(Dimitri's POV)I throw Emily down on the bed and I tell myself to go slow, to be gentle with her. But it's been months of waiting, months of longing. I've held myself back a thousand timeI can't do it anymore.I pulled her closer to my body while holding her face with one hand and crashed my lips to her lips. I started kissing her like a starved person. She immediately parted her lips only to feel mine pressing in intense, smooth but contained until her hands, with a mind of their own, took hold of me and everything accelerated.My other hand snaked around her waist as her hands wrapped around the back of his neck, holding onto me for support as she is pulling me closer to her body and deepened the kiss.Emily's lips were like summer rain, pouring over mine as if they had the power to take away and give back life. My thumb was throbbing at the hollow of her neck, rubbing up and down, pulsing warmth as my tongue conquered the depths of her mouth, hungry, consuming, pulling her into t
(Emily's POV)My eyes opened to a dark room, and confusion ran rampant until I saw the black sheet covering me and remembered I was in Dimitri's room. In his bed. With his body heat at my back. The clock on the nightstand said two-thirty a.m., which meant I was only asleep for thirty minutes before waking with a full bladder.The previous hours turned in my head. I'd anticipated sex and then for Dimitri to slap my ass on my way out the door. I didn't expect him to be gentle and then kiss me until I fell asleep. I hadn't known he had that kind of softness in him. It was more than I thought I'd ever get. I get what I've longed for days. I get what I needed. He get my virginity, for real this time. So why did I feel so... empty?God, I really was an emotional f*ck.I'm becoming weak again. I shouldn't be feeling this way. I should've given myself high hopes with this sex we had. Because we both knew that this won't work. I was taken by pleasure and so do he. No feelings involve except t
(Dimitri's POV)I was still in my underwear, my hands trembling as I poured some vodka into the glass. The outbuilding where Emily was locked up pulled at every muscle in my body like a magnet. She'd been out there for less than ten minutes, and each tick of the clock tightened an invisible noose around my neck. I couldn't shake the feeling. I'd only distracted myself by turning on all the lights in the house and barking orders at Alya. I wanted a cup of tea. My suit needed ironing. And why the f*ck was there so much yellow in my house?"She will die out there."I didn't even hear Lucio enter the room until he spoke. This was how men got killed in my position, but I didn't give a shit right now. If the cold feeling spreading in my chest was anything to go by, I was already six feet under."Get out," I ordered."It's below zero. She could get hypothermia in minutes."The words ate at my veins, but I told myself it didn't matter to me. Emily had played me. She got under my skin, made me
(Emily's POV)I woke among black sheets and a woodsy scent that consumed every one of my senses. Dimitri sat in a chair beside the bed. His eyes were lowered, and his elbows rested on his knees as he twisted my heart-shaped earring between his thumb and forefinger. A single turn of the synthetic diamond symbolized our relationship: He held my heart in the palm of his hand, bringing it out to play sometimes before putting it back in his pocket to be forgotten.He wasn't aware I was awake, and I took the opportunity to view his private moment. Still, in nothing but his briefs, his hair glinted in the sunlight and was mussed as if he'd been running his hands through it all night. He was ink and vengeance and so very human beneath cold, steel armor.In this wintery Italian fortress, the sight of him created a sharp ache in my chest that threatened to rip me in half.I wondered if Dimitri's conscience was responsible for him changing his mind about leaving me for dead, or simply the fact
(Emily's POV)My burning gaze slid to Dimitri to see if he dared to sit back on his throne and straighten his jacket cuff. "I think you're holding a grudge, wife. Not so altruistic now, are you?"Heat cascaded down my body like an avalanche. "You're one to talk," I snapped and shot to my feet. "The only reason I'm here is due to one massive grudge you have with your EX-WIFE after losing your daughter, am I wrong?""Sit the f*ck down.""You sit down!" He wasn't even standing. He sat all composed as if he hadn't just destroyed the room and my good mood.Inked finger tapping the armrest, he said darkly, "I am the last reason you're still here, alive and kicking." I was too unbalanced to figure out what he meant. The confusion only sparked more anger within."You shouldn't have fired Kendall," I told him coldly. "She'd appreciate your evasiveness and peach emojis more than I ever could." "She's a manipulative bitch. And I didn't like the way she was talking to you.""Please." I scoffed
(Emily's POV)Dimitri dropped me onto his bed from a height that made me bounce and fell on top of me. Roughly, lips and teeth ran down my throat, drawing a sigh from me. Even bracing himself on his forearms, he was heavy. The weight was perfect, yet so consuming, a fleeting thought of self-preservation rose to the surface.Though all uncertainty was forgotten when he pushed my dress to my waist, pressed his face between my legs, and inhaled.He pulled my thong to the side and slid his tongue inside me.I groaned, my hips arched, and my hand found purchase in his hair. My legs fell open farther when he licked up to my clit, a shudder running through me."God, yes," I breathed. My fingers tightened in his hair to hold him right there, but he shook off my grip before moving his mouth back down to my entrance. I made a noise of frustration, which turned into a moan when he fucked me with his tongue.He pulled back, yanked my thong down my legs, and tossed the fabric to the floor. His gaz
