Bedded by Her Bodyguard(24)
When it came to bargaining his patience for the ultimate prize, he had settled in to win. He was so close to tasting the sweetness of victory. But the moment had to be right. He hadn’t waited this long to suddenly rush to the finish line and grab his trophy. This finale deserved all the planning and patience he possessed. Though the delayed gratification was hell at times, she was worth it. Worth every minute of the wait.
The car pulled up to a set of ornate twelve-foot-high wrought iron gates adorned with bright gold flourishes. Beyond them rose the blue, white-pillared edifice of a three story sprawling mansion.
No, sprawling wasn’t the word for it. Massive or endless better described the marvel of architecture that could’ve sprung from her childhood princess dreams. One year for Christmas, her father had built her a dollhouse against her mother’s wishes. Helen had believed girls shouldn’t be slaves to society’s traditional expectations of female roles and that playing with dolls and little houses trapped girls in a mindset of subservience. But at six years old, all Mindy had wanted was a dollhouse. Before her stood the real life version.
“What is this place?”
Isaac exited the car and came around to open her door. Taking her hand, he guided her out onto the sidewalk with him. “Welcome to the Romanov’s Tsarskoe Selo estates. This is the Catherine Palace.”
“As in Catherine the Great?”
He grinned. “The one and only.”
“Oh, my gosh. This is going to be amazing.” In her enthusiasm she threw her arms around him. For a moment she wondered if she felt his lips press against her neck, but he lifted his head before she could be certain.
“Look, the gates are opening. Let’s go in and check out the courtyard.”
They wandered the impressive grounds, taking in the statues, the whimsical swirling patterns of grass and colored stones, and the tranquil lake. Though the lawns were well kept, autumn leaves layered one of the paths they took like a stream of pure gold. Gold seemed to be a common theme. The precious metal encased the decorative moldings around every window and the scrollwork of every pillar, up to the onion-shaped domes topping the tallest spires of the palace.
The vision took her breath away. “It’s impossibly stunning.”
“I’ve learned nothing is impossible. Or too stunning.”
When she glanced up at him, his dark eyes absorbed her for a long moment. Then he suggested they meet up with the tour group and the babushka guiding the tour. Sounded good to her, she couldn’t wait to see the inside of the palace.
As expected, the interior held remarkable splendor. In the Amber Room, gold leaf touched every nook and cranny, spellbinding. A sage green dining room couldn’t have been more magnificent with Grecian themed moldings spanning the walls. The grand ballroom deserved its title, with patterned floors, dozens of windows, plus a large ceramic structure used to heat the palace in winter. They must’ve employed hundreds of artisans to paint the elaborate murals across the ceiling.
Unfathomable opulence with no expense spared.
Then the babushka led them into a smaller ballroom with more paintings and mirrors. Mindy strolled through, stopping at each painting, absorbed and enthralled. Midway through the tour she realized her travel companion had left her side. “Isaac?”
He poked his dark head out from the annex room behind her. “Psst.”
“What are you—?”
Holding a finger to his lips, he beckoned her with his other hand. She retraced her steps and joined him out of sight behind a half wall.
“What did you find?” she asked in a conspiratorial whisper.
“A doorway.” His eyes glittered. “One that leads to some pretty interesting back rooms.”
When he gestured to a partly open but roped off door, her eyes widened. “We can’t go in there.”
“Who’s going to know?”
“Um, the tour guide, and the twenty other people on the tour with us.”
“Not if we meet up with them before the tour is over.”
Nervous, she glanced around. “I don’t think we should—”
“Are you saying you’re not up for a little adventure?”
Nibbling her lower lip, she debated for a second. “Okay, but if we get into trouble…”
He shrugged innocently. “My fault. I was looking for the bathroom.”
She nudged him. “You’re terrible.”
“In a good way,” he said with a devilish grin.
She smiled back. “In the best way.”
“Come on.” He took her hand, threading his fingers through hers.
Electric awareness prickled her palm. Did he feel it too? Like a sparkler had been lit between their hands? He didn’t let on to recognizing the chemistry, but he didn’t let go. She reveled in the sensation of his large hand engulfing hers and clung to him as he led her down a narrow passageway.