Balalaika Series by Alexandra Messina

Cilla Asher, a professor of art history, is living what she believes to be a perfect life, until the mysterious Peter Kirov appears in her office one evening with a request that she does not refuse. Peter, born to a French mother and a Russian father, is a visiting professor of anthropology, the department headed by Cilla’s lover, Tom. Peter still bears the torment of losing Katerina—a woman caught up in the sex trade, the focus of his research... moreCilla Asher, a professor of art history, is living what she believes to be a perfect life, until the mysterious Peter Kirov appears in her office one evening with a request that she does not refuse. Peter, born to a French mother and a Russian father, is a visiting professor of anthropology, the department headed by Cilla’s lover, Tom. Peter still bears the torment of losing Katerina—a woman caught up in the sex trade, the focus of his research. As Cilla immerses herself in a relationship with Peter, she struggles to find a way to banish Katerina's ghost and claim a place in his life beyond their extreme passion. less