His Hostile Takeover

Chapter Eight

“I’m so relieved you finally found a new roommate, Pam. He sounds great, and am I detecting just the slightest bit of a crush on him?”

“Don’t get me started, he’s cute but I’m not going there. He just got out of a bad breakup and I’m still working on sorting myself out. I don’t need to confuse it all with adding a guy to the mix. You know how bad I am with men. Speaking of men, how are things with you and Dmitri?”

“So good it scares me a little. Last weekend, we had a scary but important discussion about us and it’s been even better since.” She went hot all over as she thought of how things had changed since that night he had taken her ass. Before that night, although she had felt him holding back, she had thought the sex was spectacular, in the last week it had catapulted into the realm of mind-blowing. Thankful Pam couldn’t see her blushing through the phone, she continued. “Next weekend we’re going away to a place that has no cell phone, or internet connection. It’s for our three month anniversary, he didn’t say it, but he hinted at it. He’s so romantic and thoughtful, there are times it surprises me. When he talked about going away, he gave me diamond earrings in the shape of a heart, they’re so large it’s almost gaudy, but I don’t care, they’re gorgeous.”

“Wow! Diamond earrings so soon, hmm, I wonder how far away you are from diamond rings? I’m so happy for you. You really deserve it, don’t get scared. Just enjoy it.”

“You’re right, you’re right. You know you have to visit us when you get some vacation time. I miss you. Sonia has been much nicer than I expected, especially considering she didn’t get her old job back. She swears she’s happy just answering phones and scheduling. We’ve had lunch a few times, but she’s still pretty busy with the baby. It would be nice to see a friendly face again.”

“Of course, I would love to. Darn, I have to go—the last skuzzy roommate is here to pick up her stuff. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Bye.”

The phone rang from the front desk security. “Hello, Ms. Shaw. There’s a gentleman here who would like to see. He says his name is Greg Turner. If you’ll check your security video you should see him now.”

Elise swore under her breath. It was a Saturday afternoon and Dmitri had promised a short day but he was still at least an hour from being done. That had to be enough time to see what Greg wanted and send him on his way. She checked the security camera and was surprised to see Greg looking so angry.

“Thank you, Bryce. You can let him up.”

Opening the door, she was surprised by how thin and pale he looked. She didn’t have a chance to speak before he pushed the door in and started ranting.

“I can’t believe you, Ellie. I thought you were a better person than this. But I guess all women are the same, always looking out for themselves. I mean look at you now, shacked up with the first man who looked your way. Dressed like the whore you are with your tight clothes, and diamonds flashing. At least you’re now letting people know what you are when they meet you. Jasper had no idea what kind of woman you were really were. You hid that from him with your whispered confidences, and batting of your lashes. If he had seen you for what you really are then he wouldn’t have left you with everything and me with nothing.

Damn you, Ellie! This is all your fault! You’d better make this right! Sign the papers that give me my home back!” He ended his tirade by flinging papers at her.

Shock hit her hard. His words were like vicious lashes from a whip. She could barely comprehend his words. The venom in them was all she could hear. Jasper was dead, she understood that and the loss of the sweet man she had seen as a grandfather stung. She turned away, needing to get away from him.

“Sign them, damn you! I will drag you through court if you don’t! Contesting the will—that will cost me more than you’re worth, but I will if I have to!”

There was no warning of the horrifying crunch that came from behind her, followed by the cry of pain. She turned to find Dmitri in a rage and Greg clutching his face, blood dripping down his face. Dmitri wasn’t done though, and he swung again, catching Greg low in his back and Greg nearly screamed in agony.

“You’ll stay the hell away from her, is what you’ll do. Get out of my home while you can still walk. Forget you ever knew her, or I won’t stop next time.”

Elise was terrified of the violence in Dmitri’s face and a sob escaped her. Dmitri turned to her and Greg took the moment to escape, running for the door. Dmitri caught her to him and whispered words in Russian she couldn’t understand, attempting to soothe her. Elise fought for control but it wasn’t easy, the violence Dmitri had unleashed so quickly and easily made her shiver.

“Why?” She whispered.

“What, sweetheart?”

“Why were you so violent? Why did you have to hurt him?”

He stiffened against her and pulled away to look down at her, “You’re worried about him? The man you loved for so long, and yet was saying the most vile things to you. You were afraid for him?”

His thick accent and the softness in his voice was a warning and her eyes sought his. She saw the way his jaw worked and she swallowed her fear. With a hand that trembled she caressed his cheek. “I wasn’t afraid for him, I was afraid for you. I was afraid you would hurt him so badly it would be something you couldn’t take back.”

His hold on her tightened and he shook his head. “Bryce told me that Greg had just gone up and you let him in. The whole way up in the elevator, knowing he was here, I couldn’t stop thinking, and I thought—” His jaw worked again, “I thought he was coming here to take you from me. To say all the things you always wanted him to say, and you would leave with him. But then I heard the things he was saying to you and to hear him talk to you that way, I knew it would hurt you. I couldn’t stand the idea of him hurting you. When I came through the door, I was already seeing red but to see you shaking as you tried to get away from him. I lost it.”

He hid his face in her neck, and Elise felt something shift inside her and she knew then that she would love him until the day she died. His fear echoed her own fear and she knew if she thought she was walking in on him with another woman then she would have

lost all her senses as well. The idea of Dmitri walking out of her life, of not waking up beside him the pain of it pierced her until she felt blinded by it. Dmitri hadn’t been boasting, she belonged to him and feeling his heart pounding against her, she knew he belonged to her as well. Their need went both ways.

“I loved Greg with the love of a girl, but as I grew, that love changed from loving him as a man to loving the idea of love. I knew that several years ago, but it was safer to hide behind that. I wore those words like a shield, I didn’t want Greg. I wanted to be safe from wanting, having and then losing it all.

When I met you that very first day, that all changed. In the back of the limo in Miami, that shield fell away. You ripped it away from me with just one look, and although it scared me, I never once wanted it back. Not once did I ever think of Greg, until the night he called me, not in the quiet nights in my room or when I woke up each day. It was you. You were the only thing I saw, the only thing that mattered. I told myself I was simply fascinated by you but it wasn’t just that, it was something deeper. I told you once before, and I meant it. I will stay with you until you tell me to go.”

His mouth was on hers, voracious with need and she answered him. They sank to the thick plush carpet in a tangle of limbs and shifting clothes. He entered her just short of violence and she urged him on, demanding everything he had to give her and giving all she was back. Frantic, they each reached their climax in only minutes, and when at last their breathing evened out, he picked her up and carried her to bed, where he made love to her so beautifully she cried.