Dimitri

  Dimitri wanted to thank Yuri for being reasonable but didn't. Yuri didn't need to be told what he already knew.

  "Are you all still coming over tonight?" Ivan leaned back against the door. "You know how Erin likes having these dinner parties." He shot Yuri a knowing smile. "Lena will be there."

  "Why should I care if she's there?" Yuri's gaze dropped to his desk as he made a big scene of gathering together his things. "I can't stay long. I'm flying to London tonight."

  Dimitri, Ivan and Nikolai exchanged glances but they let it go. He suspected Yuri's feelings toward Lena were as complicated as his had once been toward Benny. He didn't envy his friend for being in that position.

  He caught Nikolai's eye again. "And you?"

  Nikolai nodded and reached for his suit jacket. "I have to stop by the house and change first."

  Yuri frowned. "Why? I wasn't aware there was a dress code. Ivan, I thought you were throwing steaks on the grill."

  "I am."

  Nikolai reluctantly admitted, "It's that damn cigarette. If Vivi catches one whiff of it on my shirt, she'll ride my ass for the rest of the week."

  "My God!" Yuri guffawed. "She's worse than a wife!"

  Dimitri watched Nikolai's mask slip into place. In their tight-knit group, Yuri was the only one brave enough to make that kind of remark. Ivan shifted uncomfortably but Nikolai played it off with a nonchalant shrug.

  "I'm happy to let her practice on me. Someday she'll make a nice man a very good wife."

  Dimitri caught the way Nikolai distanced himself from the equation. Whether Nikolai's affection toward Vivian was brotherly or, as Yuri believed, more romantic, Dimitri couldn't say. It wasn't any of his business and he sure as hell wasn't going to pry.

  Still it was a curious situation. There were times Dimitri could swear he'd caught the briefest flash of unrequited love in Nikolai's normally cold gaze. It was only Vivian who inspired that look.

  Like Ivan, Dimitri had long since suspected Nikolai wasn't capable of loving a woman in that way. To love as he loved Benny, a man had to open himself up to such vulnerability—and that was one thing Nikolai would never do. To show weakness? He'd never allow it.

  Sometimes he wished Nikolai would come clean with Vivian about what really happened that night nearly ten years ago. It would do all of them some good to have the truth out in the open for once. When Benny had asked him about the pair's history, he hadn't quite known what to say. He'd sensed she didn't believe him but she hadn't pushed for more details.

  Someday she would ask again and what would he say? It wasn't his secret to tell but he didn't like lying to Benny about anything. Protecting Nikolai's secret might be the only time he'd make an exception to his truth-only rule with her. There was no good that would come from opening that Pandora's Box.

  Ivan's cell phone chirped and he fished it out of his pocket. Dimitri watched his friend's expression morph to confusion. Looking up, he asked, "What the hell is a parfait cup?"

  Yuri laughed. "Another one of Erin's errands?"

  Ivan tried to look annoyed but none of them bought it. "It would help if she would send me pictures when she sends me on these wild goose chases."

  Grinning, Dimitri picked up the sling he'd discarded and joined Ivan near the door. "I know what they are. There's one of those kitchen and bath stores on the way to your house."

  Ivan looked relieved as he texted his girlfriend back. After pocketing his phone, he glanced at the sling Dimitri held. "You'd better put that back on before we reach the house. I heard Benny lay down the law as we were leaving."

  Dimitri grunted with annoyance but slipped back into the sling. He had promised to wear it and take it easy. As worried as she'd been about him, he didn't want Benny fretting unnecessarily.

  "We'll see you soon?" Ivan's eyebrows arched as he waited for Nikolai and Yuri to nod. With a flick of his fingers, Ivan gestured for him to follow. They crossed the empty lobby.

  Yuri's two bodyguards nodded at them as Dimitri and Ivan made their way to the elevator bank. The sight of them spurred his thoughts on the new business venture. Tonight, at dinner, he'd find a way to get Yuri alone to talk to him about it in more detail.

  Dimitri stretched his neck and pushed the scratchy strap of his sling away from his skin. Ivan noticed the movement and shot him a sympathetic smile. "Those things are such a pain in the ass."

