by Roxie Rivera
"No, I'm sure he wasn't." Dimitri's grin brightened his face. "Come inside."
He curled his arm around my shoulders and led me into his apartment. I kicked off my flats before following him into the living area. He sat down on the sofa and I started to sit down next to him, but with one swift tug, he pulled me onto his lap.
"Dimitri!" I tried to wiggle free but he gripped my waist.
"Sit still," he urged and planted a ticklish kiss on my neck. "I missed you today. Let me hold you."
How could a girl argue with that? Relaxing, I said, "Well…okay."
He smiled indulgently but didn’t point out that I wasn't exactly agreeing to a huge hardship. His fingers swirled over the bare skin just above my knee. I caught his eye. There was no mistaking that mischievous glint. His hand slid a little higher, scooting just under the hem of my skirt.
Even though I wanted the same thing he wanted, I decided to make him wait. I wanted to draw it out and enjoy the anticipation a little longer. "Dimitri?"
"Yes?" He nuzzled my neck.
"What's the story behind Vivian and Nikolai?"
Instantly, he stiffened. Surprised by his reaction, I glanced at him. He quickly recovered and gave a nonchalant shrug. "It's not much of a story."
I held his gaze. "I'd like to hear it. I'm not comfortable enough with Vivian to ask yet but I feel like I'm playing catch-up when they talk." I ran my finger over his knuckles. "Please?"
He didn't look thrilled to do it but finally relented. "Okay."
I pecked his cheek. "Thank you."
"You know that Vivian's mother was Russian, right?"
"I sort of assumed that part. I heard her speaking Russian to Ivan earlier. It was flawless." During dinner, I'd overheard Len and Vivian clucking at one another in Spanish, their fiery come-backs some of the funniest I'd heard in a long time. "Her Spanish is perfect, too."
He nodded. "If it wasn't for her talent with a brush, I think she might have studied languages. She would have been good at it." His hand swept up and down my thigh, pushing the fabric of my skirt higher with every movement. "Vivi's father was in a Mexican motorcycle gang. They operate on both sides of the border."
"Like the Hell's Angels or something?"
"Worse," he said, his lips settling into a grim line. "We're talking drugs, prostitution, guns and hits. Really nasty stuff and very dangerous people, Benny. When Vivi's mother married that man, her family turned their backs on her. They cut her off completely."
"Ouch."
"From what I understand, her mother was always a little…strange. It got worse after she married and had Vivian. She had some kind of a psychotic break and tried to drown Vivi. A neighbor heard the screaming and saved her. They put Katya away in a mental institution for a while. That's when Vivi started living with her father's family—but I don't think it was much better. At that point, her father was doing time for a drug charge."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing but I sensed it was going to get much worse.
"Eventually, her mother got better and they let her leave the hospital. She got Vivi back and things were good for a while. Vivan's father got out of the pen and came home. The trouble started again. Her parents were both nasty drunks. They would beat the shit out of one another when they got going. Some of the old-timers who hang around the Samovar can tell stories that will curl your toenails. They'd go at one another with knives and broken bottles."
I grimaced. "Jesus, that's awful."
He nodded. "By the time Vivian was ten or so, her father had gone back into the pen. Her mother was more erratic and dangerous. She wouldn't stay on her medication so Vivian's grandparents, Katya's mother and father, finally stepped in and took custody of Vivi. Her mother lost all hope and she hung herself in a motel room across town."
I gasped at the horrific picture he painted. "Dimitri, that's terrible."
"Vivian's grandparents shielded her from much of the ugliness but then her father got out of prison again. He wasn't allowed to have contact with her, but he found a way to pass her notes in school, probably through a gang member's child. Somehow, he convinced her to meet with him. One thing led to another, and soon Vivi was running drugs for him."
"What?" I almost fell off Dimitri's lap. "You're joking!"
