Dmitri- The Russian's Christmas Baby

by T. C. Clark

  “Nothing I say is a game. I like you, Eden. I more than like you. I’ve tried telling myself that I need to let this go…let you go. You deserve better than me, I know that. But I find myself coming here again and again to see you. I’m not sure what that means, but I know I can’t ignore it.”

  “Dmitri…” she started to say something and then stopped when he spoke up.

  “I’m not trying to upset you. I just want to be honest,” he said worried about how upset she looked. Who had made this woman so nervous of men? He’d been deliberately gentle with her.

  “I’m not looking for anyone, right now. I don’t think I can…I’m not ready for anything like that,” she said quickly.

  “Eden, I know that. I see how carefully you watch me. Don’t worry. I don’t plan on pushing you for more. I just want a few more of these dates.”

  “We haven’t been on a date,” she said her eyes going round with surprise.

  “Yes we have. We’ve had three lunch dates already.”

  “You are talking about when I ate lunch at the table next to you on my lunch breaks?”

  “Yes, we had food, conversation and laughter…that constitutes as a date, Eden. I take you to this beautiful place with its excellent service and you laugh in my face…..woman, you wound me.”

  “Dmitri, you need help,” she said, laughing again.

  “When a man has a woman as jumpy as you, we have to take what we can get,” he said, smiling at her. He didn’t know why he was here. This was risky, staying in one place for too long. But he’d never known anything like this…. this desperate need to know someone.

  Every time his eyes found hers something jumped in his chest. He was a killer, a hit man for hire. He could tell from her reactions that Eden had gone through something traumatic. She was too jumpy…too skittish.

  She needed a gentle man. Someone who wasn’t him, yet he couldn’t bring himself to walk away. He wanted a little more time with this sexy woman. He knew he was growing too close, that his feelings would make him vulnerable. But he couldn’t do anything about it. He wanted her too much.

  * * *

  Eden watched Dmitri from across the room with butterflies in her stomach. The handsome giant was working quietly in the corner. He had become a constant in the small bakery. Like a new blond lamp that had been added to the design.

  She’d tried to ice him out…but the man could not be stopped. He was relentless in his pursuit and she could no longer lie to herself. He was pursuing her. The only question was if she would do something about it.

  She wasn’t a woman men pursued. She made sure of that hiding under shapeless clothes to conceal her figure, always keeping things at a friendly distance with the opposite sex. Hell, she didn’t even know how to flirt.

  But she couldn’t stop herself from wondering about him. As sexy as he was his blue eyes only watched her. She’d seen dozens of beautiful women walk into the bakery and openly check him out, sending out signals that Eden never did…but his focus, his attention never wavered from her.

  That’s what was getting to her, she’d never had someone want her like that. Even Matt’s obsession had been different. So here she was a 32 year old woman fretting over a man…a man whose looks could land him almost any woman in the world.

  She shook her head to clear her strange thoughts and headed back to her office. She needed some time away from him. She had too much on her plate as it was. Her best friend Ada had come to stay with her. She had finally had enough of her ex and wanted to get away.

  Ada had already told her she planned to get her own place soon. She was going to work for a tech mogul and was looking at a small apartment on the other side of the city. Eden got the impression that her leaving was not a quick decision.

  She had been more than happy to put her up. Ada was the one who’d pulled her out of her marriage. She’d never given up on her…even when Matt had demanded that she stop talking to her friends. Ada kept coming around. She’d known something was wrong.

  When Eden had ended up in the ER again after an argument with Matt, Ada had shown up with a counselor and the police. She had refused to back down or leave her side. In that small white room she’d forced Eden to make a decision that changed her life. She knew in that moment Ada had saved her life and if she needed a place to hide she would always have one with her.

  “Where is she?” A loud angry Greek voice boomed through the bakery. Nikos, damn she knew this confrontation was coming. He wouldn’t walk away from Ada without a fight even if it was his fault they’d ended.

  She took a seat and waited for him to charge into her office. She’d already told her cashiers to show him to the back. When he flung open the door Eden shuddered. His open anger was a trigger…she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking as she stood to confront him.

  “Where is she, Eden…I know you know.”

  “Nikos, she doesn’t want to talk to you and I’m not going to tell you anything else.”

  “This isn’t a game, Eden. I need to know where she is,” Nikos said his massive body vibrating with fury.

  “Well, you’re not going to get that information from me…so; I guess you gotta do what you got to do.”

  For a second pure fury stamped his face, but then he noticed her shaking hands. She watched as he visibly took control of his anger and stepped forward. He grimaced as she flinched. But she didn’t back down.

  “Eden, she belongs with me and I’m not going to stop looking for her. But I would never… could never hurt you to find out. I’m angry…more than angry, but you don’t have to be afraid of me. Just tell Ada I was here.” Nikos looked like he wanted to say more but decided against it and turned to leave.

  “Did she tell you about what happened with me?” Eden asked in a small voice. She knew she wore her fear easily, but Nikos had backed down so quickly that she was sure Eden had told him about her marriage.

