Chapter Two
Ivo gasped as the private plane he was riding on banked, circling the airport. He couldn’t believe he was about to land in Prague. Prague. He was landing in Prague. The largest city in the Czech Republic. It had a long, rich history dating back centuries.
Never in all of his days had he dreamed he would be able to visit the land his parents came from. He knew he was here to return Max’s remains to the land where he was born, but Ivo couldn’t help but be a little excited.
Okay, alotexcited.
The ride on a private plane was fun, too. Ivo had almost fallen out of his seat when Mr. Berkshire offered the use of the private company jet. Ivo had never flown anywhere, but if he did in the future, he knew this would be the way he wanted to fly. It beat everything he had heard about flying economy.
Still, when the plane started its descent, Ivo squeezed his eyes closed and gripped the armrests until his fingers ached.
“Philip is a very good pilot. You do not need to fear crashing.”
Ivo cracked one eye open and glanced at the man sitting across from him. Mr. Berkshire had insisted that Ivo have a bodyguard for his trip. Apparently, when word got out about how much Ivo was now worth, the vultures would start to come out of every shadow.
“I’ve never flown before. It’s a little frightening.”
“You flew with your parents to America when you were an infant,” Vitki said.
“True, but I don’t remember it.” He also didn’t remember sharing that bit of information with his bodyguard. “How did you know that?”
“It was in your file.”
“Oh.” He had a file?
“There is nothing to fear, Mr.Koubek.”
“Says you. I think fearing falling out of the sky in a fiery ball of flames is just about right.” Ivo frowned at the man. “And what did I tell you about calling me by my last name?”Mr. Koubeksounded so formal.
Vitki chuckled, which was both irritating and intriguing. As bodyguards went, this one was drop-dead, cream-your-jeans gorgeous: dark hair cut close to his scalp but long on the top, dreamy walnut-brown eyes, and slight stubble gracing his firm jawline.
That was just from the neck up. From there down was just as amazing: darkly tanned skin overlying thick muscles, which filled out his dark suit as if the fabric were molded just for him. He had a silver ring in his right ear.
Ivo didn’t want to seem rude, but he could sit there and stare at the guy all day long. Vitki was just that handsome. Not in a top-model sort of way, but a rugged, aura-of-danger-and-mystery, alluring sort of way. This was a man who could throw you up against a wall and have his way with you.
Ivo had been fantasizing about that since the first moment he laid eyes on Vitki.
“So, how did you get into the bodyguard business?”
“You might say protecting people is a family business. The Vítkovský Clan has been doing it for centuries.”
Ivo raised his eyebrows swiftly. “You were related to Max?”
“In a roundabout way, yes.”
“I miss him.” It had only been a few days, but already Ivo felt an ache in his chest for his missing friend.
Vitki cocked his head, a soft smile on his lips. “You liked Max?”
“He was my friend.” Ivo smiled rather fondly as he recalled his time with Max. “He used to tell me the most outrageous stories, each more spectacular than the one before.”
“Oh?”
“Most Americans already believe there’s a mystique around Eastern Europe, something dark and mysterious. Places like Prague, with all of its history, only add to that.”
“How so?”
“Max used to tell me stories of flying over the countryside and sneaking through the darkness to drink the blood of unsuspecting peasants.” Ivo chuckled lightly. “He could tell the most wonderful stories.”
