Sasha was nothing if not charming, almost gracious. He touched a dimmer and the lights came on at candlelight level.

“Can we talk? Not argue or fight? Just talk?”

She nodded and let him set her on the couch, and he sat beside her. Just like the town home, the fireplace was controlled by remote. With the moonlight streaming in through windows on either side of the hearth, it was beautiful.

Kallie sank back into the couch, enjoying the soft, plush feel of it.

Sasha drew her legs up and over his lap. Without warning, he unfastened her bun and drew her hair down. “Let’s see this.”

Suddenly, she felt vulnerable. She’d always been glad to have pretty hair. She got a lot of attention for it but she kind of resented that people placed so much value on it, like they saw it and not her.

“I love the hair; I’m not going to lie to you,” he said. “But you always look amazing.”

“How did you know it was me? Was it the ID thing?” she asked, feeling a little silly about it all.

“ID? No,” he answered, his face seriousness. “I can feel you.”

His words gave her a rush. She sat mutely, blinking, trying to absorb them. She felt him, too.

He closed in on her.

She again became a willing goner, about to be taken. “Do you tell all the girls that?” she whispered.

“No,” he stated bluntly. “Something about you makes me feel more alert, and I can sense your energy in the air or something. You could put on a mask and a burlap sack and I could still point you out.” He took her head in his hands, steadying her as he pressed his lips to hers. He lowered her, propping her against the back of the soft sofa. His hand swept the inside of her shirt, finding her warm skin beneath. “You’re amazing. Mind, and body.”

His fingertips tickled just enough to be electrifying. Wires of excitement tangled in her chest and gathered at her nipples, making them stand up firm and hard. They strained against the satin of her bra.

Sasha found the pebbled tips easily with his skilled fingers. His thumb agitated one torturously, causing Kallie to draw up at the core. Her breath caught in her throat. Sasha stroked her torso, up and down with whisper contact, like he sympathized with her feelings of helplessness.

“I thought you just wanted to talk?” she teased.

“Shhh,” he growled. “Let me show you how sorry I am first.”

With her help, he stripped away his own clothing. She pushed his shirt off as he unfastened his pants. He leaned backward and drew her up onto his massive frame. She straddled him. The firelight played on his wonderfully smooth, rich skin. Without saying so exactly, this night had been about admitting to each other that they felt something that went beyond games.

Though they needed each other intensely, the impatience and urgency wasn’t there. Kallie rose and then lowered onto him. She extended her leg to the alpaca rug covering the floor. It was such a rich, luxuriant texture against her bare foot. The sensual experience mixed with her arousal as she took Sasha into her as deeply as she could. Pushing up from the floor, she rocked him up and down. She bounced on him in little mischievous movements which, as she could see by looking at him, turned him on to no end. They must have become too much, because Sasha gripped her hips.

In a single moment, their slow, romantic lovemaking morphed into an insane chase to a climax. He drove into her furiously until he exploded. After they both came, they were still breathless. She knew the night wasn’t over. When he regained himself, he pushed the coffee table aside while she was still draped over him. He moved them to the animal fur below.

The sensuality of the fur against her naked skin was bittersweet, because it had been an animal. But the luxury was undeniable. Sasha was above her like a conquering warrior, and she his lady as they lay in front of the fireplace hearth.

The night was beautiful and in those hours, everything felt right. Nothing mattered but the two of them. Sasha and Kallie made love again and again, during a night she would treasure forever. No matter what happened after.