by Lucy Leroux
Stop right there. Despite what Dmitri said, he was nothing more than a fling. She’d just been dumped by her fiancé for her sister. She was rebounding hard. Thinking he was serious about all this ‘you are mine’ crap was dangerous. Once they were back in Boston, the countdown to the end would start.
Maybe he would call her…and maybe he wouldn’t. But whatever interest he had in her would fade soon enough after he went back to his own life. It was a fact. Men got bored and left when something better came along. This time, she was going to be ready. For as long as Dmitri stuck around, be it days or weeks or a few months—she’d shield her heart.
What’s left of it…
“Don’t even think about it.”
Startled, Nina turned to watch Dmitri smirking knowingly. What the hell was he? The world’s best lover and a mind reader to boot?
“What?” she asked.
“I can see the wheels turning. You’re plotting something,” he said. “If that something is how to ditch me so you can go to the wedding alone, forget about it. I texted Cass about proper attire. My best suit should be ready and waiting at my hotel when we arrive.”
A sneaky little part of her was happy to hear he still wanted to go, but she knew it would cause more problems than it solved. Plus. from his assistant’s frequent calls, it seemed more likely Dmitri would need to go back to work the minute they got back.
Her lips parted as another thought occurred to her. “Why does an air marshal need an assistant?”
“Hmm?” Dmitri’s eyes were back on the road.
“You said Cass worked on commission. She sets everything up for you. She got you this car, and now a suit. But aren’t air marshals part of a government agency? If Cass worked for them, she wouldn’t be paid on commission. What am I missing?”
Not to mention the price of this vehicle on such short notice. It had to be astronomical.
Dmitri pursed his lips and leaned back. “I told you I only do the marshals part-time. Cass helps me facilitate those private jobs I mentioned.”
Nina wrinkled her nose. “Are government agencies that strapped for cash? Because I wasn’t aware that was a job you could do part-time.”
His shoulder lifted. “You know how it is. The national debt is out of control. Staff gets furloughed. We find outside work.”
“Oh.” That sounded reasonable…sort of. Except for the fact airport security was through the roof these days. Shouldn’t there be more work for air marshals, not less?
“What do you do on those private jobs?”
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “A little of this, a little of that.”
Nina’s mouth turned down, but Dmitri just smiled. “We should be past the borders of the storm by now. It’s almost dinnertime, and there’s got to be a decent diner or two up the road. Want to eat?”
As if on cue, her stomach growled, so she didn’t argue when he found a place to eat. Aware the wedding was in less than twenty-four hours, she tried to rush him through the meal, but Dmitri seemed determined to get her life story. By the time her meal was over, he’d managed to work all the details of her childhood out of her, right up to high school. She expected his interest to wane once they were back on the road, but he kept asking questions, making her repeat things as if he were trying to commit them to memory.
Eventually, she passed out in the passenger seat, somewhere around the time they hit the Pennsylvania border after he’d managed to wheedle out the Cliff Notes version of her relationship with Matt. When she woke, she was sitting in the car alone in front of her apartment building.
What the hell? Why hadn’t Dmitri woken her when he hit Boston? And how did he even know where she lived?
Nina started to get out of the car when Dmitri walked out of the building’s front doors, his arms loaded. He waved the bags at her when he saw she was awake.
“I think I got everything,” he said, dropping his load in the backseat. Nina twisted her neck to watch.
“Is that my bridesmaid dress?” she asked aghast as he threw a garment bag on top of her suitcase. “How did you even get inside my apartment?”
Dmitri climbed into the driver’s seat. He held up her keys. “Is that what’s in there? I thought you weren’t going to be a bridesmaid.”
Nina snatched them back. “I’m not, but try telling that to my sister and mother. Did you take my keys out of my purse? And how did you even know where I lived? Never mind, stupid question,” she added in a mutter. “If you went through my purse, you got the address from my driver’s license.”
He shrugged, turning on the ignition. “You were sleeping. I thought I would check things out—make sure the coast was clear before carrying you upstairs. But when I saw your place, I changed my mind. I decided we should stay at my hotel suite.”
Was he joking?
“This is my home. This is where you leave me. If you want to see me after this, we can go to dinner if you’re still in town.”
Shaking his head, he started the car. “I think you should stay with me. At least for now.”
Nina covered her face. “We have been driving forever. I just want to go upstairs to my apartment and take a bath.”
“But it’s not your apartment.”
“What? You know it is.” She waved to the backseat. “Or did you find my clothes somewhere else?”
“That apartment isn’t yours. It’s the one you shared with your ex.”
Nina whipped her head around. How did he know that? Matt had taken his clothes and personal items. He’d left their joint purchases behind, saying he didn’t want any of them.
“It’s my place now. He moved out over six months ago.”
“And yet, he’s still all over the place. I can smell him on everything. It’s faded, true, but the taint is there.”
Okay, he was definitely insane. Nina opened her mouth to tell him so, but Dmitri forestalled her.
“You deserve a fresh start, a five-star hotel, and a bed with cotton sheets too high a thread number to count. I’m staying at a suite in the Caislean. Come with me, stay as long as I do. You can take a bath there. According to the website, it has a jacuzzi tub. All the suites have them. The hotel also has a full spa. We can have a masseuse waiting for you. Just say the word.”
