Midnight Alpha (27 page)

Her cheeks bloomed with color as the other woman looked down at her searchingly. She had no idea what she was supposed to say in answer to that question when just continuing to listen to Gregori softly playing “Midnight” was tearing her apart inside.

She loved him.

Totally.

Completely.

She didn’t care who he was, what he had done in the past, or what he would have to do in the future to keep those he cared for safe.

She loved him.

“I see that you do,” Kat acknowledged emotionally. “Gregori cares for you too. But he is going to resist it, deny it if asked.”

“Why?” Gaia knew that Gregori cared for her—whether it was the same love she felt for him was another matter—but she had
seen
the torment in his eyes when he arrived at that derelict house earlier. She had seen
him
, and known that he intended to sacrifice himself. For her.

Kat gave a heavy sigh. “It’s what these men do, Gaia. If you knew about the battle I had with Dair to begin with…” She gave a rueful shake of her head. “They’re men who live in a world of violence and danger, and…and the thought of the woman they love being anywhere near that is… They would rather sacrifice their own happiness, a family and being loved, than allow their woman to be drawn into that world. It wasn’t quite the same for me, of course, because of who my own family is, but I believe Gregori will do anything, say anything to prevent you from becoming any more involved in that world.”

Their woman…

Even if he only wanted her for a short time, was she Gregori’s woman?

Gaia listened again to those soft strains of “Midnight” and she didn’t
care
how long he wanted her for, she was not going to give up on spending even one more day with him without a fight.
 

She stood up determinedly. “Don’t worry, Kat, I assure you I can be as stubborn as Gregori when I want something.”

The other woman gave her a beaming smile. “I had a feeling you might be!”

Gaia returned the warmth of that smile before frowning with a single-minded focus.

She marched out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

To whatever the future might bring.

To Gregori.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

Gregori’s fingers crashed down on the piano keys at the sound of Gaia’s voice and his gaze moved to where she stood silhouetted in the doorway.

It had been over two hours since they returned to the house. Two hours when Gregori did little but think of Gaia. Of saying goodbye to her now that it was all over. There was no reason for her to remain here now.

She looked very pale, and her endearing freckles stood out clearly on her cheeks and nose. She was also disheveled, still wearing the creased clothes from earlier.

But there was an expression in her eyes he recognized only too well.

Reckless determination.

His back straightened. “Changed your mind about what?” he prompted cautiously.

“The piano.” She strolled across the room, her golden gaze remaining unwaveringly fixed on his as she now ran her fingertips lightly along the top of the piano.

Gregori eyed her warily. “Shouldn’t you be lying down?”

“Exactly what I had in mind,” she nodded. “This piano looks more than sturdy enough to bear the weight of both of us, don’t you think?”

His gaze shot up from watching her slender fingers caress the shiny top of the piano as Gaia moved closer and closer to him. “You’ve been through a lot tonight—”

“I hope you realize that fainting thing really isn’t me?” She winced. “I’ve just… It’s been such an emotional time lately, and Sergei was pointing a gun at your chest, and I thought he was going to shoot you—”
 

“Hush, Gaia,” he soothed. “You’re obviously still in shock—”

“Right now I’m in lust,” she corrected huskily. “I always thought that was a load of bull—you know, the adrenaline rush, the need for sex that people claim to have after being in a life-or-death situation. But it’s all true,” she announced brightly before her smile disappeared and she narrowed her gaze on him. “Undress, Gregori.”

There had been no plan in Gaia’s mind as she hurried down the stairs to be with him. No preconceived idea of what she was going to do or say. But the moment she saw him—alone and so pale in just his white shirt and the black trousers of his evening suit, his expression grim as he poured his emotions into playing—and she had known exactly what they both needed.

Each other.

Gregori could protest all he liked, could try to push her away as much as he wanted, but she at least knew he desired her, and she wasn’t going anywhere. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not ever, if he would allow it.

Damn whether or not he
allowed
it: this was her man and she intended to claim him as such.

“I said undress, Gregori,” she repeated hardly.

“Gaia—”

“Don’t make me repeat myself a third time,” she warned softly.

Gregori’s gaze remained locked with hers as he stood up slowly and began to unfasten the buttons on his shirt with fingers that trembled slightly. “You do realize that Kat and Dair are also staying in the house tonight…”

“I suspected as much when I woke up to find Kat sitting next to my bed,” she nodded. “Why wasn’t it you, Gregori?”

His fingers fumbled on the buttons and he swallowed before speaking. “I wasn’t sure…” He gave a shake of his head. “I thought it best that you were not reminded of what happened earlier tonight the moment you opened your eyes.”

“Don’t stop undressing, Gregori,” she instructed firmly as she heard the telltale stiltedness in his voice. She waited until he’d finished unfastening the buttons on his shirt and pulled it free of the waistband of his trousers before speaking again. “Whether it had been you or Kat sitting there waiting for me to wake up, I’ll never be able to forget what happened tonight,” she gave a shake of her head.

Gregori drew in a harsh breath. “I am so sorry—”

“For what?” She eyed him incredulously. “You’re not responsible, Gregori. You’re not!” she insisted as she stepped forward and placed both her hands against the bareness of his chest. “And that isn’t the part of tonight I’ll never forget…” she added huskily.

He looked down at her searchingly. “Then what is?”

“You,” Gaia answered without hesitation. “My hero, rushing to save me, no matter what the cost to himself.”

