1 Chapter One

He knew he wanted her from the moment he saw her. Venedikt Yegor Ivanov, the King of Peterhof Palace in Russia, had been laughing at the joke of a friend when he turned and saw a woman, standing alone in the Russian moonlight, on the shores of the Lake.

She stood past a thicket of tress farther down the hill. Her white dress wass translucent in the silvery glow of light. Her brown hair cascaded down her shoulder, her eyes were closed in her heart-stoppingly lovely face as her sensual lips whispered unheard words.

Venedikt's laughter fled. Was she a vampire? A Dream?

Just some wedding guest, he told himself . Nothing special, a trick of moonlight.

And yet....

He stared at her.

Moments later, he'd been chuckling at the poor bride-groom, who'd recently been a famous playboy but had made a mistake of getting his assistant pregnant. The new bride was very beautiful, yes, he conceded, and seemed loyal and kind. But still Venedikt never get caught that way.

Not until- Venedikt pushed the thought away, jerking his chin in the direction of the lakeshore. "Who is that?"

"Who?"

"The woman, by the lake."

His friend, Duke Knight, craned his head right and left. "I don't see anyone."

Between them and the unknown woman well-dressed wedding guest were milling about the terraces, drinking champagne and enjoying the coolness of the late spring.

The grand wedding held in a medieval chapel on an Spanish estate, had just ended, and they were just waiting for the dinner reception to begin. But surely his friend could see the angel by the lake. "Are you blind?" Venedikt said impatiently.

"Describe her to me."

Venedikt parted his lips to do that, then thought better of it. The Spanish Duke was the most reckless, irredeemable womanizer he knew-which reminded him of the old saying about the pot and the kettle. Venedikt felt the sudden strange feeling that he need to protect her, even from other man's glance.

She seemed from another world. Sensual, magical-pure.....

"Nevermind", he said. "Excuse me." He started walking down towards the shore. He heard a low laughter behind him.

"Take care you don't get bewitched by the moonlight my friend," The Duke called. "I'd hate to attend soon of one of these events for you...."

Venedikt ignore him. Continually walking in the shadows of the villa, he went down to the thicket tress. Where is she? Had he lost her? Had he dreamed?