Page 26 of Dancing With Desire

“Dmitry, we should talk,” he adds.

“No,” says Victoria, grasping my arm a little tighter. “Business can wait until tomorrow.”

My father’s eyes widen, and he brings them to me, waiting for me to shut her down. Instead, I nod. “Victoria is right—it can wait.”

“I was under the impression you two were not together anymore,” says Vivian, her eyes narrowed on Victoria. “Earlier, you said I was welcome to him.”

“Earlier?” I repeat, looking at Victoria for an explanation.

“When she was interviewing for a job in a store. Why is that, if you’re still together?” she asks, arching her brows.

“You saw Vivian today?” I ask, wondering why I’m only just finding out about this now.

“It really wasn’t important. Let’s go,” hisses Victoria, turning and pulling on my arm.

“So, are you together or not?” Vivian asks.

“That’s none of your business,” I mutter, pissed that I look like a fool in front of them.

“Like her being out without your guard dog is none of yours?” she quips.

Victoria turns back to face them, and I brace myself for what I know will be an unleash of craziness. “No,” she says calmly, “we’re not back together. Yet.” My heart leaps at that one word of hope. “But Dmitry is right, it’s none of your business.”

“I think you’ll find it is mine,” my father snaps.

Victoria turns to him, and I see a range of emotions pass over her face—sadness, hurt, panic—and I itch to put him to the ground so I can never witness it again. “You might think you own him, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t.”

“Are you going to let her speak to me like that, Dmitry?” he spits.

“You should know,” Victoria continues, “we’re having a baby.” He does well to act like he didn’t know. Vivian stares at the floor. “You’re going to be a grandpa.”

He squares his shoulders and juts his chin. “You’re having a child out of wedlock?” he asks me.

“We’re doing shit my way these days,” Victoria tells him. “So, get used to it.” Then she turns, grabs my hand, and leads me away.

The second we’re out of their eyeline, she drops my hand. “Fuck, that felt good,” she says with a grin.

“Did you mean any of that back there?” I ask.

“Don’t push me,” she mutters. “I meant what I said to your father. I’m doing things my way, and you need to respect that.”

TORI

It felt good to be in control, to have some power over one of the most powerful men in both Russia and London. I needed that. And I’m more than aware that I’m in danger, but being in Dmitry’s presence makes me feel safe, even if right now he looks certifiably pissed-off.

I watch a range of emotions passing over his face as I nervously run my hands over my silk gown, noting that my palms feel clammy from being so close to him.

Phoebe was right—I don’t think I can just let him go, not that I’ll admit that to him right now.

“Say what you have to say, Dmitry. I’m not made of glass, so I won’t fucking break,” I snap, irritated that he’s holding back and trying to find the right words.

He takes a step forward. He’s so close that I can smell his cologne, reminding me of happier times. Times when no one else was involved and it was just us.Everything got too fucking messy.

He reaches his hand out to touch my face, but I take a step away, my back hitting the wall. “Tori,” he pleads, the vulnerability in his voice making me feel guilty. His hand drops to his side. “The pain I feel right now is nothing I’ve ever felt before. Having you, the woman I love, so close, and yet you can’t even stand the sight of me. It pains me to not know about your life, to not be the one to wake up beside you, to chase away the nightmares. To hold you and my child in my arms as your body changes.”

My gaze drops away from him. I’ve never seen him so vulnerable, so pained, and that guilt slowly eats away at me. He takes a step closer, backing me farther against the wall, and places his finger under my chin, lifting my gaze back to his own.

“I love you,” he whispers, his eyes searching, and I swallow hard to prevent the tears from falling. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d seen Vivian?” he asks, placing his hand against the wall above my head, caging me in.

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