“Yes, in a minute, I wan
t to hold you for a little while.”
His words thrilled her that he wanted to hold her, it wasn’t anything she would have imagined coming from him. Just to lie in bed with her in his arms seemed the last thing he would do. Maybe it wasn’t just sex, maybe when the time came they would make love.
Chapter Four
Stalking down the sidewalk, Elise looked at her watch for the fourth time and saw it was only five minutes later than the last time she looked, she still had an hour and a half. After a quick shopping trip, she had satisfied the need for new shoes, but unlike Dmitri, she had kept the number low, as well as the heel. The driver had stowed her six new pair, which was far more than she had ever owned at one time, in the trunk, and promised he would return for her. Adjusting her glasses, she caught sight of an eyeglass shop that promoted glasses ready in an hour. What really caught her eye was the optometrist next door that advertised she could walk out with contacts.
Elise checked her watch again. She still had an hour and a half, how long could an eye exam for contacts take?
Opening up the door to the hotel suite three hours later, she felt oddly let down to find it empty. A note on the closed laptop told her Dmitri was in the gym, so, with a sigh she continued into her room to put away her packages. Opening the packet of birth control, she hoped they would be as gentle on her hormones as the doctor had promised, and took one while she remembered. She set out the new contact case and lens solution, and cleaned up the mess of the empty boxes. As she entered the main room, the door opened and Dmitri spotted her. The smile that lit his face when he saw her caused something to shift in her chest and catch her breath.
She was in his arms, her arms wrapped his waist, breathing in the scent of him.
“I missed you too. How did the appointment go, and where are your glasses?”
“It went okay, she was nice. She promises the pill that she gave me won’t cause all the problems I’ve had before. Since I had forever before my appointment, and I’m really not a shopper, I ended up getting a new pair of glasses and contacts. I got the glasses as back up, in case I didn’t like the contacts but they are so comfortable I barely feel them. What do you think?” She looked up to see him studying her.
His expression grim, a finger traced her cheek and along her jaw. “I remember when I first met you I wanted you to get rid of them, but that has come back to haunt me. I’m selfish and possessive and I hate that now everyone else will see easily the beauty I alone detected behind all that you buried yourself under.” His kiss was hard and claimed her. Elise clung and was lost in the passion he created like a tornado inside her. When he ended the kiss, she felt lost and weak.
His phone went off, indicating he had received a text and they both sighed. It was back to work for them.
The day passed quickly, and she loved the way his eyes lingered on her throughout the day. It was just as hard for her to drag her eyes off him. Sooner than she expected he called an end to their workday. She couldn’t hide her surprise; it was only just past six. Normally, they would have stopped at seven and ordered down for dinner.
“I want you to go get dressed, your new clothes are in your closet. Put on something pretty for me, sweetheart, and we’ll have dinner out. I have made reservations for us at seven, so that will give you a half hour or so.”
“Dmitri, we don’t have to go out. We can eat here.” She couldn’t help that the words came out in a breathless rush.
“I’ve made reservations and we are far too close to a bedroom. Go, my sweet.” His eyes glowed and she blushed and did as he bid.
In her room, she scanned the beautiful clothes and ran her hands over them with a flutter of excitement. Without hesitation, she went to the dress she had first gasped at when she saw it. The whole time she had stood in front of Dmitri she had held her breath, hoping he would give a nod to it. It was a silky ice blue cocktail dress that made her eyes even bluer, and hugged her curves; flaring just above her knee. She felt sexy and surprisingly confident in it. There was no doubt that she looked good in the dress. Tugging out fresh panties and bra, mere wisps of silk that felt amazing against her skin, she couldn’t contain her excitement. Dmitri had taken off yesterday for her and was taking her out to dinner, not eating in front of their laptops while he dictated to her.
In front of the mirror, she ran a brush through her hair. He had allowed her to pull it back in a ponytail but she remembered the glow in his eyes when he pulled the clip from her bun. Washing her face she sighed at the meager make up she had with her. She wasn’t fussy normally, and wore only mascara that was half used and over a year old and bright gloss. She sighed, she was nowhere as beautiful as the women she had seen him with. Then she remembered the dressing room and being held in his arms this morning. It didn’t matter if she knew she wasn’t as beautiful as those women, Dmitri thought she was beautiful, and he wanted her.
That knowledge stiffened her spine, as she got ready.
Stepping out of her room, she saw him leaning against the arm of the couch and he took her breath away. It struck her that even though she had seen him in suit after suit and he always looked gorgeous in them, for some reason the black suit with the snow white shirt and plain black tie was something he hadn’t worn before, and it fit him to perfection. His hair was ruffled, she knew he ran his hands through his hair when he was on edge. A little smile tugged at her lips to know she had put him on edge.
“I knew the moment I saw you in that dress that I should have said no to it. You are far too sexy in it, and it clings to your sweet curves like my hands long to. Yet, I saw you glowing in it with happiness, and I couldn’t tell you no. Now I am paying the price, you are so sexy and beautiful you take my breath away. I will have to suffer as other men look at you, and seethe with desire and jealousy. You owe me a kiss for this torture you are going to put me through.”
She went to him, her hands against his chest she ran them up over him and it made her melt to feel him tremble beneath her touch. Her hands were around his neck and she brought him down to her lips. He took over from there and her head swam with the intensity of his kiss, hungry, he ravaged until she was shaking. He felt her reaction and ended the kiss with light fluttering touches against her mouth and along her cheek.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have touched you, feeling the way I do right now. Forgive me, sweetheart?”
She could only nod, speech wasn’t something she was capable of just yet.
“Thank you, come along. We don’t want to be late.” He guided her from the room with a gentle touch at her back.
Dinner was a restaurant she had read about but never thought she would sit in. They were in the Hancock building, and she was grateful she wasn’t afraid of heights, because the views would have had her running for the door. He laughed when she admitted to him what she was thinking. Over the next few hours, he was at his most charming and she was captured in his spell. She told him about her one, lone trip overseas to meet with their distributor, and they had traded favorite scenery of the city. She was embarrassed to admit that one trip was the only time she had been outside of Alexandria. He promised her that it wouldn’t be the last time. Elise was able to draw out of him how much he enjoyed the city and it’s slower pace and the fact that the people in Chicago were so much nicer than New Yorkers. He enjoyed being near his brother, between them both having hectic schedules it wasn’t often they could enjoy time together.
She was grateful to hear him speak again of Sonia without a trace of longing. A tiny spot of jealousy had remained after he called her his best friend. He admitted he couldn’t think of her as anything other than a friend, and seemed genuinely happy that she had met and fallen in love with a lawyer who had worked within their firm, but had struck out on his own.
It was late when they got back to the hotel, and Elise couldn’t help but get tense at how he would end the night. When he dropped a soft kiss on her forehead and went into his room, she felt relieved yet also very sad.
The next morning
she was up early and wasn’t surprised she was dragging a bit, she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. With a sigh, she knew it was because she wanted Dmitri there with her. Even though she knew she was asking for heartbreak she couldn’t take the longing anymore. Today, if Dmitri didn’t instigate it, then she would just have to tell him she was ready and pray her voice didn’t tremble when she said it.