Page 42 of Ensnared
Dimitri's grip tightened until she was tucked under his chin. She felt rather than heard his voice when he began to speak. "From the moment I saw you, I wanted you. I told myself nothing would stop me, not even you. I thought you were an itch that could be scratched. I was wrong. You have embedded yourself into my skin and I've grown greedy for more of you--all of you. And you're going to give it all to me, Eve. No matter how hard you fight me. Just remember that I can fight harder," he said in a soft, infinitely more dangerous tone.
He moved and she could feel his lips on her ear just as his hand slipped up just under her chin and held her under her jaw tilting her head back just enough for her to meet his crackling blue gaze. "You can have anything you want from me, my sweet Eve, anything but freedom."
Chapter 23
Dimitripushedopentheglass door and watched as Eve silently passed through. Outside, the morning sun was bright, its harsh light bouncing off the concrete of the medical center's parking lot, signaling a hot day ahead. Holding her arm where the doctor made their incision, Eve followed silently at his side as they walked toward the two black SUVs waiting ahead.
The procedure hadn't taken long at all. The doctor, an older man with plenty of experience in emergency surgeries since Dimitri's arrival in Vegas, executed the procedure with the same detached professionalism demanded by his association with Dimitri's organization. The doctor had ignored Eve's red, puffy eyes, a direct result of crying herself to sleep last night, and her defeated stare as she sat obediently on the table. Instead, the doctor took his instruction from Dimitri, listening carefully as he explained that he wanted a pain-free removal of the implant.
Now as she held her bandaged arm and walked alongside him to the car, Dimitri had the strong urge to put her fears to rest. It would only take one sentence. Just one confession to wipe the worried little line from the middle of her brow and fill her eyes with no doubt confusion and relief instead of worry. But as quickly as the thought surfaced a flash of anger surged within him like lightning.She belonged to him.He didn't have to say anything to ease her fears. She was bought and paid for, he reminded himself.
Reaching out to her, Dimitri stopped her and pulled her to him. He caught the flicker of fear in her eyes just before she tried to drown it with anger. She was his. He could do whatever he liked with her, he reminded himself.
Framing her face with both hands, he forced her to look at him. Beautiful gray eyes filled with watery hatred stared back at him through her round glasses and Dimitri couldn't help but smile. She was so fucking cute. Even now, tears and anger, all of it—he wanted her. The urge to push past her defenses and kiss her until she became soft and disoriented in his arms tested his control in the worst way.
Eve spoke first, her words cutting through him like a knife. "You lied," she said in a low voice. Grabbing his wrists, she shoved his hands away from her face and gave him a scathing look. "You said you wouldn't hurt me."
Anger twisted inside of him and he knew his expression darkened from the way her eyes widened. Grasping at the threads of his waning control, Dimitri straightened his suit and reached out to her. Faster than she could react he grabbed her underneath her chin until her lips were forced into a pout. He brought his lips to hers giving her a hard pressing kiss, right there in front of the building entrance before letting her go and walking away.
"I'll see you tonight," he said over his shoulder, not trusting himself to turn back and look at her. With one glance to Dominic, he silently conveyed his instructions to keep an eye on her and got into the waiting vehicle.
No surprise to anyone, her mood did not improve by the time Dimitri got home. Tired as fuck from endless meetings, Dimitri silently walked into the dark bedroom. The soft nocturnal glow from the window gently draped its light across the sleeping figure in his bed. Pulling off his jacket and slipping out of his shoes, he pulled at his tie and tossed the garment on the small plush chair in the corner of the room all the while never taking his eyes off her. Even in the dark, he could make out the bandage on her arm.
Dimitri tried to mentally gauge how big the fight would be if he got in bed and pulled her to him in comparison to his overall fatigue. He could certainly do it. Eve was beautifully feisty but always ended up losing the battle of wills when it came to his touch. Running a hand through his hair, he turned and went to the bathroom.
It wasn't until he was pulling back the covers to his side of the bed sometime later that he noticed the little intruder. Two glowing orbs glimmered in the dark just above her head. Dimitri stared back at the large glowing eyes before propping his head on his hand with a sigh.
Reaching out, he gently rested his hand on top of the creature's soft head and scratched behind its ears. The intruder let out a low purr. Dimitri let his gaze slip down from the glowing eyes to the sleeping woman. He couldn’t see her face in this position but he had seen it often enough in the past week that he could picture it well. She no doubt brought the cat in tonight as comfort.
Lying on his back, Dimitri let out a sigh and looked back at the cat who stared at him from above her head like a feline hat. "Don't get too comfortable in my spot."
The short-legged fur ball promptly got comfortable.
For the following three nights each time he came home, not only was Eve asleep, but she was holding that innocent-looking intruder in her arms. Judging by her all-out silent treatment of him when she was awake and her position at the farthest end of the bed each night, Dimitri knew she was still angry. Between her anger and the endless amount of work he had to personally deal with at the hotel, his own mood was starting to suffer.
Dimitri was sitting in front of one of the many computers in the tech lab when Andrey walked in followed by a sullen Ricky. As soon as the younger man caught his gaze he stopped and visibly paled.
"What's wrong? Is Eve okay?" The mixture of fear and anger flashed in his gaze, challenging Dimitri to acknowledge the turmoil he had caused in his life.
Dimitri smirked. He did not acknowledge it or care. Instead, he pointed to the chair next to him. "Sit," he ordered.
Slowly, Ricky walked over and sat as instructed while Andrey sat in his usual spot, a desk in front of the room that had about five monitors. Uninterested in the conversation, Andrey began to type on the computer.
Dimitri looked Ricky over. Andrey was seemingly keeping him in good health. He didn't look as skinny as he did the first few weeks of his being here, but the bags under his eyes and the little stress lines between his brows were still there.
"Tell me about your sister," he began.
"What do you mean?" Ricky looked at him suspiciously.
"Tell me what she hates or what she likes." Because it certainly wasn't an American Express Black Card with her name on it, Dimitri thought remembering the footage of her discovering the card on the kitchen counter the other morning and angrily tossing it in the trash. Annoyed at the memory, he looked pointedly at her brother. "Tell me how you two grew up."
"Why should I?" He shot him an insulted look. "Why the hell would I make my sister's rapist's life any easier to-"
Dimitri pulled the gun out from his back holster and cocked the hammer. The room went stone still. Silently, Andrey leaned around his monitors and watched with bored interest at the scene. Ricky's face turned an almost sickly gray as his wide eyes bounced between the gun in Dimiti's hands and his face.
Holding the gun aloft at his side, Dimitri smiled coolly.
Ricky swallowed and looked away.
