58. Briar
1 WEEK LATER
W e’re in Milan, Italy.
Dimitri’s men are hard at work, but Dimitri wanted to take a few days off to spend time with me.Both of us needed a break from the chaos of the outside world.
I peer out of the hotel balcony.
“It stopped raining,” I say. “Do you want to go out for the evening? I feel like we’ve been cooped up indoors for too long.”
“Where do you want to go?” he asks.
“I don’t know,” I say. “You're the experienced traveler. Surprise me."
“There is this one place I think you’ll enjoy.”
“Where is it?”
“I thought you wanted it to be a surprise,” he says. “Wear something nice.”
I smile at him and head to the closet.
He has a stylist bring in clothes for me wherever we go. He knows I have a thing for pretty dresses and nice shoes.
I can't believe this is my life now.
A giant vase of fresh flowers sits by the bedside. Even though we're spending all of our time together now, Dimitri still goes out of his way to do nice things for me. I love the beautiful clothes and jewelry, but I love the flowers he keeps bringing me the most.
He's on the phone now, making reservations for wherever he's about to take me.
I glance over at him. He does so much for my happiness. I want to do something special for him as well.
And I think I know just the thing.
Thirty minutes later, we're heading out for dinner. He's dressed in a black suit, and I'm in a long blue trench coat. I'm wearing the diamond necklace and earrings he bought for me. The restaurant is just down the road, but we take our time as we walk.
It rained most of the day, so a faint mist is still in the air. It makes the golden light from the streetlights hazy, adding an ethereal feel to the night.
"This feels so good," I tell him, squeezing his arm tighter.
"Walking to a restaurant?" he asks. “I should really take you on these date nights more often.”
"No, I meant not having to worry about my mother," I say. “Thoughts about her used to follow me around like a dark cloud. It was always at the back of my mind. I always lived in terror of her finding me.”
Dimitri's body tenses. It always does whenever I bring up my mother.
Without another word, he lifts me into his arms. Our faces are inches apart, but he's not looking at me.
"You were about to step into a puddle," he says.
I glance back at the cobblestone street and see a large puddle right in front of us. He walks around it.
"I'm sorry for bringing her up," I say. "I know it upsets you."
His jaw is firm, but he shakes his head.
"No, princess," he says. "I want you to speak every thought that crosses your mind."
"She can't get to us now," I say. "She's in prison."
He doesn't say anything. When we reach the front door of the restaurant, he places me back down on my feet.
"What's wrong?" I ask him.
"You look beautiful tonight," he says, tucking my hair behind my ear.
A memory hits me out of nowhere.
My back is against the wall, and Dimitri is standing in front of me. There's a buzz in my veins as my body comes alive for the very first time. We're at the gentleman's club where we first met, having our first conversation. And he tucks my hair behind my ear.
"The pendant," I say.
He draws his eyebrows together.
"When we first met, you pointed out that I was wearing a rose quartz pendant," I say.
He nods.
"And you made me take it off because you told me it stood for innocence."
"It stood for virginity," he says. “You didn't know it at the time. You just thought that it looked pretty.”
"Dimitri, I didn't write about this in the diary," I say. "When you tucked my hair behind my ear, the memory came to me out of nowhere. I remember the night we first met."
His eyes widen. "You do?"
I nod. "Yeah. The details are coming to me. I remember the way I felt when I sat in your Ferrari for the first time."
"The doctor said that the memories will return with time, but I didn't think it would happen so soon."
"It feels like I'm gaining back a part of myself that I lost," I say, blinking.
It's a rush of emotions. I didn't expect it to make me feel so nostalgic for my past, but it does.
Dimitri kisses me on the sidewalk. I lose myself in his arms.
I'm still feeling a little dizzy as we sit down for dinner.
He offers to take my coat, but I tell him I'm feeling chilly.My mind is still stuck on that one night from the past. It tastes so sweet. I can’t fathom how I ever forgot it.
"Don't force it," he says.
Our eyes meet across the table.
"What?"
"You're trying to remember the rest of the memories, aren't you?"
"How did you know?"
"I got suspicious when you didn't tell me how great the pizza was." He nods down at my slice.
"The pizza is great," I say, taking another bite.
All the food is freshly sourced and delicious. I'll never get tired of Mediterranean cuisine. It's one of the things I love most about our stay here in Italy. The food can’t get better than this. Everything is so rich and flavorful.
"It just felt so good to relive that, Dimitri," I say. "I wasn't prepared for how intense it would be. But I remember it now. It felt like I was looking at the stars for the first time in my life. Everything seemed infinitely more beautiful that night."