He shook his head sadly. "I don't think she realized what was happening. She was just a kid. A young, stupid kid, you know? Her father would give her a backpack and a place to meet a cousin. She'd take the bus, meet this supposed cousin at the mall or wherever and trade out a backpack of drugs for one filled with money."
"Oh my God!"
His jaw tightened. "Eventually, she got picked up during a narcotics bust. Her father had twisted her mind so badly she wouldn't give him up. Her grandparents were able to get her a good lawyer so she was put on probation and into counseling."
Enthralled by the tale he told, I began to wonder about Nikolai's connection. "Where does Nikolai fit into this story?"
He breathed in slowly. "Not long after Vivian was picked up during the drug bust, Nikolai was here visiting family. Vivi's father had gotten back in contact with her. He convinced her to help him do one last job so he could get enough money to take her with him. I'm sure he promised her all kinds of things to make her do it. Somehow he got Vivian to break into a house to help him steal. She was shot by the homeowner and fell out a window while trying to flee. Her father left her there to bleed to death. Nikolai was at the house next door. He heard the gunshots and the scream and saved her life."
I sat in stunned silence as the tragedy of Vivian's history washed over me. Something about the way Dimitri wouldn't meet my gaze told me there was so much more to this sordid tale but I didn't push. I trusted there was a reason I didn't need to know everything. What he'd told me was bad enough!
"What happened to her dad?"
"As far as I know, he's still in the pen."
"So what? After that, Nikolai felt responsibility toward her?"
Dimitri didn’t answer immediately. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "He knew her mother's family from back in Russia so he kept in touch after he returned to Moscow. I think the experience of finding a child bleeding to death after being shot and falling out of a window really fucked with him."
"It would screw up anybody."
He hummed in agreement. "When we came over here to start over, Nikolai found out her grandmother had recently died and her grandfather was in a home with Alzheimer's. He offered her a job at Samovar and made sure that everyone knew she had his protection."
"He's that powerful?"
"Yes."
I decided not to indulge my curiosity of what men like Nikolai actually did for a living. Instead, I asked, "Is that how you feel about me? That I need your protection?"
"Sometimes," he admitted. "Right now, you need me. This mess with Johnny and the real estate developer? That's not something you should navigate on your own. You need someone like me to lead the way and keep you out of trouble."
"I'm not helpless, Dimitri."
"I didn't say that."
"Well…"
"Hey," he whispered softly and touched my cheek. "I think you're incredibly smart and capable, Benny. I know how far people like Jonah Krause are willing to go to get what they want. I also know how stupid your brother can be." The corners of his mouth dipped. "Have you heard from him today?"
"Just a quick call around five," I said. "It didn't go well. He told me he would be home around midnight. Honestly, I didn't want to fight with him so I let it go. I told him we'd talk over breakfast."
His hand dipped under my top and stroked my naked skin. "Is that your way of telling me you aren't spending the night?"
I shivered as his fingers branded me with their very touch. Swallowing hard, I said, "This is my way of saying that things happened fast last night. I think we should slow down a little." Nervous, I added, "If that's okay."
His fingers went still. His pale blue eyes peered into my darker ones. "Of cours
e it's okay. Benny, you tell me what you want and it's yours."
I got the feeling he wasn't just talking about sex. Sometimes he said things like that and I so desperately wanted to read into the double meaning. I wanted to believe that he felt as strongly as I did. Last night had thrown me for a loop. I wasn't quite sure what was happening now or where we were going. Lena's advice came to mind.
"Dimitri?"
"Yes?"
"What…what are we doing?"
His lips twitched with amusement. "I was planning to strip you naked and fuck you right here on this couch until you begged me to stop but I suppose we could watch a movie instead."
I gulped as he described the night he had planned for me before I'd given him the "let's go slow" speech. "Oh. Um—let's table that and come back to it, okay? But, really, I meant us. What are we doing? Are we a couple? Are we just screwing around?"
His long fingers threaded through my hair. "Last night was our first date so I think that means we're dating." His eyebrows rose questioningly. "Unless you only want a sexual arrangement? Friends with benefits or whatever they call it."