  "It's truly unnecessary. I'm not a child. Hell, even when we were children, we weren't coddled like this."

  Ivan chuckled and stepped into the elevator car that had arrived. "She cares about you. Mothering you is her way of showing how much she loves you." With a wicked gleam in his eye, Ivan punched the ground floor button. "Indulge her need to play nurse now. Later, when you're healed, she'll be only too happy to indulge your needs…"

  Chapter Eighteen

  I watched Dimitri for any signs of discomfort as we stood side-by-side in my bathroom and brushed our teeth. It had been a long day and I worried he'd overexerted himself. Dinner with Erin and Ivan had been lovely but the night had gotten a bit raucous as we sat on their back patio and listened to the men sharing the wild tales of their childhood. It had been after midnight when we finally left.

  "What?" Dimitri asked, his lips twitching with amusement as he patted his mouth with a hand towel. He reached over and dabbed my chin. "You look like you want to scold me."

  "We stayed out so late tonight."

  "We had a nice time." He touched my cheek. "Seeing you laughing with the girls made me happy. You need to relax more."

  "You need to rest, Dimitri. Six nights ago, you were stabbed and shot."

  "And I'm fine now." He tucked strands of hair behind my ear. "You're blowing it out of proportion. The wounds were nothing compared to what I suffered years ago in Grozny."

  I blinked. "Isn't that in Chechnya?"

  Dimitri's jaw tensed and he glanced away from me. "Yes."

  It was the first time he'd ever spoken of his time in the military over there with any specifics. I sensed it was a slip that he wouldn't make again. "We're not going to talk about your military career, are we?"

  Dimitri's haunted eyes made my heart ache. "No, Benny. That is from a time I never want to remember." He cupped my cheek and rubbed his thumb across my skin. "I don't want any of that horror to ever touch you."

  I lifted on tiptoes to kiss him. "I won't ever ask again."

  Relief relaxed his features. "Thank you."

  Certain he wanted to change the subject, I asked, "What were you and Yuri whispering about before he left for London?"

  "Ah, that," he said with a sheepish expression. "I was going to talk to you about that over breakfast but we can discuss it now."

  "Okay. What is it?"

  "I'm going to expand the business. I've made a good name for myself selecting and training professional bouncers for the clubs here and providing personal security on a small scale but I'm leaving a lot of money on the table. You know I chose and trained Yuri's bodyguards?"

  "I didn't."

  "Well I did. He always receives questions about the firm where he hired them. That's big money, Benny. There are wealthy people who need trusted security. I think I could fill that role."

  "So you'd select and train them and then what? Hire them out like contractors?"

  "Basically," he agreed. "We're going to sit down next week and come up with some concrete plans." Looking a bit nervous, he asked, "What do you think?"

  "I think it's a great opportunity. Yuri wouldn't steer you wrong. He has great business sense. And you're damned good at what you do. You should go for it."

  He breathed a little easier. "I'm glad you approve."

  "Did you think I wouldn't support you?" I tried not to be hurt by the idea that he didn't find me supportive.

  "Benny," he said my name in a rush. "I didn't mean it like that. I only meant that you tend to be extremely careful and conservative about taking chances. I hate thinking of you being anxious about my business ventures."


  "I trust you to make the right decisions. Lord knows you've always been better at the business side of things than me."

  His face softened. "You're not a bad businesswoman, Benny. You inherited a tangled mess. It has taken time to sort it out but you're going to make a success of the new location. Yuri's offered to mentor you. Lena's agreed to continue working PR for the bakery. You can't go wrong with those two in your corner."

  "No," I agreed wholeheartedly. Rubbing his arm, I said, "You need to go bed. It's late and I'm sure you're exhausted. Tomorrow, you're going to spend as much time as possible on the couch, relaxing and resting."

  He playfully tugged on a handful of my hair. "You know I love the way you're mothering me, Benny, but I'm not that guy. I can't sit on the couch and watch mindless television when there's work to be done."

