Inconveniently Wed

Losing her the first time had been crippling. He’d coped the only way he knew how, by throwing himself into things he could control, to a degree anyway. He’d signed on for another volunteer contract and did longer clinics, more surgeries and, even under the growing threat of civil war, more visits out into the bush. Some might say he’d had a death wish, because the political climate in the nation had become wildly volatile—driving many volunteers out—but for Valentin it allowed him to focus on what needed to be done and to tuck away the pain of distrust and abandonment that Imogene had left in her wake.

He looked across the room, to where she circulated among her friends. God, she was beautiful. But physical beauty aside, he knew she had depths he had yet to discover. Depths they’d never imagined of each other the first time around. And now they had another opportunity. When he’d seen her today he’d been shocked, but instinct had taken over. And while logic had protested, his body had rejoiced.

All of which brought him back to his thoughts of only a moment ago. He couldn’t give in to that powerful pull they had between them. If he kissed her again, the way he truly wanted to, there was no way he’d be capable of pulling away.

Imogene’s face lit up on a burst of laughter as one of her friends said something amusing. Again he felt the knot deep in his gut. He was going to have to do some serious workouts to burn off the sexual energy that had taken his body hostage since seeing Imogene again, because they had to take things slowly this time—to truly begin to know and understand each other better before losing themselves in physical sensations.

“So, having second thoughts?”

Valentin turned to face his brother, Galen. “No, should I?”

“I have to say I was worried there for a while at the beginning. I’d have laid odds that today wasn’t about to go ahead and that my staff would be eating cake for the rest of the week.”

Galen was head of the Horvath chain of resorts and was based here in Washington. Valentin allowed himself a small smile.

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t have to inflict that on them.”

Galen looked at him. “Something’s different. Are you okay?”

“Why?”

“I don’t know exactly. You were looking forward to this marriage, I know that much. But I was certain that when Imogene came down the aisle you would put a stop to it. You both seemed so adamant about it not going ahead. What changed your mind? Don’t tell me Nagy put a spell on you both,” Galen finished with a laugh.

Valentin paused for a moment. With his brother, he’d always been honest. With his cousin Ilya, too. The three men had grown up close. But for some reason he didn’t want to put into actual words what had come over him when he’d made the decision to try to persuade Imogene to go ahead with the wedding.

“Maybe she did.” It was all he would concede. “But it’s early days yet. We have our three-month trial period to get through.”

“You say that as if you don’t believe it’ll be easy.”

“Nothing worthwhile ever is. We both know that, right? And Imogene and I have a lot of work to do. Deep down she still believes I was unfaithful to her.”

Galen spluttered his disbelief. “As if. You are the most loyal man I’ve ever known. So, who does she think you had an affair with?”

“One of the doctors I worked with.”

“Was she hot?”

“Oh, yes, she’s hot.”

Galen stiffened beside him. “As in present-tense hot?”

He could always rely on his brother to be quick to pick up an unspoken thread. “Yes. As in she works for me now as head of research and development in New York.”

Galen let out a slow whistle. “That could prove to be an issue. Have you told Imogene yet?”

“No, and I’m hoping we can overcome that before it becomes a problem.”

“Well, if anyone can, you can, my brother. You deserve to be happy. I just hope that Imogene is the one you can find that happiness with.”

“As do I. As do I.”

Four

The jet was impressive; it even had its own master suite complete with luxury bathroom. Imogene wondered about the wisdom of having a bubble bath at thirty-six thousand feet but then pushed the idea aside. Right now, weariness dragged at every cell in her body and her mind. All she wanted to do was rest. She looked at the wide bed in the master bedroom and the expanse of fine Egyptian cotton that covered it. She knew it was fine because she’d touched it, her fingertips sliding over the silky softness of the high-thread-count fabric in absolute delight.

Valentin entered the room behind her.

“Tired?” he asked as he tugged his cravat loose from his throat.

“Shattered,” she replied, feeling herself physically wilt.

It had been a tough day on so many levels, not least of which was discovering she was still powerfully attracted to her ex-husband. Well, new husband. She would never have believed he could talk her into agreeing to go ahead, but he’d been so convincing, almost making her believe that maybe she’d made a mistake all those years ago. That maybe she should have waited and listened before reacting. But then, given her own family situation, and her vehemence about never being in the same position as her mom, was it any surprise she’d reacted the way she had? Faced with the same situation, heaven forbid, wouldn’t she do the same again?

She looked up at Valentin and saw the lines of strain on his face.

“You must be worn-out, too. I remember you never were one for grand social occasions.”

“You remember correctly. Look, we have just over fourteen hours before we get to Rarotonga. We should get some sleep. Try to be fresh when we arrive at the Cook Islands.”

“Did you want to take the bed?” she offered. “I can sleep in the main cabin.”