(Emily's POV)His other hand slides around my waist and pulls me close to his addictive-scented body. He feathered kisses on my shoulders and in my hair.Our breaths mingled and I ran my fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between us and I could feel the fast and rapid beating of his heart against my chest. I pull apart and take shaky, shallow breaths. The way he gazed at me set my insides on fire.Unable to contain ourselves anymore, he held my head in his hands and pulled me into a fiery and passionate kiss. My hands automatically work their way around his body, feeling each crevasse, each line along with his perfect physique. My heart has never beaten this fast in my entire existence.His hands venture over my curved body, exploring. He leaned in and kissed up and down my neck. I let out little whimpers of anticipation. He worked his way back to my tender, smooth lips.Then, he ended the kiss. "Your turn." he raggedly whispered.W-What?Oh, righ
(Emily's POV)My breath was still ragged, Dimitri having just rolled off me. The simple action left me cold inside and distracted me from the heavy feeling. I needed to either leave or strike up a conversation. I chose the latter. "What did you tell me you did for work that night when I asked?""I went into detail about my chimney sweep business," he answered lazily.I blinked. "You're kidding, right?""Nope." He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "Never thought a woman would throw herself at me after I told her I made minimum wage."A blush rose to my already flushed cheeks, even now, while lying naked beside the devil. "I didn't hear you.""I know that now. You were too busy working up the courage to maul me.""I did not maul you." I frowned. "That's such an aggressive word." He laughed. "You were beyond sweet all night. I didn't expect at the end of it you'd practically beg me to enter you in a public hallway." Then he added thoughtfully. "I almost did."That was why he p
(Emily's POV)Eight hours later. I glanced out the window of the private jet. I'm finally seeing again the tall Eiffel Tower. I glance at Dimitri and had been his attitude the entire flight: indifferent. He and those stupid 'Delicious!' sounds coming from his phone were driving me crazy. Lucio wasn't any better company. He was flipping through a Cosmo in the row of seats at the front of the plane. And Mali was sleeping in the corner while snoring.After we got married two days ago, even though I'm pregnant, I'd been burning up, waiting for him to touch me, kiss me, and drag me to the convenient bed in the back. But he hadn't done any of that. When I got tired of waiting. I'd straddled his lap, ran my lips down his neck, and cupped his erection as it grew harder beneath my hand.I thought I was finally going to get what I wanted, but then he shoved me off him to the couch and said, "I'm saving myself for our honeymoon, wife"I glared at him.He thought it was funny.Frustrated, I got u
(Emily's POV)The next day, something smelled like pancakes. It made my stomach churn.I loved pancakes.I rolled out of bed, brushed my teeth, and combed my hair, then padded out to the kitchen to find Dimitri at the stove, shirtless, his hair wet. I loved him like this, the casual side of him not many got to see. Like this, he was mine.But when I wrapped my arms around his waist, he tensed. Uncertainty flickered through me. He'd been quiet since last night after our wedding yesterday. I woke him up when he was having a nightmare, and an insecure part of me was obsessing over what could be his dream."Are you hungry?" he asked when I stepped away from him. I looked at the plate of pancakes on the counter and wrinkled my nose."Not right now." Grabbing the orange juice from the fridge, I poured a glass. "Is there something wrong?" I asked."Nothing.""Stop hiding anything, Dimitri. I want to know what's on your mind. I want to know more about you."I was sitting on my couch, not su
One month later(Emily's POV)Sunlight shone through the high windows of the church's bridal suite, lighting dust particles in the air like tiny flickers of gold. Nausea swirled in my belly, and I pressed a hand to my stomach and tried to breathe through it.It's our second wedding but I'm fucking nervous.I swayed as Lea tugged at my laces. "You've got to suck in, Emily. I've barely begun tightening it up."It felt like she was squeezing the life out of me. "For goodness sake, Lea, she can't suck in her boobs," Carol commented from her seat in the corner. She had a Vanity Fair magazine in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other."It's her backside I'm having trouble with. The laces are gonna be gaping at the seams if I can't cinch them in any tighter."And they wonder how I could ever be depressed...With another jerk on my laces, I breathed, "Oh, God," and covered my mouth as nausea traveled up my throat."Quick, Carol! The waste bin!" Lea exclaimed.My best friend hopped from he
