12. Dimitri

12

DIMITRI

I reach across the bed, ready to pull Zara back against my chest and press my already hard cock against her plump ass, but I find it empty.

My eyes fly open to find her side of the bed crumpled and vacant.

“Zara?” I push myself up into a seat position.

The room is empty, so I assume she’s taking a shower.

I quickly throw off the covers and go in search of her.

Last night was meant to be a one off, a way to get Zara out of her head, but maybe we can extend that to a morning session in the shower because the thought of her naked body dripping wet has me groaning with the need to take her.

I knew sex with Zara would be incredible, but not that incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard in my life, and the sweet sounds of her coming undone will be forever etched into my mind.

This is going to be some arrangement indeed.

“Zara?” I call out as I push open the door to the bathroom. I was expecting the sound of the water running, for the mirror to be steamed up, and to find her naked body soaped up and ready for me. But it’s also empty.

She’s gone.

My heart skips a beat as my mind goes to the worst-case scenario. It’s Gilanto all over again. Someone got in while we were sleeping and took her right out from underneath me.

I was meant to protect her. I promised to protect her, and on our first night as husband and wife, I broke that promise.

I stumble back into the bedroom, my eyes darting around for any sign of a struggle. Surely, if something happened, I would have heard? This doesn’t make sense…

Until my eyes land on the pad of hotel stationary on the small writing desk, and I notice Zara’s delicate handwriting.

Dimitri,

Sorry to leave like this, but I needed some time alone to think.

Please don’t worry. I’m at my apartment in the city.

I’ll meet you at your penthouse tomorrow evening.

Zara

Time to think ?

I re-read the note a few more times before ripping it off the pad and screwing it into a ball.

What is there to think about? What we did last night was a one-time thing, purely to get it out of our system, nothing more.

If Zara’s suddenly worried that I’m expecting her to sleep with me on a regular basis just because we’re married, then she’s got the wrong idea.

Why didn’t she say something to me if she was worried?

I thought we had the sort of relationship where we could talk about things, but clearly, I was wrong.

I can’t deny it hurts that she felt the need to disappear in the middle of the night, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.

If she regrets sleeping together, then we’ll just have to make sure it never happens again.

“Fuck!” I toss the screwed up note on the ground.

I can’t risk this marriage falling apart, so if Zara wants to keep this above board and purely platonic, then so be it.

I don’t hang around in the honeymoon suite. After finding Zara’s note, I quickly get dressed back into my wedding tux and make my way over to my penthouse on the Upper East Side.

It’s just a few blocks over from my family’s main residence in the city, and Zara is due to move in this evening.

I thought she would prefer having some space away from my brothers. Plus, it plays into the illusion of having a real marriage if we had our place to call home.

I park in the underground garage and take the private elevator up to the penthouse. The doors open, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

As much as I love spending time at our family estates, there’s something about being in my own place that lets me fully unwind and switch off from being a Koslov, for a little while at least.

It’s decorated to my taste, which is modern and simple with mostly black and white details with a few navy blue accents. Floor to ceiling windows cover the majority of the walls, giving me the perfect view of the New York skyline no matter where I go. I opened up the first floor to combine the living and dining spaces, not that I ever entertain. The ten person glass table and navy suede chairs are purely for show, though I suspect Zara and I may share a meal or two once she moves in.

A room has already been set up for Zara, and she’s had the majority of her things brought over in the last week.

I glance around the expansive living space, picturing coming home to Zara lounging on the cream couch or fluttering about the kitchen. A smile tugs at my lips as it begins to play out in my mind, and I can’t deny that I’ll enjoy the company.

I’ve never brought a woman back to my apartment before, not only for privacy reasons, but it allowed me to always keep a distance. I could always be the one to leave in the middle of the night, just like Zara did.

My stomach twists as I realize how much I wanted to wake up to her beside me.

I need to pass the time before she comes over, so I head up to the second floor and run a cold shower, my body still filled with tension after picturing Zara naked in the shower. I quickly pump one out in the hopes that when I see her later, I’ll have gotten it out of my system, and the sight of her body won’t have my cock springing into action.

