I freeze, losing the ability to breathe, think, and move all at once.
The next moment, he's gone.
Somehow, I find my way to the bathroom, showering on autopilot.
The shower is as easy to navigate as your average jet plane, but I figure it out. The large space, big enough for half a football team, has several jets, all intent on washing all my worries away.
But even they can't do much for my mind, which is churning and churning over and over.
Tonight, Dimitri's involvement, the sound of the three bullets, the fear, and Ava's words. Above all, Ava's words. They all turn and turn in circles, on repeat.
When I come out of the bathroom, a fluffy towel around myself, I find black, simple underwear, still with tags, set on the Alaskan king-size bed.
I suppose they must have plenty of extra clothes for the men and women they bring here. There's nothing else, so after putting them on, I hunt down something to sleep in.In a gray chest of drawers, I find a large T-shirt, soft and smelling of detergent. Unsurprisingly, it completely drowns me. I'm not the slimmest woman out there, but it's Dimitri's. Who even produces these ridiculous T-shirts for his overlarge shoulders and his narrower waist?
The bed is so comfortable, I should have been asleep in moments after everything that happened, but instead,I toss and turn, unable to crash for minutes or hours, I can't tell.
After a while, I give up. I'm never going to be able to rest again unless I get one thing straight.
I rush through the double doors of this ridiculous suite and knock on the smaller door to the right, pushing it open before I hear a word.
Dimitri's sitting up, those damn glasses perched on his nose, quietly reading a book.
Fuck him for being able to read right now. For being so at peace.
"Why do I have bodyguards?" I snap.
He lifts those green eyes to me, lowering his glasses to the nightstand and placing the book next to them.
Only then do I realize he's shirtless.
Oh my god. This is fucking ridiculous. Ripped doesn't begin to cover it. There are bulges on top of bulges, rippling muscles carved in the marble of his chest.
"Because you're fragile, untrained, and vulnerable."
"You've described at least ninety-nine percent of the human population. To my knowledge, you don't have the entire world protected."
He smirks, standing, andfuck.He doesn't even have a six pack; he has a fuckingeightpack. I can't help noticing that deep V indentation leading down his dark pants.
"I don't."
"Then why…"
"You have guards because you can't stop people from attacking you. You can keep the puppy at my place because yours doesn't allow pets. And before you ask, I pay Ava because you can't afford the thousand bucks per session she charges," he says, slowly walking towards me. "I'm not going to play this game with you, petal. If you ask stupid questions, you're going to get nothing but stupid answers."
He's close now, so close I can smell the ocean and musk and apple. I could drown in it. I could be very fucking stupid right now.
And then, I'd be rejected. Ignored. Embarrassed.
I make myself step back. "Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you, I…"
He reaches for my wrist, pulling me back as I walk toward his door. I can see my hand trembling.
Then he lets go.
"Yes, go back to bed, petal. You're exhausted." I'm already halfway out, but his voice follows me."And when you're ready for a real answer, I'll be right there."
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