“Set me free?”
Dylan opened his mouth to reply, but a sound from behind dragged them back to the present. Oh yes – the woman in the bathroom. Sarah turned and saw a glamorous woman rush over in the most impractical shoes and tight dress she’d ever seen. The woman looked terrified, but even in such weird circumstances, Sarah couldn’t help but feel envy at the sight of Dylan’s latest squeeze. She recognised this woman from the covers of the celebrity magazines – Natalia Orlov. She was married to a ruthless young Russian tycoon – Vladimir Orlov – and she was always at his side. They attracted a lot of media attention because they were both stunningly good-looking, and Vladimir was charismatic. Sarah felt plain next to Natalia, with her false eyelashes, blonde hair extensions, and beauty-parlour make-up. She looked as if she was probably in her mid-twenties, just slightly younger than Sarah, but somehow she seemed sophisticated – as if she’d led a privileged life. Sarah was accustomed to mixing with high-calibre people because most of the guests who stayed here were wealthy and powerful – so it wasn’t this woman’s background that stirred Sarah’s envy. It was the thought of Dylan being with her sexually. Apparently – even after seven years – she hadn’t gotten over him…
Natalia spoke with a warm Russian accent. “Dylan, you killed him?”
“You were in the bathroom all along?” Sarah asked. “Why the hell didn’t you help?”
Natalia gazed at Sarah, noticing her for the first time. “Oh…?”
“Sarah,” Dylan said, “this is Natalia.”
Natalia raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at Dylan. “You two know each other?”
Dylan opened his mouth to explain, but the concussed assassin groaned on the carpet.
Natalia gazed at him. “He’s alive...”
“Perhaps you’d like to tell me what’s going on?” Sarah said, looking down her nose at Natalia. “I happen to be the general manager of this establishment.”
“Yes,” Natalia said. “This man is called Mikhail. He works for my husband. If he would’ve seen me here with Dylan, he would’ve killed us both.”
Mikhail’s body slowly started to flood back to consciousness. Panic rushed into Sarah’s muscles. “Well, he still might see you.”
Natalia appealed to Sarah with her huge blue eyes. “Help us?”
“Why should I?”
Dylan grabbed Sarah’s shoulders and smothered her with his captivating gaze. “Please, Sarah. You’re our last hope.”
A lightning storm of desire prickled through Sarah’s body at his touch. She willed herself to be strong against him, but she knew what those hands were capable of. Her arousal overrode her rational mind.
“Get back in the bathroom,” Sarah said to Natalia. And to Dylan, “You owe me big time.”
Natalia threw her arms around Sarah and hugged her tight. Sarah tensed like an iron rod as the beautiful Russian woman pressed herself against her shocked body. She prised herself out of Natalia’s embrace – this was getting weirder by the minute.
Natalia ran to the bathroom and shut herself in, just as Mikhail came around. He opened his eyes woozily, then he flinched as if he’d been electrocuted – realising that Dylan and Sarah were gazing down on him. He scrambled to his feet, eyes darting to the left and right. Dylan grabbed the knife to prevent a repeat performance.
Mikhail gripped his head with both hands. “Ow, you hit me hard!”
Dylan gestured to Sarah. “This is the person who was in the bathroom, okay? She crept up behind you and hit you with that lamp. And the reason she was hiding in the bathroom is because… she’s my wife.”
Shock burst out of Sarah in the form of a laugh. “Wha –!”
Dylan threw his arm around her and pulled her close. “Yes, Sarah – my wife!”
Mikhail inspected her with doubtful eyes. “She’s hotel manager.”
Dylan shrugged. “That’s right. We don’t want the staff knowing about our illicit meetings. It’s a game we like to play. That’s why she locked herself in the bathroom. We don’t want her to lose her job. Right, honey?”
“Well, I…”
“You’re lying.” Mikhail said.
Dylan stepped behind Sarah and rested his hands on her shoulders. Lust surged up from her thighs and seeped through her body. God, she’d missed this man. And she’d been so busy working recently that she hadn’t even had time to take care of herself. Her fraught body craved him and what he could offer. He knew precisely what he was doing when he touched her like this. He hadn’t changed…
Dylan gently massaged her shoulders. “Sarah darling, would you mind showing this thug the scar on your chest please – the one I could only know about if I’d seen you intimately?”
Sarah drew her fitted suit-jacket around her torso. “Certainly not.”