Dimitri's Moon (6 page)

Dimitri pumped a few more times before he echoed her cry with a roar
of his own. Limbs shaking, heart pounding, he covered her mouth with his and
rolled them over so she was on top.

Oh, yeah, dinner can definitely wait…

“…We are beginning our final descent into Los Angeles International Airport. Please make sure all seats are in their upright position and all tray tables are properly stowed.”

Dimitri jolted awake. He had slept for a good portion of the flight. Looking out the window, Dimitri took in the sight of LAX. It was six o’clock at night and he knew there’d be a big meal waiting at his mama’s once he got there.

Checking his belt, he ran a hand through his hair. It was getting long. He knew there would be no stopping his mama from commenting on it.

Dimitri's Moon

41

Dimitri moved steadily through the throng at the airport toward the baggage claim. A grin crossed his face, nothing like LA to boast of women wearing next to nothing. It always amazed him.

“Dimitri,” a female voice said as he approached the group at the carousel.

He glanced over the crowd and swallowed. It was Austin Stroud. A beautiful woman, blonde hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin courtesy of the California sun.

“Austin,” he said with a smile. “Good to see you.”

“And you.” She stuck out her hand and he shook it. “What are you doing out here?”

“I’m on my way to visit my parents.” The light on the carousel began to flash.

She sent him a tight smile. “Tell them hi for me.”

“Of course. Are you doing okay, Austin?” He stared into her big blue eyes.

More strain appeared at the corners of her mouth. “I’m okay.

How about you?”

He touched her arm. “I’m good. You know, some days are better than others.”

“I know. Look, I’m sorry to keep you. Take care of yourself.”

“Austin, wait!” He reached for a pen and paper, scribbling on it.

“Here’s my number. Call me if you need anything. I mean it, Austin.

Anything.”

“You’re a good man, Dimitri Melonakos.” Austin leaned in to hug him and kissed him lightly on the lips. Then she slipped away vanishing into the crowd.

An hour later, his parents welcomed Dimitri home. He smiled as his mother’s arms closed around him.

“
Gios,
” his mother said, pulling him tight against her. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,
mana
.” He kissed her cheek gently.

His mother stepped back and looked up at him. There were tears in her eyes.

“Good to see you, Dimitri,” she said in Greek.

“Hello, son,” a male voice greeted.

“
Pateras
.” In another second, he was in his father’s arms.

“Glad you made it safely, son.”

“Me too.”

42

Aliyah Burke

His father let him go and grabbed his bag. “Let’s get you settled.

I know your mother has a big meal ready and we can catch up then.”

“Yes, sir.”

They spoke in Greek over dinner and Dimitri filled them in on how the family over in Greece fared.

“What’s with the hair,
gios
? Don’t you get paid enough to have it cut?” his mother asked as she placed more food on his plate. She had made Minorcan-Style Duck with Green Olives.

“It’s not bad,
mana
. I keep it longer now.”

She harrumphed.

Dimitri smiled. Airlia Kolette Sophronia Melonakos was one hell of a woman. Still very beautiful and full of fire, she turned many a head.

His father, Feodras Cenon Melonakos, was tall and in as good a shape to this day as he had been in his younger years.

“So,” Dimitri decided to tread down a safer route. “What can I do for you while I’m here?”

Landi sat in her loft overlooking Central Park. For the moment she wasn’t working, wasn’t doing anything, except staring over the green landscape. Her easel sat behind her, ignored.

It was like she had hit a wall in wanting to create. She figured taking a few moments to herself couldn’t hurt. Leaning against the open glass door to her balcony, she wrapped her fingers around her glass of lemonade and gazed out over the vast park.

Her attention had been lacking ever since she’d run into Dimitri in Greece. Numerous times a day, his image would shimmer before her; and each time, she drank it in like she were dying of thirst.

It was as if he had pulled back the protective barrier she had put there and exposed not just her feelings for him, but also her soul.

Dimitri was the only man she had let into her heart, and the mark he left on her was intense.

Anger was her only defense against him now and she used it liberally. She knew he still owned her heart. This was why she was in New York instead of Virginia.

