And changed the game.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Dimitri’s Condo
Shower
He’d just finished shaving in the shower when he could see a pair of eyes watching him through the glass. Being a father meant never having private time alone. Honestly, Dimitri loved them so much that it didn’t matter.
Already, Petra was part of his heart. He couldn’t imagine a day without her. She was his.
So, whenever they could be together, he was good with that—including when he was showering.
“What’s up, Sam?” he asked.
“You have another date?”
“Yes. I’m taking Poppy out.”
Okay, that wasn’t the absolute truth. They were staying in and watching some movies and having popcorn, but the boy likely didn’t care how he was planning to romance a woman. To Sam, it was still yucky.
“Oh.”
Dimitri turned off the shower and towel dried himself as he watched the boy. Sam was stressing something.
He could tell.
“Where’s Petra?”
“Playing a game on my tablet. She’s learning the English words for colors. I downloaded some basic things that might help her.”
“You’re a good big brother.”
“Thanks, but I’m not really her brother. She’s your sister, so…”
Yeah, the more he saw Petra, the more he suspected otherwise.
“That doesn’t mean anything. You’re bigger than her. It’s your job to protect her. No matter what happens in life, you need to be there for her. You’re the man of the family after me. You protect your sister.”
Yeah, like he clearly didn’t do with Natasha. It still hurt his heart.
“Are you getting rid of us?” he asked.
Dimitri stopped drying his hair.
“What?” Was this the same boy who insisted he go out on his date just last night? Was this the same boy who told him to go and get the girl?
“Are you going to marry her?” he asked.
Dimitri had a hard and fast rule about raising kids. He didn’t lie. Okay, he lied about Santa, and he lied about other make-believe things, but not about important things.
Like this.
“I want to one day. I love her.”
Sam sat on the edge of the tub.
“I’m happy for you. If you have to give us up to get her to marry you, Dad, it’s okay. We can live with Emma or Paris. I totally get it.”
Clearly, he didn’t get it.
That was never going to happen. Dimitri would never put his needs first—not for a woman and NEVER over one of his children.
“Where did this come from?” he asked. “You said you were happy with me dating, and now you’re not. Talk to me, Sam. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Not everyone likes kids. What if she doesn’t?” he asked. “What if she doesn’t want us under foot? We’re not exactly…”
“You’re not exactly what, Sam?”
“Perfect.”
“To who?”
“The world. No one wanted me. Something has to be wrong with me, and no one wanted Petra. There’s something bad about us. Maybe adults can just tell.”
Dimitri wrapped the towel around his waist before leaving the shower, and then he went to his knees in front of the boy.
“First of all, you and Petra come first. If anyone were to say to me that it was you or them, I’d pick you every single time.”
“You’d be crazy to do that.”
NO.
He’d be a parent to do that.
“You aren’t garbage, Samuel. You are mine. I’m your dad, and I’m going to always be your dad. I am not giving you away because I find a woman. If Poppy can’t love you, I can’t love her. We are a package deal. We come as one really great present with all the fun that goes along with it. So, if I ever decide to marry her, or her to marry me, she has to know that there are some things that come first. You both.”
“But you like her.”
“Yes, very much. I’ve never liked anyone quite like I feel about her, but that’s nothing to how I feel about you. I love you. You’re my son. Petra…she’s my sister, but she’s going to be raised as my child. I will always love you both. When you need me, I’m going to be here.”
“I love you, Dad.”
Dimitri pulled him against him and hugged him.
“I can promise you that I will never let you go. When my brother took you, I came. I will always come if you call me, Sam. That’s a promise.”
“I have something for you.”
“What?”
“Here,” he said, pulling the pretty rock from his jeans pocket. “I let Emma hold this when she was hurt, and then she was okay. I found it the day I met her. I want you to hold it on your date. I want you to get lucky.”
He lifted a brow.
Sam stared at him when he realized what his father thought he meant.
“That’s so gross. I meant in getting her to like us. I want her to love us so you can love her. I want you to have someone who will love you as much as you love us.”
“You know how you said something was wrong with you and no one wanted you?”
“Yeah?”
“Fuck them. I got the best kid in the whole world, and I’m glad they didn’t want you, Sam. I got you, and that makes me so happy.”
“Language.”
Dimitri laughed when he said the same thing that he always said to him when he cursed.
Yeah, this was his boy.
“While Petra is playing, why don’t you come help me pick out something to wear to impress the babe?” he asked.
“I can do that. The ladies love me.”
“I can see why. You’re very charming like your father. You’re handsome like me too. One day, the ladies are going to be kicking in the door.”
Sam laughed.
“Unless they have a pizza, pass.”
He found that amusing.
