Zurlo, Michele - Two Masters for Samantha [Awakenings 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (3 page)

Catching the look, Drew raised a brow at Samantha. He opened his mouth to say something, but Alexei cut him off.

“Sabrina, you look positively radiant.” Alexei moved between Drew and Samantha to reach the bride. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. “It’s been far too long since we’ve seen you.”

Sammy hadn’t noticed Sabrina and Jonas approaching them. She had been too focused on Alexei.

Sabrina did look radiant, but that was nothing new. She had been glowing for months, ever since Jonas came to his senses and reconciled with her.

The white dress she wore was handmade. Satin and lace molded to her small curves. It was elegant and simplistic, simply stunning. Samantha knew Sabrina had paid an exorbitant amount to have it finished in less than two months.

Alexei offered his left hand for Jonas to shake. “Alexei Morozov. I’m an old family friend of the Breszewskis.”

Samantha thought it was odd for Alexei to introduce himself instead of waiting for Sabrina to do the honors. His behavior wasn’t rude, but it was definitely assertive. Jonas accepted Alexei’s handshake and said polite words of greeting.

“Did you come alone, Lex, or did you bring Stef with you?” Sabrina’s smile indicated she knew the answer.

Alexei’s response was the same one he used with Drew. “He’s here somewhere.”

“You didn’t both have to come,” Sabrina said. “I understand if it was tough for both of you to get away.”

Something wasn’t being said. Sabrina’s statement hinted at more than she actually articulated. Samantha could tell from the way Jonas’s brows wrinkled and smoothed that he was also in the dark. A glance at Drew showed that he knew what Sabrina wasn’t saying.

Alexei laughed. “We’re both here. I promise. I left Stef up in the room to finish a phone call. I’ll make sure you see us both together.”

Sabrina blushed, something she did quite often. Sam was sure Sabrina didn’t know exactly how often her cheeks turned pink.

“There it is,” Alexei said. His teasing tone made the blush spread. “I’ve missed how easy it is to do that.”

Jonas’s arm slid around Sabrina’s waist, pulling her closer. He pressed a kiss to her temple and whispered something in her ear. From the way the blush deepened, Samantha knew it was something sexual.

Sammy rolled her eyes. “All right, you two, save it for later. You have a room full of guests.”

“So, Sabrina, are you going to change your name?” The amusement in Alexei’s eyes suggested he knew the answer.

While Sabrina had kept her name for the first year of her marriage, Samantha knew she had recently changed it.

“Yes,” Jonas said, meeting Alexei’s eyes with a self-satisfied grin. “She’s a Spencer now. Her name reflects that.”

It was a domineering thing to say and the tone Jonas used matched exactly. Sabrina’s smile was indulgent. Samantha knew for a fact that Sabrina changed it because she had no real ties to the Breszewski name. It had been the name of her sister’s father, not of her own. If she had felt connected to the name, she would have kept it. Jonas knew this.

The look Alexei threw to Samantha alluded to their earlier conversation. Words weren’t necessary. Samantha shrugged. She didn’t really care about the complex dynamic of Jonas and Sabrina’s relationship. Alexei’s silent comment simplified it too much. Jonas might be a dominant personality, but Sabrina was far from meek and submissive.

Samantha was in a position to know that Jonas gave Sabrina everything she wanted. It seemed nothing made him happier than making sure she was happy.

If that was a Dom/sub relationship, then Samantha was all for it.

“Sammy!”

Startled from her thoughts, Samantha turned to find Aunt Heather behind her, arms spread wide for a hug. Obediently, Sam returned the hug. She wasn’t sure exactly how she was related to this woman. The only thing she knew for certain was that her mother loved Aunt Heather and her father tolerated the woman for that reason.

Samantha didn’t really know the lady. They had visited Heather’s home several times when she was little, but it had been years since even a thought of the woman had crossed Sam’s mind.

One thing led to another. By the time Sam extracted herself from this newest wave of relatives, close and long-lost, Alexei had disappeared.

The disappointment was stronger than it should have been. She had only shared one dance with him.

Still, the day had been long and Samantha was tired. She was very good at remembering names and faces. For that reason, far more of her distant relatives sought her out for conversation than she wished would have done it. There were also a good number of people from Sabrina’s side who wanted to meet her because she was important enough to be in the wedding, and she had fended off more than a fair number of come-ons.

Spying a service entrance, she snagged a glass of wine from a passing tray and headed for it. Just a few minutes, she promised herself. Once Sabrina and Jonas left the reception, she would be free to head up to her room and sleep in that luxurious bed. If there was one thing Sabrina did well, it was to spend money on a quality affair.

The black-tie wedding was elegant. The food was incredible. The wine wasn’t from a box. The orchestra was talented. The rooms in the hotel above were lavish, almost sinfully so.

The summer air had cooled from earlier that day, and some of the humidity was gone. August often brought hot weather, but Sam didn’t mind that. She hated the oppressive humidity, and she was thankful it had vanished for this brief respite.

Sweet scents floated on the gentle wind, a combination of kitchen odors and the flower bed that surrounded the small area. Samantha closed her eyes and breathed it in.

A noise behind her startled Sam from her reverie. Whirling, she found Alexei. He closed the door and smiled at her, those full lips promising something.