He frowned. “Anyone would have done the same—”

“No, they
wouldn’t
,” she assured him emotionally. “Most men in your position would have organized their men, and worked out a plan, rather than rushing headlong into danger and risking their own lives.”

“That is what I should have done—”

“But you didn’t. Perhaps partly because you knew that Nikolai and Lijah would have your back, Dair too I expect,” she added. “But also,” she sobered, “because it never even occurred to you not to come yourself after you received Sergei’s note. Did it? Don’t even think about lying to me, Gregori,” she warned as she felt his heart begin to race beneath her palms. “You really don’t want me to have to punish you,” she added suggestively.

As was always the way with this woman, Gregori found himself laughing rather than feeling anger—or despair, or any of the other emotions he had been feeling since Gaia fainted earlier.

Including crying, which a large part of him now wanted to do just from seeing her standing here in front of him, safe and well, and Gaia.

So very much Gaia.

He gave a shake of his head. “No, I never thought of letting anyone else come to you but me,” he acknowledged gruffly.

Come to her
.

Gregori had come to her, not out of duty, nor out of responsibility. Duty and responsibility bred caution and careful planning; neither of which he had displayed tonight. Instead he had simply driven his car to where she was and walked into the house, a human sacrifice.

“Kat was right,” she nodded.

He looked down at her questioningly. “About what?”

“You
do
care for me.” She smiled up at him tremulously.

His brow creased into an irritated frown. “Of course I care for you!” He drew in a sharp breath as he realized what he’d said. “I would feel concern for anyone who fell into the clutches of that madman—”

“Ah ah ah, punishment, remember?” Gaia reminded him pointedly.

Gregori stepped away from her to start pacing restlessly. “We have…enjoyed each other’s company these past few days, but now it is time for you to return to your own life. The life you wished to return to. And I—I will continue with my own life. A life that does not include you. One that— Why are you not speaking?” He paused in his pacing to eye her warily.

Gaia leaned back against the piano, her arms folded across her chest. “Because I’m waiting for you to stop spouting nonsense and start calling me Miss Miller again—and then I really am going to punish you!”

Gregori gave an exasperated sigh. “It is not nonsense. Everything I just said is the truth—”

“Except you missed something,” she put in quietly.

“What?” he snapped his impatience. “What did I miss?”

Gaia’s next statement meant she was going to take her heart in her hands and offer it to him. Possibly to get trampled on, but at this moment in time she didn’t care, knew instinctively that she might not get another chance. That Gregori would ensure she never had another chance.

She drew in a deep breath and spoke the words. “I love you.”

If she had been expecting Gregori to fall down on his knees in wonder and gratitude then she was out of luck. Instead he just stood there, staring at her with those coal-black eyes, unsmiling, unmoving, unspeaking.

“Well.” She gave a shaky laugh once she decided that the silence had become just a tad
too
uncomfortable. “I guess you really don’t
care
enough.” She turned on her heel and walked stiffly towards the door.

“Do not leave, Gaia!” Gregori choked out emotionally. “For God’s sake, do not leave me!”

Gaia turned sharply on her heel, her heart breaking as she saw the tears tracking silently down his ravaged cheeks. She didn’t hesitate as she ran across the room to throw herself at him, arms around his neck, legs wrapped securely about his waist as she kissed him, and kept on kissing him, never intending to stop.

She loved this man.

A man of honor, duty, and responsibility, yes, but also a man with heart and compassion, and so, so much love to give.

She wanted it.

All of it.

“I love you, Gaia.”

“Well I certainly hope so, otherwise we’ve given your sister and Dair a show for nothing!” She looked up at him teasingly as the two of them lay naked together in each other arms on the carpeted floor in Gregori’s drawing room.

She didn’t need
Gregori to tell her he loved her.

He’d shown it in the way he just worshipped her; cherished her. He’d given her so much pleasure she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to move again.

But she still loved hearing him say the words anyway.

“Oh I wouldn’t say it was for nothing,” he answered her just as lightly, referring no doubt to the groans and gasps and
screams
—Gaia’s—of their lovemaking this past hour.

Gaia sobered. “I’m staying here with you, Gregori. Don’t argue,” she wasn’t about to give him the chance to do that. “I’m staying here with you until you decide to kick me out. And I’m going to make it extremely difficult for you to ever want to do that.” Her hand slid down his waist to curve possessively about his semi-hard cock as she began to lightly pump and caress him back to full arousal.

Gregori made no move to stop her. Why would he? He knew now that this, being here with Gaia, possessing Gaia and having her possess him, was far too precious to sacrifice in the name of duty and responsibility. He had no idea how this arrangement was going to work, only that it had to.
 

“I was not about to argue,” he assured her gruffly. “I do, however, have one stipulation of my own to that arrangement.”

“Yes?” The uncertainty in her expression showed Gaia wasn’t as confident as she wished to appear.

“Marry me?” Gregori rolled onto his side so that he was looking down at her. “If you truly love me, then marry me.”

He reached up to curve his hand against one of her flushed cheeks as he looked deeply into her eyes.

“It would not be easy being my wife. I will always be The Markovic, always have responsibilities, and you would constantly chafe against the restrictions being my wife would place on you. There would be those visits to friends you mentioned, to the shops, but always, always in the company of a bodyguard.” He physically began to shake at the thought of how close he had come to losing her tonight. Of how he might still lose her, if she couldn’t bear to live the life he had just described. “Your life would change forever.”

Gaia could feel Gregori trembling against her. “And in exchange I get you?”

“All of me until my dying breath, yes,” he vowed fiercely.