  I stepped closer and slid my arms around his trim waist. The yellowing bruises and scabbed over scrapes and healing sutured areas marred the wide swath of his sexy chest. I placed a tender kiss to the spot right above his heart. "I don't want you to have any setbacks in your healing."

  Dimitri sifted his fingers through my hair. "It's stitches and bruises. There won't be any setbacks. I promise." He tapped his finger against my nose. "But you're right. We need to go to bed. We have to be at the realtor's office early."

  Grasping my hand, he led me out of the bathroom. I smacked the light switch on the way into my bedroom. It felt so incredibly strange to have Dimitri in the bedroom where I'd spent my entire childhood. I was suddenly very glad I'd taken the time to redo the hot pink and lime green décor last summer. His reaction to my frilly white duvet and shams hadn't gone unnoticed. It was obvious we were going to have to find some middle ground when it came to decorating our place.

  "I thought after we put in the offer on the building we might take a peek at some of the available lots in Ivan's neighborhood."

  My surprised gaze darted to his. I folded the top of the duvet down toward the bottom of the bed. "Um…that's a pretty pricey area, Dimitri."

  He frowned. "I suppose."

  I decided to state the obvious. "I have, like, no money. When we agreed to get a place together, I thought we were talking something smaller and more affordable. The fire insurance payout and the sale of the lot to Yuri are giving the bakery a clean slate but my personal finances are still a mess. Half of the proceeds from selling this place will go to Johnny. The rest will go toward repaying the loan you've given me for the new building and paying salaries to my employees."

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled me between his legs. Hands on my waist, he insisted, "It's not a loan, Benny. You don't have to repay it."

  We'd gone round and round on this one over the last couple of days. Even though we were in love and a couple, I still felt so weird taking money from him. "Dimitri, I never want you to feel like I'm using you."

  He scoffed. "You're not using me—and I don’t feel that way. I'm giving this money to you. I'm helping you because I like helping you. There are no expectations on this money, Benny."

  "But—"

  He silenced me with a demanding kiss. "We're not arguing about this. We're partners now. The money for the new building is not a loan."

  "If we're partners, you should be on the paperwork. We should make it legal."

  Dimitri stared at me for a long moment. "All right. Let's make it legal." He brought my fingertips to his lips and kissed each one of them. "Marry me, Benny."

  My tummy wobbled wildly and my heart skipped a few beats. I swallowed hard and tried not to faint from shock. "Wh-what?"

  Dimitri's lopsided, boyish smile made my heart swell with love. "I know this isn't the ideal proposal. I don't have a ring and we're in a bedroom and not some romantic spot."

  "I don't care about that."

  "No, I didn't think you would." He cupped both sides of my neck and gazed into my eyes. "We were meant for one another. It's no coincidence that life brought me here, to Houston, to that apartment, to you. That was fate. You were meant for me, Benita. It was always supposed to be you." He claimed my mouth ever so tenderly. "Marry me?"

  "Yes." I didn't hesitate. I didn't think. I listened to my heart. I trusted my instinct. He was right. We were meant for one another. Our friendship had spanned five years and only grown stronger. In the last ten days, we'd survived more than most couples would in a lifetime together. There was no doubt in my mind that Dimitri was the man for me.

  "Yes?" Elated, he breathed out in excitement. His enthusiastic grin filled me with such happiness. He gathered me tightly in his brawny arms and nearly smothered me with passionate kisses. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make you happy, Benny."

  Teary-eyed, I whispered, "You already have."

  With that sexy smile of his, Dimitri ran his hands down my back. He cupped my bottom through the sheer fabric of my night shirt. "How about we slide into bed and we'll see how happy I can make you tonight?"

  "We can't do that! You're still healing."

  He narrowed his eyes. Grabbing my hand, he dragged it down to the hard bulge in the front of his pajama bottoms. "Does that feel like it's in need of healing?"

  "No."

  "It's been six nights, Benny. I've been patient and gone along with your demands for rest but not tonight. The woman I love just agreed to be my wife. I'm not falling asleep until you've screamed my name at least three times."

