Chapter 23
A nd it is you, spirit—with will and energy, and virtue and purity—that I want…. - Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
Dimitri
“Get out of the car, Emma.”
“This is crazy!”
I parked the car in my exclusive hangar at Midway. The pilot had already finished the last checks on the Gulfstream, my private plane. They had cleared us for takeoff in the next fifteen minutes. I didn’t have time for her tantrum. She was coming with me and that was final.
“Get out of the car.”
“I am not going to Morocco with you!”
“See, that is where you’re wrong.”
She really looked adorable sitting there in my old Oxford hoodie with her arms crossed over her chest like a petulant child. Taking her to Morocco was definitely not part of my plans, but she had given me no choice.
I had felt my heart stop when she’d said our relationship wasn’t working for her anymore.
I wasn’t prepared to let her go… I didn’t think I ever would be.
Of course, I thought it was because of last night.
The violence she had witnessed. I’d feared then, as I did now, that it would change her perception of me.
I wanted her to be many things, but afraid of me was never one of them.
I prayed she’d never find out what I was truly capable of.
That she never learned Brad’s fate. What would she think of me then?
Not that I regretted it—not for one moment. He had touched what was mine.
He’d deserved to die.
She needed time. It was a reasonable request. Too bad I wasn’t willing to give it to her. With time, she might realize that an innocent sweet girl like her had no business falling in love with a criminal mafia thug like me.
No, I couldn’t let that happen.
I would keep her by my side, bind her to me, till all doubts were gone.
Till she was completely under my control.
It was selfish.
Dangerous.
If I were a better man, I would let her go. Let her find a more appropriate man to love, a scholar or professor, someone safe and reliable. Someone who wouldn’t drag her light into his shadow.
Too bad I wasn’t a better man.
I was a selfish bastard.
But then again, perhaps I could be forgiven.
She had said she was falling in love with me.
This beautiful, sweet creature was in love with me.
She had brought light and energy into my life.
I enjoyed viewing the world through her eyes.
It was a better place, full of promise and new adventures.
Every new experience she had, whether it was sex, trying a decadent food, or learning the complex dance between pain and pleasure, it was as if I were also feeling it for the first time, experiencing that heady rush of excitement that can only come from a new discovery.
I didn’t want to return to my bleak existence of guns, war, and money.
I wanted the promise of her kiss and of her love.
She was mine, and I was keeping her.
Leaning down, I placed a crooked finger under her chin. Lifted her face to mine. “Keep pushing that bottom lip out and I’ll take it as an invitation.”
She pulled both lips between her teeth.
So adorable.
I tapped the sun-warmed top of my Mercedes. “Here’s the situation. I want you to come to Morocco with me and what I want… I get. Now get out of this car. The plane is ready for takeoff and I’m on a schedule.”
She huffed. “You’re a bully.”
I nodded my head. “I’m not denying that.”
“I don’t even have a passport or money… or clothes!”
“I will take care of your passport. You never have to worry about money with me and we will buy whatever you need when we get there, although if it were up to me, I’d keep you naked in my bed the whole time.”
“No. I can’t. I have class, work, responsibilities! There’s a huge mix-up with my tuition and I have an appointment this afternoon with financial aid that I can’t miss.”
My brow wrinkled. “What mix-up? Your tuition is paid.”
Her eyes narrowed. Throwing off her seat belt, she got out of the car and confronted me. I straightened my lips into a grim line, certain her knowing I was finding this amusing would make her even angrier. She looked like a little butterfly trying to take on a bear.
“Dimitri, tell me you didn’t pay my tuition.”
Now it was my turn to cross my arms over my chest as I raised an eyebrow. I said nothing.
She threw her hands up in frustration as she paced a few steps away.
Too bad my oversized hoodie obscured the view of her ass in those tight jeans.
She then marched back to jam a finger into my chest. “This is not okay! Now I’m obligated to you.
Accepting money from you makes me feel like I’m your whore! ”
My arms slowly dropped to my sides as my hands curled into fists.
This had ceased to be amusing.
Her large doe eyes widened. She stumbled back a few steps as I advanced.
My baby girl knew she had just crossed a line.
Turning, she tried to run, heading straight for the wide opening of the hangar where sunlight poured in from outside.
I reached out my arm and snatched at the sweatshirt hood, pulling her back into the shadows… with me.