"It was love at first sight," he says. "For me, at least. As for you, I think you were curious about me."
"I think it was more than just curiosity." I take a deep breath. "From the moment I saw you, you dominated every thought I had in my head. It was an instant addiction. An endless fascination. It was love from the very start for me too, Dimitri."
The waitress offers us a bottle of wine. Dimitri declines it.
"You can have some if you want," I say. "You don't have to stop drinking just because I can't."
"I don't need alcohol when I can get drunk off your presence," he says.
I take a deep breath. "Dimitri, I need to tell you something."
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry for the way I treated you after I woke up from the coma," I say. "I said a lot of things I shouldn't have. I was cruel. Thank you for being patient with me."
"For you, I'd do it all over again if I had to," he says. "You're worth it, Briar."
There's so much more I want to say, but the words get stuck in my throat. We eat the rest of our dinner in amicable silence. He keeps checking his watch.
"What are you in a hurry for?"
"I hate to be the one to break this to you, but I'm afraid we don't have time for dessert."
"Sometimes I wonder if you even know me."
He chuckles. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."
He pays the bill and then takes my hand. He leads me out of the restaurant. I’m nearly jogging to keep up with him. My trench coat is tied together with a sash in the middle. I tighten it as the cool breeze of the night hits me.
"Where are we going?"
Instead of giving me a reply, he turns around and winks at me.
"It better be good," I say. "You have me out here doing cardio. And my feet hurt."
The second those words leave my lips, he lifts me into his arms. He's still walking at the same pace. Even though he's carrying extra weight now, he doesn't even break a sweat.
"You pamper me a little too much," I say, playing with the thick stubble underneath his chin.
“And you love every second of it.” He turns his head and playfully bites one of my fingers.
He places me down on my feet when we reach a lavish building. Men in designer suits and women in elegant evening gowns are walking into the building. I recognize it as the famous opera house of Milan.
"We're going to the opera?" I ask him.
He nods. "I got us tickets to 'La Traviata' by Giuseppe Verdi."
“That sounds so romantic,” I say. "What's it about?"
“It’s about a tragic love story between a French nobleman and a courtesan,” he says.
"We were so close to being a tragic love story," I say as we head inside. "But I'm glad we figured it out in the end."
"Me too, baby," he says, bringing our intertwined hands to his lips and kissing mine.
It's such a sweet gesture. I love that he thinks of all these little things. I love that he buys me flowers and holds my hand in public.
I never imagined I'd get this lucky in life, but Dimitri turned everything around for me.
I'm lost in thought when I bump into somebody. It's a tall man wearing a black top hat.
" Mi scusi signora ," he says, tilting his head toward me. The hat he's wearing casts shadows over his face. The lighting in the foyer is dim, so I can't see his face.
He leaves after a glance, but he leaves behind him the smell of mint.
The scent makes some memory wiggle in my mind. It feels like I'm forgetting something important again.
Dimitri looks like he’s about to go after the man, but I grab his wrist.
"Forget it," I tell him. "It was my fault. I wasn't looking at where I was going."
I glance behind me, but the stranger is nowhere to be seen.
"Are you okay?" Dimitri asks, searching my face. "You look pale."
"It's another memory," I say, still lost in thought.
And then it hits me.
The shooting at the warehouse. Before Dimitri and I parted ways, a man held me at gunpoint near a warehouse. And he smelled like mint.
Just like the man who bumped into me a few seconds ago.
"Briar?" Dimitri clutches my arm. There's a look of concern on his face.
“I’m fine,” I say. “Let's get to our seats first.”
His eyes are wary, but he leads me toward a private opera box. The show is about to begin.
"I'm excited," I say. "I've never been to an opera before."
"What memory came back?"
"It was an unpleasant one," I say. "I don't want to talk about it."
“Tell me what it is before I spank it out of you.”
I take a sharp breath.
Desire pulses low in my belly. It feels like there’s a sleeping dragon inside me. And only Dimitri can coax it to life.
"These are really nice seats," I tell him, glancing around at the opera box. "Do we have it all to ourselves?"
"We do," he says.
The door at the back is locked. The front of the box has heavy curtains that can provide us further privacy.
“Briar, don’t even think about it,” he warns.
I close the curtains before turning toward him. There's nothing but the soft lighting inside the opera box now.
His gaze is heated as he assesses me.
“Why not?” I ask. “You’re thinking the same thing.”
“I know what you’re doing,” he says. “You’re trying to distract me.”
I loosen the sash of the trench coat. I let it slip off my shoulders and fall to the floor.
"Briar.” He hisses my name through his teeth. His eyes turn hooded when he sees that I'm completely naked underneath the coat.
