Uncovered Passion Read online

  Shivering at his touch, Sasha closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. This had only been her second kiss. She had never allowed the other few men she had dated to come near her. Their thoughts had disgusted her and turned her stomach. The idea of Garrick’s touch however had her nipples tightening and her womb clenching in anticipation of things she had only read about.

  Sasha knew she should stop this before she regretted anything but she just couldn’t force herself to do it. She opened her eyes and took in all that was Garrick; from his short russet hair to his deep as the ocean blue eyes. His short sleeved, red polo accentuated his muscular form. His jeans were dark and fit well enough to showcase his manly thighs. At this exact moment they were pulled taut by straining erection. Sasha had a sudden urge to unzip his jeans and find out more about that part of him. Blushing furiously at her own devious thoughts, she quickly looked away.

  Garrick watched her as she obviously looked her fill. He thought it was very sexy the way her eyes darted over his form to linger on his erection. It was already rock hard and throbbing for release. Garrick stifled a moan as she licked her lips and blushed. He could tell she was embarrassed. Seeing her reluctance to make a move towards him, he tried to give her back some control of the situation. Taking a deep calming breath, Garrick spoke. “What type of music do you listen to? I can turn on the radio if you’d like.”

  “I listen to a little bit of everything. It usually depends on my mood.”

  “Well, in that case, I’ll start looking and you tell me if we find something you like.” Garrick said as he leaned towards the coffee table to turn on the radio. Static immediately filled the room.

  “I’m like that too although I tend to listen to more alternative and hard rock than anything else.”

  It was killing Garrick to back off the way he had but he didn’t want Sasha to think he was pressuring her into having sex with him. He wanted to make sure that any decision she made would be made free of coercion. How strange to feel this way when before meeting Sasha he wouldn’t have thought twice about whether the woman would feel anything after their time together. His dick on the other hand was thinking something all together different. The feel of her mouth had been incredible. Even through the layer of clothing her body had been pure torture. He could see her nipples harden to tight little points. All he could think about was what she must look and feel like without any clothes.

  “Ooh…turn that back. That’s Nu Virgos, I love them. I have their c.d. Half of the c.d. is in English too.”

  Sasha looked as though she was going to burst from excitement. Turning the radio dial back, Garrick listened to the music. It had a nice beat but unfortunately he didn’t understand half of what was being said. He watched as Sasha swayed in her seat while singing along. Her voice was sultry, sweet, and very enticing; but that was only part of what was making him harder than he’d ever been before. The way Sasha moved her hips to the music was sexier than any pop princess could ever hope to be.

  Garrick fought hard the temptation to reach over and claim her as his own. He’d been dying to taste her since he’d first laid eyes on her. Now that he’d had a small taste, it was only fueling the desire to imprint her as his forever. Sadly, Garrick knew that shouldn’t happen. He’d only be gone in a few days, never to return to Russia, if he was lucky. For a split moment he had a crazy thought. He could take Sasha with him. Mentally shaking himself, Garrick realized that was stupid. Not only did he know practically nothing about her, he also couldn’t share his life with anyone nor take her from her country. His life just wasn’t set up to include anyone else. Garrick watched as the song ended and Sasha stopped singing. Her skin almost glowed she had enjoyed herself so much.

  Sasha loved the sound of the music. She always felt so free when she was singing along with the songs. It had been one of the few things Petre and the others had allowed her to have. In the office, she had driven them crazy until they had relented and allowed her to have music, although they had censored what music she could have until she had turned 18.

  As she stopped singing and looked back at Garrick, Sasha realized one thing: she was happy. For the first time she felt joyful. Here was a gorgeous specimen of a man whose one desire was to make love to her. She knew it was a large step to take but she didn’t think she could go there just yet. “Garrick, I need to be completely honest with you. I’m a virgin… and I’m not ready to do that with you yet.”

  Garrick smiled at her innocent remark. He had thought all along she was inexperienced. “That’s okay. I’m not going to force myself on you. We can take this as slow as you want.”

