A Real Man: Limited Edition Read online

  My heart sped up knowing he’d been here, probably states away, yet still closer than when he was in Europe.

  “I bet you’re excited to see Hugo again,” my mother said and took a sip of her wine, looking over the rim at me.

  I shrugged, not about to show how nervous I was, or how much anticipation thrummed through me.

  We’d finished off a bottle of wine between the three of us, and the second bottle was already half empty. I reached out and ran my finger along the base of my glass. “It’s been a long time,” I replied softly, thinking about the last time I’d seen him. I remembered vividly the way he smelled of dark and delicious cologne. But he’d also smelled of aged books and experience, and it was such a heady, intoxicating aroma. On instinct, I lifted my hand and touched the rose gold feather necklace he’d given me. It had been a present from Hugo not just for graduating high school, but also making valedictorian.

  I’d worn it every day since receiving it.

  “You two always had this special bond.”

  I looked up at my father after he spoke. “Not really.” He might have been more of a presence in my life when I was younger, and he lived in the States, but I’d never say we’d been close.

  “Of course you did. Hugo would spend hours with you at the kitchen table teaching you Russian. Remember?”

  I did, vividly. Our last lesson had been when I was seventeen years old, and he’d come to visit after being away on business in Russia.

  “That’s because Dad wanted him to make me more ‘rounded’.” I smiled at my dad. He’d been teasing when he’d made the suggestion I start learning a language, but Hugo had taken it seriously. For the next two years, from the age of fifteen to seventeen, whenever Hugo was in town, he’d spend hours with me, teaching me his native language—one of the four he spoke fluently.

  The truth was I could only speak a handful of Russian phrases, mainly because I wasn’t able to concentrate when he was near.

  But I’d tried to come to the realization that my personal reality did not include Hugo.

  And even after all these years, it was still hard to make that sink in.

  2

  Hugo

  I didn’t wait for the driver to open my door. I was out, grabbed my two bags, and stood there for a second looking up at Leo’s home. The porch light was on, but I had a key to the guesthouse, so I wouldn’t need to disturb anyone.

  “I’ll let you know when I leave,” I said to the driver without looking at him.

  I made my way around the back and unlatched the gate to the backyard. Once it was closed behind me, I walked toward the one bedroom guesthouse. I saw the edge of the swimming pool before I rounded the corner, and the lights under the chemically enhanced water made the liquid take on a more yellow glow.

  Then I saw a ripple move across the once still liquid. Surely Leo or Annabelle weren’t in the water at this hour? I rounded the corner, but stopped, seeing the back of a female body. The long, black hair was piled high on her head, and the small tie of her bikini was in a bow in the center of her back.

  Every part of me froze as I stared at Sabine. I didn’t need to see her face to know who it was, and I didn’t need to be at her parents’ house to know she was the one in the water.

  I’d know her anywhere, whether I could see her face or not.

  I tightened my hands on the leather straps of my bags and knew the gentlemanly thing to do would be to look away or make my presence known. Instead, I stood there motionless, silent, and watched as she now lay on her back, floating in the water. Her eyes were closed, and the rise of her breasts above the waterline had this deep-rooted need slamming into me.

  My cock hardened.

  My pulse quickened.

  And all I wanted to do was strip out of my clothes and join her in the water.

  She turned around and opened her eyes. She gasped and splashed backward when she saw me, and I felt like a voyeur for watching this clearly private act.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, feeling ashamed, but also feeling aroused and hot for this woman.

  And she was a woman … all curves and softness.

  She wiped the water off her face and slowly shook her head. “No, you’re fine. I was just startled.” She offered me a smile, and that small gesture had every muscle in my body tightening harder.

  This wasn’t just about me wanting Sabine in my bed, under me, taking every inch of my cock.

  This wasn’t about me needing a younger female to make me feel alive.

  This wasn’t about me thinking this was some taboo desire I felt for her.

  No, this was about me wanting her as my woman.

  She was young, over two decades younger than my fifty years of age, but none of that mattered. Age was just a number.

  She swam over to the edge of the pool to get out, and even though every good intention to turn and give her privacy rose up in me, I found myself standing there, watching her, and taking in every second of this moment.

  The droplets of water that slid down the long lines of her body.

  The swell of her breasts as they rose above the hemline of her bikini top.

  The slight protrusion of her hipbones as they peeked above her swimsuit bottom.

  The roundness of her ass as she bent down to grab her towel.

  God, she was gorgeous, spectacular, and it wasn’t just on a physical level. The slight glint of the necklace she wore caught the light, and I realized it was the feather I’d given her four years ago.

  I couldn’t deny that the fact she still wore it all these years later pleased me to no end.

  I’d only planned on staying a few days, but I didn’t want to leave, not without her.

  Sabine

  I felt his eyes on me as I grabbed my towel. I would be lying if I said I didn’t admit I enjoyed him watching me.

  I stood and lifted the towel to my face, patting the water off my mouth and cheeks, and watched him. He stood so still, his big body seeming tight. What was he thinking right now? Was he looking at me in the way I wanted him to, in the way that I looked at him?

