Page 35 of Capturing Victory

“Oh my holy mother!” Ndari exclaimed, taking a peek over the balcony. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this post, but I will thank the gods when I die and go to heaven because nothing beats the treats in this place. Oh my god, Jaya, look at that one,” she squealed, nodding her head toward the pool patio in a direction which could easily indicate any one of the dozen of half-naked sparring men. “I swear to god his six pack has a six pack. Is that even legal?”

Jaya burst out laughing. She’d been finding it difficult not to laugh in Ndari’s presence. Her arrival had been a burst of much needed fresh air in a seriously oppressive atmosphere. “I don’t think there’s anything legal about any of those men down there,” Jaya replied, her own eyes glued to one man. He still watched her, but continued to spar, mindful of the distraction she created.

Ndari nodded seriously and then leaned more heavily against the concrete barrier for a better view. “So true. Arms dealing is dangerous work I suppose. They need to keep in top shape.” She watched happily for a few moments, then her brows knitted together. “Oh shit, is the Master looking up here?”

Jaya laughed, “Not sure he’s stopped looking up here, Ndari. I’m actually pretty impressed with his ability to kick ass while not looking at his opponent.”

“Holy crappola! Quick, pretend you’re being scolded!” Ndari turned to Jaya with a concentrated frown and began wagging a very dramatic finger in her face while still side-eying the guys. Jaya burst into laughter again and slapped a hand over her face. Ndari groaned. “He’ll never believe I’m trying to get you down from there now. Quit laughing!”

“I’m sorry!” Jaya snorted trying to look like she was being properly chastised. “But seriously, where on Earth did Ivan find you? So far I haven’t met a single person in his organization that hasn’t had the personality beaten out of him.”

“He can try, I suppose. But then he’d have to contend with my brother, his royal highness, Prince Sal Kamala,” Ndari huffed, still frowning and waving her arms around while checking out the men at work. “Sally isn’t super fond of me on the whole, but he wouldn’t like to hear that I’m in pieces either.”

“So your brother just handed you over to Ivan?” Jaya asked curiously. “To work as my keeper or something?”

She shrugged. “More like a companion. And yes, Sally was a little annoyed about the whole swimming naked in the Sea of the Ancestors thing, so he needed an expedient solution after my arrest. I’m actually not sure if it was the naked thing I was arrested for or being drunk as a skunk in a sacred place. Neither is acceptable behaviour for a female member of the royal family. Or a female. Or a human person in our country. Apparently, Ivan was looking for a new companion for you rather immediately and Sally needed to get me out of the country for a while. Things worked out well, didn’t they, new friend of mine!”

Jaya stared at the other woman as though she were a unique creature that one didn’t experience often in the wild. From the outside Ndari appeared to be everything the companion to a rich man’s mistress should be: demure, conservative, somewhat pretty but not extraordinarily beautiful. But once she started chattering she lit up like the sun and revealed all sorts of interesting secrets. Her light brown eyes sparkled with curiosity, and dimples flashed in her round cheeks when she smiled. She had even, white teeth, and small hands painted in henna. Her dark hair was cut to just past her shoulders and clipped behind her ears. She had a brightly patterned head scarf, but at the moment it was pushed back onto her shoulders. She wore jeans with rips in the thighs and knees and a Ralph Lauren polo shirt.

“Oh my god, look at that one, over there by the cabana! Does he not look like a god of war with all those muscles and that long rippling mane of hair, like a lion?” She made a growling sound. “The things I could make that man do once he was acquainted with my skillful tongue.”

Jaya erupted into loud giggles again, drawing the attention of not just Ivan, but several of his men who glanced up at the watching women. As soon as Ivan realized his men were looking toward Jaya’s bedroom, he snapped something that brought their attention quickly back to combat training. He pointed at Jaya, telling her silently to get off the ledge, but she refused, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting her chin defiantly.