"I wanted it to be a surprise," I tell him. "I was going to let you fuck me in some dark alley, but I can't wait to have you inside me, Dimitri. I need you now."
"My perfect little girl," he says. "Come closer."
He taps his thigh. I walk toward him. The light reflects off the diamonds around my throat. My curls tickle my back as I step between his spread thighs. And then I perch on his knee.
“What have you done, baby?” he asks, cupping my hip and squeezing it possessively. “Is all of this for me?”
I nod, breathless already.
He cups me between my thighs, squeezing my hot flesh with his rough hand.
"Don't you know that all you have to do is bat your eyelashes at me and I'll turn into an animal for you?" he asks. “You've been a dirty little girl, wanting to get your pussy stuffed in public."
I moan as he rubs circles around my clit.
"My dirty slut," he says, slapping one of my tits before grabbing it roughly. "You're going to have me coming inside your tight little pussy for the rest of my life. You're going to make it impossible to pull out."
He thrusts two fingers inside me, making me moan again.
"Quiet, princess," he says. "We're in public. If you're too loud, people are going to come check on us. They’ll find you naked on my lap with your insatiable pussy grinding all over my hand."
"Oh my God, Dimitri," I say. "Please."
"Tell me what you need, Briar."
"I need you," I say. "I need you to take control of me."
He removes his tie and uses it to bind my wrists together. His eyes are pure carnal lust as he tugs on it.
"You can't run away from me now." He tugs me closer until I have my thighs wrapped around him. "You have no choice but to take what I'm about to give you."
I whimper when he grips my ass cheeks and roughly grinds his pelvis against my bare flesh.
"You're my perfect little slut, aren't you?" he says. "Go ahead, little girl. Rub that wet little pussy all over me. Show me how bad you need it."
His hand slips into my hair. He tugs on it, making me moan.
"What did I tell you about being quiet, princess?" He tugs my head back as he wraps his lips around one of my nipples. He bites down on it. I can't help the whimper that escapes me.
"Oh my?—"
"I'm going to have to punish you for every little sound you make," he says. He unzips his pants and frees his cock. He rests his hard meat against my slit. It feels so good against me.
I start moving my hips against him. My mouth opens. I try to be quiet, but it feels too good.
The second I make a noise, he slaps my ass.
"What did I just tell you?"
"You told me to be quiet."
"We can't have anyone finding out about the things I'm doing to you in the privacy of this opera box," he says. "It would reflect badly on me. So you're going to be a good little girl and take my cock without making any noise. Is that clear?"
He fondles my breasts as he speaks, squeezing me like he just can't help himself. His hands lower to my waist. He uses his grip on me to rock me back and forth over his cock.
"I'll buy you all the diamond necklaces in the world if this is how you thank me for it," he says. "You can show them off by sitting on top of my cock with a wet pussy as you show me how pretty you look in your new jewelry."
The opera begins in the background as he rocks me on his lap.
"I'm so fucking hard for you, princess," he says. "I'm going to go crazy if I don't impale you on my cock now."
Right when the singer hits a high note, he pushes inside me. My eyelids turn heavy when he shoves the rest of himself inside me. He's a big man, and I’ve yet to get used to his size. Especially when he’s rough and impatient like he is now.
"So fucking wet for me. So fucking tight." He holds my hips and makes me bounce on top of him. He watches my breasts move like he's in a trance.
When he starts fucking me harder, I clap my hand over my mouth. If I make a noise now, there will be repercussions for it.
But he knows exactly what he's doing to me. He changes the angle of his thrusts and hits that sweet spot inside me.
I don't care who hears me now. I moan his name out loud.
It's like a switch flips inside him.
"Don't say I didn't try to warn you," he says.
He lifts me off his lap and bends me over the couch. He slaps my ass and enters me from behind. He fucks me hard and fast, like I'm a toy that exists for his pleasure.
"This is what happens when you don't follow orders, little girl," he says. "You get fucked on your hands and knees."
He's bottoming out inside me with every thrust.
He leans down and presses his face against my hair.
"You feel so good around me," he says. "I'm supposed to treat you like a princess, but I lose my mind every time I see your bratty tits. They're so perfect that they piss me off. That's why I have to fuck you like this."
He lifts my ass higher into the air so he can fuck me better. His grip on me turns bruising, but I'm past the point of caring now.
Every time he's inside me, magic brews inside me. It's the most delicious feeling. Only Dimitri can make me want to surrender like this and let him take control.
"My only regret is that I'm not filming this," he says. "You look so good getting fucked while wearing nothing but that diamond necklace.”