“No, you take the bed. While you remember my discomfort with large social gatherings, I remember how you need to be comfortable to sleep.”

Imogene felt her cheeks color at his words and the images that rapidly filled her mind. Of the two of them in a narrow double bed doing anything but sleeping. Or when they did, and despite the intense heat of equatorial Africa, they curled so close together it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. She’d grown used to sleeping with him so quickly after they’d met, and it had taken her months before she’d stopped reaching for him in the dark after she’d returned to New York.

She averted her gaze before she suggested something stupid, like sleeping together again. After all, they were married and had a common goal of creating a family together. But even as she thought it, she knew she wasn’t ready to take that step. Not yet anyway.

“Thank you,” she finally managed. “Would you like to use the bathroom first?”

Valentin laughed.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Us. We sound so damned civilized.”

She giggled. “Yes, we do. Surprising under the circumstances, when you think about it.”

“Shows we’re better people than we were before.” His eyes grew dark and serious. “I meant what I said back in that office, Imogene. Even more than the vows we exchanged. You won’t regret this.”

Imogene swallowed against the lump in her throat and gave him a small nod. She was beyond words, but she wasn’t beyond feeling, she discovered as he strode through to the well-appointed bathroom and closed the door behind him. After a few minutes she heard the shower begin to run. She groaned at the knowledge that he was naked, that water now coursed in strong rivulets over his body. A body she’d once known perhaps even better than her own. She slumped onto the bed and kicked off her shoes before tugging at the invisible side zipper on her gown. She stood again and let the gown drop to the floor before stepping out of it and picking it up again to gently fold it and lay it on an easy chair.

As she did so, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Dressed in a white lace-covered bustier and matching panties, together with white lace garters and sheer white stockings, she looked the epitome of bridal innocence. She touched the top of her thighs where her skin was exposed and felt a shiver course through her. Looks were one thing, but the actuality was quite another. Her entire body was attuned to every sound she could make out from the bathroom and it responded to the visual effects that her mind so willingly supplied.

The water snapped off and the sound propelled her into action. She grabbed her carry-on case and yanked out the robe she’d packed in there earlier. Had it only been this morning? It felt like a lifetime ago. She shook out the robe and gasped when she saw a shower of rose petals fall from the folds. The only person who could have sabotaged her things was her mom—she was the one Imogene had wanted with her all morning. And despite the lack of romance in her own marriage and her trepidation about the way Imogene had approached this one, Caroline had attempted to inject a little romance into her daughter’s day.

The door to the bathroom opened.

“You okay? I thought I heard you make a noise,” Valentin said, stepping through the doorway with a white towel wrapped around his hips.

All rational thought fled. The perfect lines of his body could have been carved by Michelangelo, except she knew that if she touched him he wouldn’t feel like cold marble. No, his skin would be hot, pliable and highly responsive to her caress. Every feminine instinct in her body clamored to be reacquainted with him. Intimately.

“Are those rose petals?” he asked, snapping her out of the seductive trance that threatened to take over her weary mind.

He drew closer and Imogene quickly shoved her arms in the sleeves of the robe and dragged it closed at her waist.

“Don’t rush on my account,” Valentin teased, the gleam in his eyes showing his appreciation of her attire.

“I’m sorry, I’ll clean them up. Mom must have—”

“Hey, don’t panic. It’s okay.” He reached out a steadying hand to her and clasped her forearm before she could bend down. “Relax, okay? I think a few rose petals are only to be expected with a bride and groom aboard, don’t you?”

Heat flared along her arm. Heat that tantalized and teased her already overwrought senses. Imogene pressed her lips together before answering, “But we’re not your typical bride and groom, are we?”

“We never were typical,” he agreed.

His words sent another rush of color to her cheeks. She groaned inwardly. Why did she continually blush around him? No one else had ever had the capacity to wring that kind of reaction from her before. She gestured to his towel.

“Are you planning to sleep in that?”

“It might give our cabin crew a bit of a shock if I did. No, I have some pajamas in my case. When you go to the bathroom I’ll change in here, if that’s okay.”

Ah, so they were back to being polite again. That suited her just fine. Right now she didn’t know what to think or say or do. All she knew was that she needed to create a bit of space between herself and Valentin before she did something stupid, like press her lips to the small brown discs of his nipples, or lick off that tiny droplet of water that followed the indentation of his abdomen.

“I’ll say good-night now, then,” she said stiffly and gathered up her toilet bag.

“Good night, Imogene,” Valentin replied.

His voice was gentle and deep and almost her undoing. It would take only a second to lift her face to his. To claim a good-night kiss. But if she did, she knew exactly where that would lead and she knew she definitely wasn’t ready for the ramifications of what would follow. Not mentally. Not yet.

Valentin looked out the aircraft window at the glorious coastline that appeared beneath them. Turquoise waters edged by foaming waves crashed against a reef that appeared to encircle the island they were approaching. As the plane drew lower still, he could make out white-sand beaches and towering palm trees that waved their fronds in the onshore breeze.