Dimitri picked up his kid and carried him to his bedroom. After he helped him pick out his clothes, he laid with him on his bed and cuddled with him.
They talked about work.
School.
Father and son things.
Then a miracle happened—one in which Dimitri hadn’t seen it coming.
It was so huge, he’d figured it would take much longer to happen.
Petra entered the room, came to the edge of the bed, and wanted to join them.
She, for the first time, cuddled against Dimitri.
That was a huge present.
Dimitri patted his pocket.
“Sam, that rock?”
“I know. It’s pretty awesome.”
And his son was right.
Chapter Eleven
Little Chapel Of Love
Las Vegas Strip
Evening
I t was time to get married. As they drove to the chapel, Riley kept glancing over at Delilah. She looked so beautiful in her dress. How she found one on such notice astounded him. She was even wearing a little veil.
She stole his breath.
This was definitely the woman he was meant to marry, and especially now since she’d been willing to give up her career for him.
Who did things like that?
Her.
And he loved her for it.
Beside him, in her vintage-y fifties wedding dress was the most beautiful woman in the world, and he couldn’t wait to make her his bride.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, as she held his hand in hers.
“That I can’t believe you’re going to marry me, and that we’re going to be a family for the rest of our lives.”
Delilah was glad he wasn’t talking about a prenup, or what had happened. For now, she wanted him to be focused on the wedding.
Their marriage.
“You’re my all, Delilah,” he admitted.
She smiled at him, and it was so genuine. Riley saw it reach all the way to her eye
s.
She was happy.
So was he.
“I picked up your wedding band,” Delilah stated. “I hope you like it.”
He laughed.
“Oh, honey, I like what comes with it. I get me a sexy wife who will always be at my side.”
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Me too.”
“Are you sure you don’t want out?” he asked. “Are you sure I can’t sign a prenup?”
Here it was again.
Delilah wanted to kick the hell out of Finn.
“No.”
“I never want you to think that I’m marrying you for your money.”
“I know you’re not.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you took the job with the Crofts to stay in Vegas for me. You gave up your badge to be here with me. I don’t doubt for a second that you love me for me. That’s what Finn doesn’t get. It wasn’t just a spur of the moment proposal. There was so much to go with it.”
“There was.”
“Besides, we have enough money to buy our home outright when we sell both of ours, and you have a job. We don’t need money. We have each other.”
“All you need is love.”
“I really believe that. I had to stop taking divorce cases early in my career. It made me lose hope that there were people out there really getting married for love and staying married. I am telling you right now, Riley, that the only way I’ll ever divorce you is if you have an affair.”
He kissed her knuckles.
“I’d be a fool. Have you seen my bride-to-be?”
“It happens. I’ve seen it. If you cheat on me, after I kill her, and neuter you with a pair of children’s scissors, I will take you for every penny until you have to live in a cardboard box.”
He laughed.
“There’s my piranha attorney.”
“I believe in marriage still. I believe in ours.”
“I promise that I will never cheat on you, Delilah. I promise that I’ll be faithful. I won’t have a wandering eye, and I’ll always give you all I have. If you ever want out, just tell me.”
“Riley…”
“I didn’t say I’d let you go. I just said tell me. That means something is broken, and we have to work on it. We have to fix it, so we can be the foundation of what’s to come. I want to have a family with you, and holidays with you. I want to watch our kids on Christmas, and Easter Egg hunts. I want the little things like coffee in the morning before work, and a beer on Friday nights after I get home from work.”
“On a porch swing.”
He smiled.
“On our porch swing.”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and since he’d offered her his promise, she wanted to give him one too.
“I want to watch the news in bed with my husband, and then when we both have a cold, order Chinese takeout and cuddle. I want to be there when you come home, and never be away from you. I want to do the cheesy things like family portraits for over the fireplace where we all wear matching clothes.”
“Deal. I’m in.”
“I want to marry my best friend.”
He pulled into the parking lot and put his truck in park.
“I am marrying mine. I promise to put you first, Delilah. I swear that I’ll always worry about how you feel.”
She kissed him.
“I think those were our vows,” he said, his lips still lingering on hers.
“Then this should be fast,” Delilah stated. “Want to get married?” she asked.
He grinned.
“Hell, yeah!”
They both hopped out, and Riley took her hand. Greyson and Emma were in front of the chapel, and there was media taking their pictures.
“Oh, look, honey. Our first family photo,” Riley teased. “It will look lovely over our fireplace.”
They smiled for the camera.
Greyson found it funny.
“Ready?” he asked.
They stared at each other.
Yeah, they really, really were.
