Page 96 of Poison Evidence

He woke again with the dawn, feeling a thousand times better. His hip ached, but sleep and liquids had replenished his energy. He felt the gentle rocking motion of the boat and tried to get his bearings.

He had only the vaguest memories of the intervening hours. Water and electrolyte drinks for hydration. A cool cloth to clean his wound. Ivy’s attempts to get him to the bunk, then giving up and making a bed for them both on the floor.

He was alone on the floor now, an indentation on the pillow next to him telling him he hadn’t dreamed Ivy by his side.

He sat up, wondering where they were. Safe from the DIA man?

Or was he a prisoner?

He stood slowly, then climbed the short ladder, his head emerging through the hatch to the deck.

Sunlight hit his eyes, and he squinted against it. A glance to the port side showed nothing but sea. Fore and aft, just water. Finally, he gazed starboard and took in beautiful Ivy at the helm, nothing but water stretched in that direction as well.

“Where are we?” he asked.

Her mouth curved in a slow, sexy grin. “Somewhere between Palau and the Celebes Sea.”

He shook his head, then a smile stretched across his own face. “Really?”

“Yes. Really. I’ve abducted you, Dimitri. And there is nothing you can do about it.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Well then, if I’m your prisoner, I guess that means I get to set the rules,” Dimitri said in a low, sexy voice.

Ivy smiled as she took a step toward him. “That sounds fair.”

“You can touch me all you want.”

She placed her good hand over his heart, feeling the strong, even beat. “Good. Because I want.”

“And I get to touch you as much as you want.”

She took his hand and placed it on her breast. Then rose on her toes, locking her fingers behind his neck. Resting the hard cast on his collarbone, she paused with her lips a scant inch from his. “I want. I want. I want.”

He leaned down, closing the gap between their mouths and kissed her as his hand cupped her breast and his other arm circled her waist. His tongue slid into her mouth and she groaned as she gripped his shoulder with her right hand.

She was in love with a Russian spy and assassin. Crazy, wild love. And this might be all they’d ever have.

His mouth explored hers slowly. Russian words spilled from him in a low, sexy whisper as he kissed her. She could only guess at what he was saying, and loved that he was lost enough in the moment to slip into his other language.

She pulled his bottom lip between her teeth and sucked on it, then nibbled along his jaw, working her way to his ear. Once there she took the lobe into her mouth. “I love you, Dimitri,” she whispered.

The Russian words ceased. His lips pressed against her brow, then he lifted his head and gripped her shoulders with both hands, one thumb pulling down the spaghetti strap of her tank top as he stared into her eyes. “I was hoping I didn’t imagine that yesterday.”

“You didn’t.”

“I love you too.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then met her gaze. “Dammit—I want to live. I want a future. With you. I’m willing to cut a deal. I’ll tell the CIA and Justice Department everything I know about the GRU’s covert operations—which is a lot—if they can protect Sophia and Yulian.”

Her eyes teared. She’d given up hope that he’d choose to fight. “Curt is amenable.” She paused, afraid of how he’d react to what she was about to say. She might have given up hope, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t spoken to Curt to explore the possibility. And that had meant telling him everything. Even about Sophia and Yulian. “The first step—as a show of good faith—will be to hand over the AUUV.”

He gave a sharp nod. “There’s another way we can do it, to draw out my handlers and get Sophia and Yulian out of Russia and into protective custody. We can stage the handoff here, and I can demand Sophia and Yulian be present.”

She gripped his shoulder, weak with relief, dizzy with joy. “Ian and Luke have already agreed to be your backup.”

Emotion swamped Dimitri at Ivy’s words. “Luke… He believes I didn’t kill Ulai?”

She nodded. “Ulai—” Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat. “He’s alive. Barely. He was airlifted to Guam so he could receive the best medical care. They’re probably going to have to send him to Okinawa once he’s more stable—there’s a Navy neurosurgeon there. But there’s hope he’ll pull through.”

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