Free Untouched by His Diamonds by Lucy Ellis

glad you came for me, Serge.’
    ‘You like the jet,
kisa
?’
    ‘I guess.’ She gave a gasp as he slid his arm around her waist and scooped her up into his arms.
    ‘Serge!’
    ‘
Da
—Serge.’
    The sudden physical closeness wrapped around her and she melted. That fast she was a mess of hormones and longing.
    He carried her as if she weighed nothing. Something long dormant inside her leapt in answer to his overt masculine display of physical strength and dominance. He was taking her over, and it was stunningly clear her body liked it.
    Serge experienced a primitive satisfaction in having Clementine in his arms. He’d been anticipating this since last night. He’d been working towards it since he’d followed her down the Nevsky. Elusive Clementine, who withheld so much, only made him want more, to give her more.
    Those terms of hers…Never had he been confronted with such a bald request from a woman. Did she imagine he wasn’t going to cough up with the gifts? And how high exactly did she measure her favours? Not that it really mattered; at this point he was prepared to pay any price.‘How much does all this cost?’
    Clementine ground to a halt in her silver slingbacks and did a three-sixty as she took in the hotel foyer. Understated elegance had never looked so expensive. Adding it to the limo from JFK, the posse of minders following them in another car, and not forgetting the plane—the private jet—the world was starting to resemble Oz, of the Wizard variety.
    Serge waited, dark green eyes steady on her, his hand extended in a gesture to have her join him.
    ‘Okay, Slugger—spill.’ She sashayed up to him and slid her hand into his as if she accompanied wealthy, powerful men into hotels every day of the week.
    ‘This sports management gig—who in heck do you manage?’
    ‘Not who,
kisa
, what.’ His expression was indulgent, as if she entertained him. ‘I own a corporation that broadcasts and hosts boxing and mixed martial arts fights.’
    Clementine batted her eyelashes at him. ‘Wow,’ she said. ‘That’s—wow.’
    ‘I’m getting an impressed vibe from you, Clementine.’
    The entire twelve hours of the flight—half of which she had slept—Serge had been an exemplary host, seeing to her needs before retreating behind his laptop and work. But she was definitely getting a more playful Serge now that they were on
terra firma
.
    He ushered her into the elevator and the doors closed out the rest of the world. Serge’s shoulders rose up in front of her and Clementine couldn’t see anything else but him.
    ‘Where I come from your line of business translates as very blokey. It explains a lot.’
    And there it was—that little private smile he’d been waiting for.
    He gently twined her hair over her shoulder and said quietly, close to her ear, ‘And what does it explain, Clementine?’
    She shivered in response. ‘All the testosterone. That’s why you were able to beat off those guys. You knew what you were doing.’ Her own voice had grown hushed. She looked up at him.
    ‘Since meeting you,
kisa
, it’s been the only thing I’ve been sure of doing.’ His admission, meant only to tease her, suddenly hit him as absolute fact.
    She batted those lashes more slowly. ‘You’re not sure of me, Slugger?’
    ‘Clementine, I have a feeling no man has ever been sure of you.’
    His hand moved around her waist. He leaned in and gave her a moment to accept he was going to kiss her, and then his mouth was suddenly hot and moving fast against her own, opening her up with his tongue, tasting her, giving her no time to back away.
    He hauled her up against him and Clementine turned to liquid heat. She moaned helplessly and slid her arms up around his neck, powerless against the feelings he was stoking in her. His body felt so hard against her own, and the slide of his tongue over her lower lip found an answering pulse deep down inside her. It was almost too much.
    The doors slid open with a soft ping