She looked up and found Dimitri standing next to her chair with his hand out. Before she could second guess herself, she went with her gut and placed her hand in his, letting him help her to her feet. Warmth streaked through her from where their skin touched and she tried to pretend her nipples weren’t now clearly poking through the thin fabric of her dress. Even in her four inch heels he towered over her and she looked up at him, drowning in how fucking sexy he was. In a vain effort to regain control of both the situation and herself, she lifted her chin and tried to give him a cold look.
“Where’s your harem?”
“Harem?”
“Yes. All of your women. I’m sure they’re missing you.”
“Where is Tusya? Is he missing you?”
She frowned up at him. “I have no idea where he is.”
“So you do not want him?”
The urge to tell Dimitri that she’d fucked Tusya’s brains out tempted her, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t react well. The last thing she wanted was for Dimitri to pick a fight with him, and as odd as the thought was, she was pretty sure Dimitri felt possessive of her. It was in the way he stood, the way he looked at her, and the way he glared at any man who tried to approach her tonight from the moment he found her in the dining room.
She sighed. “No, I don’t want him.”
“You want me.”
“Arrogant much?”
“Is not arrogant when true.”
Scowling at him, she tried to pull her hand away. “I’m sorry, Dimitri, I know this may sound stupid to you, but I don’t share so it would be best if we end things right now.”
“You share Katya with Tusya.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“It just is.”
His lips twitched and she swore he was laughing at her. “Come. Let us walk.”
Giving his tux a glance, trying to ignore her body’s purr of approval at the way he filled it out, she said, “Aren’t you going somewhere?”
“Not anymore.”
“Why?”
“You will not be there. I will be where you are.”
“What?”
“Come. Walk. Is too crowded here.”
He tugged her after him, leading her outside. It was still warm enough that she wasn’t too chilly in her sleeveless dress, but her shoes weren’t really made for walking on the grass. When they stood at the top of the steps leading down to the right side of the house with the paths leading to the lake just down a small hill, she tugged her hand out of Dimitri’s.
“Hold on, I need to take my shoes off.” A faint smile curved his lips and she sighed up at him as she removed her heels. “You’re used to getting your way, aren’t you?”
For a moment he looked surprised, or at least his version of surprise which was the faintest raising of his eyebrows. “Da. I mean yes.”
“Thought so.” She almost asked him if it was okay to leave her shoes here. She highly doubted anyone would want to steal her clearance rack fifty dollar heels when most of the women around here were wearing designer footwear that cost as much as the monthly payment on her brand new SUV.
Once her feet touched the grass, she couldn’t help but stop and wiggle her toes in it, delighting in the feeling. Dimitri watched her closely, like she was something new and unusual that he couldn’t quite figure out. Well, that made two of them.
“What are you doing?”
“Enjoying the feeling of the grass beneath my bare feet.”
“Why?”
“Because it feels good.” When he tilted his head to the side and looked even more confused she couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, Dimitri, when was the last time you walked barefoot through the grass?”
He shook his head, then scooped her up into his arms.
Clinging to his jacket, she stared up at him, hoping he hadn’t heard her little girly squeak of fear. “What are you doing?”
“You have small, tender feet. I do not want you hurt by hidden stone.”
While she liked that he was worried about her hurting herself, she wasn’t sure about being held by him like this. “Won’t your harem get jealous if they see you walking off with me?”
Ignoring her, he carried her down the lawn and out to the lake. She had to admit, it was nice being cradled by a man strong enough to carry her without any complaints. Really nice. And he smelled good, like the soap Katya had used on her earlier mixed with a scent she could only identify as intensely masculine.
He took her out onto the dock to the very end where a group of padded adirondack chairs faced the water. He took a seat in one of them and adjusted her onto his lap until she was curled up in his arms like a contented kitten. Mad at herself for not putting up more of a fight, she tried to sit up, but he easily tucked her back into his arms. Her tension disappeared as she inhaled a deep breath of the smell of the lake cooling as the sun set filled her. Contentment moved through her and she took in the raw natural beauty around her while snuggling in his firm grip.