his voice at a whisper.
“And you did that thing?”
“What thing?”
“You made it so nobody could see you.”
He answered with a low sound. “You noticed.”
“Yes.”
“How do you do it?”
His hands gripped her shoulders. “We have to focus on getting away.”
Now that she was in his arms, it was hard to control her own emotions. “You let me marry him,” she said in a broken voice.
“I couldn’t exactly attack him in front of a dozen thugs and his armed security force.” Yet even as he pointed out the obvious, she heard the regret in his voice.
“You saw me exchange vows with him.”
“Yeah. But don’t focus on that now. We have to get you out of here before he finishes what he started.”
The frank observation was like a dash of cold water.
She wanted to stay in Nick’s arms where she knew she would be safe. But safety was only a state of mind until they had fled this death trap.
“I’ve got travel clothes for you. But you can’t put them on until we’re out of here.”
“Okay.”
He eased away, looked around and saw the frothy nightgown on a hanger near the mirror. “Maybe you’d better put that on.”
Earlier the idea of dressing in a nightgown had made her cringe. Now she began to open the buttons down the front of her shirtwaist, then glanced at him. For a long moment, their eyes met before he turned around to give her some privacy.
Swiftly she opened the rest of the buttons, yanked off the dress and kicked it into a corner. She hesitated for a moment. She would wear the gown with panties and a bra under it.
“Okay,” she told Nick, keeping her voice low.
He turned around and his eyes traveled over her body. The heated look he gave her made her skin prickle. Needing to say something, she asked, “How did you get in here?”
His attention snapped back to her face. “Across the roof. But we can’t leave the same way. They’d see you.”
“Yeah and in this gown.”
“And a robe,” he said, pointing to the matched pair hanging nearby.
She nodded, wondering how they were going to get past Victor in the bedroom.
Nick answered the unspoken question. “You’re going to call him in and I’ll take care of him.”
Before they could act on the plan, a knock at the door made her freeze. When Nick’s gaze bore into hers, she called out, “Yes?”
“Are you all right?” Zanov asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “Sorry, my stomach was a bit upset after all the excitement.”
“I’d better make sure you’re okay,” he answered, and she caught the edge of doubt in his voice. Probably he thought she was staying in here to avoid the inevitable as long as possible. Not a good move for a bride.
As the knob turned, Nick backed up and went stone-still. Maybe he was trying that trick of his—to make it so that nobody could see him. Or maybe now that he’d come to rescue her , she’d be the exception.
The door opened and Zanov stepped in and zeroed in on her, his gaze also probing the gown and seeing her underwear. Then he spotted the dress crumpled on the floor.
Anger flashed in his blue eyes. “What is going on, exactly?”
His gaze swung around the bathroom, and when it found the spot where Nick was standing, a harsh Russian curse flew from his lips. She’s seen the man’s violent streak, and she had no illusions about what he’d do to Nick.
Reaching around to the back of his waist, he pulled out an automatic pistol. Camille gasped. Acting instinctively, she swung out her arm, hitting him in the face before he could fire.
Probably everything was happening very fast, but it felt to Camille as if time had slowed down so that she could take in every detail of the scene. Nick knocked the Russian off his feet, and both men went down. Victor still had the gun in his hand, and Nick was trying to yank it away as they rolled across the marble floor.
When he couldn’t reach the gun, Nick slammed Victor’s head against the floor. The Russian cried out, but kept
“And you did that thing?”
“What thing?”
“You made it so nobody could see you.”
He answered with a low sound. “You noticed.”
“Yes.”
“How do you do it?”
His hands gripped her shoulders. “We have to focus on getting away.”
Now that she was in his arms, it was hard to control her own emotions. “You let me marry him,” she said in a broken voice.
“I couldn’t exactly attack him in front of a dozen thugs and his armed security force.” Yet even as he pointed out the obvious, she heard the regret in his voice.
“You saw me exchange vows with him.”
“Yeah. But don’t focus on that now. We have to get you out of here before he finishes what he started.”
The frank observation was like a dash of cold water.
She wanted to stay in Nick’s arms where she knew she would be safe. But safety was only a state of mind until they had fled this death trap.
“I’ve got travel clothes for you. But you can’t put them on until we’re out of here.”
“Okay.”
He eased away, looked around and saw the frothy nightgown on a hanger near the mirror. “Maybe you’d better put that on.”
Earlier the idea of dressing in a nightgown had made her cringe. Now she began to open the buttons down the front of her shirtwaist, then glanced at him. For a long moment, their eyes met before he turned around to give her some privacy.
Swiftly she opened the rest of the buttons, yanked off the dress and kicked it into a corner. She hesitated for a moment. She would wear the gown with panties and a bra under it.
“Okay,” she told Nick, keeping her voice low.
He turned around and his eyes traveled over her body. The heated look he gave her made her skin prickle. Needing to say something, she asked, “How did you get in here?”
His attention snapped back to her face. “Across the roof. But we can’t leave the same way. They’d see you.”
“Yeah and in this gown.”
“And a robe,” he said, pointing to the matched pair hanging nearby.
She nodded, wondering how they were going to get past Victor in the bedroom.
Nick answered the unspoken question. “You’re going to call him in and I’ll take care of him.”
Before they could act on the plan, a knock at the door made her freeze. When Nick’s gaze bore into hers, she called out, “Yes?”
“Are you all right?” Zanov asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “Sorry, my stomach was a bit upset after all the excitement.”
“I’d better make sure you’re okay,” he answered, and she caught the edge of doubt in his voice. Probably he thought she was staying in here to avoid the inevitable as long as possible. Not a good move for a bride.
As the knob turned, Nick backed up and went stone-still. Maybe he was trying that trick of his—to make it so that nobody could see him. Or maybe now that he’d come to rescue her , she’d be the exception.
The door opened and Zanov stepped in and zeroed in on her, his gaze also probing the gown and seeing her underwear. Then he spotted the dress crumpled on the floor.
Anger flashed in his blue eyes. “What is going on, exactly?”
His gaze swung around the bathroom, and when it found the spot where Nick was standing, a harsh Russian curse flew from his lips. She’s seen the man’s violent streak, and she had no illusions about what he’d do to Nick.
Reaching around to the back of his waist, he pulled out an automatic pistol. Camille gasped. Acting instinctively, she swung out her arm, hitting him in the face before he could fire.
Probably everything was happening very fast, but it felt to Camille as if time had slowed down so that she could take in every detail of the scene. Nick knocked the Russian off his feet, and both men went down. Victor still had the gun in his hand, and Nick was trying to yank it away as they rolled across the marble floor.
When he couldn’t reach the gun, Nick slammed Victor’s head against the floor. The Russian cried out, but kept
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