She started to shake her head when he offered his hand, palm up. “Think about this—none of your relatives will know where to find you.”
Damn, he was good.
“How many of them flew in for the wedding again?” he asked innocently.
She huffed. “Fine,” she said, reaching out to shake firmly before letting go. “Drive. But don’t expect polite conversation until after I get in a tub.”
He pulled away from the curb. “One bubble bath coming right up.”
“It better be a freaking huge one.”
Dmitri smirked. “You already know it is.”
She smacked his shoulder. “You know I meant the tub. And ow.”
Chuckling, he snatched her smarting hand. He raised her fingers to his lips, then kissed them. “The tub is big enough to swim in. As for that other thing, well, let’s just say it’s a good thing the tub fits two.”
Nina flushed. “I’ll need to get ready at my place tomorrow. All my things are there.”
“I brought everything you might need.”
“Well, not my black dress, I bet, which is what I’m wearing. Not that yellow monstrosity.” She gestured at the garment bag in the backseat.
“Yellow would be amazing on your skin tone.”
“Not in that shade,” she muttered.
“I’m guessing your sister is a bit of a bridezilla. She can’t let anyone outshine her, huh?”
“No comment.” Outshining Kate had ever been the problem. I wanted her to shine. We all did.
“Doesn’t matter.” Dmitri shrugged. “I think we can do better than a little black dress. I know the hotel has some choice couture shops.”
“I’m not buying a new dress for this.”
&nb
sp; “How about a whole new wardrobe? Just say the word and it’s yours.”
The car pulled up to the Caislean hotel, a luxurious high-rise just outside the financial district.
He was being either very sweet or very annoying. Nina hadn’t decided yet. “I don’t want a new wardrobe. Really, I don’t need anything.”
“You may not need it, but let me ask you this… What do you deserve?”
Chapter Eleven
Are sex comas a thing?
Nina rolled over in the king-Sized bed, every muscle in her body pleasantly fatigued. She knew coming to Dmitri’s hotel suite meant they would have more sex, but she hadn’t realized he’d want to go all night. Somewhere before dawn, and her fifth orgasm, she’d had to tell him to stop. She needed sleep.
He’d wrapped his arms around her and dropped off immediately, snuffling lightly in his sleep. Exhausted, she’d done the same.
What time is it?
Crap! Nina had forgotten to set an alarm. Panicked, she sat up in bed. It was empty save for her. There was a note propped up next to the lamp.
Hello love,
I had to go out for a few hours for the job that brought me to town. I can’t make the church service, but I’ll meet you at the hotel to take to you the reception. Wait for me.
Yours,
Dmitri
“Shit!” The church service! What time was it? Nina jumped out of bed, searching for her cell phone. The clock confirmed her worst fears. The wedding started in twenty minutes.
Ignoring the many texts and voice mail alerts collected on her screen, Nina ran, dashing to the restroom for a quick rinse in the shower. On the way, she knocked over a rectangle-shaped box at the foot of the bed. A pile of deep red silk spilled out. Nina snatched it up before it could fall to the floor.
It was a dress, a deeply sexy one. And it was in her size. The damn thing had even been altered at the bust to give her a little more room where she needed it.
There was nothing overt or improper about it. The dress was tastefully cut, but the material was so fine it would mold to her body like a second skin.
She couldn’t wear this…could she?
Well, it was this or the bridesmaid’s dress and she would be damned before she wore that. Hurriedly, Nina showered, dressed, and gathered her hair into a clip, hiding the glory of the dress under a black wool coat. The doorman waved down a taxi for her. She left for the service just as it was scheduled to begin.
“St. Paul’s church off Harvard Square, please.”
Nina checked her phone’s clock a million times as the cab crawled across town.
Their progress was slow enough she could safely jump out without hurting herself. The temptation to do just that was overwhelming.
Stop that. Just go and get it over with. It would be better in the long run.
The cab hit a pothole, jarring her hard enough to whip her head forward. Ow. Nina collapsed in the seat, letting her head fall back to stare at the roof of the cab.
“Why the hell am I doing this to myself?” she muttered. The universe did not answer.
After what felt like an eternity, she arrived. She threw money at the cabbie, then hurried up the church steps before the vehicle had come to a complete stop.
Her intention to slip in unnoticed was foiled by the loud noise her heels made on the stone floors. The church was strangely silent. Ahead of her, Matt and Kate were standing in front of the priest, their hands joined, but when she walked in, they turned to the door.
Her eyes met her sister’s and she nodded once, hastening to sit in the last pew in the church, aware every eye was on her. She didn’t look at Matt, staring straight ahead to the first pew where she guessed her parents were sitting.
In front, the priest coughed and continued the ceremony. Numb and still catching her breath from the morning’s mad dash, she focused on breathing…just in case her body rebelled and decided to stop.
The minute the priest pronounced the couple man and wife, Nina slid to the end of the pew away from the aisle. She didn’t want to be right next to it when her ex and her sister walked past with the rest of the bridal party, an assortment of her cousins and Matt’s friends from high school.