"No!" I answered too quickly and he smiled. "I mean, no. I don't want that kind of arrangement. Dating sounds good."
"Then we're dating."
"Okay."
"Benny?"
"Yes?"
"Let's go back to the topic you tabled."
My cheeks grew hot. "What about it?"
His hand slid under my skirt and moved toward my panties. "You said you wanted to go slowly." His fingers inched along my inner thigh. "I can go very, very slowly, if you'd like."
Suddenly, my clit throbbed and my pussy ached for him. Trembling with excitement, I whispered, "Maybe fast is okay tonight."
He laughed and captured my mouth. Whimpering, I clutched his shoulders and prepared to be ravished by him. If my one night with Dimitri had taught me anything, it was that my big, sexy Russian was a master when it came to this kind of thing. I practically vibrated with lust and need.
He wasted no time pulling off my top and tossing aside my bra. My skirt and panties quickly followed. He dragged a soft throw down from the back of the couch and placed it under me, sparing my hot skin the cold shock of the cool leather.
Cradled in the plush couch, I watched him peel out of his shirt and jeans. All that deliciously tanned skin beckoned. I ran my greedy hands all over his body. Giving the waistband of his boxers a little tug, I snapped them back against him. He chuckled as I pushed them down his hips.
That fat, thick cock sprang free. I clasped the steely length of him, stroking from the wide base to the blunt, ruddy tip. Dimitri sucked in a shuddery breath as my fingers moved over him. Even though I was sure I would disappoint him with my less than stellar blow job skills, I had to taste him. I started to move toward him but he stopped me. Confused, I glanced up at him. "Don't you want me to…you know?"
He pushed loose strands of hair behind my ear. "Yes, but only if you want to, not because you feel like you have to do it."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course I want to do it!"
He laughed and grasped his erection. "Then open that pretty little mouth and suck my cock."
I pushed up on my knees and put my hands on his hips. Wetting my lips, I let saliva pool on the tip of my tongue before swiping the full length of him. I dragged my tongue along the underside of his big shaft before sucking him into my mouth. His pained groan sent electric zings of excitement arcing through me. I wanted to make him feel just as good as he'd made me feel last night.
There was no way I could take all of him into my mouth. He was too damned long for that. With my lips stretched wide, I bobbed up and down on his cock. My hand picked up the slack, gliding up and down his erection. I could taste the slight tang of pre-cum as he grew more and more aroused.
When Dimitri's fingers tangled in my hair, I glanced up at him. Our gazes met, his eyes questioning and seeking permission. I understood what he wanted and trusted him not to take it too far. Relaxing my jaw, I happily waited for him to pump his cock into my willing mouth.
Gently at first, he thrust his cock against my tongue. His nostrils flared as he slid in a few inches and then retreated. The tight tendons in his neck and his shallow breaths showed how much he was fighting the primal urge to bury his cock deep in my throat. He kept his baser needs in check and showed me just how much he appreciated my trust in him by taking my mouth with cautious strokes. I hummed around his pumping cock and made sure to flutter my tongue over the weeping crown, sucking the droplets of pre-cum glistening from the tip.
"Enough," he said with a groan and pulled free. His cock visibly throbbed as he denied himself the orgasm he clearly wanted.
A moment later, he was on his knees and shoving me onto my back. He grasped my knees and opened my legs wide. He dragged a finger through my tender folds, swirling it around my clit and then letting it slide lower to push inside my slick channel. Hearing his soft groans while I had my mouth on him had gotten me so excited.
"You're so fucking wet." He lowered his face and placed a kiss right on top of my clit. "Does sucking my cock make you hot, Benny?"
Breathless, I confessed, "Yes."
He added a second finger in my soaking channel. "Do you want me to lick you? Do you want to come with my tongue on your cunt?"
I gasped at his rough language but answered honestly. "Yes. Please, Dimitri!"