  “No, she wouldn’t betray you like that. But I was there when she went to you in the hospital…I know enough. I shouldn’t have come here, like this. I’m sorry.”

  Eden watched him go with surprise on her face. She’d expected more of a blow up, but once Nikos recognized her very real fear, he’d backed down.

  She’d seen pain cross his face when he noticed her shaking hands. At least she knew he was different from Matt. He’d always been so intense that she wondered about his temper, but he had control and empathy. They were two different men, even if they were both assholes.

  Nikos turned and walked from the room, shaken by the naked fear he’d seen on Eden’s face. He should have known better. Ada leaving him after learning about his engagement to Dabria was messing with his head.

  As much as he wanted to find Ada, he knew enough about Eden’s history. He’d never physically harmed a woman…the idea of it horrified him and he couldn’t believe she thought he would.

  When he walked back into the hallway he ran into a giant man. Nikos was tall himself, but he had to look up to meet his eyes.

  “Do we have a problem?” the man asked with a heavy Russian accent.

  “What…who in the hell are you?” Nikos said.

  “I’m the man you talk to if you have a problem with Eden.”

  “Listen, I don’t know who you are, but now is not the time to piss me off,” Nikos said fury building in his veins. He would never hurt Eden, but he didn’t give a fuck about this guy.

  Dmitri smiled nastily and clenched his fist, taking a step forward. The scene was so intense and testosterone filled that it forced Eden out of her panic.

  “Stop it, both of you. You’re not going to fight. Nikos, I will relay the message…please leave. Dmitri, thank you for your help, but as you can see, I’m fine.”

  Eden held her breath as she watched them. Both men were true alphas. It took them a minute to separate. Once they did she walked back into her office and threw herself on the couch.

  She reached for her room temperature coffee and took a hearty sip. Boy, her life was get
ting interesting. First, she was courted by a giant Russian and now the angry ex-boyfriend of her best friend was on a rampage in her bakery. Her life was a regular soap opera. She sighed. At least it couldn’t get worse.

  * * *

  Dmitri and Eden fell into a routine after Nikos stopped by. He was like an enormous interfering shadow. If anyone got rowdy or rude and she wasn’t there to step in and correct them, he did. Even her employees started treating him like a faux manager.

  “Dmitri says we should increase the price of fritters and I agree. They are our best sellers and 99 cents is too cheap.”

  “Okay, that’s the third suggestion you guys have mentioned from Dmitri. What’s going on?”

  “Isn’t he like your boyfriend or something?” one of the cashiers asked turning to watch the quiet giant with envious eyes.

  “No, he isn’t my boyfriend.”

  “Girl, he isn’t coming here for the atmosphere. Even if you don’t want to admit it…he’s something to you,” Shenelle said when they were alone.

  Shenelle’s words replayed in her head as she cleaned up a couple of tables. Did she want something more from Dmitri? Somehow he’d crept into a small corner of her heart and taken up space. She looked for him now whenever they opened.

  How did she let that happen? She knew better than to allow someone to have that kind of power over her thoughts. She shuddered as her mind pulled up an image of her ex-husband. As always his face shut down any feelings she had for anyone else.

  Her marriage was a living hell for her. She couldn’t imagine starting a life with another person. She shook her head, Dmitri wasn’t asking her to marry him.

  He was just interested in her as a woman; if her friends were here they would tell her to stop taking everything so seriously and enjoy the attention. He may find her attractive, but every man wasn’t Matt. If she kept doing this every time someone showed the slightest interest in her she would end up alone and bitter.

  Hell, she may be making more of this than what it was. Dmitri was probably looking for something fun. For the first time in her life she wondered about that type of relationship. She’d always been a good, serious girl. She’d grown up wanting to get married and have kids.

  Her time with Matt had changed the marriage part, but she was seriously considering still having a child. She’d looked into artificial insemination and could see herself pursing it in a few years. She’d even signed up to a forum for single mothers by choice.

  Once she did that the time for fun in the bedroom department would be over for her, at least for a little while. As that thought entered her head…her eyes drifted back to Dmitri. Would one night be so bad?

  Dmitri walked into his house with renewed energy. He could tell Eden was thinking about him, she kept sneaking glances his way. Her dark brown eyes vulnerable and inquisitive…asking questions that he didn’t have answers for.

  How did he explain his obsession with this woman? From the sway of her hips to her gentle smile…he was bespelled. He knew he wasn’t the man for her…could never be a right fit for her softness, but that wouldn’t stop him from pursuing her.

  He’d made a decision a few nights ago, to try. He was a different man now. Years of being away from the Red House had allowed for his humanity to return. He knew his new life could never erase his past…there was a permanent place in hell for people like him.

  But he could enjoy the time he had left. He would be good to her…protect her from the harsh realities of the world. Every person in her world seemed to need something for her, people always stopped by just to speak to her and be near her.

  He wondered if she knew how many people cared about her. She always dismissed any compliments he gave as if they weren’t valid. Already he’d been warned by two different people to treat her right.