Pulling on a fresh white shirt and black pants, I head down the hall into my office where I pass the time with emails and calls.

I soon lose a few hours to work and when my phone finally buzzes with a notification from Feliks letting me know that Zara is here, I get to my feet.

By the time I’ve headed down to the main floor, the elevator is opening, and Zara is stepping out.

She looks just as breathtaking as she did yesterday, with her hair loose around her shoulders. She’s wearing a pale blue sundress that shows off her smooth skin and delicious curves.

Now I know what’s beneath, I’m finding it hard not to imagine ripping the flimsy material off her body and taking her right here on the carpet.

“Feliks said I could come straight up, I hope that’s okay?” She glances around as she wheels her small carry-on out of the elevator.

“Of course.” I haven’t failed to notice that she is yet to look me in the eye. I try not to feel discouraged by it.

She’s no doubt feeling very overwhelmed, so I plaster an easy smile on my face as I walk over to her.

“I felt very important having a driver come and pick me up.” She chuckles.

“You are very important.”

She flushes as I reach for her case, careful not to brush against her hand.

“Would you like a tour?”

Zara nods, offering me a small smile in return.

She’s mostly quiet as I take her through the main living space before heading upstairs to the next floor where I show her the two guest rooms which are situated on the east side of the upper floor.

“Would you like to see your room?” I hope it might relax her a little to see her own private space.

“I get my own room?” She follows behind me.

I walk us back along the corridor, past the stairs and over to the west side.

“Of course.” I pause outside of her bedroom door, which just so happens to be across the hall from mine. “I thought it important that you have a space just for yourself, though for appearance sake, most of your things have been put in my room. But I want you to know that there is no pressure for this to be anything other than an arrangement. Last night was fun, but I’m guessing from the way you left that you think it was a bad idea?”

She cringes as she looks away, and I fight the urge to reach out and touch her, to let her know that I don’t blame her for leaving.

“I think it’s best to keep this all above board. I don’t want to complicate things.”

I nod, though I can’t deny that the thought of having her in my bed again gets my blood rushing straight to my cock.

“Then, it’s settled.” I reach for the door handle, pushing it open.

I step aside to let Zara in, and the small gasp that escapes her lips has me smirking with pride.

I knew she’d like it.

As her room is north facing, the majority of the walls are windows, giving her the perfect view of the city.

I kept it fairly simple, with the huge king-sized bed taking up the majority of the room. I figure she has the rest of the apartment to hang out in, so I only had a reading chair and a small table put in the corner .

“There’s a walk-in closet through that door, which also leads to your own bathroom.”

Zara moves to stand in the center of the room and stares at the huge bed, her eyes roaming over the cream comforter and pillows. Her eyes flick up, and she blinks at the sight of the enormous piece of art that takes up most of the wall.

“This artwork probably costs more than what I make in a year.”

“If you’re not happy with the room, I’m more than happy to give you an allowance to decorate the place however you wish.”

Is she put off by my choice of art?

“Oh no, that’s not what I mean.” She looks horrified. “I don’t need money, Dimitri. That’s not what we agreed on.”

“And I’m saying, screw the agreement, you can have whatever you want. I want you to be happy while you’re here.”

Zara blinks but nods, her cheeks reddening as she turns back to face the room.

“It’s perfect.” She sighs. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, you’ll have your own key to get into the building, and I’ll add your fingerprints to the system.”

“I’m allowed out?” She raises her eyebrows.

“I’m not like Alexei.” I chuckle. “You’re not my hostage. Though I will say that the security in this place is extremely tight, and all the cameras are linked to my phone. I will also be notified every time you enter or leave the premises.”

“Hmm…” She bites her lower lip.

“After the situation with Gilanto, I can’t take any risks when it comes to your safety, Zara. Our marriage might be for show, but my care for you is not. ”

Zara’s throat bobs as she looks at me, her eyes softening as my words sink in.

I never want her to have to experience fear like that again, so I made sure to install extra cameras and fingerprint locks to give us both peace of mind.

“Now, while you make yourself at home, why don’t I get us both a drink?” It’s clear we both need to loosen up a bit, and the only way I know how to do that is with sex or alcohol, and seeing as the former is off the table…

“Sure.”

