He took the two glasses and the bottle before answering her. Dimitri could have sworn she was flirting with him. The only time he’d seen it was with a hooker, but with her, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was him getting his hopes up. Still, he tried to flirt back, to see what would happen.
That’s what people did on dates, right?
“Oh, babochka, the good thing about me is you’ll know my intentions. I don’t play games.”
She stared into his eyes as his big hands and elegant fingers held the bottle and two glasses.
She didn’t doubt he was being one hundred percent honest about that.
“Duly noted, Mr. Gideon.”
Dimitri loved this game. It was like some sexy game of chase, and he’d run her down eventually. When he wanted something, he generally got it. Only, he’d never wanted a woman this much.
This.
Was.
New.
“How do you like your jack?”
She didn’t hesitate.
“Straight.”
She was a woman after his own heart.
He poured them some of the whiskey and gave the waiter his signal that they were perfectly fine for now.
Dimitri handed her a glass and clinked his glass off of it. “To our first date.”
She took a sip, and so did he. Meanwhile, she crossed her legs and brushed him with her foot.
He didn’t even flinch.
For some reason, that turned her on even more. He was so steady and strong. All her life, she had to take care of herself. She didn’t doubt she’d be safe with him.
Who would have thought that Detective Poppy Wayne would crave someone to watch over her?
“Thank you for the invite,” she stated.
Dimitri struggled not to react when she touched him. Whenever Poppy came in contact with him, it was a battle. Now was no different. Only, he didn’t know if it was an accident or if she was trying to relay some sexy message.
This was new to him.
“I wasn’t sure you’d show,” he admitted. “You seem to keep saying no to me. I was beginning to give up hope. It seems the third time was the charm.”
Poppy sipped her Jack.
“I do believe I explained that, Mr. Gideon. I was worried about you. Under different circumstances, I would have said, yes.”
He took a sip of his whiskey.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked. “I know it was a bad day for you, but I hope I’ve made it better—even if just a bit.”
She held up a finger and signaled him to wait.
Dimitri didn’t know what she was doing. No one ever told him to wait.
Ever.
While he did, she opened the chocolates and popped one in her mouth, and sighed.
“And now I feel better.”
He found that amusing. Apparently, this dating thing was fairly simple. Give the woman exactly what she wanted. This one favored chocolate and whiskey.
Noted.
“That has to be the best thing I’ve put in my mouth,” she stated. “So far.”
He lifted a brow.
Oh, Dimitri knew what he’d love to see in her mouth, and it wasn’t a truffle. Still, he kept it clean.
She was a lady.
Right?
“Do I get one?” he asked. “I did give you some of my whiskey. I believe the deal was we’d share.”
She picked out one and held it out to him.
“It’s a mystery. Mine was a coconut cream truffle. You’ll have to be surprised.”
He opened his mouth, curious as to if she’d actually feed him the pricey truffle. He’d watched Emma do the same thing with Greyson when they shared a meal.
He’d desperately wanted to know what that felt like. Now he wished he’d said dinner. He’d love to see what Poppy would do. She confused, baffled, and thrilled him.
“That was delicious,” he stated.
Poppy was curious.
“Dimitri, why are all of your staff watching us like we’re in a zoo?”
He chewed his truffle and contemplated how to answer that for her.
“It was raspberry—in case you were curious.”
She lifted a brow.
“Well, didn’t you get lucky? Now, how about the question? I’m a cop. I know a deflection when I hear one.”
He watched her sipping her whiskey and knew he wanted more of these nights. If he wanted that, he had to be honest and share who he really was with her.
Before he could take her to bed, she needed to know the real him. It looked like it began now.
“That’s simple,” he offered. “I don’t, as a general rule, sit out here with the customers.”
She listened.
“I’m sure there’s more. They are watching us like I’m a mad bomber, and you’re my target.”
He laughed.
“They are protective.”
She wasn’t buying it.
Dimitri saw the look.
“I also don’t bring or meet with women unless they’re a client. They are waiting for the pit to open and the horsemen to appear. For them, this is the sign of the apocalypse. I have a date.”
She laughed.
And there was the truth. Poppy knew when someone lied, and the first two, while not lies, had been the guarded truth. Now, Dimitri was being honest.
It was her turn too.
“Well, I like it in here. It’s a nice place. It reminds me of you.”
He grinned.
“Does it now?” he asked. “How so?”
“All the wood, the ambiance. It looks like something you’d create. It’s sturdy, it’s safe. It feels like a haven.”
Oh, she had no idea.
This woman was damn good at reading people. Here was his proof. She’d nailed it on the head. This was a haven. His and the people who worked there.
“Well, if it were truly like me, there’d be a cigar here.”
One appeared.
“Oh, look at that.”
Poppy laughed.
“In this place, wishes come true?” she asked teasingly. “What a handy thing to have.”
“What would you wish for?” he asked.