  I gulped and curled my toes against the plush carpet. "Three times, huh?"

  His lips skimmed my throat and made me shudder. "Well—maybe four—but only if you hop on this bed without another argument."

  He didn't have to make that offer twice. I climbed onto the bed and peeled out of my night shirt. There were no undies in the way tonight. He'd quickly made that one a rule after returning from the hospital. He wanted me completely bare in bed.

  Even though I was burning up with need, I eyed Dimitri with some concern. "Are you sure we should tempt fate? I know your stomach still hurts and your arms are bothering you."

  "Sweetheart," he grinned devilishly, "what I have planned doesn't require much physical effort on my part."

  "Oh?" My nipples drew taut as the dirtiest images filled my head. Yesterday, I'd caught Dimitri flipping through my bookshelves. He'd zeroed in on my stash of fetish erotica and super sexy romance. I could only imagine what scenes he'd read and stored away as inspiration for our trysts.

  He tossed pillows off the bed and reclined slowly. I slid my hand behind his back to guide him down. He didn't flinch or wince with discomfort but I knew he felt it. That stoic expression of his face didn't fool me.

  Flat on his back, Dimitri reached for me. I found myself in the position he normally occupied, propped up on one elbow and kissing him. Those rough palms of his glided over my naked skin. Shivering with desire, I whimpered as he petted and caressed me.

  "I love it when you make those sounds," Dimitri murmured before capturing my mouth. "You make my dick so fucking hard."

  His dirty talk left me throbbing and so incredibly wet—and he knew it. I saw the wicked glint in his eyes.

  He slid a hand between our bodies and pushed my thighs apart. "Are you wet for me, Benny?"

  I gasped as he probed my tender folds. His fingertips circled my clit before slipping lower and pressing into my slick sheath. Moaning with pleasure, I widened my thighs and let him slowly fuck me with his thick digits. He nipped at my neck and drove me crazy by whispering all the dirty things he was going to do to me once he was fully recovered.

  Our tongues tangled in a duel for supremacy. As always, he won and dominated me even with his kisses. He cupped the back of my neck but broke away from the kiss. "I want you to kneel over my face."

  My eyes widened at his frank request. "You…what?"

  He flattened his shoulders to the mattress and gave my butt a sharp smack. "Come here. Put your knees on either side of my head."

  I formed a mental picture of what he was instructing. "But t
hen my…you know…would be right over you."

  He laughed and gave my butt another good whack. "That's the point, Benny. I'm dying for a taste of your sweet pussy. Now get up here!"

  Trembling with excitement and anxiety, I did exactly as he commanded. It occurred to me as I wiggled into place that this was probably the only comfortable way for him to do this. I had a feeling I was in for a wild ride.

  "Oh!" I tipped my head back as the pointed tip of his tongue swiped me. Careful not to move for fear of hitting his sutured bicep or jostling his sore elbow, I held as still as possible while his searching tongue flicked and fluttered over the most intimate part of me.

  He groaned hungrily, showing me just how much he loved going down on me, and gripped my waist in his big hands. I nearly died when his tongue dipped inside my pussy. He fucked me with it, the sensation unlike any other I'd ever felt. Panting and aching, I squeezed my thigh muscles and tried to maintain some semblance of control.

  That skilled tongue of his moved to my clit. He lapped at my swollen bud and suckled it gently. The tugging pull drove me closer and closer to the edge. With a strangled cry, I climaxed against his wonderfully talented mouth.

  But he wasn't done with me.

  Holding tight to my hips, Dimitri went wild between my thighs. He used that sinful mouth of his to torment me until I shrieked his name and came so hard I felt certain I would black out from the sheer pleasure of it.

  Still shaking, I tumbled off him onto the bed. Rolled onto my side, I tried to catch my breath and stared at him with such awe. "You're going to kill me one of these nights."

  Chuckling, he snatched me by the waist. "We're not done yet. I only heard my name once."

  "Oh God!" I didn't try to fight him when he urged me to straddle his waist but first I decided to return the favor. Once I had him out of his pajama bottoms, I lavished his big cock with oral attention.