Page 20

EVIE

K atya and I are in the middle of watching which girl Eric sends home on his two-on-one date when Dimitri barges into the room.

By the look on his face, I can tell he wants to get me alone, which I’m more than fine with.

“Katya …” I say.

She rolls her eyes. “Go. I’ll tell you what happens.”

I jump off the bed and practically run over to Dimitri. He wraps me into his arms.

“Get a room, you two,” Katya mutters.

“Well, technically, we are in a room,” I say.

“God, you sound like my brother now. Get out before I vomit.”

Both Dimitri and I laugh as we go into the other hotel room Dimitri booked for us.

The moment we’re alone, he takes my face in his hands and kisses me deeply. “I wanted to do that all night.”

“Did everything go well? With Abram’s men?”

“For now. They might cause problems, but between Nik, Maxim, and me, we should be able to shut anything down.”

“So, everything is good? We’re finally at peace?”

“We’re finally at peace,” he says, drawing me in closer to him. “And there’s one thing I need to tell you, Evie. I’ve been wanting to say it for a while.”

My heart starts to beat faster in my chest. I can’t tell if this is going to be a good thing or a bad thing.

“I fucking love you.”

A good thing, then.

My heart feels like it’s going to fall right out of my chest from sheer happiness. “You love me?”

“I really do.” He cups my face; his fingers tracing circles into my cheeks.

“Dimitri, I love you, too.”

“Honestly?”

“Yes, honestly,” I say, laughing. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I mean, I used to get a lot of women telling me they loved me, but it was never real. It was usually just infatuation. Lust. Sex.”

“Well, with me, it’s none of those things. I love you for you.”

“I can’t help but think you’re a little crazy,” he says against my lips.

“Crazy for you.”

“That’s my line.”

“Then you should kiss me to get it back.”

His smile is dangerous, but I know I’m not in any actual danger. I’m completely safe with Dimitri, and that’s why I love him.

He lets out a low growl as he captures my lips with his. The kiss starts off slow and gentle but soon moves into a frenzy. We cling to each other as we walk back to the bed, both of us falling down onto it at the same time. We share a laugh through our kiss.

Dimitri’s touch knows exactly how to light me on fire. Now that I’ve had a taste of him, I know I’ll want more and more forever.

His hands travel down to my thighs, leaving goosebumps behind on my skin. I sigh as he slips my dress off. My arm is achy from getting shot, but the medicine Dr. Wilson gave me helps me relax, and Dimitri is careful to be gentle with my arm.

I let out a soft moan as his fingers release my bra and touch my breasts. He traces his hands down to my underwear, where he slides them down my legs. Rolling me onto my back, Dimitri lifts each of my legs one at a time to remove the fabric from my body. He gives each of my inner thighs a kiss, sending a heat straight to my core.

“God, you smell so fucking good.”

Not surprisingly, I blush.

He captures my eyes from his spot between my legs. “It’s cute how you still blush when I talk dirty to you.”

“I can’t help it.”

“I don’t want you to help it. I never want you to stop being you.” He plants a kiss right between my legs. My hips roll up to meet his lips, but he moves on to my lower stomach. A small whine escapes me. “All in due time. I want to savor your body.”

Dimitri plants kisses over my stomach then moves up to my breasts, where he kisses each nipple, before moving on to my neck. My arousal is seeping out of me. I need him desperately. I’ve never needed anyone like this.

He spends time kissing my neck and behind my ear, and my toes curl from the pleasure of it.

“I need you,” I whisper.

He smiles right before he kisses me deeply. I cling to his back, tugging at his shirt. He lets me pull it over his head, and it joins my clothes on the floor.

My hands roam over his muscular chest, feeling every ridge of him. I bring my legs around his hips and slowly arch my back into him. Dimitri growls low in his throat. It turns me on even more.

He unzips his pants. “I need to get these fucking things off me.” My laugh rings through the air. That’s another reason I love him—he’s always good at making me laugh.

Once Dimitri has his pants and underwear off, he settles back between my legs. I can feel his erection pressing against my inner thigh, and my body clenches at the memory of him inside me. The closeness we share. I’ve never had it with anybody before.

No wonder people get addicted to love and sex. I can’t imagine living my life without Dimitri.

He grabs my thighs and hikes them around his waist. Our eyes lock. The look of desire in his expression turns me to fire.

Then he enters me.

We both moan, and my legs clench around his waist while he tightens his hold onto my thighs.

Then he begins to move. It starts off as a gentle rocking of our hips. Rolling them around. I arch my back, bringing our lower bodies even closer together.

Dimitri’s breath falls on my face. His hands on my body feel electric.

I cling to his back. My nails dig into his skin slightly, making him increase his pace. Thrust. I gasp from the sensation of it. Thrust. Dimitri lets out a low growl. Thrust. My lips part, and my eyes flutter closed. Thrust. Dimitri finally kisses me again.

Our bodies move in perfect harmony. It’s not awkward. It’s not strange. It’s only pleasure.

“Oh,” I gasp when he sinks deeper into me. I pull back to look into his eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you,” he pants.

The pace of our lovemaking grows more wild, more frenzied. Dimitri claims me as his, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

My thighs tighten around his waist as my inner walls clench around his length. Dimitri moans. I love his sounds of pleasure. It’s just for me from now on.