Poppy closed her eyes and whispered something that he couldn’t quite make out. When she opened her eyes, she was smiling wickedly at him.
“Oh look. A sexy man.”
His heart skipped.
That cinched it.
She was flirting with him, and again, he didn’t have to buy it. He didn’t have to pay for her attention, and his world stopped being so dark. There was that light there, and she was it.
She wanted to be with him, and he couldn’t believe it. Dimitri was waiting for the rug to be ripped out from beneath him.
“Do you mind if I smoke?” he asked. “Be honest. It’s more a habit that I save with the guys, but I do like smoking here.”
Poppy didn’t mind.
“Only if I can have chocolate. We all have a vice. This one…” She pointed at the chocolates. “Is mine.”
Dimitri laughed.
“I can live with that,” he stated. “You wouldn’t happen to know how to prep a cigar, now would you?” he asked.
She grinned.
“I’ve seen it done a few times,” she said, holding out her hand. He gently placed the clipper in her fingers and held out his cigar. She prepped it, clipped it, and handed it back.
He watched her.
Oh, his night was getting better.
The fantasies of a very sexy cigar girl to sit in his lap began playing out through his mind. Greyson wasn’t the only lucky man in Vegas. It looked like this place did grant wishes.
He almost grinned like an idiot.
When she was finished, he went to pick up his lighter, but she reached it first.
“Let me,” she said, as she flipped it open and lit it in one smooth motion that also stole his breath.
Yeah, he was rock-hard.
How did Greyson do this? All he was thinking about was taking her
back upstairs and fornicating all night long. Then he recalled his secrets, and that killed that overwhelming need.
For now.
Dimitri cupped his hands around hers and puffed. He loved the way her hands felt against his. He could do this each and every night, and it would never get old.
When he was finished lighting it, he leaned back to take her in. She was watching him with a curiosity, and he knew they had to start somewhere.
He’d ask the questions.
“Tell me about yourself, Detective Wayne. I want to know everything about you.”
“You pretty much know everything, I’m sure. What I haven’t told you, I’m sure you or your buddy, Greyson, would have researched.”
“Nope. I didn’t ask, and he didn’t tell. I wanted to get to know you like this.”
She lifted a brow.
That surprised her. He was powerful. She was sure as the friend of a mob boss, her personnel file was in his possession. It was nice that it wasn’t.
“Really?”
“Yes. I don’t know more than you’ve told me. I refrained. I wanted to get to know you like two people on a date would. I think it’s better that way. Did you research me?”
She laughed.
“What?” he asked.
“Mr. Gideon, you’re all over the news, and inside the police precinct. Just last month, I heard you were running drugs for Greyson.”
“And?”
“I don’t buy it. You don’t seem like a drug kind of guy to me.”
He laughed.
“I can honestly say I’ve never run drugs.”
And that was the truth.
Guns?
Well, that was another story.
“My turn,” he stated.
She bit a truffle in half and then offered him the other piece. Immediately, Dimitri accepted it.
It was salted caramel. He hated caramel, but the fact that her lips touched it first…he’d eat a million caramels for her.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asked.
“Red.”
“What’s your favorite hobby?”
“Macramé.”
That caught him off guard.
“Really?”
She’d been testing him to see if he’d researched her, and the look on his face said it all. He hadn’t been. That answer shocked him.
“No, I’m a boring person. I come home, I shower, I go to bed. Rinse, repeat. That’s me. I live for my job.”
Oh, he knew what that was like.
“I work too much too,” Dimitri offered. “When you protect people, there are odd hours.”
“So you protect Greyson?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“Not anymore. I was originally hired as his security, but a funny thing happened.”
“What?” she asked as she sipped her whiskey.
“Emma Croft happened.”
She watched him.
“Okay, I need to ask. Are you two a couple? You seem close. I know what the media says…”
He did too.
Last month, she was having an affair with him, and Chris. They flip-flopped days while her husband was impotent.
Which was funny.
Anyone who knew Greyson Croft knew that the man was anything but impotent or on Viagra. This was more proof the media was way off base.
“The media lies. Emma…our relationship is hard to explain. It’s not sexual. It’s more like…”
How did he tell her without sounding stupid?
“Go ahead.”
“She’s like the mother I never had, combined with the sister I already have. I love her very much, and I’d die for her. Greyson is my best friend. When we became close...they are my family. He’s my brother.”
She believed him.
“Anything else, Miss Wayne?” he asked, glad that she was asking questions. He wanted her very comfortable with him. Like the last one, he wouldn’t have answered for anyone but her. His relationship with the Crofts was off limits.
Until now.
“What else do you like to do?”
“Gamble.”
“Really, Mr. Gideon. I hadn’t noticed. You know, since I saved you on a mountain full of risks.”
He laughed.
God!
He loved her quick wit. That wasn’t what he was expecting from her—not at all.
“I recall. My arm still isn’t the same.”
She smiled at him.