  We didn’t speak. It was a little strange standing here with just my bikini on, at three in the morning, with Hugo watching me like he was this predator about to grab his prey. But I also liked it.

  I’d missed him so much.

  “It’s been a long time, Sabine.”

  His thick Russian accent had always done something to me, something wicked and warm. He didn’t look much different from the last time I’d seen him. These last four years had certainly been good to him.

  “It has. I’m glad you could come.”

  “I wish I would have been here sooner, for the actual ceremony.”

  I smiled and held the towel to my body. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

  His hair was on the whiter side, with a splattering of gray thrown in. But his face wasn’t aged, not like how I’d seen on other fifty-year-olds. My father certainly didn’t look like Hugo.

  He wore a suit, the white shirt underneath it unbuttoned at the collar, and his tanned, toned chest and neck on display. He was a large man, tall, in shape, but this air he wore about him made him attractive to me. He could look at a person and seem like he knew their entire story. He was successful, intelligent, but he was also kind.

  He’d always been so kind, and I think that’s why I loved him.

  God, don’t go there. Don’t even think that with him standing right in front of you.

  “You look well, Sabine.”

  I fought back the shiver at hearing him say my name. His accent seemed to be a little thicker when he pronounced it.

  “Thank you,” I whispered. I was on the verge of saying he looked well, too, but he nodded and headed toward the guesthouse. I stood there, watching his big body move fluidly, but right before he unlocked the door, he turned around and looked at me. “You should go inside. It’s late, and even though this is a nice neighborhood, I’d feel better if you were safely inside.�
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  I felt my cheeks heat at his worry for me.

  “We’ll talk in the morning, spend time together.”

  I nodded and wrapped the towel around me, and still, we stood there, staring into each other’s eyes.

  “Good night,” I said softly, my throat tight.

  “Spokoynoy nochi.”

  I smiled. I might not be fluent in Russian, but I at least knew that one.

  “Spokoynoy nochi.” I said goodnight to Hugo and turned before he went inside. I still felt his gaze on me when I went inside the house and shut the door.

  3

  Sabine

  It was awhile before I fell asleep last night, but once I did, I didn’t wake up until nearly ten. I blamed the activity from yesterday, and my nerves at seeing Hugo that made it difficult to settle my body.

  I sat on my bed, staring out the window. I needed to find a place of my own. I’d stayed with my parents while going to school, commuting to and from campus, and saving the money I’d earned over the last four years. It had been the smart thing for me to do, but I’d graduated, and even though I was going back for my master’s, I needed to be on my own.

  God, I can’t stop thinking about Hugo.

  The exchange last night had been more awkward than normal. Even four years ago, Hugo had embraced me, told me how proud he was of me. But last night … it seemed like both of us were strangers. Of course, I knew why I felt like that, because wanting him was seriously messing with me. But why had he acted so strange? Feeling his eyes on me had been thrilling, but had they meant more than just a man looking at a woman instinctively?

  Was I brave enough to actually find out?

  I should have been worrying about my future, about what my next steps were, but having him so close, under the same roof, played havoc with my mind and body.

  I could hear him downstairs, speaking with my father, and even though his voice was muffled, a tingle shot through me. It was deep, baritone, and every part of me came alive.

  After a shower and doing my hair, I went downstairs, hating that I was so nervous. Hugo laughed at something my father said, and my heart jackknifed in my chest. I rounded the corner and saw them in the sunroom, my mother just coming in with a platter of tea and pastries.

  “Morning, honey,” my father said, and gestured for me to come over. I looked over at Hugo, who watched me intently.

  He wore a button-down black shirt, the first few buttons at his collar undone. His muscles were pronounced under the pressed, smooth material, and I willed myself not to stare. I tried to smile, but I knew it came out forced. It was just so hard, for some reason, to act like I wasn’t affected.

  Hugo looked relaxed, with his arm outstretched over the back of the chair. I could see the definition of his biceps, and it turned me on.

  God, my parents are right here. Stop.

  I took a seat beside my father, which had me sitting directly across from Hugo. He still watched me, and I felt like he was appraising me, looking right into my soul.

  “Hugo wanted to take us into the city, but your mother is going out with her girlfriends, and I have a prior engagement at the office.”

  I didn’t know what my father wanted me to say. “Okay,” I said and looked between the three of them.

  “We’re having dinner tonight, but we told Hugo you didn’t have any plans this afternoon, and you’d probably be up for a city trip.”

  I smoothed my hands over my thighs, the skin slightly damp from my nerves.

  “Honey, are you okay?” I looked over at my mom after she spoke. “You look pale.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Hugo stared at me, this knowing look on his face.

  “Well, I’ll be stuck at the office all night if I don’t leave now,” my father said and looked down at his watch. “You know how that is, Hugo.”

  Hugo nodded. “Of course. We’ll have dinner tonight in the city, my treat.”

  “I should be going, too,” my mother said.

