Dimitri stood, running his hand down his face. He did not understand. Should he go after her? Should he give her space?
"This is what you get for dating someone half your age," he muttered to himself.
Maybe this whole thing with Amanda wasn't going to work out. He couldn't be with someone who didn't want to be around his children. He didn't want to be with someone who refused to be part of his life in that way. Yet just thinking about not being with her caused his chest to ache. Though they hadn't been together for very long, Dimitri was serious about her, and the thought of not being with her was enough to cause him internal pain.
At that moment, his phone started to ring. His heart skipped and he grabbed it from the nightstand, hoping it was Amanda, ready to apologize.
It wasn't.
When he glanced at the caller ID, he saw his lawyer's name flash across the screen. Dimitri frowned. This could not be good. They weren't supposed to discuss anything so soon after mediation.
"Hello, Marty," Dimitri greeted, much calmer than he felt.
"Dimitri," Martin Saltzman said, skipping the friendly greeting and jumping right in. "We have a problem. Rita doesn't plan on returning the children until some sort of agreement can be made between the two of you regarding custody."
"What?" Dimitri's body tensed but he began to pace up and down his living room. Each step was tight and sharp, like he was some kind of tin man who desperately needed oil. "She can't do that."
"Unfortunately, she can," Martin said. "Do you remember when you two initially split up and you let her take the kids because you thought it would be best, what with your travel schedule? I insisted the first topic you both needed to broach was custody and you both said that was something you could work out between the two of you? Without an official court agreement, we can't force her to give you the kids, even though you verbally agreed on everything. There's nothing stopping her from keeping the kids because she is their biological mother and there's nothing saying she can't have them."
Dimitri pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Momentarily, he halted his pacing and sucked in a breath. He could feel the anger rising in his throat. It pushed against his skin, like he was some kind of werewolf and was going to transform at any moment. At the very least, he wanted to chuck his cell phone across the room and roar.
"What does she want?" Each word was clipped, like he was firing shots.
"She wants an agreement drawn up about what she gets and...," Martin let out a breath. "She also wants to put in writing other stipulations that are complete bullshit and try to infringe on your life as a now-single man."
"Marty," Dimitri said, his voice sharp. His grip on his phone tightened, and he knew if he wanted to, he could probably crush the phone in his hand. "Tell me. What is it she's asking for?"
"She wants you to stay single until you are officially divorced," Martin said.
Dimitri blinked. "What?" he asked. There was no way he could have heard him correctly. "Rita wants me to refrain from dating? If she had done the same while we were still together, we wouldn't be divorcing at all. Marty, can she do this?"
"She can try," he said. "Unfortunately, everything is up in the air. Her attorney is drafting up paperwork as we speak. I'm calling to give you a head's up. My immediate reaction is to tell you not to give into her demands. However, as someone who's been through three divorces of my own, one made worse because I had kids, I can't tell you what to do. When kids are involved, everything else goes out the window. You have to decide what you want."
Dimitri plopped into his couch. He could still smell the hint of jasmine Amanda left behind and he wished she was back here with him. Her presence would make this entire situation better. Not because she would solve this for him or help him figure this out, but because being near her calmed him. Reminded him that everything was going to be okay.
"How long do I have to decide?" he asked. There was no fight in him, not right now.
"Her attorney wants to meet again Monday," Martin replied. "That gives you the weekend to consider this. Once we meet and get official documentation of their demands, we can ask for more time, but I doubt they'll give us much. I wanted to tell you now so you were prepared."
Dimitri nodded even though Martin couldn't see him. "Do we have a chance, Marty?" he asked. "Can we fight this?"
There was a long sigh on the other end of the line. It didn't sound good.
"Honestly, Dimitri, that's up to you and what you want," Martin told him. "The decision is up to you."
8
When Amanda returned to her dorm, her hands were shaking. Madison wasn't home, which was a good thing. She didn't think she'd be able to talk about what happened, let alone try to explain her feelings. It was difficult already; the more Amanda tried to open up about her relationship with Dimitri Petrov to Madison, the more she realized that being with an older guy—especially one going through a divorce, who had children—was hard to explain. Nobody understood it unless they were going through a similar situation. She wasn't even a step-mom and yet, she felt like she was part of this exclusive club that was filled with stress and uncertainty. She didn't know if she wanted to be part of it anymore.
When she got inside, she all but collapsed on the couch and started to browse Netflix, looking for something she could watch to get her mind off of Dimitri, his kids, and his ex-wife. She ultimately chose Supernatural and sank deeper into the couch, debating whether or not it was worth it to grab a vanilla and almond ice cream bar.
"Häagan-Dazs is always worth it," she reminded herself, and walked the short distance to her fridge, pulled out the box she shared with Madison, and grabbed a bar.
It was an hour later before her phone chirped.
I need to speak with you. It's important. Can I come over?