(Emily's POV)Dimitri and I turn onto the main road right as the fire truck comes roaring up the lane, headed for the Castle's beach house, or what's left of it, anyway.I can see the firemen's faces as our car passes their truck, they're looking down at us, eyebrows raised, but unable to stop us from fleeing the scene."What a fucking trip!" I shout, my heart still galloping like a racehorse. "I did not know he was that crazy! I thought he was just normal crazy, like 'I don't want my food to touch,' or 'talking to yourself in the shower' crazy, not like full-out Shining."Dimitri is driving way too fast, hands locked on the steering wheel. Improbably, he's grinning almost as much as I am. Could my uptight husband be starting to enjoy our adventures?"I can't believe I found you," he says."Yeah, Did you find my shoe?" "Yes, I found it! And I remembered."He looks over at me, his blue eyes brilliant against his smoky skin. I don't know how I ever thought his eyes were cold. They're f
(Dimitri's POV)I roll down the window to try to get a better look at some of the cabins that are set back from the road, half-hidden in trees.Some of the driveways are so faint I can barely see them. In fact, I almost pass one by, failing to see the faint tracks through the grass. Until I smell a hint of smoke. It's so mild that I hardly know what scent I caught. Then I feel the automatic reaction, the hair on the back of my neck standing up, and my heart starting to race. It's a primal, terrifying smell. A warning of danger.I slam on the brakes, whipping the wheel to the left. I follow the long, winding path toward a double stand of trees. Between those trees sits a small blue beach house that I've seen once before in a battered photograph.I stop my car, hoping Oliver hasn't already heard the engine or seen me driving up the road. I slip out of the driver's side and crouch down behind the car, trying to peer around at the house.I send a quick text to Emily's brother. I'm an ho
(Emily's POV)"I need to pee," I tell him again as he forgot."You can do it with the door open," he says.I glare at him, in a stand-off between his stubbornness and my throbbing bladder.I can only last a few seconds. I drop my pants and sit down on the toilet, letting go. The pee comes thundering out, with more pain than relief.Oliver stands in the doorway, watching me. There's a tiny smile at the corner of his mouth. His eyes look hooded and pleased.I wish he would turn the fuck around and give me some privacy. Or at the very least, I wish I wasn't peeing for so long. It seems to go on forever, and it's fucking humiliating.He's right, though, if he'd left me alone in the bathroom, I would have climbed out the window in five seconds.When I'm finished at last, I pull up my pants and wash my hands, wiping them dry again on my clothes, since there aren't any towels.Oliver watches this too, with a scowling expression. I think he's looking at the cast again. Then I realize he's act
(Emily's POV)I wouldn't have gotten in the fucking trunk if I knew how far Oliver was going to drive. I feel like I've been in here forever. Also, I drank a lot of water with lunch, and I really have to pee. Also, I'm worried about what Oliver might have done with my purse. He wasn't stupid enough to put it in here with me, unfortunately. I'm anxious that he just chucked it out of the window or something, which means that my precious little package is already missing again.For a long time, I can feel that we're on the freeway smooth, steady progress in the same direction. Eventually, we turn off and start driving slowly and erratically down roads that are obviously narrower and less well-maintained. A couple of times the car jolts hard enough that I do hit my head on the top of the trunk.I've been hunting around in the dark, looking for anything useful. If there was a tire iron back here, I'd use it to brain Oliver the second he opened the trunk.At last, the car slows down. I thi
(Emily's POV)I'm sitting across the table from my new friend, Drake Lee. He passes me the little box I've been waiting and hoping for all week long, and I open the lid to peek inside."Oh my god, I can't believe it," I breathe. "I know," he laughs. "This was the hardest one I've ever done. Took me three whole days." "You're a miracle worker. Honestly."He grins, almost as gleeful as I am."You mind if I put the whole thing up on my YouTube channel?" he says. "I was wearing my GoPro the whole time, got some great footage.""Of course!" I say.I close the box, still hardly believing what I'm holding in my hand, and I stow it back in my purse. I give Drake a slim envelope of cash in return, the amount we agreed upon, plus a bonus for saving my fucking ass. "Well, call me if you ever need me again," he says, giving me a little salute."I hope I won't need you," I laugh. "No offense.""None was taken," he chuckles. He raises his hand to signal for the waitress."I already paid for the
(Dimitri's POV)I'm sitting at the table, surrounded by my men, basking in the glow of victory. We just got back in California. Our days in Bali will remain a memory. I'm also thankful that it's not our honeymoon or Zajac's head would float all over Bali's ocean.I find myself tuning out of the conversation because I want to look at Emily instead.I can't believe she stayed at Zajac's warehouse, looking for me.She could have been killed, or at the very least, recaptured and held hostage until my men returned the money they stole.She could have just run the moment she escaped the office. But she didn't. Because she knew I was somewhere in the building, probably being tortured, possibly being killed.I was frightened to see her hurt again because of me and I don't want to lose her.I've come to respect Emily and love her, too. I like the effect she has on me. She makes me more reckless, but also more focused. Before I met her, I was going through the motions. Doing what I was supposed