Somewhere deep down she knew he would be looking for her, especially since she’d never talked to him after he’d come to her hotel room. Landi knew Kacy had been disappointed she wasn’t coming for a visit as planned, but she’d allowed Landi this rain-check.

Dimitri's Moon

43

The sounds of the city distracted her and finally managed to push the thoughts of Dimitri out of her mind. With a sigh, Landi drank her lemonade and headed back to her work area.

She was in the process of designing a man’s semiformal outfit.

As her fingers flew over the sketches, she lost track of time.

Her doorbell chimed lightly through her dwelling and she went to answer it. Jason.

“Hey,” she said, stepping back to let him in. “Come on in.”

“Hey, doll.” He entered, carrying a folder filled with more sketches. “Let’s see what you got.”

“Sure. It’s over there. I’ll grab you a drink.” She completed the task quickly. “Whaddya think?”

Jason took the tall glass and stared down at her, his dark-brown eyes twinkled. “I think that suit will be great on Dimitri.”

She frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Well, you did design it with him in mind. I think that’s a suit only he can pull off. No model will properly show it. Not in your eyes.”

Narrowing them, she demanded, “What makes you think I had him in mind?”

“Doll, have you looked at the picture? I mean
really looked
at it?”

I did the work on it!
“Of course. I created it!” Landi scoffed and took another glance at it.

Oh, shit!

Jason was right. Somewhere during her work, she’d made the male model into an exact replica of Dimitri. Golden eyes, darkly tanned skin, and long, shaggy black hair. There was such intricate detail to his face it was more like a portrait than a sketch.

The greens and golds of the suit only highlighted the power that leapt from his two-dimensional eyes. The fabric appeared to hang perfectly from his body. Even though it was a casual pose, it screamed danger and virility.

Landi knew at that second, Jason got to see Dimitri Melonakos as she saw him.

She licked her lips. One hand reached for the picture, but she didn’t touch it. “Let’s see your pictures,” Landi said.

“For what it’s worth, I think it’s a great likeness of him.”

Cocking her head to the side, Landi sighed as she reached out again with two fingers, this time touching the likeness of Dimitri. “Yes, it is.”

44

Aliyah Burke

Shoving her desire for that Greek man to the back of her mind, Landi sent Jason a small smile, doing her best to effectively hide her pain.

Five

Dimitri laughed along with the rest of his teammates as they re-counted a previous mishap. They were on the plane heading toward their latest mission and reliving funny episodes.

As the men settled back for the flight, Dimitri glanced up when Ernst sat beside him.

“Chief,” Dimitri said.

“Merlin. How are you holding up?”

He raised a brow. “Sir?”
Holding up?
Had something happened he didn’t know about? “What are you talking about?”

Ernst “Ghost” Zimmermann stared at him with his pale-blue eyes. “Kacy told me you and Landi ran into each other in Greece.”

Of course she would. Dimitri watched his friend’s expression.

No censure, no sympathy. Nothing but straight-faced open curiosity.

“I’m okay. It was a shock seeing her. Man, I thought I was over her.” He sighed. “Boy, was I wrong.”

“Did you explain what happened?”

A dry chuckle burst from him. “Are you kidding? She barely said anything and didn’t seem inclined to listen to me in the least. I was more yelled at than anything.”

“And the date she went on? How’d you handle that?”

Man, Kacy didn’t leave anything out, did she?
“Wanted to kill him.

But I refrained myself…barely. I figured my mother wouldn’t be happy if I killed her nephew.”

Ernst smiled. “We heard about the explosions over there. Was she hurt?”

Dimitri clenched his jaw as the memory of Landi being in danger resurfaced. “A few scrapes but nothing more. She was lucky.”

“I’m glad she wasn’t hurt.” A solemn expression filled Ernst’s lean features. “How are you doing, really?”

“I’ve had better days, Ghost.” Dimitri closed his eyes briefly. “I want her back, but she won’t give me the time of day.”

“Hang tough, Merlin. If she won’t come to you, go to her.”