"Dimitri, I think I'm going to?—"
He presses his hand against my mouth.
"Come all over my big cock?" he says, finishing my sentence for me. "Go ahead, baby girl. Shatter all over my cock. Just try to be quiet about it. The rest of the people here will be scandalized if they found out you were getting fucked raw while they were watching the opera."
I cry out against his palm. He plunges harder inside me, making me lurch with the force of his thrusts.
And when I come undone, he's right there with me.
He continues fucking me as he spills inside me, groaning about how good it feels to empty inside me.
"My perfect princess," he says, kissing the spot between my shoulder blades. "My good little girl."
He drinks from my lips like he's trying to quench his thirst. And then he cleans me up and wraps the coat back around me before opening the curtains.
The opera is a sensory delight.
It instantly steals all of my attention. The beautiful costumes, the dramatic staging, and the haunting vocals transport me to another time and place.
Dimitri fills me in on everything I missed until now. He holds me in his arms as we watch the opera.
His hand rests on my belly. I’m barely showing, but I know in my bones that Dimitri will make an amazing father.
I rest my head against his broad chest.
Halfway through the show, I become aware of having someone's eyes on me. I search the crowd and see that one of the attendees isn't watching the performance. He's watching me.
It's the man wearing the top hat, the one I bumped into earlier.
The one who smelled like mint.
He's sitting in another private box all by himself.
"You're tensing up," Dimitri says. "What's wrong?"
I look up at him.
I should probably tell Dimitri that I think I'm being followed. But for some reason, I don't feel threatened by the stranger. Also, I know that if I tell Dimitri about this, he'll completely freak out again.
We just found a little pocket of peace in our lives.
I don't want to ruin that. Not when we're finally happy and unbothered.
"It's the performance," I say to Dimitri. "It's a little melancholic."
It’s not a lie. The story is bittersweet. It’s about two people who were meant to love each other but were kept apart because of circumstances outside their control.
The tension melts from Dimitri's face. He kisses the top of my head.
"Would it make you feel better if I told you I'll take you out for gelato after the opera?" he says, pulling me tighter against him.
“That does make me feel better,” I say, resting my head against his chest once more.
When I glance back at the audience, the man in the top hat is gone.
I really can't explain it, but he doesn’t seem threatening to me. It's just a gut feeling.
Just like the gut feeling telling me that he was the same man who held me at gunpoint all those months ago.
And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I ran into him again today.
I wonder what he wanted.
I wonder why he was following us.
I can't talk to Dimitri about it yet, but I'll speak to Chloe about it tomorrow.
We watch the rest of the opera together. It's a tragic love story with haunting vocals. The performance moves everyone to tears.
When we walk back out into the streets, Dimitri takes me to the gelato shop near our hotel as promised.
"The usual?" Dimitri asks, nodding at the lemon gelato.
"No, I want something different tonight," I say, tilting my head at the new flavors.
One of our favorite pastimes in Italy is trying all the new gelato flavors. Dimitri asks the gelatiere to give us some samples. I point at the ones I'd like to try—including honey elderflower, matcha green tea, vanilla saffron, and spicy guava. After trying the new ones, I ask for a scoop of the lemon one.
Dimitri gives me the side-eye because it's the flavor I always end up ordering. The man behind the counter reaches for a cup, but Dimitri asks for the waffle cone because that's what I like.
"Thank you," I say, taking my waffle cone and licking the gelato. The flavor is fresh and explosive.
Dimitri gets his gelato, and we head back outside.
"Why does everything taste so much better at night?" I ask.
“I was wondering the same thing myself,” he says, glancing down at my lips. He’s not talking about gelato at all.
“Why do you always have to be so horny?” I tease, elbowing him in the ribs.
“All your fault,” he says.
“How so?”
“I can’t stop thinking about how you’re still naked underneath that coat."
Dimitri holds his spoon out toward me. He always gets the same flavor too—pistachio. And he always feeds me little bites of his gelato.
"I'm going to miss this so much when we leave Italy," I say.
"You don't have to miss anything. I can have it arranged," he says.
"You're not going to kidnap one of the gelato makers, are you?" I ask.
"I don't have to," Dimitri says. "I never had any hobbies. Maybe I'll learn how to make it myself."
Even though we're just joking right now, I wouldn't put it past him.
Something glitters in the sky above. I look up and see that it's a shooting star.
"Look," I say, pointing at it.
Just as Dimitri looks up, a couple more falling stars streak across the sky. He smiles.
"Make a wish, dolcezza ," he says.
And I do.
I wish for a thousand nights just like this one.
THE END.