We exit her bedroom, and as I’m closing the door behind us, Zara pauses.

“Where does that door lead?” She points to the door at the far end of the upstairs corridor.

“To the rooftop terrace. There’s a hot tub and lounge chairs up there so feel free to use it as much as you want.”

Zara’s jaw hits the floor, and I swallow a laugh at the look on her face.

“Oh, I will definitely be using the hot tub.”

My mouth suddenly feels dry as I picture coming home to Zara lounging in a bikini.

Thankfully, my phone beeping interrupts my filthy thoughts.

“Excuse me.” I reach into my pocket, pulling my phone out.

There’s a single message from Alexei, and I curse under my breath as I scan the contents.

“Is everything okay?”

I glance up to Zara frowning at my expression.

“There’s something I have to go and deal with, but I won’t be long. Will you be okay here by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine.” Zara offers me a reassuring smirk. “ Take your time. I’m quite looking forward to having some time alone in my new penthouse.”

“What’s mine is yours.” I chuckle. “Call me if you need anything.”

Zara rolls her eyes and ushers me toward the elevator, ensuring me that the only thing she might need is a nice long bath.

Apparently, I was the last one to receive Alexei’s message.

As I step out of the elevator into the living room of my family’s Upper East Side penthouse, I spy my two youngest brothers lounging on the couch while Alexei paces the room.

When he hears me enter, his head snaps up, and his expression is one of cold fury.

Fucking great .

“You realize I just got married, right?” I tell Alexei as I head straight for the drinks cabinet. “I’m technically on my honeymoon.”

Danil nods. “How’s that going, brat ?”

I glance over my shoulder at my youngest brother and flash him a smirk.

“It was going great, until Alexei decided to remind me of his existence.” I scoff as I pour myself a large vodka. “Surely, whatever this is, you could have handled it without me.”

I grab my drink and head over to the vacant couch opposite Mikhail and Danil, collapsing into the plush cushions and taking a long sip of my drink, shuddering as it burns my throat .

Alexei rolls his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.

“The reason we’re here is because of this marriage . Massimo got word of your nuptials and is planning a strike against one of our clubs. Apparently, he’s pissed that you ruined his plans to marry off Lucia.”

“Well, I’m pissed that you both decided to betroth me to some pampered princess without consulting me first. How the hell did he think I was going to react?”

Mikhail groans. “I think it’s a little too late to worry about that.”

Alexei throws his arms up in the air. “We are trying to diffuse the war between our two families, not make it worse.”

“Then get one of these two idiots to marry the princess.” I nod at Mikhail and Danil. “It’s probably Danil’s best chance at getting some action.” I smirk.

“I pull plenty of women.” Danil’s cheeks redden.

“Sure, you do, chuvak .”

Danil scowls, which only makes me smile more. He might be almost twenty-six but in my eyes, he’s still an awkward thirteen-year-old.

Alexei takes a sip of his drink. “Massimo was specific in his request. He wanted the most senior member of the Koslov Bratva. As I’m already married, the title falls to you, dear brother.”

“How fucking convenient.” I shake my head.

“Not that any of it matters now, seeing as you’ve pissed him off enough that he’s planning on retaliating.”

“Why don’t I go and speak with Massimo? Convince him that I had kept my relationship with Zara under wraps purely for safety reasons. I can tell him that it was never my intention to break a promise, especially when I had no knowledge of it in the first place.” I narrow my eyes at Alexei. “It might be enough to placate him for now.”

Mikhail scoffs. “That’s your big idea?”

“Let me guess, you want to storm one of his clubs instead and unleash a full out war?”

“Fuck, yes.”

Alexei shakes his head. “Neither of those options are the answer here. He won’t listen to you, Dimitri. I know Massimo, and he doesn’t like to be played for a fool.”

“Your lack of faith in me is insulting.”

“You’ll be wasting your time.”

“Let me at least try.” I shrug. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

My oldest brother groans. “You don’t want to know the answer to the question.”

“Well, lucky for all of us, I can be very convincing.”

I hope.