  Sasha hesitated unsure of what to do or even what she wanted to do. “I don’t want to leave yet.” The problem was she didn’t know where that left her.

  Garrick enfolded her into his arms. “You don’t have to leave Sasha. You can stay as long as you like.”

  Sasha closed her eyes and took a deep breath enjoying the sensation of his warmth. She felt moisture pooling in her eyes at the tender and respectful way that he was treating her. “Thank you.”

  Garrick rubbed her back. “Hey, why don’t we watch a movie? There’s a television above the bar. I’ll even let you pick. How does that sound?”

  Leaning forward, Sasha grinned. “Really? That sounds great. I’ve seen most of the movies that have come out on DVD but I’m sure something will be on that sounds good. Can I have the remote too” Sasha asked with a smirk. She had heard from some of the married scientists at FSB that men were remote hogs.

  Suddenly, Garrick stood up and stretched his arms over his head revealing a swatch of muscles exposed from the bottom of his polo shirt. A slow, seductive smile crept across his lips as he moved to the nightstand drawer next to the bed. “You know, sharing the remote is a very intimate thing. I’m not sure I’m ready for that step yet. It is very major.” Garrick could barely contain his laughter as he turned and saw the confused look appear on Sasha’s face.

  Bringing the remote back to the couch, he handed it to Sasha. “You do realize I was just kidding with you right? But even so, I think I can take that leap of faith and entrust you with the honored man scepter.”

  Relief flooded Sasha’s face. For a moment, she had thought Garrick was serious. She had never heard that the ownership of the remote could be such a serious topic. “I know you’re kidding now and I’m glad you have that much faith in me. Although you might want to take that faith back depending on what movie I find. What are you up for?”

  Sagging back onto the couch, Garrick laughed. “We’ll see if you can keep the faith. For now, I don’t care. I like all the action movies although they totally misrepresent all the facts. Just see what’s on I guess.”

  “Okay.” Finding the power button on the unfamiliar remote, Sasha pressed it and watched the large television come to life. It was currently on the local Moscow news channel, in Russian of course. Tempted to watch the weather, Sasha quickly changed the channel until she found the television guide channel. As the listings scrolled by, Sasha pondered her current feelings. She felt-well…content. It was strange to feel so comfortable- and yet- not know whether this man was a spy for a different country. Maybe it was her youth speaking, but frankly, she found she really didn’t care. It’s not like she could be fired. Ha! Where would she go? She was sure it wasn’t every day that the top secret Russian telepath was let go for insubordination. Returning her thoughts to the task of finding a suitable movie, Sasha watched the screen.

  “What about this one? It’s just starting. The description says it’s about a rogue police officer bent on bringing a killer to justice for a crime committed years ago. Sounds like your kind of movie yes? I’m not sure if it is being played in English but I can access subtitles if you want.”

  “Sure, sounds fine. Do you want me to ring room service? We can order snacks and junk food.”

  “Actually, that sounds great! Do you think they have chocolate? I’m partial to American chocolate though, I love those Hershey
bars.” Sasha leaned down to roll up her jeans. Gaining access to her knee high boots, she unzipped them and dropped them to the floor. Her feet flexed and stretched from their cramped position to curl under and she pulled her knees up onto the couch.

  Garrick picked up the phone next to the couch and made the room service call. By the time the chocolate and chips arrived from room service, the movie was in full swing. Sasha was enjoying herself and had decided to stay for the sequel coming on next. She lay in the bed- under the covers- just where he wanted her. Unfortunately, fate was a fickle lady and Sasha was engrossed in the movie and not the least bit interested in the raging hard on Garrick had been dealing with all evening.

  Chapter 8

  Warmth covered her body in a cocoon of comfort. In a balmy state of relaxation. Cracking open an eye, Sasha noticed two things: one, that it was brighter than usual and two, her room didn’t have beige and burgundy wallpaper. As these two thoughts registered in her sluggish mind, her body began a languid stretch from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Regrettably, the stretch was impeded by that searing insulate situated next to her on the bed. Sasha opened both eyes and blinked rapidly at the bright sunlight streaming in from the balcony doors.