With a hungry groan, he dropped his mouth to my pussy. As if ravenous, he attacked my clit. His tongue circled the swollen nub and flicked around it. I lifted my hips and clawed at his shoulders as he drove me crazy with that wicked, wicked mouth. The fingers buried in my wet depths moved in and out at a steady pace. He curved them up just enough—and I saw stars. "Oooh!"
He suckled my clit, pulling the pink pearl between his lips and rolling his tongue over it. The fingers pressing against my G-spot sent me over the edge. Howling with pleasure, I cried out again and again as he pushed me higher and higher into the realm of ecstasy.
His mouth crashed to mine. We kissed frantically and groped one another. I whined like a sad little puppy when he pulled away from me to grab a condom from the pocket of his jeans. In an instant, he was back and petting my lower belly. Our mouths touched again. Lip locked, we exchanged passionate kisses while he ripped the condom wrapper.
I was panting and gripping his forearm as he sheathed himself. He grabbed my hips and dragged my bottom right to the very edge of the couch cushions. With one powerful thrust, he impaled me. "Dimitri!"
"You can take me," he said, his voice gruff and filled with intense need. His fingers bit into the soft flesh of my thighs as he pushed my knees toward my chest and started to fuck me. There was nothing gentle or tender about our coupling now. He took me hard and fast—and just the way I wanted it.
"Oh! Oh! Ahhh!" I cried out in sheer pleasure. Every deep stroke of his cock set my body on fire. He pinched my nipples, tugging lightly on the dusky peaks until they buzzed. The delicious ache amplified the throbbing pulse between my thighs.
Dimitri brought my fingers to his lips. He sucked on my fingertips and got them nice and slick. He pushed my hand down to the spot where we were joined. "Rub your clit for me. Make yourself come."
My belly flip-flopped at his command. Shyness overwhelmed me, but one look into his smoky, lust-filled eyes and I couldn't find the strength to say no. Wanting to come while he pounded me with that big, fat cock, I swirled my fingertips over the bundle of nerves that clamored for attention. It didn't take much stimulation to put me on edge.
Lower belly trembling and toes curling, I found it hard to breathe. My gaze locked with his as he slammed into me again and again, his cock bottoming out before it retreated to just the head buried inside me.
Over and over, he took me, faster and harder until I screamed his name and descended into the blissful grip of orgasm. A split-second later, he followed me. A string of Russian words left his lips and he collapsed against me, shuddering and jerking as
the waves of his climax ripped through him.
When we finally calmed, he left me just long enough to discard of the condom. Back in the living room, he dragged me down onto the floor with him. Our limbs were tangled in the blanket. The hardwood wasn't the most comfortable place to rest but we didn’t mind.
I simply wanted to feel his hot body pressed to mine. He caressed my naked skin and peppered my face with loving kisses. Every now and then he whispered sweetly against my ear, telling me I was beautiful and amazing and so damn sexy.
In short, it was perfect.
*
Dimitri hated to ruin a perfect moment but it had to be done. Of all the times to bring it up, he figured now was as good as any. Benny rested in his arms, completely satisfied and relaxed. Surely she'd be more amenable to what he was about to say.
"Sweetheart, I've been thinking about UpStreet Properties."
"Oh?" She sounded a bit sleepy.
"I think you should raise the price on the building and sell."
She went rigid in his arms. A moment later, she pushed up on hand and glared down at him. The look on her face promised one hell of a fight. "What?"
"Benny, look," he said carefully, "I did some checking into Jonah Krause. He's a dangerous man."
"So what? I should just give him what he wants without a fight?"
He frowned at her naïve reply. "And just who in the hell do you think is going to fight this war of yours?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" She poked him in the chest. "I never asked you to fight this battle for me. You're the one who rode to my rescue and offered to help me."
"What did you expect me to do, Benny? Let you get wrapped up in something you can't possibly understand?"
"There you go again! What is with you? Why do you assume that I don't know how to maneuver through these types of business deals?"