“Nice night,” he said. “I saw you duck out here and I couldn’t resist following. I hope you don’t mind.”

He owed her a kiss she wouldn’t forget. The look in his deep blue eyes said he meant to settle his debt now. He crossed the small space, closing the distance with two steps. Samantha smiled up at him. His hands came to rest gently on her waist. His thumb brushed the lower bones of her rib cage, just like he had done earlier when they danced.

Something wasn’t right.

Sam’s smile stalled. Uncertain as to the problem, she stepped backwards and out of his grip. Something was off about Alexei. She looked at him closely. Same face, same eyes, same hands. The clothes were the same, though all the men at the wedding were dressed in black tuxedoes, and the hair was the same.

“Sammy?”

There it was. Alexei hadn’t once shortened her name, though most people did. Twins. They were twins. Now the way Alexei introduced himself to Jonas before Sabrina could do so made sense. She hadn’t used his name in her greeting. Sabrina hadn’t known which brother he was, but Drew had. Drew warned Alexei about something. Sabrina had assured him it was all right if only one brother attended the wedding.

Samantha frowned. They must have a history of switching places. With such identical faces, it wouldn’t have been easily detectable.

“You’re not Alexei.”

His brows rose high. “Why would you say that?”

She noticed he didn’t deny it. “Because you’re not.”

“I know,” he said. The surprise faded, replaced by an honest, open appreciation. “But what makes you think I’m not?”

Samantha shook her head. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. “You’re just not. I don’t know how to explain it. Who are you, and how do you know me?”

It was a valid question. He didn’t just know her name, he seemed to know her. Before he answered, she realized that Alexei must have told his brother about her.

He offered his hand. His right hand. Alexei had offered his left to Jonas to shake. “Stefano Morozov, at your service.”

The door behind Sam opened and closed again. This service entrance was far more popular than it should have been. Sam glanced over her shoulder to find Alexei inches away from her back. His hands came to rest on her hips.

He wasn’t looking at her. He stared over her shoulder at his brother.

Stefano’s smile didn’t fade. “She knew I wasn’t you. She wouldn’t kiss me.”

Trepidation made the few sips of wine Samantha had managed to drink churn in her stomach. She didn’t want to cause a fight, especially not between brothers. Glancing back at Alexei, she tried to turn to face him, but he held her in place with the pressure of his hands on her hips.

His smile matched Stefano’s in brilliance and intensity. “I promised her a kiss she wouldn’t forget.”

There is was again, that subtext Samantha couldn’t read.

“Alexei, I...”

Alexei silenced her with a finger to her lips. One hand held her, keeping her from turning. “There’s no need to get upset. We’re very pleased you could tell us apart.”

Samantha’s frown never had a chance to manifest. The finger on her mouth moved, and he gripped her cheek and chin. His lips descended.

She expected him to brush against her lightly, but this wasn’t a cautious foray. His strong lips molded to hers. His tongue pressed against her lips as the hand on her cheek massaged the muscle of her jaw, insisting that she open to him.

Electric sensations flowed through her body. Sam wanted to turn, to press herself against him, and to feel his arms enveloping her body. The hands on her hips and at her waist prevented movement. Alexei’s tongue swept into her mouth, tangling with Sam’s and wrangling it into submission.

A soft moan sounded deep in her throat. He took that, too.

With one hand, she gripped a thick thatch of that deliciously black hair. She threaded the fingers of the other through the ones possessively holding her hip. Melting into him, she relaxed what was left of her guard.

As if sensing her complete surrender, the hands on her body moved, turning her at last. She leaned forward, wanting to feel him against her, but the hands pulled her back until a solid chest supported her that way.

Samantha stiffened. She had forgotten they weren’t alone.

“Relax, Sammy.” Soft words breathed against her neck. Lips brushed against the sensitive skin there, fulfilling another promise. “Lex is going to give you that kiss now.”

“But I...Why are you still here?” The bliss of Alexei’s kiss faded as her lack of comprehension grew. There had been too many hands on her body for them to have belonged only to Alexei.

Stefano’s chest rumbled against her back, the low-toned laugh barely registering in the audible spectrum. “Lex and I share everything—our faces, our careers, our women. You won’t regret it, Sammy. Lean against me. Let me hold you while Lex gives you that kiss.”

Her brows drew together. “Hold me?”

This time, Stefano’s mouth closed over hers. His kiss was different from Alexei’s, softer and reverent, though no less demanding. Samantha responded to him on a primal level, opening to him without thought or internal struggle. It was the first time in her life she’d ever done anything as wanton as kissing two men in succession.

The hem of her dress lifted. Alexei’s hands slid up her legs and his fingers found the edges of her hose and underwear. The silk of both items skated to her ankles. He attacked the straps on her shoes next.

Stefano held her attention and controlled where she could see, but not what she felt. Wetness flooded between her legs as she realized the type of kiss Alexei meant to give. Sam imagined the heat of his mouth on her pussy and another moan escaped.

The gentle breeze she admired only moments ago, though it seemed like another lifetime, danced up her calves and around her thighs. Part of Sam wanted to protest, to cry out that it wasn’t right to let a man remove her underclothes while another held her in his arms. That part was lost to the waves of pleasure Stefano generated with his lips and those sure, strong hands holding her in place.