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Always, he wanted her.
In just her floral bikini bottoms, all of her curves and pretty skin were making things . . . hard for him. Konstantin had made Everly blush by complimenting him on his taste in women when she’d come out in her swimsuit, and he’d caught his friend checking her out several times. It was odd having the women walk around topless at the beach—it was usually a club or play-party thing—but they made the scenery much more interesting, to the point where several times he’d forgotten where he was.
“Enough!” Konstantin complained imperiously. “The two of you are even worse than those two.” He waved a hand at Banner and Kate, who were curled up on a rattan sofa together, watching the ocean.
“You released Anna and Sindee too early. Don’t blame us for that.” Ambrose shook his head. Crazy Konstantin, not thinking ahead. He had a voracious sexual appetite, and he’d basically cut himself off.
Kon sighed. “It was an attack of conscience. The letter from my babushka came in the mail, and I couldn’t touch them again.”
The poor bastard. Konstantin had texted Ambrose, in crisis, to explain he’d ended things with the girls, and sent them off on a separate vacation. But that left him womanless for six more months until his wife-to-be arrived.
“I know it doesn’t help you any, but for what it’s worth, I think it’s romantic.” Kate smiled at him sympathetically.
“It is,” Everly agreed. If she was going to say something else, Ambrose’s hands distracted her.
She blocked his groping hand, and he contemplated ordering her to roll onto her back and forcing her hands over her head. No one in the pagoda would mind watching them play, and there was no one else around to see. Konstantin had bought the property specifically because it was private, and the others had been only too happy to keep him company while he took possession and furnished the house. They’d been installing O-rings around the property all morning.
/> Everly had balked over the cost of coming on the trip, and had insisted on getting them a good deal on their flight. Slowly, she was helping him become more conscious about his spending, but sometimes he still blew money on things without thinking.
It had taken a while to de-Ambrose the big house so they could sell it. They’d had an average house built, more suitable for two people. They were on the outskirts of town, and loved having no neighbors. The kitchen was perfect, as was the home office, and there were a couple of extra bedrooms, in case they needed them later. Downsizing the amount of crap he had made him feel better than he ever would have guessed, and he loved how good she was at helping him decide where to allocate donations most effectively.
The only thing that bothered him was she never let him buy her expensive gifts. But that he could live with. He worked at spoiling her in other ways. And sometimes he splurged on her then told her he’d gotten a good deal on the item, which was usually true now that she’d shown him how to use coupons and pay attention to the sale rack.
Ambrose realized he was staring at Everly again. He caught himself doing that a lot.
Kon groaned. “It’s the girl’s picture. I don’t know what I’m going to do with this . . . child, or if I’ll ever be able to lay a hand on her, even once we’re married.”
“I thought you said she was twenty-one,” Banner said.
“She is.” Konstantin sighed. “She’s just so . . . young-looking.” His grimace of distaste was eloquent. Kon tended to like high-maintenance girls with perfect nails and hair, who’d had augmentation done, and who spent a lot of time shopping. From what he’d told Ambrose, though, this girl was from a farming family and had lived a sheltered life.
“How bad can it be?” Kate shrugged. “If you’re not compatible, just say no.”
“It’s not that easy. I promised my grandmother. Varushka is her favorite of all the girls she’s helped from her village. Sweet and smart and a good cook. Used to hard work. Here.”
Kon pulled a photo from inside the book he’d been reading. He handed it to Ambrose.
“This is Varushka.”
A bird-thin girl with wide blue eyes stared out from the photo, looking awkward and self-conscious. There was no sophistication there—none of the worldliness or pronounced sensuality that marked the type of girl Konstantin dated. His taste seemed to run toward women who could work as exotic dancers or porn stars.
Shit. This girl looked barely legal. Not Kon’s kink at all.
“My grandmother has been telling me about her, in particular, for a few years. She volunteers at the community center I had built in the village. She’s one of the ones my grandmother has been putting through post-secondary with the money I send.”
Ambrose showed Everly, and her brows rose with concern. She handed the picture on to Banner and Kate, who soon wore similar expressions.
“Well, maybe she’s not as sweet and innocent as she looks,” Banner said hopefully.
“If she is, you’re going to have your work cut out for you.” Ambrose chuckled. Konstantin was well and truly screwed, not that he would ever say that to him out loud. “Maybe she’ll take to kink like a duck to water.”
“This one is more like a tiny bird than a duck.” Konstantin groaned, took the picture from Banner, and tucked it back in his book. “You’re a terrible liar, my friend. Can you imagine me taking her to The Catacombs? No one will believe she’s as old as she says, especially if she wears her hair braided like that. And to fuss with her and try to make her look older?” He shook his head. “She would look like a little girl who got into her mama’s makeup.”
Ambrose had to admit he felt bad for the guy, but he’d told him right off the bat that this was a terrible idea. Either he was going to have to disappoint his grandmother, or choose to lie in the bed he made for himself.
Everyone fell silent for a few minutes and Konstantin went back to reading his book. No one had easy answers for him, but he was used to being the advice giver, not the advice seeker. They’d be there for him when the time came. They were always there for one another, no matter how busy work got.
The ribbon on Everly’s bikini bottoms tickled his hand. The suit was fastened on the sides with them, and he itched to take hold of an end and give it a yank. Naked in no time flat. He assumed the ribbons were a nod to the time he’d tied her up in the pool area of their house, and he was just as eager to unwrap his present now as he’d been that day.