“Look at that,” he said to Imogene, gesturing outside.

“It’s beautiful,” she answered, leaning across him to get a better look. “And it’s certainly not like the New York winter we’ve left behind. Still, I guess, being in the southern hemisphere, it’s summer down here, right?”

He grunted in response, barely able to speak right now. Did she know her breast was pressed against his arm, he wondered, or realize what her closeness was doing to him? How her subtle fragrance invaded his mind and made him think all kinds of inappropriate things he’d rather be doing with her right now? Her very nearness was going to be a major test of his ability to practice abstinence while they worked toward understanding each other better. It was something they were going to need to discuss very soon or he’d go crazy.

He moved slightly and Imogene immediately pulled away.

“Sorry,” she murmured.

She fiddled with her seat belt, tugging at the strap and ensuring it was firmly done up.

“No problem,” he responded, even though her touch had rapidly become a problem for him, indeed. He gestured out the window again. “Looks like we’re coming in to land.”

Imogene reached for his hand. “Do you mind? I always get nervous.”

He curled his fingers around hers and was surprised at how tight her grip became as they descended through the clouds. “I never knew that about you.”

“Well, we’ve never flown together before, so I guess you never got the chance to find out.”

Her words came out lightly but he knew there was a lot more behind them.

“You’re right,” he conceded. “We didn’t get to know a lot about each other at all, did we?”

The wheels touched the tarmac and her grip tightened even more. The plane felt like it was fighting the brakes as they eventually began to slow down and taxied toward the terminal building. One of the cabin crew came toward them, a warm smile wreathing her pretty face.

“We’ll be disembarking soon,” she informed them. “Once the stairs are down I’ll come and get you and direct you to customs and immigration. It should only be a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Jenny,” Valentin acknowledged.

He felt Imogene disengage her fingers from his hand one by one.

“She’s attractive, isn’t she?” Imogene commented. “Do you know her well?”

Valentin shrugged, suddenly aware that any comment right now could be a potential minefield. “As well as I know any of the Horvath Aviation crews. I fly a lot with my work and I’ve gotten to know a few of them. Jenny’s husband, Ash, is one of our pilots. It’s company policy that if staff are a couple, they be assigned together whenever practical.”

He felt Imogene relax a little. Was it because she now knew that Jenny was married? Until that supposed incident with Carla, jealousy had never been an issue, but was it going to be an issue now? Obviously Imogene felt vulnerable—she’d taken a major leap of faith in marrying him again, but then again so had he.

As soon as they were settled into their accommodations they’d be having a serious discussion about the boundaries of this new marriage of theirs and what they each expected out of it. Failure wasn’t something that Valentin accepted, which was what had made him an excellent student, a brilliant doctor and an astute businessman. The fact that his first marriage had failed had always been a thorn in his side. He knew he’d been the innocent party all along but his failure in not being able to make Imogene see that had been hard to bear. Her insecurity had driven her away from him, which, in turn, meant he’d failed her. Now it was up to him to make sure she never felt that way again.

Before long they were descending the stairs of the aircraft and stepping onto the steaming-hot tarmac at the airport. It was a short walk to the small terminal building, and clearing customs and immigration took only a few minutes since they’d landed at a quiet time at the airport with no commercial airliners arriving or departing. The air around them was thick with humidity but a steady breeze blew off the nearby ocean and tugged at their clothing as they exited the terminal building to find a driver waiting for them with a sign.

“Kia orana!” the woman said in greeting as she slipped a lei of fragrant blooms around each of their necks. “Welcome to the Cook Islands. I’m Kimi and I’ll be your contact and your driver during your stay with us. Please, come with me.”

Valentin put a hand to Imogene’s elbow as they followed Kimi to a van. Their luggage was loaded in the back and in a few moments they were off. After twenty minutes they were at their destination: a secluded villa just back from the sand on a private lagoon.

“Everything here is at your disposal,” Kimi said expansively. “You have your own pool and you’ll find water toys to use in the lagoon in the shed behind those bushes. There’s an outdoor shower for you to use in complete privacy when you come back from the beach and if you need anything else here at the house, please just lift the phone over there and someone will handle your query. I’m available to drive you anywhere you want to go.

“There’s fruit and drinks in your kitchen, together with a few breakfast items, and you’re welcome to use the neighboring resort restaurants for breakfast and lunch and just charge it back to the villa. Tonight, dinner will be brought to you at seven. We can serve it here on the patio or down on the sand if you’d prefer, although we’re expecting a bit of a storm tonight. Oh, and there’s a car or scooters for you to use if you want to drive around the island yourselves. Just remember to keep left and watch your speed. It’s only thirty-two kilometers round-trip to get around the island, but you can take as long as you like. You’re on island time now.”

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