“You’re beautiful.”
It caught her off guard. He went so serious when he said it that it hung there between us.
“Thank you?”
He laughed.
“You don’t like to be complimented? Most women do,” he offered.
“In this world, lies are prevalent, and the truth is seldom given. It caught me off guard. I’m a cop. People see my badge, and immediately, they lie.”
“Good point.”
She wanted to give him a compliment back. Poppy was beginning to believe not enough had been tossed his way.
“You’re wickedly handsome, and you absolutely know it. I bet you could sweep a lady off her feet in seconds.”
“Are you offering?”
She laughed.
“That answers that for me.”
“Let’s play a little game, Miss Wayne.”
She leaned forward.
“Okay. I’m in. What do you have in mind, Mr. Gideon?” she inquired.
“Truth or dare?”
She laughed.
“Oh, I’m in. I love a dare.”
He hoped so.
“You’re worried about me being some serial killer?” he asked.
“Truth. No, I’m not. I can tell what kind of man you are. When you rushed in to save me today, I knew I was safe.”
His heart skipped.
Dimitri loved saving her too.
“Your turn.”
“Are you a playboy who gets what he wants from every woman?” she asked.
“Truth. I’m not. You’re my first date ever. I don’t date women.” He didn’t tell her he paid for sex. That…yeah, that was going to have to wait. He wasn’t ready for her to know it yet. If he said it, she’d run.
Poppy waited.
“What’s next?” she asked.
“I think I’m done. That was all I was worried about. People talk about me. I’m apparently dangerous.”
She didn’t speak.
He was dangerous.
She’d fallen for him. On that mountain, she fell for the man. Why? She had no clue.
“Thank you for today,” she said.
He didn’t want her thanking him. He wanted Poppy to know he’d be there for her when she needed him. Dimitri wanted her to call him when she was in trouble.
“Is that why you agreed to have a drink with me?” he asked, his mood darkening. “Because I showed up and saved you?” he asked.
Poppy didn’t lie.
“Yes.”
Oh, he didn’t like that answer. Maybe this game was a really bad idea.
“I see,” he said.
His tone must have said it all because she put down her drink.
“Do you? What do you see, Dimitri?” Poppy asked.
“This is repayment and nothing more. That’s why you said no to two other dates but not this one?”
He kicked back his drink to chase the anger away. He was disappointed.
“Uh, no.”
He watched her. He was enjoying his time until he realized that she might only be there out of obligation.
“Then what?”
“I should go.”
She went to stand.
He grabbed her hand.
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“Dare.”
“Sit in my lap,” he said, curious what she was hiding from him. She got up and did as he asked. When she sat, he stared into her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“About what?” she asked.
“The dare won�
��t be enough. I need to know why you came, Poppy? Why did you come here tonight?” he asked. “Please say it’s not to repay me. Please say it’s more.”
“I came because you rushed over to save me.”
His heart dropped.
“No one has ever saved me before.”
He listened.
“It was nice. For once, I didn’t have to be the cop. I could be saved. I came because you let me be Poppy—not Detective Wayne. She’s my day job. Poppy is the woman. I seldom get seen as anything more than a cop. Finally, someone saw me.”
She blushed at her admission.
And that melted the ice.
Dimitri believed her. She was sitting in his lap, and they were staring into each other’s eyes.
“Why did you come?” she asked. “When I called, why did you come to save me? I turned you down. Was it because you felt like you owed me for the mountain?” she asked. Then she handed back his same line. “Please say it was more.”
“Dare,” Dimitri said, not sure if he could even get the words out to explain it to her. He showed because he knew she was going to be his wife one day—if he could keep her from running from him when she found out the truth.
“Kiss me,” she said, pushing the envelope further. He wanted her in his lap, and she wanted that sinful mouth on hers.
His heart skipped.
“Your wish is my command,” he whispered, as he slowly pulled her mouth to his.
The second their lips touched, he found that sweet, delicious warmth so inviting. Dimitri never had this attachment and this feeling of completeness.
He controlled the kiss by keeping her mouth trapped to his. Immediately, his body responded. He went even harder than he’d been seconds ago.
He couldn’t fight it.
Dimitri was only so strong.
Poppy was his weakness. While he’d gotten entangled with Marissa Pierce, he realized the difference. He didn’t have that same need for brutality. He didn’t want to throw Poppy against a wall and just rut.
He wanted to carry her to bed and make love. Dimitri wanted to gently feel her hands soothing him, instead of nails tearing into his flesh to make him pay for his sins.
With Poppy, his sins were forgiven.
That was the difference, and it changed everything in his world.
With the kiss, he fell into it. Dimitri forgot where he was, the time, or what was happening around him.
When he felt the tap on his arm, he prayed the person would go away, only she didn’t.
It was Marie.
Slowly, he set Poppy’s mouth free.
“Yes, Marie?” he asked. “The building had better be on fire.”
Mob Justice Page 19