Chapter 9
Cara
I hadn’t planned on going back to the office last night.
I went home and tried to relax, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Dmitri and how upset he was. I wanted to know what the problem was, and I saw an opportunity to get on his good side.
It was the right move.
Something unexpected happened when he was opening up to me about his arranged marriage. There was a moment when I felt sorry for him. I thought he was unfazed and emotionless about the whole arrangement because he agreed to it for business reasons, but that wasn’t the case.
He seemed genuinely miserable, and I imagined myself in his position and felt a little sympathetic toward him. No one should be trapped in an arranged marriage, especially with someone they don’t even like. What if they fall in love with someone else?
Are they supposed to let the love of their life go and be stuck in misery forever because of business or whatever reason?
I really hope my father doesn’t do the same to me. I don’t think I could go through with that, but I don’t think that he would care if he got a good enough deal out of it.
“Cara, let’s go to lunch. There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
I nearly flinch out of my chair when Dmitri bursts into his office. “Lunch? Together?”
He approaches me and nods. “Come on.”
I have questions, but I don’t ask any of them. Instead, I put my laptop to sleep and follow him out of the office. A slight stir of nervousness fills my stomach as I glance at his face, trying to read his expression.
Is he upset? What does he want to discuss with me that we can’t discuss in his office? What if he found the bug?
Karly eyes me as we pass by her. I’m sure she’s noticed that we’re growing closer.
We take the elevator down, standing close enough that our arms almost touch. It takes everything in me not to look at him again to try to gauge his mood. I’m not a big fan of mysteries and secrets.
Dmitri leads me out of the building and across the street before finally speaking again. “Do you have a shellfish allergy?”
Relief loosens my chest, and a smile stretches across my face. “You’re always asking about my nonexistent allergies.”
“You’re the best assistant that I’ve ever had. I’d rather not kill you over a meal,” Dmitri replies as he glances at me, a ghost of a smirk on his face. “Well?”
“No food allergies,” I assure him.
Dmitri looks forward again as he leads me down the sidewalk, cars flying past us on the street. “Growing up, I had a friend who had a lot of allergies. He had to sit at his own little table in the cafeteria, away from everyone.”
My expression softens at his unexpected words. “He must’ve felt lonely.”
“He was until I started bringing lunch from home. No peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. No tuna and crackers. Nothing that could hurt him. I was able to sit with him once I started doing that,” Dmitri replies as a distant look fills his eyes, a small smile settling on his lips.
A flicker of warmth ignites in my chest at the thought of a mini version of him doing whatever he could to sit with his friend at lunch. But that was a long time ago. That boy is gone now.
I shouldn’t feel sorry for him or be impressed by him. It’s dangerous.
“That was nice of you,” I say. “Are you still friends?”
Dmitri grows silent for a few moments, and dread seeps into my chest. “He died during the summer between eighth and ninth grade. He went to a summer camp, and I guess they forgot about his food allergies and served him something with peanuts in it. He didn’t even realize until it was too late.
They couldn’t get to his EpiPen in time to save him, and they were in the middle of nowhere... ”
I lift my hand and touch his arm before I can even think about it. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t imagine losing a friend like that so young.”
Dmitri slows down to a stop and looks over at me, genuine grief haunting his eyes. “I wish that I had gone to that camp with him, but my family…they had other plans for me. I should’ve fought to go.”
“You wouldn’t have been able to do anything,” I say gently.
Dmitri shakes his head. “I could’ve been with him at least.”
I slide my fingers down his arm and squeeze his hand. “You were a good friend to him.”
Dmitri looks away, clearing his throat before gesturing to the restaurant door that we’re standing in front of. “Come on.”
I follow him inside, immediately realizing that it’s a small sushi restaurant because of the cherry blossom artwork on the wall and the sushi chefs working at a bar in the back.
Once we sit down at a booth and order our drinks, I lift my eyes to see Dmitri peering at me, my cheeks automatically warming.
I don’t know why they keep doing that. This is all just an act, but my body doesn’t seem to get the memo.
“I’d like you to come with me to a gala,” Dmitri tells me, catching me off guard.
My eyes widen. “A gala? I didn’t see that on your calendar.”
“It’s a private event. Mostly for people in my realm of business who want to drink, talk, and spend a bunch of money for charity,” Dmitri replies.
Why in the world would he want his assistant to go? To fetch him drinks and take his jacket?
“It sounds nice, but I’m not sure what my…purpose would be there,” I say.
“You could meet some of the people I do business with,” Dmitri tells me. “I’d like to hear your thoughts on them, see who you deem trustworthy.”
