Chapter 5
“You’re crazy.” Rosa grabs at my arm after I’ve given them the change in my plans for the evening. “You’ve been over there twenty minutes, and now you’re leaving with him?”
“I know.” I laugh. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done.
But I’m due for a small break in reality.
Kara raises an eyebrow. “You sure you know what you’re doing? What if your uncle finds out?”
“Finds out what? I’m not married yet. He’s a complete stranger.”
“Exactly!” Rosa lowers her voice when the girls at the next table over stop their conversation to look over at us. “That’s exactly it, Sienna. He’s a stranger. He could be anyone.”
“I know. And after tonight it won’t matter. One night.” I sigh. “Just for me. After tomorrow, who knows when the next time I’ll get to have something just for myself will be.”
Rosa’s expression softens.
“Well, let’s not be unsafe about this.” Kara picks up my purse dangling over my shoulder and digs out my phone.
“What are you doing?” I watch while she taps on the settings.
“I’m sharing your location with me and Rosa. When you get to the hotel, you text me the room number.” She drops the phone back into my purse. “If you don’t, I’m going to show up with guns blazing.”
“Okay. Room number the minute I get there.” I nod in agreement. “Got it.”
“He looks so scary. Are you sure about this?” Rosa whispers.
“He’s twenty feet away; he can’t hear you.” I assure her. “And yes, I’m sure. He only looks that way because of how big he is, and all those tattoos, and the beard.”
“Yeah, Rosa. It’s only because the man looks like he could crush our skulls with his bare hands. Nothing to worry about.” Kara rolls her eyes.
“You know I’ll be safe,” I say.
“Don’t get dead.” Kara hugs me.
“I won’t.” I promise, holding up three fingers like we did in girl-scouts when we were kid.
Another round of drinks shows up just as I turn to leave.
“Have fun!” Kara calls after me.
Dmitri stands in the doorway waiting for me with his hands in his front pockets. He’s not staring at his phone doomscrolling; he’s watching me.
Intently.
“All set.” I breathe a sigh when I get to him.
“They know where you’ll be?”
“Yes.” I think about making a joke about being sure to keep my cell separate from my body should he decide to kill me but then think better of it.
Just in case.
“This way.” He slides his hand down my arm, then links our fingers together.
He leads me downstairs, out of the club, and into a black SUV idling outside the front door. The man driving the car keeps his eyes firmly set in front of him, not even glancing in the rearview mirror at us.
“You always have a driver?” I question as we pull into the traffic.
“Not always.” He pulls out his phone. “I’m sorry, I have to take care of something.”
“Of course. Sure.” I turn my attention out the window, watching as we make our way through the city.
Dmitri is busy on his phone, tapping away on one message after another. I leave him to it, privately enjoying the silence of the car.
There’s no music playing or sounds from the city outside. Just calming quiet.
The late fall chill has followed us inside the car, crisping the air. I realize then I left my jacket in the coat check at the club. The ticket for it is in my purse, so Kara and Rosa won’t be able to get it for me.
I’ll need to make a trip back tomorrow to grab it.
“Sorry about that.” Dmitri puts his phone away just as we pull up to the Mark Hotel.
“No, I understand. Work.” I smile. It’s small, and probably shows how nervous I am.
I wish the bravado I had ten minutes ago when I agreed to this insanity would return. Now all I seem to have is frayed nerve endings and a wobbly spine.
“Stay there,” he says as he pushes his door open and climbs out.
Briefly, I consider the idea that I might’ve made a stupid decision.
Is this where he locks me inside and the driver pulls away, taking me to a horrible location where I’ll be locked away in a basement or a shipping container?
A moment of panic grips me, and I reach for the door handle.
The door pops open as I lean into it, and I nearly spill out onto the street.
Dimitri catches me, helping to right me before I fall out.
“What are you doing?” he asks, holding my hand to help me climb down.
“Nothing. I was opening the door.” I push my hair back from my face as I look up at him. From this vantage point, he definitely looks scary.
His jaw tightens.
“I said to stay put.”
“I know.” I have nothing else to offer. It would probably insult him to tell him what I was really thinking.
“Hmm.” He slides his hand along my jaw, to the back of my neck, holding me firmly as he lowers his mouth to my ear. “That’s two times you’ve blatantly disobeyed me. I’m beginning to think you want me to punish you before I even get to make you feel good.”
Holy melted panties.
“I think we can skip right to the feel-good portion,” I manage.
“Do you?” He presses a kiss to my cheek. “We’ll see how well you behave on the way up to the room.”
If an ambulance didn’t choose this exact moment to drive by with its sirens blaring, the entirety of New York would hear my gulp.
“I think I can manage pretty well if the reward is worth it.”
He studies me a moment, a half-smile tugging on his lips.
“It will be worth it.” It’s said as a vow, a promise for something so satisfying, so unadulterated my insides melt.
“Then onward.” I glance at hotel entrance.
He grabs hold of my hand, squeezing gently, and leads me up the steps into the hotel lobby.
When we turn into the elevator bank there are two other couples waiting for the elevators. Dmitri pulls me close to him in the most possessive move a man has ever made with me.