  He sighed and stood surveying the pictures on his table. It was time to get to work. The Red House was still searching for him, but for now he was safe. He’d already checked back in with the Librarian. There were no new leads on him. It had taken them a while to find him last time. He would know well in advance if they got close.

  His attention needed to be on the two men who had been following Eden. They were good…he could see why Eden never noticed them. They’d started alternating who followed. The only thing that stayed consistent was their daily visits.

  They were clearly observing the opening and closing times at Eden’s Treasures. They were most likely planning to rob her soon. He was going to put a stop to this tonight. Eden was his. He’d put a tracker on their car and waited for the signal to stop at a location.

  Once it did he frowned at the address. He had an excellent memory. He remembered Eden telling him about a club at the corner of Habersham and Winston Avenue. It was a club she went to with her friend Mina and they were going to meet tonight.

  This couldn’t be a coincidence. He packed his bag quickly, gathering his tools. They better not have touched a hair on her head, he thought absently as the coldness of the hunt invaded his senses.

  He’d tried so hard to kill this part of him. But he knew better. The Jackal would always be there waiting just below the surface….and if anything happened to Eden, there would be no putting it back down.

  * * *

  Eden walked through the dimly lit bar with a smile on her face. As always she ignored any masculine attention she received. She wore a secret smile. She was too old to have crushes she told herself firmly, but that couldn’t stop the heavy beating of her heart when she thought about Dmitri.

  He was good…he’d gotten her to open up to him with ease. No man could say the same. Since Matt she’d often been referred to as an ice queen. She saw Mina out of the corner of her eye. As always she looked whimsical. She wore a flower printed strapless dress, her midnight black hair cut in a pixie style. She was a breathtaking woman.

  Eden always felt like a giant among her friends. At 5’11 she towered over every single one of them. She wore a loose sarong style dress that hid her body. Even with all of the work she did to hide her appeal she was always surprised when men showed interest.

  “Hey girl, as always you look beautiful,” Mina said as she took the bar stool to her right. The soft notes of Billie Holiday drifted around them.

  “Thanks. You look beautiful too,” Eden said honestly.

  When the bartender walked over with two more shots Mina politely declined for them. They had a rule that Thursday nights were for catching up, both of them had work in the morning and Eden could only stay for an hour or so.

  She accepted her glass of wine from the bartender with a friendly smile. He was a nice guy who treated them well. He always offered the shots, but never got upset when they declined them. He always made some excuse to whoever sent them over and kept their area clear for them.

  “Thank you. How is your Russian?” Mina asked, jumping straight to the heart of the matter.

  “He’s not my Russian,” Eden said blushing. Everyone kept labeling him as hers and she hated how much she liked that.

  “Girl, he’s practically moved into Eden’s Treasures and he watches you like a hungry wolf. Don’t forget I met him last week. You can lie to someone else. Tonight’s a night for the truth,” Mina said with glowing eyes. Her interest was genuine and Eden knew she couldn’t lie to her.

  Eden paused for just a second. There was something off about Mina. She wasn’t her usual bubbly self. Something different was lurking in her eyes.

  “Is everything okay with you, Mina?” Eden leaned forward to examine her friend.

  “Everything is fine. I just got a lot going on with the Rossi account and you know I’m turning thirty soon. For some reason this birthday is really hitting me hard and don’t pretend like you didn’t hear my question,” Mina said.

  “Well, to be honest I don’t know what’s going on with Dmitri. I can’t trust myself in that area so I’m keeping my distance until I see what he really wants.”

  “You can’t hide behind that wall forever. Life is
too short. You shouldn’t allow Matt to have the last laugh. Maybe Dmitri’s an asshole, maybe whatever happens next hurts, but that’s part of living,” Mina said quietly with sad eyes.

  “In the back of my mind I know that, but it’s hard to put my trust in someone else,” Eden admitted.

  Mina was worried about Eden and wanted her to start living again. She was a tall woman with legs that damn near reached Mina’s shoulders. Her beauty attracted men even when she obviously tried to downplay it.

  She wore a beautiful loose green dress with quarter length sleeves. Her thick dark brown hair was teased up into a massive afro that she pulled off with ease. Her gold studs and delicate rose gold bracelet only emphasized the exotic appeal she easily displayed.

  She had seen Eden ice out many a man in their time together and Mina understood why. She had been through her own heartbreak, but she needed to know Eden would be okay after she was gone. Matt had done a job on her ensuring that any other man who dared to approach her would have to work extra hard to get close.

  That was probably a good thing, Mina thought. All she wanted was her friend to be happy. Eden was a good woman who deserved all of the happiness this world could offer her.

  Tonight was not a night for bombshells. She wanted to know more about Dmitri, but she would keep her questions to herself for now. Tonight they needed to have fun and let loose.

  Dmitri followed the two men closely, hiding behind the other people in the smoky bar. Their attention was fixed on Eden so it made his job a bit easier. Thanks to the Librarian he’d figured out their names and backgrounds.

  Both of the men were brothers and members of the Hernandez gang. He was now sure they were watching Eden. He calmly waited for them to walk past. If their routine was still in place they would give Eden five minutes before they followed.