Actually, that was the last thing Amanda wanted. Madison wasn't completely comfortable with Amanda dating Dimitri Petrov. While Amanda wasn't exactly sure why that was, she respected her friend enough to not force that on her. As such, she kept Dimitri away from her dorm so Madison wouldn't have to walk in on them, even if they were doing something as innocent as watching television together. Since Madison was still wrapped up in her own drama with Alec Schumacher, Amanda decided it would be best if she either head back to Dimitri's place or meet him somewhere public.
Public was a bad idea because they weren't supposed to be together, she reminded herself. She paused the Winchester brothers and kicked her feet on their coffee table. Madison insisted they have a place to eat since they didn't have a dining table—although this simple black table from Ikea could hardly be classified as a coffee table at all.
She let out a sigh and stared up at the ceiling. She wasn't ready to talk about her feelings because she hadn't sorted through them just yet. She didn't know what to feel about this whole situation. But she also knew Dimitri wouldn't say something was important if it wasn't. He wasn't the type of person to use her feelings for him as a way to get her to do what he wanted.
I'll come over, she texted back. Leaving now.
She picked herself up from the sofa, sending Madison a text about being with Dimitri and not sure what time she'd be back.
By the time she got back to Dimitri's place, she still hadn't figured out what she wanted. She pulled up to his place and parked on the street. When she got out, Dimitri opened the front door to his house, as though he had been waiting for her. This caused her to frown.
"Is everything okay?" she asked when she reached him.
He placed one hand on the small of her back and led her inside the house before shutting it behind them and locking it up.
"I got off the phone with my attorney and he told me that Rita is keeping the kids from me unless I agree to her demands."
Amanda's mouth dropped open and she stopped walking so she could look at Dimitri. "Wait, what?" she asked. "Rita is doing what?"
"She refuses to give back the children," he said.
"Can she do that?"
"Apparently, she can." He ran his fingers through his hair and Amanda could see just how much he’d aged in the couple of hours she had been away from him. She wanted to go to him, to wrap her arms around him, but something rooted her in place. "I don't have any agreement with her about temporary custody of the kids. We verbally agreed to split the week up until something more solid was put in place with the court. We're basing it around my schedule, of course. But because there's nothing official from the courts, she can legally keep the children."
"Dimitri, I'm so sorry." The words came out of Amanda's mouth before she could stop them, but she wasn't quite sure if they were the right ones to say.
"She did say she would return them once I signed a document stipulating that I will not date anyone until we are officially divorced and everything, including spousal and child support, custody, all of that, has been decided."
"Oh." Amanda felt like a blow had hit her gut. She wished she could sit down but she was rooted in place. "I, uh, I understand."
Dimitri furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, you understand?" he asked.
"You're breaking up with me." It was hard for Amanda to get the words out. She hadn't realized that regardless of the stress she had been dealing with when it came to meeting his children, she still wanted to be with him. She wanted to figure this out. Now, there probably wouldn't be a chance.
"I'm not breaking up with you," he said, looking down at her with a confused expression on his face. "I called you because I need your help. Because I want you here with me while we try to figure this out."
"We?" Amanda asked.
"I look at you like my partner, Amanda," he said. "I wouldn't have asked you to meet my children if I didn't want to be serious with you. If I didn't love you."
Amanda swallowed. "You," she began, picking up her eyes to look at him. "You love me?"
"I love you," he repeated. He took her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I love you more than you realize. And I want you to be here because you're the only person I trust enough to help me with this."
Amanda swallowed and nodded her head. "Okay," she said. "Okay."
9
To say that Dimitri was grateful Amanda came back was an understatement. Not only was he floored, he was also incredibly relieved. He didn't think she would, after what came out of her mouth earlier that day. However, here she was, sitting on his couch, a glass of hot chocolate in her hand, her red hair swept up in that messy bun he liked, leaving her throat bare and exposed.
"So," she said after taking a long sip of the hot cocoa before setting the mug down on one of his coasters on the coffee table. "What's the plan, Dimi?"
He sighed. He should have expected that question but he still had no idea what he planned to say. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging between his legs, and shrugged his shoulders.
"Can I give you my opinion?" Amanda asked.
Dimitri nodded. "Of course," he said. "I want to hear your thoughts."
"I think it's bullshit," she said. "The whole thing is bullshit. Now, please keep in mind that I'm young, I don't have kids, and my longest relationship has been with Zac Efron since High School Musical, but I think it's a way for her to control you while still getting what she wants. My parents divorced. I have a stepmom. I'm not saying my mom went to the same measures Rita's doing, but, to a degree, I know she used me to get what she wanted out of my father. It stemmed from how hurt she was because my father was the one to cheat on her rather than the other way around, so I'm not quite sure why Rita is doing this, but maybe she wants you back?"
Dimitri snorted and shook his head. "That, my dear, is ridiculous," he said. "If she wanted me back, why would she cheat on me in the first place?"
"Again, I can't speak on her actions," she said, playing with a stray curl by wrapping it around her finger. "I don't know why someone would do something like this. I can only make an educated guess. Just because I major in psychology does not mean I'm a psychologist."
"Really?" Dimitri teased, the corners of his lips tilting upward. "That's a problem. Once I heard what you were majoring in, I knew I wanted to be with you because of all the assistance you could give me concerning the explanation of humanity's actions."
