Strong Enough

I rolled my eyes.

“Be nice. I think he feels weird about accepting the offer. He keeps trying to tell me this is ridiculous.”

“It is.”

She gave me The Face, and I sighed.

“Come on. Introduce me.”

She took me by the hand and pulled me through the crowd toward the bar.

I saw him first from behind. At least, I thought it was him—he was the only person sitting alone. Light short hair. Slender, muscular build. He sat up tall, his back straight.

Ellen touched his shoulder. “Maxim, this is my brother, Derek.”

He turned to face us, and even in the bar’s dim light, his eyes were a startling shade of blue. He looked younger than I’d expected, and somehow less Russian. I don’t know what I was expecting—Boris Yeltsin, maybe?—but not the tall, trim blond guy who stood up and offered his hand. Not the cobalt eyes. Not the sharp-angled jawline.

I wasn’t expecting him at all.

I wasn’t expecting any of it.

Four

MAXIM

I was a little in shock.

This man was Ellen’s brother?

She’d told me he was thirty-six, not married, and not to worry if he came off a little gruff at first.

She’d failed to mention he was fucking gorgeous.

“Hey,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”

He offered his hand, and I met it with mine. His grip was perfect—warm and strong and just long enough.

“So I hear you’ve had some back luck.” His voice was deep and a little gravelly. It did something to me. Something that made it difficult to look him in the eye.

I forgot my entire English.

Ellen came to my rescue. “He can tell you the whole story later—poor thing has to be exhausted by now. But tomorrow we’re going to fix everything. All he needs tonight is a place to stay.”

“No problem,” Derek said. I liked the way he stood, with his feet wide apart and his arms crossed over his chest. He looked strong and confident. The kind of guy who made no apologies for himself. Who took initiative and got things done. I liked it so much I forgot to argue that he didn’t have to take me in for the night.

Ellen punched him on the shoulder. “You’re the best, brother. Biggest sweetheart ever.”

“Biggest pushover ever,” he grumbled.

“That too. Now be nice to him,” she said, shaking one finger at her brother. She turned to me. “Maxim, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Don’t worry about a thing. Get some rest.” She gave me a quick hug, and when she let me go, I finally found my voice.

“Thank you so much, both of you. I’m sorry to be a bother.”

“No bother,” he said, and he seemed to mean it. “Ready to go?”

I nodded, grabbing my notebook with the picture of Liliya in it off the bar, then I followed him through the crowd and out the door. I didn’t know if it was the jet lag or the theft or the alcohol on an empty stomach or the surprise gut punch of being attracted to Ellen’s older brother, but something had me feeling a little off balance.

Come on, Maxim. Pull yourself together.