  Before I knew what was going on, my mom and dad were gone, and it was just Hugo and me. The nerves I’d tried to hold back—miserably, I might add—rose up violently.

  “You rested enough?” he asked, his accent still doing something intense to me. My skin prickled, my heart thundered, and my palms became clammy.

  “I did.” I smoothed my hands over my legs again. “I haven’t slept in like this in a long time.”

  “You must have needed it.” He reached out and grabbed his coffee cup. While taking a sip, he watched me.

  “We don’t have to go into the city—”

  “Do you not want to?”

  Of course I did. Having alone time with Hugo sounded incredible. But it also scared me a little.

  “I do. But if you’d rather relax after your trip—”

  “I rested plenty, Sabine. I’d like to spend time with you. I came out for a visit because of you.” He smiled, and every part of me tightened. He looked good sitting across from me. In his fifties, he wore his age so damn well. And his eyes, dark, brooding, attractive, always seemed to regard me like he could read me perfectly.

  “I have something for you.”

  I sat up straighter. “You do?”

  “A graduation gift.” He stood and reached into his pocket.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything. Flying out here was a gift enough…”

  “Come here, Sabine.”

  I found myself standing and moving toward him. The deep command of his voice was almost my undoing.

  He opened the box, and the bracelet inside took my breath away. It was a diamond tennis bracelet— and not a cheap one either … that much was clear.

  “You spent too much, Hugo,” I found myself saying before I could warn myself to keep my mouth shut. I looked up and him and saw him watching me. “Thank you, I meant to say. It’s gorgeous.”

  He took the bracelet out, and the sunlight caught the diamonds, making them sparkle like electricity traveled through them. He reached out and took hold of my wrist, and in a matter of seconds, he had the bracelet clasped. I stared down at it, the diamonds positively glowing.

  “You like it?” he asked, although I had no doubts he could see on my face I loved it.

  “I do,” I said, smiling, and I looked up at him. “Thank you so much.”

  He smiled and nodded, clearly pleased with my response. He lowered his gaze to my neck, and I placed my hand on the feather necklace.

  “You still wear it, even after all these years.”

  “I never take it off.” It was true, but I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

  “That pleases me to hear, Sabine.”

  The silence stretched between us, and although it wasn’t awkward, it was … strange. I felt like Hugo watched me with interest, something that had nothing to do with being innocent.

  I certainly wasn’t thinking of him as a family friend.

  Could he be thinking of me as something more?

  Was I losing my mind even contemplating he might be looking at me with interest?

  “How about I get ready and we can leave?” I finally said, clearing my throat and rubbing my hands on my legs for the hundredth time.

  “I’ll have my driver here in twenty.”

  I wanted to tell him I could drive us, but the thought of Hugo taking control, even in this small way, sent this thrill through me.

  I didn’t know how I was going to act like Hugo didn’t affect every singe part of my body, when just standing in the same room with him had me so aroused I couldn’t think straight.

  4

  Sabine

  Hugo’s driver was waiting at the curb exactly twenty minutes later. I wasn’t surprised though. Hugo had power, connections, and this dominating air about him that had all other people taking notice.

  We were in the back of a Mercedes and heading into the city. It was an hour’s drive from where my parents lived, and even though I was still nervous, I didn’t mind this alone time with him.

  I loo
ked out the tinted window and watched as the city came into view. I could see the skyscrapers in the distance and wondered exactly what we planned on doing. Hugo hadn’t exactly told me anything, just that we’d be spending most of the day here.

  “You didn’t eat anything before we left,” Hugo said, and I glanced over at him.

  “I wasn’t hungry.” And I hadn’t been, but at that moment, my belly started to grumble, giving away that I was now.

  “How about we have some breakfast?”

  I nodded and smiled. “Okay.”

  He nodded, the expression on his face satisfied. “We’ll stop at Vellaim’s Café first,” he said to the driver.

  “Of course, Sir.”

  Hugo looked at me again. “Then I thought I’d take you shopping.”

  That had my eyebrows lifting clear to my hairline, I was sure. “Shopping? For what?” The tennis bracelet on my wrist felt heavy, although I knew I mainly felt like that because I was hyper aware that Hugo had given it to me.

  “I’d like to get you something nice for dinner tonight.”

  I didn’t know what to say, although my first reaction was to decline. He’d already flown out to see me for my graduation, bought me this tennis bracelet that probably cost a fortune—a years’ salary of what my parents made combined, and here he was trying to buy more for me.

  “I—”

  “I’d prefer if you didn’t decline, because it would please me to do this for you, although I’ll respect your wishes.”

  I stared at him, wanting this man so much I ached in places that should have embarrassed me. But I also wanted to please him.

  “You look shocked.”

  “I am,” I said honestly.

  “Is it that hard to believe that I want to do something nice for you?”

  I shook my head instantly. “Of course not. You’ve always been kind and generous. But you’ve already given me the bracelet, and come all the way over here—”

  “Because I wanted to; I wanted to make you happy.” He leaned in a little closer, and I smelled the masculine scent of his cologne as it consumed me. “And I want to do this as well, Sabine.”