Her body jerked, falling back against my chest. My right arm swept around to press her tightly to me. My hand finding the soft curve of her left breast through the material, I gave it a harsh squeeze. She inhaled sharply.
“Я предупреждал вас, что никогда больше не хочу слышать это слово в ваших устах, иначе будут последствия.” I was so angry I accidentally spoke Russian and was forced to repeat myself.
Growling in her ear, I said, “I warned you I never wanted to hear that word on your lips again or there would be consequences.”
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!”
“Oh, little girl, you’re about to be very sorry.”
Spinning her in my arms, I placed a shoulder to her middle and lifted her high.
“Dimitri! Don’t! Put me down!”
Ignoring her pleas, I headed to the flight of air stairs that had been lowered for boarding. Her weight was slight, so I easily took the steps two at a time. Bending my knees, I ducked low as I hauled her through the narrow oval door opening and onto the plane.
The pilot nodded his head as he greeted me. “Good morning, Mr. Kosgov.”
“Morning, Tom. We’re ready to leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
He turned and crossed into the cockpit.
Tom had been with my organization for close to fifteen years.
He had seen everything from American presidents to ruthless dictators to unscrupulous Hollywood moguls doing all sorts of unethical escapades on this plane.
My carrying an unwilling female, while a first, would not cause so much as a raised eyebrow from him or the rest of his staff.
“Help! I’m being kidnapped!” cried out Emma.
She got a slap on the ass for her troubles, although the excess fabric of the hoodie muffled the impact. I would soon rectify that.
“Good morning, Mr. Kosgov. Can I get you and your guest some coffee?”
“No, thank you, Meghan. We’ll be in the back and I don’t want to be disturbed.”
“Very good, sir.”
“Are you kidding me with this! Do you not see this man is kidnapping me?” shouted Emma while she tried to brace herself against my back as she leaned up to face Meghan.
In answer, I gave the flight attendant a conspiratorial wink before making my way down the aisle to the back bedroom, one of the perks of owning a plane.
The bedroom was the last cabin in the plane.
The round-roofed space contained a king-sized bed in the center with windows on both sides.
To be honest, I rarely used the ivory and gold decorated bedroom, preferring to work during the downtime of travel.
I had been considering having it removed to create an additional meeting area.
At this moment, I was very pleased I’d never gotten around to it.
Depositing Emma on the bed, I turned and locked the door.
“You have to let me off this plane.”
The engine roared to life as the plane shifted. We began to taxi out onto the runway.
“Too late. You’re my prisoner now,” I warned as I shrugged out of my suit jacket. I reached for the cufflink securing the cuff on my right wrist.
She flipped up onto her knees. “I’m mad at you right now. You’ve kidnapped me, for heaven’s sake! There is no way I’m having sex with you.”
Twisting my left cufflink off, I walked the few steps to the mahogany built-in cabinet and opened the drawer. Dropping the cufflinks inside, I picked up a small travel size aloe lotion.
This would work.
I closed the drawer with my hip and tossed the lotion onto the bed.
“What is that for?”
She really was so adorably innocent and na?ve.
“The sex we won’t be having,” I teased as I unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it off my shoulders.
Her brow furrowed as she stared at the bottle. You could see the precise moment my intentions dawned on her.
“Oh, hell, no!”
She sprang up from the bed and lunged for the door.
Pivoting, I caged her in with my body, pinning her against the door.
Before she could even cry out, I whipped the hoodie over her head and tossed it aside.
I then made quick work of her simple white lace bra.
Running my hand down her back, I could feel the aroused tremors ripple over her body as her shoulders tensed and her bottom pushed out.
Reaching between us, I flicked open the brass button of her jeans.
Her breath came in short, excited gasps. I just loved the way her hair hung down her back in thick tawny waves. It made me want to wrap it around my fist and push inside her tight cunt till she screamed for release.
Leaning down, I scraped my teeth along the edge of her shoulder. “Tell me you want this.”
She moaned.
“Tell me, baby. Tell me you want to give me your last virginity.”
My mouth teased the side of her throat. I could feel the muscles tense as she swallowed. Looking up, I watched the tip of her pink tongue flick out to wet her bottom lip. “I’m scared it will hurt.”
I caressed the cool skin of her back with the palm of my hand before moving down to her ass. I cupped her generous curve and gave it a hard squeeze. She lifted onto her toes.