"That's more sociology, but I digress," Amanda said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Okay, maybe she doesn't want you back, but maybe she wants to control you. Regardless that she's the one who messed up, you are a significant person in her life, Dimi. You're the father of her children. You guys were together, what, ten years?"
"Eleven," he corrected gently. Even saying the number was difficult. He absolutely loathed the fact that eleven years of his life had been wasted. The only good things to have come from that marriage were the kids. The kids were the only thing that made any of this worth it. "Ten married, one year dating."
"Right," Amanda said. "Look, she wants to feel like she still has an impact on your life. Even if it's using the kids to her advantage, she wants to keep you alone and miserable."
"So you're suggesting I sign nothing?" He tilted his head to the side so he could stretch out his neck and turned his body so he could lie down on the couch.
"Whoa, this isn't on me," she said quickly. "Please don't make it so I have to solve this for you. I'm just giving you my opinion. You ultimately make the choice. That's what I'm trying to tell you."
Before Amanda could say anything more, Dimitri picked his upper back off the couch so he could give Amanda a gentle kiss.
"Do you know," he said in a low whisper, keeping one hand on her cheek and the other holding the back of her head in place, "that when you get frustrated with me, you get this wrinkle over the bridge of your nose? It's the cutest thing. Each time I see it, I have this urge to smooth it down with my lips."
He heard Amanda's breathing hitch.
"Stop it," she instructed, her breathing heavy. He saw her eyes get dark just looking at him, and he could feel himself stir under that gaze. How he managed to land her, he would never know. Just because he was a hockey player did not mean he could have anyone he wanted. He was aging. He would be retiring in the next couple of years. He was going through a divorce. He had children. And Amanda loved him anyway. "Stop distracting me."
"What do you mean, distracting you?"
"You know what you're doing, don't pretend." She cleared her throat and gently pushed him back down so his head hit the arm of the couch behind him. "Look, all I'm saying is to figure out what you want. It's not that hard."
"You're right," he agreed with a nod of his head. "I want you."
Amanda closed her eyes. "You're so annoying, you know that, right?"
"You think it's charming," he teased. "Especially with my Russian accent."
"I think it's annoying," she said.
He laughed. "You are such a terrible liar," he said. "It's one of the many qualities I love about you. Come here, come here." He reached behind her so he could place his hands on her back. "You asked me what I want, and it's this: I just want to hold you. I do not want to think about Rita or the kids or anything else. I will, but not right now. Not when I have you on top of me. Let me just hold you."
When Amanda sighed, Dimitri knew she agreed. It was the truth. Amanda was a good distraction from everything he was going through. If he didn't have her, he would have probably gone insane.
10
Whenever Dimitri touched her, Amanda got goosebumps up and down her arms. It was something she tried to hide, if only to ensure her vulnerability wasn't obvious, especially to him. However, it was hard to do anything when Dimitri looked at her the way he did, with hooded brown eyes.
She wanted him.
She always wanted him.
As an Ice Princess for the Newport Beach Seagulls, she got hit on. A lot. The tight outfits and the personas they were supposed to employ while working were enough to lend itself to the idea that all Ice Princesses were okay with being ogled, felt up, hit on, and just plain creeped on by the general—almost
always the male portion—population.
Rumors constantly surrounded them. Many times, guys and women had no problem coming up and asking which Gull they were sleeping with. One guy had the nerve to come up to Madison Montgomery and ask if she was being hospitable with the other team by taking them out and giving them a good time. Alec Schumacher happened to overhear—it was at a fan event—and he punched the guy in the face. Of course, the guy was ecstatic about getting a punch from Alec Schumacher, and luckily, no charges were filed, but that was the wrong person to say that to, if only because he was secretly dating Madison, and the only person who knew was Amanda.
Amanda, however, was sleeping with Dimitri, but it had been so much more than that. The first month of their relationship was just talking, getting to know each other better.
"What's on your mind?" Dimitri asked, playing with a strand of hair that fell from behind her ear as she leaned closer to Dimitri. She liked to be on his lap, whether he was sitting or lying down. It made her feel safe, straddling his waist and pressing her hands against his broad chest.
"I'm just lucky to be with you," she said. "I'm lucky to know you."
He chuckled in a self-deprecating way.
"I am the lucky one," he said, his hands clutching her hips. "You, my darling, are a sprite, still young. You haven't even hit your prime yet. I am an old man going through a divorce. I have no idea what you see in me, besides my charming good looks and the wealth I've accumulated over my twenty years as a professional hockey player."
"You caught me," she said. "I'm just in it for your money."
Dimitri chuckled and pulled her down so she was lying on top of him, her head tucked in the crook of his arm.
She could hear him sigh as he placed his lips on her forehead. She closed her eyes and allowed herself the moment to relax and enjoy this. She knew things would change, especially when she met his children. She understood that. But that was not today. That might not be for a while.
Ravishing Rebounds: A Slapshot Novella (Slapshot Series Book 10) Page 3