He nodded. “I love her.”

46

Aliyah Burke

Ernst laughed. “Don’t tell me, tell her.” He patted Dimitri’s arm.

“Keep your head in the game.”

Dimitri smiled his thanks and his friend and chief went to a different seat. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and let the comfortable seats of the
Sovereign
aircraft cradle him as he drifted off to sleep.

“Dimitri,” Landi’s voice moved over him like a powerful drug.

“Yes, baby?”

He looked at her over his shoulder and grinned at the picture she presented. She wore a hot pink halter top and tight white shorts that offset her
toned, brown body. His cock stirred.

“Are we going to eat soon?” She stretched out on the lounge seat. “I’m
hungry.”

“So am I,” he muttered under his breath. “Yes, just as soon as I grab
my wallet.” Dimitri put down the wood he had been moving for their bonfire
tonight and went inside the cabin.

He looked out the window of the beach home he had rented for them for
the weekend. Being in a smaller, out-of-the-way town meant they were pretty
much secluded from other people. With a smile, Dimitri shoved his wallet in the
back pocket of his chinos and tugged a clean shirt on over his head.

Landi waited for him by the door and her eyes raked over him with appreciation as he put on his sandals. Her stare darkened with desire and she
licked her full lips once. That single lick went straight from her mouth to his
groin.

“Ready?” she asked, approaching him.

He looked at her and grinned. “Yes, ma’am. I most definitely am.”

As his hand closed around her smooth one, Dimitri realized this was
more than a weekend fling to him.

Dinner was fun and full of teasing, sexual innuendos, and tons of fun.

He loved how quick-witted she was, how sassy, how humorous. It had been a
very long time since a woman had engaged him so completely.

On their way back, they stopped at a small photo booth and took some
pictures. Two sets of four. One for each of them.

Dimitri stirred as the plane banked left. Opening his eyes, he took in movement as Scott walked past him. Sitting up fully, he smelled food and looked behind him to see Ernst handing out meals.

“Good to see you awake, Merlin. Was about to kick you. Grab some chow,” Ernst said, holding a dish in his direction.

Dimitri's Moon

47

As the eight members of the Megalodon Team ate dinner, they went over the mission one last time to make sure it was imprinted into their heads. No mistakes.

The cold air cut through the numerous layers Landi wore as she hurried through the snowy slush to her apartment building. It was late, it was cold, and she was in one hell of a foul mood.

New Year’s Eve and she was bitter. She could admit that. Business was great—not a single complaint in that department. It was her personal life that lacked. Having no one to kiss as the year turned over sucked brass balls. Big shiny ones.

She snorted as she walked in her building. “Like I have a damn personal life!” Shrugging, she forced a smile as another tenant walked by. Instead of continuing on, he stopped and touched her arm.

“Evening, Ilanderae,” he said. “Glad to see you back in town.

And just in time for New Year’s Eve.”

“Hello, Hanson. How are you doing? How are your kids?”

He smiled. “We’re all doing great.”

Shifting her weight slightly, Landi nodded. “Wonderful.”
All I
want is to get to my apartment and close out the outside world for a few hours.

“So what about you? Any special plans for the big night?”

Landi ground her teeth. She wasn’t in the mood for this. If she were a drinking woman, a large bottle would be in her future. As it was, she just wanted to relax and wallow in her pity.

“No, Hanson, no plans.”

“Humph, you need a man, Ilanderae.” He patted her arm.

“Don’t worry, one day you’ll realize it’s not all about work.”

Her smile was more of a grimace. “Give my best to your family.

Goodnight, Hanson.”

She walked toward the elevator, grateful when the doors closed behind her. Pressing the button for her floor, she thought about Hanson’s words as she took off her wool coat and leather gloves.

It wasn’t like she didn’t
want
a man. It was more that no man could measure up. Dimitri’s ghost had resurfaced and didn’t seem inclined to give her any peace.

Dimitri’s face reared up in any man who remotely interested her. Those damn golden eyes of his appeared to stare into her soul.

Perhaps they dared her to forget him. Or maybe they were searching for 48