It didn’t help. Even with the distance between them, her sister stared daggers at her. Matt was worse. His expression of gracious pity made her blood boil.
“I thought you were going to stop the ceremony!”
Blinking, Nina turned to find her teenage cousin Carina kneeling at her side. “What? Why would I do that?”
“You ran in just when the priest asked if anyone objected.”
Nina stifled a groan. Perfect. Could this get any worse?
“That was an accident. I arrived as soon as I could. I’m lucky to have made it at all after my flight was diverted to Wyoming.”
Carina waved for her to move over, squeezing in the pew beside her. “I heard that from your mom, but I should warn you a lot of the relatives think she’s making it up because you weren’t coming. And then you run in just then—”
“No. It was just bad timing. I really did drive all night to make it back.”
Almost. She would have been on time if she’d stayed at her place. Of course, if she had, she would have been wallowing the entire night instead of enjoying multiple orgasms.
“I know you can take whatever her highness and that scumbag dish out,” Carina assured her in a hiss. She craned her neck to check behind her. “People are giving you the eye as they leave. And your mom is going to give herself whiplash, gesturing that way with her head. I think she wants you to come out and take pictures with everyone.”
Bile rose up in Nina’s throat. Swallowing hard, she plastered a smile on her face. “In a minute, after the crush passes. I need to check in with the hospital. I was supposed to be back at work yesterday.”
“I’ll try to run interference with your mom.” Carina leaned over, hugging her fiercely before slipping away. Nina stood, scanning for a side exit. When she didn’t find one, she texted the charge nurse at the hospital from the pew before taking a deep breath and heading outside.
She posed for one photo, staying on the other side of her parents, as far away from the happy couple as possible. But she didn’t need her mother’s pinch to remind her to smile. As soon as it was over, she stepped away, discreetly evading the crowd to stand off to the side with Carina and a few of her younger cousins.
“What happened to you?” one of them asked, pointing at her head. Nina reached up to the bruise where the suitcase had broken the skin. There was a tiny steri-strip bandage at her hairline, one she hadn’t applied herself.
Dmitri. He must have put it there in her sleep.
“It was quite an adventure getting here.” She regaled them with details of her trip and the scary emergency landing, adding that she and her friend Dmitri ended up driving back together.
She fingered her phone as the crowd thinned, debating getting an Uber back to the Caislean hotel. The ceremony had been bad enough, but the reception promised to be ten times worse. Dmitri did offer to go with you…
Well, it was more like an order. She could go back to the hotel to wait for him.
No. Nina didn’t need a shield. Besides, who knew how long Dmitri’s business was going to take. She was better off doing this alone.
Nina was under enormous strain. Dmitri could see it in the line of her shoulders and the tight smile she wore as she spoke to a man and woman at the edge of the empty dance floor.
The reception was in a small and tastefully appointed dance hall a few miles from the church. He should have been annoyed Nina ignored his request to meet at the hotel, but he knew what it must have cost her to come on her own. It was written all over her face.
Damn his new client. The man had insisted on getting an update on the job first thing that morning. Since he didn’t have any news, Dmitri had felt obliged to get things in motion.
It had taken longer than he’d intended, but he still would have been on time t
o meet Nina at the hotel had she chosen to wait for him. But his stubborn little mate was a glutton for punishment. She would be the type to insist on doing everything on her own.
Not anymore, Dmitri thought as he crossed the room to meet her.
The bride was working the crowd with a man in a black tuxedo, the groom presumably.
Vindication flooded him. Nina had unquestionably traded up.
The ex was average in every way. His height, hair, face, even his middling brown hair. She won’t miss him. He would see to that.
Dmitri knew he was cutting a fine figure in his bespoke Hackett suit. It had been tailored to accommodate his wide shoulders and narrow waist. It fit him to a T, and people were noticing. He could feel the bubbles of curious interest following him as he strode across the room, stopping to nod and smile at a familiar-looking couple stationed near the cake—Nina’s parent’s no doubt. She was the spitting image of her father.
His examination was cut short by a well-manicured hand. “Hey there, handsome,” a drunk bridesmaid said, leering up at him.
“Hey there, yourself,” he said with a laugh, but he patted her head as he excused himself. He continued, sidestepping a couple standing and talking on the dance floor.
Despite the wisdom of making a good impression, he bypassed the parents, making a beeline for his mate. And not a moment too soon.
The happy couple was closing in on Nina’s position, no doubt ready to make a spectacle of greeting her. He could see the bright false cheer all over the bride’s face. Underneath, she was spitting nails. The man was harder to read, but he was going through the motions as well, greeting people with the joviality everyone expected from a groom. His facade only cracked when he glanced in Nina’s direction, his eyes sweeping over her from head to toe.
The little prick. Nina’s dress was for him.
He saw the moment Nina realized they were coming. Her speech slowed and she tensed, the move so slight he doubted anyone noticed. Without appearing to hurry, he rushed over, sliding in next to her and interrupting her conversation with a man and woman her age. He bent to kiss her cheek, wrapping his arm around her possessively.