To Love and Protect. Сьюзен Мэллери

was sitting close enough to interfere with her mental process. She had to consciously focus on the topic to form actual sentences.

      “There’s plenty of paperwork. I had to go through a home study and get all kinds of approvals and documents. I had an initial visit to meet Natasha—that’s the baby’s name. That was about a month ago. I was only here for a couple of days. I thought about trying to find you but…”

      “There was a lot going on,” he said, brushing his fingers across the back of her hand.

      “Right.”

      The full days hadn’t been the only reason, she admitted to herself. She’d been cautious. It had taken a ridiculous amount of time to get over David five years ago. She hadn’t wanted the distraction of trying to deal with him now.

      But sitting next to him—aware of his heat, the scent of his body and the rapid beating of her own heart—she knew that she’d mostly been afraid and with good reason. The man turned her head.

      “I had plenty of doubts about the adoption process and what I was doing,” she admitted. “Was I crazy to fly halfway around the world to adopt a child? But then I held Natasha in my arms and I knew she was exactly what I’d been waiting for all my life.”

      “Sounds special.”

      “It was. Now I’m here for the second and final visit. Depending on how the process goes, I’ll be in Moscow for anywhere from several days to several weeks. Then I’ll bring her home with me.”

      “When does this all start?” he asked.

      “I’ll go to the orphanage the day after tomorrow. Until then I’m free.”

      He brushed his thumb across the back of her hand. “Is that an invitation?”

      She wanted it to be. “Are you interested?”

      His slow, sexy smile made her grateful she was sitting and didn’t have to worry about mundane things like staying upright and balancing herself.

      “Absolutely.”

      The next day David left his office shortly after ten in the morning. He’d gone in to handle a few pressing problems, then had taken the rest of the day off to show Liz around Moscow.

      She was trouble, he acknowledged as he took the stairs to the underground garage. Beautiful, seductive and not for the likes of him. Still, wanting and not having was a unique experience—one he was willing to endure for now.

      She’d shown up unexpectedly and the surprises kept on coming. Adopting a child on her own would mean a big change. Five years ago she’d been focused on her career. Apparently that was no longer the case.

      They were both different, he thought as he slid into his green Fiat and started the engine. He knew the past five years had changed him in ways he would never talk about. There were still dark places in the Russian Federation and he’d been to most of them.

      The drive to the hotel took less than twenty minutes. The five-story building stood on a narrow street, butting up against an apartment block and a private school. David parked, then surveyed the neighborhood. Not elegant, but safe.

      The lobby had seen better days. Once beautiful Oriental carpeting had faded until the pattern was little more than a shadow. The carved molding was cracked in several places, but the crystal in the chandelier was authentic and original. The clerk behind the registration desk noted David’s arrival but said nothing to him as he took the stairs to the third floor and knocked on Liz’s door. She answered at once, pulling back the door and smiling at him.

      “Right on time,” she said. “You’d warned me you might not be able to get away very easily.”

      “I was motivated,” he told her as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

      She smelled of soap and flowers and female mysteries. Today she wore her hair down and slightly curled. Over her jeans she had on a yellow T-shirt that hugged her breasts in such a way that he knew he would be distracted the entire day.

      As he straightened, their gazes locked. That ever-present heat flared until all he wanted to do was push her back into the room, lock the door behind them and spend the day in bed. Naked.

      Instead he retreated to the relative safety of the hallway and stuck his hands into his jeans’ front pockets.

      “You about ready?”

      “Uh-huh.”

      Her smile told him she’d been more than aware of his dilemma, but not how she would have reacted if he’d given in to temptation. He liked to think that she wouldn’t have put up much of a fight.

      “So what’s on the agenda?” she asked.

      “How much of the city did you see last time you were here?”

      She checked her fanny pack for her key, then closed the door and followed him into the hallway.

      “Practically nothing. Between the jet lag and meeting Natasha, I barely functioned. That’s why I came in a day early this time—so I could get on Moscow time and be more relaxed.”

      He led the way to the stairs. “You’re adopting a child. How relaxed could you be?”

      “Good point. So basically I’m a tourist who knows nothing and has seen even less.”

      He took her hand in his. “Then trust me to show you Moscow. We’ll drive around to give you a general idea of things, then stop at a place I promise you’ll never forget.”

      “Sounds great.”

      Liz liked the way David’s hand felt holding hers. She liked being close to him. Honestly, she liked a lot of things, including the fact that he was a giant, good-looking distraction. Coming in early so she wouldn’t be so exhausted during the final adoption process had seemed like a good idea at the time, but flying over, she’d realized it also gave her too much time to think about what she was doing. Not that she regretted any part of adopting Natasha. Instead, she worried about being a good enough mother for the delightful baby.

      But with David at her side, she could fill her mind with other intriguing topics and different fantasies. Such as how it was possible for one man to produce so many tingles in her body.

      He escorted her to a small green car parked down the street. As they took off, she felt a thrill of excitement. She was about as far from home as she’d ever been, in the company of a handsome man, starting an adventure that would change her life. What could be better?

      “Tell me about living here,” she said as they turned a corner and entered a busy main street. “Do you have much contact with Russian people?”

      “I try to. When I came here I knew a lot in theory, but had no practical experience with another culture.” He shot her a grin. “Now I’m practically a native.”

      “Sure you are. Say something in Russian.”

      He obliged with a long sentence. She blinked at him.

      “Okay, and what did you say?”

      “That this was the kind of day meant to be spent with a beautiful woman. Then I said something dirty I can’t repeat.”

      She laughed. “Fair enough. So tell me about the people of this city.”

      “They’re welcoming and warm. Even to strangers. Especially to strangers. When you’re in someone’s home, there’s plenty of vodka to go around, and plates and plates of food. Guests are expected to bring a gift. Residents are fiercely loyal to their culture and their history. Russian brands are always preferred. Oh, and when you give flowers, always do so in an odd number. No one here wants a dozen roses.”

      “Interesting.”

      They crossed a wide river and David began pointing out different buildings. There were museums and theaters and more churches than she’d thought possible, each more beautiful than the last.

      “The