  Balcony doors? Suddenly everything came back in a rush to a sleep clogged brain. Movies with Garrick in his hotel room. Room service and chocolate. Climbing into bed. She had never left! Panic ensued as Sasha realized the pleasant warmth surrounding her was not her down comforter but a large man still sleeping soundly with his leg thrown over hers and an arm wrapped around her waist. Sasha shrieked in shock and frantically fought to free herself from under his sleepy clutches.

  “No, let go. I must… help, please. I need to…just, I can’t breathe.”

  Stirred by a scream, Garrick tightened his grip on the wiggling pillow before he realized it wasn’t his pillow. “Sasha, Sasha. Calm down. What’s wrong? Sweetheart, it’s alright. It’s me, Garrick. Honey, I’ve got you. You’re safe.” Removing his arm from its resting place on her midsection, he began to rub her back in soothing strokes. Realizing it was a panic attack, Garrick removed his leg from Sasha’s.

  Even with his gentle words and reassurances, Sasha bolted. Throwing the blanket off of her now liberated body, she leapt out of bed and ran to the nearest door and slammed it shut. Quickly turning the lock, she grasped the edges of the sink and took large, steadying breaths. Her sleep muddled brain began to clear as she stared into the vanity mirror. Taking stock of the situation, Sasha realized she was still fully clothed except for her boots. She remembered the first movie ending and her back hurting. Garrick suggesting she stretch out on the bed for the sequel. Sasha remembered a few things from the sequel but not the ending. She must have fallen asleep watching the movie and slept all night. As her breathing steadied and her heart rate returned to normal, she plopped down on the edge of the massive garden tub to contemplate her current situation.

  She was supposed to have checked in by midnight and been home no later than 12:30 a.m. Obviously, she was way past that checkpoint. Nessa would be crazy with worry. For all her job of her handler, she was still a mother figure and put her heart and soul into ensuring Sasha’s safety. Petre would be chomping at the bit for information. Was it just yesterday that he had threatened to wire her or pull her off the mission? All the days seemed to run together. She needed to get to her cell phone to see what time it was and call Nessa. How could she make the call in front of Garrick? She couldn’t. She’d have to wait to call Nessa until she was away from Garrick. Thinking of Garrick again, she realized she had abruptly left him in her haste to clear her mind.

  Leaving the bathroom, Sasha’s half smile was hesitant. “I’m sorry I freaked out on you like that. But, I’ve never been out all night. My mother is bound to be worried.”

  Turning at the sound of Sasha’s voice, Garrick quickly thought about her comment. How old was she? Garrick stiffened as he tried to push away the overwhelming concern that he could potentially be seeing an underage girl. His eyes widened as he thought about the alcohol they had both ingested recently. He was tempted to ask to see her I.D. but after a quick deliberation thought that might be considered rude. Oh God, her mother would think they had slept together last night. How could he have been so stupid to not think about her age first? “Sasha, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? I just want to make sure.”

  Giggling at the insane remarks running through Garrick’s mind, Sasha was quick to reply. “I’m nineteen years old, it’s alright. I’m not what you Americans would consider jailbait. If you don’t mind though, I need to check my cell phone.”

  Sagging in relief, Garrick felt the weight of his thoughts lift. He had been so immediately attracted to her that he really hadn’t thought about what her actual age might have been. He could tell by her response that she had understood his concern immediately. Garrick still couldn’t understand why he hadn’t thought about that sooner. He had just been so in lust, he couldn’t see through the haze. Even now, her hair all sleep tossed and her shirt all wrinkled, he wanted nothing more than to throw her on the bed and worship her body until neither one of them could move.

  Rifling through her purse, Sasha found her cell phone at the bottom buried under her wallet. Turned off, the phone had not been able to ring all evening. She tried to think back to when she could have possibly shut it off. It was then Sasha recalled her decision to shut out the outside world, and FSB, before she had met up with Garrick for their date. Turning the phone back on, Sasha waited for it to power up and find her network. Immediately she noted the time was already 9:38 a.m. Normally by now, she and Nessa would have eaten breakfast, gone over the daily agenda and reviewed any case notes from the previous evening. Now that she thought about it, her life was pretty boring for someone supposedly a spy. Why had she not realized the monotony of her existence?