Which tells me a few things about my horrible choice in men prior to tonight. Though I haven’t survived this encounter just yet, so I decide to keep my self-judgement for the morning.
Finally, the elevator arrives and we all step on board. Dmitri pulls me to the back of the car. The other couples get off on the fifth floor, leaving us to ride the last eight floors alone.
“There’s still time to change your mind,” he says as the elevator starts moving again.
“Do you want me to change my mind?” I tilt my head so I can look up at him.
His eyes, a dark molten brown, feel like they’re devouring me as he stares at me. It’s like being caught in high beams. My brain could be screaming for my feet to move, but they would be helpless to obey.
“No. I don’t.” He turns to look back at the elevator lights.
“Really?”
“You find that surprising.”
“I do. I mean, you seem to be the sort of man who can have his pick of women. If I were to change my mind, you’d be able to go down to the lobby and pluck another women from the bar.”
Thesoft ding of the elevator signals our arrival at our floor, and the mirrored doors slide open soundlessly.
He puts his arm out, holding the doors open as he looks back at me with a casual smile.
“That might be true, but if you were to change your mind. I wouldn’t.”
“No?” I cock my head, fully intrigued by this man. “Why not?”
“I doubt I’d find anyone like you down there.”
“What about me makes you think that?”
“You’re probably one of the most upfront people I’ve met. You say what you think and don’t seem to be afraid of the consequences of it.”
I’ve never heard myself described in such away, but maybe there’s a little truth to it. My inability to sugarcoat my opinions has gotten me into plenty of trouble over the years. It’s one of the things my family hates most about me.
“The alarm is going to go off, so last chance.” He steps out of the elevator, putting his free hand out to me.
A loud buzzing sound starts the moment I step out of the elevator, and he lets go of the doors.
“Just in time.” He winks, snapping up my hand again. “I’m just down here.”
As we make our way down the hall, I start noticing men dressed in suits staring outside several of the doors. When we pass one of them, Dmitri gives a subtle nod.
Outside his own door another man stands with his hands folded in front of him. Dmitri stops, leans in and speaks softly to him, sending him away.
I watch as he walks down the hall, going to stand with another of the security-looking men and striking up a conversation.
“A business acquisitor needs security?” I ask as Dmitri unlocks the door with his key card.
He holds the door open for me, glancing down the hall. “Can’t be too careful in a city like New York.”
I take another look over my shoulder before entering the room.
He lets the door slam shut behind him and heads into the living room area of his suite. The entranceway opens up into a dining area and living room area, with a hallway branching off, leading to the bedrooms, I assume. There’s even a small kitchen.
“How long are you in town for?”
“Few more days. I’m sorry, I have to take this.” He plucks his phone out of his back pocket and steps into the hallway.
I take the opportunity to shoot the room number to Kara. As I tuck the phone back into my bag, I notice several missed messages from my uncle. Reminding myself that tonight is for me and me alone, I push the phone all the way into the bag and close it.
He’s already marrying me off to a monster, what else can he do to me?
From where I stand, I can’t hear Dmitri clearly, but it doesn’t sound like he’s speaking English.
Deciding it’s not my business, I drop my handbag on the coffee table and sink into the lush couch. Running my hands over the soft fabric, I start thinking about what my new home might look like.
Is he going to expect me to redecorate? I have no flair for home decor.
“Sorry. My brother.” Dmitri steps between me and the coffee table then sinks onto the table.
“You have a brother? Older or younger?” I ask.
“Two older brothers and a sister.” He slides his phone onto the table beside him. “What about you? Siblings?”
“No.” None that are living, so I suppose I’m still being truthful.
“Hmm, an only child.” He reaches between us and picks up my leg, sliding my heel off and dropping it to the floor.
I laugh as he begins to rub his thumbs into the heel of my foot. “I’m ticklish there.”
He raises his eyebrows playfully but stops touching my foot.
“I want to be clear with you, Christiana. I was telling the truth at the club when I said I don’t play games. I can’t have anything more than tonight with you.”
I roll my eyes as I bring my feet to the floor and lean into him. Pressing my hand against his cheek, I smile.
“Yes. We already discussed that. Hence, the fake names. I’m not looking for anything from you. Just one night that has nothing to do with work or family obligations.”
One night where everything I do has the sole purpose of being enjoyable. No brothers’ ghosts to worry about. No uncle to deal with. No forced marriage to stress over. Just a night of senseless flirting and some heavy petting.
More, if I’m being honest, than that, but I’ll take what I can get.
“Okay.” He cups my cheek, running his thumb over my bottom lip. “I won’t bring it up again.”
“Good.” I smile.
He pushes back on the coffee table, dragging it a few feet away from me.
“Three rules for the rest of night. Ready?” He holds up three fingers.
A little thrill runs through me. “Yes. I’m ready.”
“One. If you want me to stop doing anything, you say stop. Two. Unless you say stop, you do everything I say. Three. No guilt.”
“Do you give all your ladies these rules?” I tease.
“No.” With his legs spread open, he points at a spot on the carpet between his knees. “Come here, Christiana. On your knees for me.”