Sweat beads on our bodies. Every thrust of his hips draws his chest over my mine. My nipples are sensitive to the touch of his skin.

He lets out a low groan and thrusts into me with so much power, I finally come. I tremble and whisper his name.

“Never stop doing that,” he says, grinding his hips against mine. “Never stop saying my name.”

“Dimitri. ”

It makes his own release wash over him.

“Oh, Evie,” he says, burrowing his face into my neck. “Fuck. I love you so fucking much.”

“I love you, too.” My hands trace circles into his back. We stay like that for a long time after.

And then he pulls out of me and rolls onto his back. I nestle into the crook of his body, placing my head on his chest. I can hear his heartbeat under my ear. It’s the most comforting sound in the world.

“Now, what?” I ask. “What does our life look like now that we have peace?”

“I think it looks a lot like this. Fucking.”

I laugh and swat at his chest. “Ok. But what else?”

“Being together. Getting to know each other more. Finding a new house.”

“Making a home together.” I know I want that most of all.

Dimitri smiles down at me. “I like the sound of that.”

The new house in question is actually a penthouse this time. With views overlooking Central Park, it’s prime real estate in New York.

It’s not about the money, though. It’s about the family I’ve now gained. Dimitri and Katya. My husband and my best friend and sister-in-law.

“This place is beautiful,” Ava says as she steps into the penthouse, her husband Nikolai with her. As a sign of goodwill, Dimitri invited them and Maxim over for dinner.

“I know it is,” Dimitri responds.

Ava only rolls her eyes.

She walks over to Katya and me. “It’s nice to see you both again. Evie, how are things going with Dimitri? I remember when we last spoke, you didn’t sound so sure of him.”

“I’m sure of him now,” I tell her. “I love him.”

“That’s good. I did say you could find love with a Bratva man, and I’m glad you’re happy. This world isn’t easy on us women. So, to have love in it means everything.”

“Well, I don’t have love,” Katya says, taking a sip of her champagne, “and I doubt I ever will with how controlling Dimitri is. He’ll never give me freedom unless I’m married to someone, which is stupid because he just told all his men to stop putting so much emphasis on a Bratva daughter’s virginity.”

“That’s because that rule only applies to women who are not his sister,” I say.

She snorts. “Isn’t that the truth?”

“Is there anyone you have your eye on to marry?” Ava asks.

“No. And honestly, given how controlling Bratva men can be, I doubt I’ll ever want to get married. I just want to date who I choose, but of course, Dimitri won’t allow that. And, you know, it’s not even about my reputation. I don’t think he gives a damn about it. I think he just doesn’t want me to get hurt, which sounds sweet on the surface but is actually the most suffocating thing ever.”

I give her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, Katya. But one day, you’ll have more freedom. And you know I’ll never rat you out to Dimitri.”

“Thank god we were best friends first. I know I have you on my side.”

“Always.”

Katya grabs Ava’s hand. “And to a new friend. We should all band together.”

“I agree,” Ava says.

I look between the two women. An old friend and new one. Never has my life been this full. My eyes find Dimitri’s across the room as he talks with Nikolai and Maxim, who both already look tired of whatever Dimitri is talking about. I can’t help but smile.

He pauses his conversation to smile back at me.

Juno’s funeral is a small affair .

Dimitri asked me why I wanted to have it after how Juno treated me, but it’s not about what Juno deserves; it’s about doing the right thing.

“She had her issues,” I say as the two of us stand in front of her headstone. The funeral is over, with only Dimitri and me having attended. The funeral officiant is long gone. “She wasn’t the mom I hoped for. She disappointed me so many times. But I wanted to put her to rest for myself. For closure. I haven’t had a family of my own since my dad died. But I have you now.” I lean against his arm. “I want to put the past behind me. Putting Juno to rest allows me that. I’m ready to just live my life.”

“Then let’s go live it.”

He takes my hand in his, and together, we walk over to my dad’s grave. I kiss my fingers and place them on the headstone. I know he’d be happy that I finally found my place in this world.

Dimitri and I leave the cemetery.

I watch as the janitor cleans up the little kid’s vomit off the library floor. I smile to myself and place the book in my hands on the shelf. No matter how much my own life has changed, some things remain the same. Parents will always bring their kids to the library, and undoubtably, some of those kids will always make messes. It brings me comfort to know that. In this crazy, chaotic world, I still have the library to center me.

“You know, you do look sexy in your librarian get up,” Dimitri says into my ear, making me jump.

I turn around to face him, holding a book to my chest. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Why not? You like it.” He places both his hands on either side of my head, boxing me in. But it’s not a trap. It’s exactly where I want to be.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. But I need to continue shelving these books. I don’t have time to flirt with you. ”

“But you see, I always have time to flirt with you. So, why don’t we go find a quiet place in the library and …” He waggles his eyebrows, letting me know exactly what he wants to do.

“I’m not going to have sex with you in the library.”

“Admit it. That’s been a fantasy of yours for years.”

I blush. “Nope.”

“You’re lying.”

“Not. At. All.”

“Then prove me wrong.” He holds his hand out for me. “Don’t take my hand and follow me into a private stack where I’m going to show you so much pleasure, you’re not going to know what to do with yourself.”

Instead of turning away from him, I take his hand and let him lead me behind a bookshelf.

I can allow myself to have fun every once in a while.

The End