  As the phone registered with the network provider the message light blinked on. Of course she’d have a message. She’d missed her check in time and curfew. Even though Nessa really wasn’t her mother, she’d be sure to lay into her she got back. She could just hear the speech now – something about responsibility and some such nonsense.

  “Garrick, do you mind if I check my messages really quickly? I promise to hurry.”

  “Sure. Whatever you need. I’m sorry I kept you all night if it’s going to cause you any trouble. Of course, I’m not really sorry you stayed. It was very nice to wake up nice and warm with a beautiful woman in my bed – albeit a little deafer for the screaming experience. Take whatever time you need.”

  “Thanks.” Sasha sat on the bed and folded one leg underneath of herself. Dialing her voicemail, she typed in her password and waited as the automated voice gave the date and time of her first message.

  “First message, Thursday, September 5th, 12:14 a.m. from phone number 8-265-59-30: Sasha it’s me Nessa. You didn’t call me to check in. Where are you and why is your phone off? Call me as soon as you get this.”

  “Second message, Thursday, September 5th, 12:56 a.m. from phone number 8-265-59-30: Sasha, you haven’t called. You know curfew is at 12:30. Petre has already been down here looking for you. I made up some excuse that you were simply running late and would be here any minute. You better get your ass home now before Petre sends out a search party or something. Just hurry!”

  “Third message, Thursday, September 5th, 3:36 a.m. from phone number 8-265-59-30: Oh my God Sasha! I can’t cover for you anymore. Petre has it figured out. You’re not HERE! Where the Hell are you? You know you’re not the only whose ass is on the line! You better call me.”

  “Fourth message, Thursday, September 5th, 7:48 a.m. from phone number 8-265-59-30: Alright Sasha! Dr. Chikachev and Dr. Anchova are already in Petre’s office waiting for you. They’ve sent a team to watch the target’s hotel for movement. You’d better be home or we’re both in deep water. Petre wants to pull you from the case. You’d better show yourself soon.”

  Sasha deleted the las
t of the four messages. So she’d royally messed up. At this point it sounded as though she’d be off the case the moment she got back anyway. What’s another few hours? Nessa would forgive her for anything and Petre – well, he’d just get over it too. Really, would she be fired? No. With her mind made up, Sasha turned her phone off again, deposited it in her purse, and unfolded herself from the bed. A shiver of appreciation rippled across her body as Garrick walked towards her. The look of concern on his face gave Sasha’s heart a jumpstart. Why did he have to be so compassionate? If he just didn’t feel so right, she’d have had this over with the first day and be at home now. Back to her boring schedules and multitudes of business meetings. Why did FSB think she’d love to sit in on every meeting and be the human lie detector? It was all she could do to keep herself awake during those mind-numbing gatherings.

  Easing himself from the couch, Garrick stalked towards Sasha as a lion does his prey. He was intent on kissing those lips she had just been biting in worry. Whatever it was, he wanted to fix it so she could stay with him. He wasn’t anywhere near done with her yet. When he had heard her cell phone chime as she shut it off again, he had hoped that was a divine sign that she was feeling some of the tension in the room as well. His cock sure had. He’d been standing at attention since the moment he laid eyes on her in front of the Kremlin.

  Snaking an arm around her waist, he pulled her towards him. Within seconds, his lips slanted over hers in a searing proclamation of his desire. Deepening the kiss, Sasha moaned as she buried her hand in his cropped hair. He trailed his free hand around to grip her ass and bring her flush to his body. His erection pulsed between them, an unspoken demand all his own. Sasha’s other hand roamed Garrick’s back, frantically searching for what he didn’t know – didn’t care. Nibbling on her lip, he soothed it with his tongue before delving deeper again to taste her. A sweet ambrosia filled his senses. She was like sunshine and cupcakes all wrapped into one fascinating little package.