She looked down at the huge diamond ring on her finger, seeing the facets flash in the light. The first time she’d fully realized the depths of her bad luck, that she was married to a handsome prince, whose secretly kind heart would unfortunately never pound that way over her.
Never ever, her brain assured her.
Not in a million years, her heart agreed.
His phone rang, and he looked down at the number. “Excuse me.”
“Sure,” she said, relieved to take a break from driving, or whatever her tire-screeching, bloodcurdling version of driving might be. She stretched in her seat, yawning.
Then she noticed how Kasimir had turned his body away from her to speak quietly into the phone. He got out of the car altogether, closing the door behind him.
Who on earth was he speaking to? Josie’s eyes narrowed. Clearly someone he didn’t want her to know about. Was it information about Bree? Or—cripes, could he be talking to another woman, making plans for a romantic getaway as soon as he was safely rid of her?
She quietly got out of the driver’s-side door.
Kasimir had turned away to speak into the phone. In a very low voice. In Russian. “My brother’s private jet left for Russia? You’re sure?” He paused. “And she’s still with him? Very well. Get out of Oahu and head for St. Petersburg. As soon as you can.”
Hanging up, Kasimir turned around. His eyes widened as he saw her standing beside him in the dust-choked driveway.
“What was that about?” she asked casually.
“Nothing that concerns you.”
“You haven’t found my sister?”
“Nope.” He gave her a careless, charming smile. Lying to her. Lying to her face! “You’ve almost got the clutch down. Ready for more?”
She didn’t move. “I studied Russian in school,” she ground out. “For six years.”
His expression changed.
“You found Bree,” she whispered, hands clenching at her sides. “She was on Oahu. And you didn’t want me to know.”
Kasimir stared at her, then resentfully gave a single nod.
Closing her eyes, Josie took a deep breath as grief filled her heart. “She was on Oahu. All the time we were there, we could have just driven across the island at any time and picked her up?”
“If we’d gone the moment you arrived at my penthouse—yes.” Her eyes flew open. His cold blue gaze met hers. “We weren’t married then. You could have walked away. I had no reason to tell you.”
With a little cry, Josie leapt towards him. She pounded on his chest. “You bastard!”
He didn’t move, or try to protect himself. “I don’t blame you for being angry,” he said softly.
“So that’s why you brought me here?” Wide-eyed, she staggered back. “Damn you,” she whispered. “How selfish can you be?”
He looked at her. “You already know the answer to that, or else you’re a fool.”
But she was. She was a fool, because she’d believed in his compliments and lies! Turning on her heel, she started to walk away.
He grabbed her wrist, turning her to face him. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To St. Petersburg,” she flashed. “To save her, since you won’t!”
“And just how do you intend to do that?” He sounded almost amused. “With no money and nothing to barter?”
She tossed her head. “Perhaps your brother is interested in trading for his old family homestead!”
She heard his ragged intake of breath. “You couldn’t do that.”
“Why not? It’s mine now. Thanks for marrying me.”
His hand tightened on her wrist. “That land belongs to me—”
“I signed a prenup, remember? It protected all your possessions and fortune you brought into our marriage. But it also protected mine!”
His blue eyes were like fire. “You—you, the last honest woman—would try to steal my land? And give it to my brother?”
“Why not? You stole my first kiss!” she cried, trembling all over. She looked away, blinking fast. “It should have been something special, something I shared with someone I loved, or might love someday. And you
ruined it!” She turned on him fiercely. “You lied to my face from the moment I came back to Honolulu. You won’t go save Bree until you legally get my land? You say you can’t trust me? Fine!” She tossed her head. “Maybe I won’t trust you, either!”
His expression was dark, even murderous. “Yes. I lied to you about your sister’s whereabouts. And yes, kissing you was a mistake.” His grip on her wrist tightened as he looked down at her. “But don’t act like a traumatized victim,” he ground out. “You enjoyed our kiss. Admit it.”
“What?” She tried to pull away. “Are you crazy?”
He wrapped her in his arms, bringing her tight against his hard body. “Claim what you want. I know what I felt when you were in my arms,” he growled. “I felt your body tremble. You looked at me with those big eyes, holding your breath. Parting your mouth, licking your lips. Did you not realize you were giving me an invitation?” Cupping her face, he glared at her. “It is the same thing you are doing now.”
She swallowed, yanking her chin away as she closed her mouth with a snap. She blinked fast.
“Maybe I did want you to kiss me. Then,” she whispered. Wistfully, she looked towards the wrought-iron gate, towards the road to the Marrakech airport. “But I don’t anymore. All I want now is for you to let me go.”
For a moment, the only sound was the pant of her breath.
“Is being married to me really so awful?” he said roughly. “Was—kissing me—really so distasteful to you?”
She took a deep breath.
“No,” she said honestly. She couldn’t lie. She pushed away from him. “But I can’t just wait around here for weeks, hoping she’s all right. If you’re in no hurry to save her...I’ll make a deal with someone who is.”
“You’ll never even make it to Marrakech.”
“I’ll hitchhike into town,” she tossed back. “And hock my wedding ring for a plane ticket to St. Petersburg.”
“You’ll never even be able to talk to him!”
She stopped. “My phone,” she breathed aloud. “I’ll call my sister’s number. Either she will answer it, or Vladimir will. The battery is dead but I’ll plug it in and...” Triumphantly, Josie glanced behind her. Then she saw his face.
With a gasp, she started to run towards the house.
She was only halfway across the inner courtyard, racing for her bedroom, when he came up behind her, scooping her up with a growl. “I won’t let you call him.”
She struggled in his arms. “Let me go!”
“Vladimir will never have that land.” Beneath the swaying palm trees of the sunny courtyard, next to the soft burbling water of the stone fountain, he slowly released her, and she felt the strength of his muscular form as she slid down his body. He gripped her wrists. “It’s mine. And so are you.”
She shook her head wildly. “You can’t keep me prisoner here. I’ll scream my head off! One of your servants will...”
“My servants will say nothing. They are loyal.”
It was impossible to pull her wrists out of his implacable grip. Tears filled her eyes.
“Someone will talk,” she whispered. “Someone will hear me. We’re not that far from the city. I’ll find a phone that works. Or email. There’s no way you can keep me here against my will.”
Kasimir looked down at her, then his eyes narrowed. He abruptly let her go.
“You’re right.”
She rubbed her wrists in relief. “You’re letting me go?”
His sensual mouth curled in a devastating smile. He looked every inch a ruthless Russian prince, his blue eyes icy as a Siberian winter. “Wrong,” he said softly.
Frightened of the coldness in his eyes, Josie slowly backed away. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. I’ll escape you...”
Their eyes locked, and shivers went through her.
“Will you?” he purred.
And coiling back like a tiger, he sprang.
* * *
Kasimir heard the loud whir of the helicopter flying away as he stood on thick carpets over the packed sand in his own grand tent, the largest and most luxurious in his camp, deep inside the Sahara Desert.
He looked down at his prisoner—that is to say, his dear wife—sitting on his bed. Tied up with a soft silken gag over her mouth, Josie was glaring at him with bright sparks of hatred in her eyes.
His eyes traced down her body. She still wearing his black T-shirt and oversized jeans from Marrakech, but from the flash of lacy bra strap, he knew she was wearing the sexy lingerie he’d given her underneath. His body tightened. He said softly, “What am I going to do with you?”