Her Russian Hero (International Romance Series) Read Online Free Page A

was by Cecil B. DeMille. It never occurred to me that the American
Program Manager handling such an important responsibility would be a woman.” He
looked to the heavens. “This has never happened before in Belarus. A woman. Who
could have guessed?”
    “She is too young for this job.
Thirty. Thirty-two at the most,” Sergei declared. “Much too young.” And much
too pretty for his peace of mind. The shoulder-length light brown hair, in
disarray from her fall, had partly shadowed her lovely face but he had admired
at length her dainty profile and the stubborn chin, lifted in defiance. Her
full lips, tightened in aggravation, had beckoned to him like forbidden
fruit—an unwelcome distraction to his mission.
    Nicolai’s sigh sent warning bells
jangling in his head. “What are we going to do about her? She may ruin
everything.” The colonel lit a cigarette and inhaled nervously.
    Sergei pushed his chair and
stood. For the first time in his life, he hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.
He paced to the window and studied the blanket of clouds darkening the
afternoon. His mood was as gray as the sky.
    Had John Gordon lost his mind,
signing over the contract so precious to Sergei’s heart to such a young woman?
“I don’t know, Nicolai, I don’t know. A complex situation, a real problem.”
    Blood pounded at his temples. The
difficult project, his mission and the citizens’ dream of a country free from
pollution would rest on her delicate shoulders.
    “ Generalle , we can’t let this
young woman waste the U.S. aid on a laboratory when thousands of Belarusians
are dying of cancer.”
    “Perhaps I can turn the situation
to our advantage. Instead of installing a useless lab, I will convince her to
ship to Minsk the equipment needed for the environmental cleanup.”
    “What about the sample analysis?
It is required by the contract.”
    “We will ask her to collect soil
samples from Belarus and send them to Boston for analysis at her laboratory. It
would be much more efficient anyway.”
    Nicolai shook his head with a
condescending smile. “If she’s young, she’s probably inexperienced. Persuading
her to change her plans shouldn’t be too hard.”
    “Don’t be so sure. From what I
have seen so far, she is quite an independent lady. Not used to following a
man’s lead.”
    “ Svenya! Is she going to
question every one of our decisions?”
    Sergei cracked his knuckles. “Who
knows?” Irritation thundered in his groan. “I will have to ask John to send us
a seasoned male Program Manager to coordinate the actual cleanup.” It was the
only way to keep his promise to Sofya and help the multitude of Belarusians who
counted on him.
    “ Generalle , about the
entertainment…” Nicolai muttered.
    Sergei almost choked, remembering
the gentlemen’s spa and its usual activities. “Cancel. Cancel the whole
evening.”
    The colonel shrugged. “As you
say, Generalle .”
    “Tomorrow, try to keep her away
from Roussov. You should have seen that son of a dourak at the airport.
His smiles, his friendly behavior. Disgusting.”
    “Friendly? Roussov? Svenya! The man is up to something.”
    “I won’t let him interfere in our
mission.” If only he could prevent the damned colonel from attending tomorrow’s
meeting. Exasperation pummeled his heart and dried his throat. “Pour us a
drink, moy drouk .”
    His friend opened a closet and
uncorked a bottle of vodka. He filled two shot glasses and handed one to
Sergei. They raised their glasses and clanked them against each other. “To our
mission, Generalle .”  
    “To a clean Belarus.”
    Of course, Sergei didn’t mind the
lovely Cecile staying in Minsk as an assistant.
    Forget the laboratory, Cecile.
Help me clean my country and I will make it up to you .
     
     
     
    Chapter Three
    The van passed through a wrought
iron gate and navigated a paved driveway. Cecile got a glimpse of an imposing
structure surmounted by a golden cupola.
     “We are here. The Hall