Page 45 of Ensnared
Two hours later they were sitting down at the dining table that overlooked the glowing blue pool. The chef was one of the many chefs at the hotel. He brought over a whole cart of food that was mostly already prepared. Using the kitchen for the last few touches, he put together a more than generous table for them. The level of service was so unreal it actually made her a bit uncomfortable as she watched the man dart between the kitchen and the dining room. The guilt was gnawing at her. It felt as if she should be helping or doing something. It was only Dimitri's hand over her knee keeping her in place. With his knowing smile, he kept her anchored to her seat while the chef worked to prepare the food and the dining area. Only when it was all done and the chef graciously served them and left did Eve let out a sigh of relief.
Around them, the house was still. Gentle music flowed from the hidden speakers in the walls cascading delicately over them like invisible snow. Eve stole a glance around the room as she cut into her steak. The dining room like the rest of the house was something out of a magazine. Located on the other side of the kitchen and behind the living room wall with the fireplace, the room was like a conservatory. The industrial black metal framing of the windows contrasted beautifully with the exposed brick of the outer walls. The long sloping frames of the tall glass ceiling allowed the rain to drizzle down like a waterfall off the side. The lit fireplace next to the oak dining table gave the industrial space a warm inviting feeling.
Yet even with the overwhelming elegance of the room, Eve's focus was inescapably drawn toward the man at her right. Sitting at the head of the table, he reminded her of a king presiding over his court. Was this what stolen brides and kidnapped women felt like in medieval times?
Dimitri reached for his glass of water and Eve frowned. Catching her look, Dimitri tilted his head and gave her a questioning smile.
Feeling a little put on the spot, Eve looked down at her plate and shook her head. "It's nothing, just a random thought," she muttered.
His eyes glimmered in the low light. "Tell me."
"It's just…it's just I thought that a meal like this," she paused and gestured to the immaculately plated dish of steak and vegetables. "Would be paired with wine or something. I guess I'm just surprised."
"I can get you wine."
Eve shook her head. "No. No, thank you. I just thought it odd."
He took a drink of water and put it down. "You're not wrong. But my staff knows I don't drink much and serve accordingly."
That information really made her frown.
Dimitri smirked and looked out the windows. "You assumed that a man in my line of work would be a heavy drinker, right?" His bright blue eyes gleamed in the low light of the room. "And you're partially right. I have seen countless men fall because of their lack of control. I don't plan to lose all that I have worked for because of a bad habit I couldn't shake."
The tightening feeling in her chest reminded her to breathe. The rare insight in Dimitri's mind made everything stop, including her breath. Control. That was it. That was what that constant feeling was when it came to this man. Control of her, his surroundings, and even himself. That was why she always felt like a doll being used at his discretion. He plucked her out of her life and into his. He played with her at his discretion. And one day he would toss her aside when he was through with her.
Just don't let me be pregnant when it happens. She said the little prayer over and over again in the back of her mind, stoking her temporarily forgotten anger. Rubbing at her arm where the bandage still was, she shot him a glare.
As if waiting, Dimitri caught the look with a grin, flashing his white teeth like a predator in the shadows.
Any dark memories that had resurfaced vanished as he put down his half-empty glass and looked at her. "What made you want to be a librarian? And do not tell me it's because you love to read."
She made a face because that's exactly what she was going to say. She shrugged and picked at the vegetables on her plate, trying to spear a particularly stubborn mushroom. "It's not that interesting," she mumbled. "It just always seemed like something that would suit me."
Dimitri's brows rose.
"What?" she gave him a questioning smirk. "Why do you think there is something more to it? Look at me," she gestured toward herself, "don't you think librarian or nerd when you see me?"
"No. And with you, there is always something more." There was a warmth to his words that made her stop even as his eyes held a flat knowing stare.
A part of her wanted to ask him what he meant by that but stopped herself. Would that sound like she was fishing for compliments? He was certainly the first person ever to think there was some big mystery to her. She wasn't naïve, she knew how she came across to people. A little reserved and very nerdy-looking. When she told people her major in college, she always got a big nod of agreement that practically saidof course you are.She really wanted to know just what in the world he saw when he looked at her.
Eve shook her head. "It's dumb," she said, hoping that he would change the subject.
No such luck. Dimitri studied her, his eyes boring into hers until she relented with a long-suffering sigh.
"Fine," she said and took a huge breath. "I like the way the library feels." Knowing he was giving her a quizzical look, Eve looked out the windows at the water cascading down and at the rippling surface of the pool beyond. She thought of her time at the university library between the towering stacks. "I like the overwhelming feeling it gives me. When I was a child, we had a field trip to the library and I think I was forever changed. I like the quietness of the place. I like feeling small between the shelves. It's the same feeling I used to get when Ricky and I would build a fort of blankets in our rooms. I like looking at all the different color spines, some tall, some short, some so thin they're lost between giants. I love knowing that there are worlds in each book from fantasies to people's lives, pieces of the past, all of it. I love how you can spend all day there and there is nothing wrong with it. It's normal to lose yourself and time in a library. There are only a few rules. Be quiet and keep to yourself."
For a second, Dimitri's eyes widened at her speech. As if he was caught off guard by the intensity of her words. The brief mixture of surprise and…was that longing? She couldn't be sure. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by an unreadable mask as he averted his gaze.
Twirling the glass in his hand a corner of his lips tugged into a harsh smile. "That sounds amazing actually," he admitted and she couldn't help but hear the note of bitterness in his tone. "I wonder if I could have felt the same if I had been given the opportunity."
Confused, Eve looked down at her plate and then back up to him. "Were there no libraries near you in Ukraine?"
Dimitri made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat. Eve lifted her gaze and met the diamond coldness in his eyes. "There wasn't much of anything for me back there."
Chapter 25
Dimitristaredupatthe ceiling with his arms folded behind his head. The curtains were partially open allowing some of the pale moonlight to glide into the room. His eyes long since adjusted to the dark and he could see the room clearly. Beside him, Eve slept. She had begun the night as she always did on the very edge of her side of the bed, only to eventually roll over onto her back.