It was time to begin their lives.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Hotel
Penthouse
When she came out of the master bedroom—post massage, the living room of the penthouse had been transformed. The place had some new things, and Poppy couldn’t help but be astounded by how fast he’d worked.
There was a big screen TV.
A popcorn machine.
Sodas in a large ice bucket, and what looked like a concession stand.
He’d thought of everything.
The man just blew her mind. Before him, there was never a hope of finding something like this. She was a cop, and she’d die a cop.
Yet here, he’d taken her by surprise.
As she heard the elevator bell ring, she knew he was coming. Running to the nearest mirror, she checked her hair and makeup.
He’d told her casual.
She hoped she wasn’t too casual.
“Poppy, it’s me. Is it safe to come in?” he called. “Am I too early for our date?”
Hell, no!
She was ready.
“Come on in. I’m decent.”
She hoped.
Dimitri headed in, and he was carrying a big bunch of flowers. They were sunny, bright, and they immediately made her smile.
Then she focused on him.
Jesus.
The man was so handsome.
He’d opted for jeans, and he was still wearing shiny black shoes, but he’d chosen a simple black polo shirt to finish it off. His hair was loose, and those aqua eyes.
Holy shit!
“Hey,” she said, trying not to stare like some smitten girl, but it was hard. She didn’t want him thinking she couldn’t control her hormones. She could, but God! It was hard around him.
He was sexy as hell.
“Hey,” he said, checking her out.
She’d opted for jeans, too, and a soft baby blue sweater that matched her eyes. He wanted to touch it to feel how soft it was and then touch her next.
Her hair was down, and it curled at the ends. Dimitri knew it would smell like wildflowers. Poppy was like a meadow that he wanted to lie in until he was scented just like her.
“I hope I chose right for our second date.”
She smiled, and his heart skipped.
“I think it’s our third. I’ve already met your family,” she said, reminding him of their lunch date.
He grinned wickedly.
Yes, yes, she did.
“Good, because now I won’t feel guilty about making out on our third date.”
He saw the flush on her neck.
God!
That response to him attracted him to her so much. It was like nothing he’d ever had before. With a hooker, you paid them to moan, pretend, and react.
With Marissa, she’d been violently wild, trying to use his body to forget her pain.
With Poppy…he prayed she’d be that innocent breeze that helped him find that peace.
And miracle of miracles, so far, she had been.
“Speaking of food,” he said, pointing at the popcorn. “That’s an accoutrement to a movie. It’s not really food, so don’t panic.”
She took the flowers and then went up on her toes to give him a soft kiss.
“Of course it is. You can’t watch a movie without popcorn. I wasn’t even going to question it.”
That and she’d come back and ran her ass off—she hoped—so she was feeling much better about making out on a couch with this man.
“I wasn’t sure what you wanted to watch,” he stated, as he handed her two movies.
“Uh, Dimitri, these aren’t out until this weekend. I just saw the preview while I was showering.”
He smiled.
“Being a Croft has its advantages. You’d be amazed the things Greyson can conjure with just a sentence. He said to enjoy. So, which would you like
to see?”
She handed back the romantic comedy.
He laughed.
“Chick flick it is.”
She stopped him.
“UH, that’s the one I don’t want to see. I want the slasher flick where that helpless group of kids gets chased through the trees until the killer picks the blonde ones off first.”
He laughed.
“Be still my heart. She likes gore.”
“No, I like pretending I’m afraid, so I can practically sit in your lap again.”
His heart skipped.
God!
He wanted that more than anything in the whole world. He wanted Poppy to touch him. All that stood between them and sex was him being honest.
One.
Last.
Step.
“Then let’s begin the fun,” he offered, holding out his arm to escort her to their own, private movie theater.
At the DVD player, he popped in the disc. Then he filled a bowl full of popcorn for them to share.
“What kind of soda would you like?” she asked.
“Grape.”
She giggled.
“You have issues with grape?” he asked. “That’s my all-time favorite.”
“Mine too. I’m glad we both like it, so when I kiss you, we won’t have some wonky weird flavor going on.”
He loved her honesty.
There was NO pretense with Poppy. There was no pretending she was going to be coy or playing a game. Dimitri hated that. It was why he never dated. He never wanted to play childish games.
He wanted someone to be honest with him.
To accept him.
To love what he was beneath the face.
Sure, he could attract women with his outside package, and the fact he had money, but that’s not what he wanted.
Poppy wasn’t a gold digger.
He could tell.
She wasn’t begging him to take her out or trying to impress him with fake smiles or pretend fascination.
She was herself.
That genuine person was who he was falling for each second that he was with her.
When he met her at the couch, she had one bottle of soda and two straws. That right there…it made his whole world turn upside down.
Mob Justice Page 35