Ivan snarled something at his sparring partner, who nodded sharply and stepped back. Ivan turned swiftly toward the penthouse, his long legs quickly eating up the distance. He seemed utterly careless that his men knew exactly where he was going, that he was drawn by his rebellious woman. It surprised her that he didn’t care about his reputation. Was he that much in control of himself and the men around him?

“Well, I think it’s around my break time,” Ndari said quickly, backing away from Jaya, toward the safety of the bedroom and the doors beyond. “Not that you aren’t perfectly wonderful to spend time with, but the thunderous expression on the Master’s face doesn’t bode well for the future comfort of anyone in this room.”

Jaya swung her leg back over the ledge and hopped back onto the patio. She waved at Ndari as the woman made a beeline toward the exit. “See you later! Maybe take the east stairwell. Ivan will be coming up from the west.”

“She is as smart as she is lovely,” Ndari exclaimed before dashing out the door and running full tilt down the hall toward the east stairwell. Jaya was still laughing when Ivan slammed the door against the wall and strode into the room seconds later.

“Not even fucking locked,” he snarled in disgust, throwing the door shut again and twisting the lock. He turned toward Jaya, a glower marring his ruggedly handsome face. “What’re you looking so pleased about. I intend to blister your ass for continually putting yourself in danger. Maybe if you can’t sit down, you won’t sit on the fucking ledge.”

She bit her lip in an attempt to look more serious but knew her dancing eyes were giving her away. His gaze swept over her, a habit that he seemed to enjoy each time he saw her after a few hours’ absence, taking in her bared belly in the light green and gold sari she’d chosen. She’d left the wrap laying across the end of their bed. “Sorry, Ivan.” She tried to sound chastened.

“No you aren’t,” he growled, taking a step toward her. Jaya’s pulse sped up in anticipation of his touch. Whether rough or gentle, her body wanted him exactly the way he was right now; annoyed, half-naked and glistening from his morning workout.

“I could pretend I was sorrier than I really am,” she said in a sultry voice, looking at him from beneath her eyelashes.

He stiffened, catching the drift of her thoughts. “Don’t try to distract me,” he snapped. “That’s the second time I’ve caught you up there.”That he knows of, Jaya thought, but wisely kept the thought to herself. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” she said, licking her lips. She stepped toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He reacted quickly, gripping her ponytail tightly and pulling her head back until she was forced to look up into his face.

“What are you doing, Jaya?” he asked, his voice dropping, the anger ebbing away. She enjoyed their sexual encounters, but so far, she hadn’t initiated anything yet.

She smiled up at him and traced a finger across his jaw, teasing the days growth of whiskers there. “I’m showing you what I was thinking while I was sitting out on the ledge.” Her voice dropped to a husky whisper, “Trust me, you’ll like it.”

He grunted and loosened his hold on her ponytail but didn’t let go. She leaned forward, her hair sliding through his fingers, and licked him. She placed her tongue flat on the bottom of his pectoral muscle and ran it in a path over the tip of his nipple, which peaked and hardened, up to his shoulder where she stood on her toes and bit down, sinking her teeth into the muscle. Ivan groaned deep in his throat and slid his hand to the back of her neck, cupping her and holding her hard against his chest.

“Fuck, Jaya,” he growled. “Were you really thinking about tasting me?”

“Yes,” she whispered against him, her lips brushing his skin and sending a cascade of goosebumps across the smooth flesh, save for a small pucker inches away from her nose. She brought her hand up to touch it, dragging her nail across the scarred ridge.

“Bullet,” he grunted, sifting his fingers through the fine hair of her ponytail. “Do you really want to taste me, Jaya?” he asked huskily, his grey eyes searching her upturned face. “All of me?”

She nodded and licked her lips, staring up at him wide-eyed. She lowered her lashes and then looked back at him, giving him her best hit of sultry. Apparently it worked. One hand tightened in her hair while the other wrapped around her waist and dragged her into his body for a quick, stinging kiss.

He released her lips and growled, “On your knees, sweetheart.”

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