Vitali watched a flurry of emotions tumble through her expression; her chocolate-coffee eyes filling with confusion, then realization, then wariness.

“I see,” she said, her voice breathy. So, she wasn’t as unaffected as she’d like him to believe. Good. “But how did I end up here? As far as I know, the Diamond Bridal Agency is completely anonymous. Either this was a huge coincidence, or Ms. Creed is running a shoddy business.”

Vitali chuckled, running his thumb over her cheek again, just to watch her pupils dilate again.

“I don’t believe in coincidences,” he replied. “I believe in going after what I want, and I wanted you.”

The vixen bit her bottom lip again, and this time, Vitali’s thumb traced the indent of her teeth in the plump flesh. A groan lodged in his throat, behind the deep breath he had to take to keep from falling over her in his eagerness to taste her.

Mariana tried pulling away, but Vitali placed a hand on her waist to keep her in place. Her soft gasp made his cock jump.

“That doesn’t explain how you knew who I was—out of all the applications, you chose mine. And, how did we end up at the same bridal agency? There has to be more than just the one. You could have picked any one of them.” From the weight of her tone, he knew she was calculating the probabilities even as she spoke the questions. God, but she was sharp.

“I picked that one because you did. I knew you’d applied there, and so I contacted the agency, gave them a list of very specific requirements—basically you without the benefit of your name—and waited. Ms. Creed matched us within the week.”

Vitali watched the light flick on in her mind; her eyes flew wide in shock then narrowed in fierce anger. His heart leapt, a strange ache pulsing against his ribs.

“You knew? And so, you…what, laid a trap for me?” she practically hissed. She tried pulling away again, but Vitali strengthened his hold on her chin and her waist. He’d be damned if he let her go now.

“It’s only a trap if you don’t want to get caught. You knew you were signing up to marry a stranger. I wanted you,” he said simply. “I couldn’t stand the thought of some other man having what I’d been slavering over for nearly two years. So, I did what I had to do to get you here, with me, right where you belong.”

Her eyes flashing defiance—brilliant, scorching fire—she parted her lips to, no doubt, tell him where to stick his misogyny, and the beast that had waited two years to taste her finally slipped loose of its cage.

With a growl, he bent down and took her lips, hungrily. Invading the warmth and decadent sweetness with his tongue, he lapped at her, devouring her, begging her to yield to him, to give herself over to the pleasure he could offer her. She stiffened, shock vibrating through her, but then she melted into him, meeting his tongue with her own. Groaning deep in her throat, she placed her hands on his chest and slid them up to wrap around the back of his neck. It was her turn to hold him in place—he wasn’t going anywhere anyway. He was finally kissing her, and it was heaven.

Deepening the kiss, his stroked his left hand up her side until his thumb brushed the underside of her breast. She moaned—his woman…she was going up in flames from a single kiss. How would she be, fully naked, in his arms? He would thrust into her, sheathing himself inside her, and she’d come apart, exploding. It would be glorious, like the most erotic masterpiece any man could paint.

His mind and his cock both ravenous for that sight, he dropped his other hand from her face to join the hand at her breasts.

Before he could cup the lush mounds as he so desperately wanted, she stiffened again, this time dropping her hands to his chest to push him. He let her.

Breath heaving, she stared up at him, her eyes dark, lips swollen and kiss ravaged. The vision she made; her face flushed, her eyes and lips begging for his kiss again, was almost too much to bear. But he would…because something was wrong.

Catching his breath, he forced his hands to fall to his sides, where he clenched them to keep from reaching out to her again.

“That… That was amazing,” she breathed, her voice huskier than he’d ever heard it. It stirred his blood, making ever more of the precious life force rush to his groin.

Calm down, dammit! You will have her soon. Give her time… He had to remember that she was a gift, something he’d earned for all the hard work and suffering he’d endured. She was the culmination of a life of sacrifice and diligence. Vitali looked down at her—a renewed sense of awe blinding him to all else but her.

“Da, it was…amazing.” Though amazing couldn’t completely describe what he’d felt, it was a good enough start. Mind-blowing. Earth-shattering. Heart-pounding. Devastating. All words to better describe what that kiss had been. “But I can see something is the matter,” he drawled, leading her back to the couch where he waited for her to sit before taking the seat beside her.

Mariana clasped her hands in her lap then took a deep breath.

“If you read all the documentation on the agency, you know their stipulations regarding the…err…sexual status of their applicants.”

He blinked at her, uncertain of where she was going. “You’re a virgin.”

A becoming blush colored her cheeks a rich, burnished red, and she bit her lip again, nodding. “Yes, I am.”

He cocked his head, his gaze raking over her features. “Is that a problem?” he asked, wondering if her nervousness had finally made its appearance. What a damn fine time for coyness.

She shook her head. “No, not really—at least…not for me…”

Understanding dawned. A smile slowly spread over his face. “You’re worried that I will find you…lacking in the bedroom.”

She squared her shoulders, tipping her chin up in a show of daring. “As I said,” she began, her voice sharp, “it isn’t a problem for me. I am well aware of my inexperience—not that I am unwilling to learn, on the contrary, I believe that I can be an apt pupil…given the right…incentives.” Mariana dropped her voice to a low, sultry purr, and he about shook off his restraint to show her just how good a teacher he was.

He cleared his throat, offering her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

“Good.”

She raised a sculpted eyebrow, clearly disbelieving his acceptance. “You don’t mind my lack of sexual experience?”

He shook his head and leaned forward, placing his large hand over the two in her lap. “Not at all, Mariana. As a matter of fact, it is incredibly arousing to know that you are untouched by any other man, that your flesh is mine to tease…” He reached out, sliding his knuckles up her arm. Goosebumps left a trail in his wake. “And that every sensation you experience, will be something that only I have awakened in you. It’s heady…intoxicating. I cannot wait for our lessons to begin.” He knew he was being intense, that the very air around him was thrumming with the power of his desire and his need for her, but he couldn’t stop it. He’d been holding back for two years—too damn long—and she was right there… She wanted him; he could see it in her eyes, could taste it on her lips, and in the thrusts of her tongue. He could seduce her, make her as desperate for him as he was for her. All he had to do was kiss her again…

As if hearing his thoughts, she pulled away, her gorgeous face set in a hard mask.

“Before we begin your lessons, I require that we fulfil the terms of the contract first. There will be a wedding ceremony,” she said—the lawyer returning with a vengeance.

He smirked, admiring her all the more.

“Agreed,” he intoned, just before the suite phone rang—again. Having expected this call, he wasn’t angry, more like excited.

Rising from the couch, Vitali strode the phone, answering it.

At the voice on the other line, he smiled into the receiver… It was almost like the heavens were smiling on him, too.