That seems like an odd reason why he wants me to come with him. But I guess he’s beginning to trust me.
It’s surprising.
And thrilling.
“Sounds…fun,” I reply, still feeling a little uneasy. A night surrounded by mob bosses. Wonderful.
Oh shit. I should make sure that my father and none of his men are attending.
The side of Dmitri’s mouth curls up. “I understand if it’s not your thing. I’d just like you to come along with me.”
He wants me to come with him. Despite his explanation for my attendance, why does it feel like a date? My heartbeat quickens. No, that’s crazy.
“Is Annika going?” I ask him.
His smile drops as he nods. “Yes, she’ll be my date.”
I figured that much. A man like him doesn’t show up at an event without someone on his arm, and I didn’t expect it to be me, not with his supposed engagement in the works.
“I don’t think she’ll like me showing up too,” I tell him, able to picture the rage on Annika’s face when she sees me arrive.
“I don’t care. I’m doing what I want,” Dmitri replies as he leans forward a little with his arms crossed on the table. “And I want you to come.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I hold his gaze, seeing a hopeful glint in his blue eyes. Even a little playfulness based on the innuendo in his wording.
I would be stupid to say no, to avoid this chance of getting closer to him. Part of me is kind of curious to see how things go too. It could be an opportunity to drive my wedge deeper between him and Annika since I’ll be with them both.
“Okay. I’ll go,” I say as a smile forms on my lips. “Thank you for inviting me.”
Dmitri shrugs. “I don’t know if I can promise you fun. These things can be a bit stuffy. I’m sure it’ll be interesting. It’s for a good cause, after all. I believe the funds are for disabled veterans.”
“That’s…nice. What should I wear? How fancy?” I ask him as a sense of wariness looms over me. I have some decent clothes from various business events, but I’ve never been to a fancy gala before.
“Black tie formalwear,” Dmitri admits before waving his hand. “Don’t stress about it. I’ll help you with that.”
My eyes widen. “You’ll help me how?” I ask.
Before he can answer, the waiter comes back to drop off our drinks and take our orders. I was so distracted by the gala invitation that I didn’t even look at the menu. I stumble through my order, internally scrambling to gather myself.
I didn’t expect an invitation to spend time with him outside of work. I might’ve started something last night. The line between work and play is starting to get blurred. Which is a good thing. As long as my father’s not in attendance.
“If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to,” Dmitri tells me before tilting his head a little. “You don’t typically get…flustered like this.”
I need to pull myself together before he gets suspicious. Hopefully, it just looks like I’m bashful. “It’s because I don’t have a dress. Or even shoes. I’m just unprepared, and I don’t want to disappoint you.”
Dmitri shakes his head. “You won’t disappoint me. I’m going to take you shopping for a formal dress.”
“Why?” I blurt out before thinking. “Sorry, I just…that’s very generous, Mr. Ivanov. Too generous.”
“Dmitri,” he reminds me. “And it’s not a problem. I know what to look for,” he insists. “We’ll go tomorrow. The gala is on Friday night.”
The thought of him buying me a dress makes my face burn. It’s so unexpected, but I guess this means that I’m going in the right direction. His fiancée certainly won’t like the thought of him buying a dress for another woman.
He’s moving closer to me all on his own.
“I look forward to it,” I tell him with a fake smile.
“I’d like to see you in red,” Dmitri says as his eyes roam over my chest.
I lean forward a little, coaxing his gaze down to the teasingly low neckline of my work dress. “Yeah?” I’m guessing he wants me to wear something low-cut as well.
“Dark colors look good on you, but I think you could pull off something more striking,” Dmitri replies.
My pulse quickens.
“Black definitely suits you best. Although, a hint of color now or then wouldn’t hurt, right?” I say, walking a thin line between kindness and flirtiness. I don’t want to be too forward, but I have to be bold enough to entice him.
There’s a part of me that likes his eyes on me, even though I shouldn’t.
“Fine. Maybe I’ll add a touch of red, so we’ll match,” Dmitri tells me with a grin.
I can’t help but laugh. “I’m sold.”
“Good,” Dmitri replies, looking satisfied.
He got what he wanted. I just didn’t expect it to be me.
My father should never have doubted me.
It’s time to turn up the heat a little, and once I get Dmitri close enough, I’ll make it impossible for him to pull away.
Annika and the alliance will be the last things on his mind, and the growing power of the Bratva in Las Vegas will diminish. All because of me. Not some large-scale assault. Not some master plan with dozens of dead men.
Dmitri is already choosing me.
He just doesn’t realize it yet.