Chapter 18 #2
Dimitri glanced at me, unimpressed. “Your clothes are all black. You dress like you’re attending your own funeral every day. You need color.”
I stopped walking. “You’re literally dressed head to toe in black right now.”
He looked down at himself, black shirt, black pants, black boots, then back at me with that smug smirk.
“Yes. But it works on me. Makes me look powerful.” His eyes dragged over me again, slower this time.
“On you? It makes you look like you’re trying to disappear.
You shouldn’t disappear. You should stand out. ”
I swallowed. No one had ever talked to me like that.
“Are you saying I look bad in black?”
Dimitri turned to face me fully, stepping close enough that I had to tilt my head back. The bags rustled between us.
“I don’t think you can look bad in anything. But black doesn’t suit you. You should be drowned in color.” His fingers brushed my jaw. “I want to see you shine.”
My face burned. I looked away fast, pretending to study a random storefront so he would not see how much that affected me.
Dimitri chuckled, clearly enjoying the effect he had on me. “Come on, little fairy. Don’t get shy on me now. We’re not done.”
We were not.
He spotted the ice cream parlor like a predator spotting prey. His eyes lit up.
“Fuck yes,” he muttered. “Come on. We’re getting ice cream.”
I did not even try to argue. There was something dangerously endearing about how excited he got over sugar. The same man who killed people for a living lit up like a kid at the sight of sprinkles and waffle cones.
Inside, Dimitri was a menace. He grabbed every single sample spoon the terrified employee offered and proceeded to taste nearly every flavor, one after another, with zero shame.
The poor girl behind the counter looked like she wanted to cry but did not dare say a word.
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
“Which one do you want?” he asked eventually, licking a spoon clean with far too much enthusiasm.
“Vanilla,” I said.
“Vanilla? That’s fucking boring. You’re not getting vanilla.”
Before I could protest, he ordered for both of us, something bright and fruity with berries and mango for me, and a massive, ridiculous combination of chocolate, caramel, honey, and brownie bits for himself.
Of course.
We ended up leaning against the wall outside near his car. Dimitri devoured his ice cream, barely pausing to breathe. I ate slower, watching him with amusement.
“You’re going to get sick if you keep eating like that,” I muttered.
He licked his spoon slowly, eyes flicking to my mouth. “Are you worried about me, Lyubimyy?”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the way my stomach flipped at that word. “Keep dreaming.”
I kept eating, staring straight ahead, when suddenly wet heat dragged across the corner of my mouth. Dimitri had leaned in and licked the ice cream off my face, his tongue brushing the edge of my lips in a filthy drag.
He pulled back, licking his own lips. “You had something there.”
My face burned so hot I thought I might combust. “You—you could’ve just handed me a tissue! Why did you lick me?!”
Dimitri shrugged, completely unrepentant. His gaze dropped to my mouth again, darker now. “I wanted to. And soon I’ll do a lot more than just licking, little fairy. I’ll have you spread out on my bed, begging for my mouth everywhere.”
Holy. Shit.
He pushed off the wall and started walking toward the car like he had not just set my entire body on fire. “Come on. We’re going home.”
Home.
As if his mansion was mine now.
When we got back, Dimitri ordered dinner, actual food, thank god. I sat across from him at the long dining table, trying my hardest to forget the way his tongue had dragged across my mouth earlier.
It was not working.
I kept my distance the rest of the evening.
Sat one seat away.
Found excuses to be in other rooms.
By the time night fell, my nerves were shot.
I stood awkwardly in the doorway of his bedroom, arms wrapped around myself. The new pajamas he had bought me were soft, white with delicate lavender flowers scattered across the fabric. I actually liked them. More than I wanted to admit.
Dimitri was already in bed, shirtless, black sweatpants slung low on his hips, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when I hovered there.
“Where am I sleeping?” I asked.
“In here. With me.”
I blinked. “You can’t be serious. This mansion has like twenty rooms. Surely one of them isn’t yours.”
“That’s not an option.”
“Why?”
He set his phone down and stood, moving toward me.
“Because you’re sleeping next to me. Where I can see you. Where I know you’re safe.”
I crossed my arms, trying to sound braver than I felt.
“I don’t like sleeping next to people. I move around. I steal blankets. I talk in my sleep. I might have nightmares.”
Dimitri stopped in front of me. “Then I’ll hold you still. I’ll wake you up if you have nightmares. And if you talk in your sleep, I’ll listen.”
“That’s not—” I swallowed. “I might kick you.”
“Sounds fun.” His mouth curved. “I’ll consider it foreplay.”
“Dimitri,” I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “This is a terrible idea.”
He did not argue. He just placed both hands on my shoulders and pushed me backward onto the massive bed. I yelped, scrambling toward the headboard on instinct.
“What are you doing?!”
He caught my ankle and yanked me back down the mattress like I weighed nothing, pulling me flat. Then he leaned over me, caging me in with his arms.
“You’re going to lie in this bed and sleep next to me,” he said. “Or I’ll tie you to the headboard and keep you there until you stop fighting. Those are your only two choices, little fairy. Stop with the excuses.”
I stared up at him. I had no chance of winning against him. I nodded quickly. “Okay.”
“Good boy.”
He released me and moved to his side of the bed.
I scrambled under the covers, pulling them up to my chest. I kept waiting for him to roll over, to touch me, to finish what he started that night in the forest.
My body was already half-hard just from the memory.
But he did not.
Instead, he reached for the lamp.
“Wait,” I said quickly. “Can you… leave it on? Please?”
Dimitri paused, studying me. “Are you scared of the dark?”
I swallowed, refusing to meet his eyes. “No. I’m not scared. It’s just… I get anxious. It’s stupid, I know.”
I expected him to mock me, but he did not. He simply pulled his hand back. “Okay. Light stays on.”
Dimitri settled back against the pillows, one arm tucked behind his head.
“Good night, little fairy.”
I turned my head slightly to look at him.
This was dangerous.
He was dangerous.