Savor (21 page)

In fact, I saw the patch as a badge of honor. But with Demitri looking at me like a principal

about to dispense a lecture for something I’d done, I couldn’t help squirming a bit. I tapped

my fingers on my camera.

“How’s the book?” I asked, trying to restart the conversation.

Demitri closed said book with a snap and showed it to me. I stared at the cover with a man

wearing sunglasses and massively curly hair beneath a top hat.

“Slash?” I tilted my head.

“Yes.” Demitri slid the book into a slot on the shelves behind him. “I love reading

biographies of musicians.”

I scanned the titles and indeed not a novel in sight. I recognized some of the bands

mentioned on the spines. Others I had no idea who they were. A nugget of inspiration formed

in my mind’s eye.

As if he could read my mind, Demitri crossed his arms and smirked. “Thought of anything

for my photo shoot yet?”

I scratched my cheek, feeling a bit sheepish. “Actually, yeah, but it’ll involve the kilt you

wore the other day.”

The exasperated sigh from the big guy made me laugh. “I knew you couldn’t resist seeing

me in that thing. Luka’s a genius when it comes to attracting the attention of our audience.”

The mention of
his
name brought back my case of nerves. I fidgeted with the strap of my camera.

“And that kiss…”

The corner of my eyebrow twitched at the insinuation I heard in Demitri’s voice. Like a

damn bursting, I said, “Can you help me understand him? You’re his cousin. I’m sure you

grew up together or something and you know him well enough.” I slumped into my seat and

massaged my left temple, a pulse beginning there. “I’ve never been this confused.”

In an unexpected move, Demitri threw his head back and laughed. Deep and full-bodied,

the sound reverberated in my chest. I found something comforting about it. Like sharing a

moment with a big brother, only said big brother liked being half-naked most of the time.

Being an only child, I never knew how it felt to grow up with siblings. Maybe talking with

Demitri right now came close.

“Shouldn’t you be talking to one of the girls about this?” he asked when he finally regained

some of his composure. And still chuckles bubbled out of him.

“I’m not good with interacting with girls.” I gestured to my T-shirt and jeans. “As you can

see, I’m not really the girly girl type. I wouldn’t know where to start. Although, I would

appreciate it if you kept this between us.” I held my breath.

With a playful glint in his eyes, Demitri zipped his lips and threw away the imaginary key.

I rolled my eye and shook my head at his childishness, yet it went a long way in relaxing the

tightness that had entered my shoulders the second we began discussing Luka.

“Look,” Demitri said in all seriousness, “Luka is a complicated creature. For as long as I

have known him no one has ever come close to figuring him out.”

I let out a long breath, which seemed to shrink my body several inches. “Figures that’s

what you’d say. I don’t get him. He makes these sexual advances toward me and when I

finally offer myself to him for one night just to get the tension out of the way he turns me

down.”

I didn’t know what came over me sharing what had happened with the guy’s cousin. I

censored myself, of course, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I was bursting and Demitri seemed

willing to listen.

With arms crossed over his massive chest, he nodded, his lower lip jutting out. “Luka isn’t

the one night stand type. But he isn’t the relationship type either.”

“Huh?”

“Did I mention he was a complicated creature?”

I crossed my own arms and tilted my head. “Why do I get the feeling nothing about Luka

makes any sense?”

“Well, that’s not true.” Demitri swung his long legs off the desk and straightened in his

seat. “Luka may be many things, but he isn’t cruel. He has a sense of loyalty toward his family and those closest to him. Tell him we have to bury a body and he’ll tell you where the perfect place for it would be.”

“How is this supposed to help my situation?”

He shrugged. “I’m just giving you my two cents. You were right when you said I grew up

with Luka. In all those years, I’ve only seen parts of who he really is. Don’t put too much

pressure on yourself by trying to understand him in thirty days. You’re here to take pictures, right? I say don’t lose track of that and leave here with awesome pictures you would be proud

to show the world.” He pointed at me. “Because if those pictures aren’t awesome, I’m pretty

sure Yana will hunt you down. Remember, Luka knows where to bury a body.”

No matter how serious Demitri seemed—and I didn’t doubt Yana would hunt me down if

the project didn’t turn out right—I still chuckled. He made a good point. I wasn’t at Lunar

Manor to make sense of the enigma that was Luka. I lost sight of my purpose until Demitri

pointed it out to me again. Who knew lead guitarists could dole out sage advice?

“You’re right.” I slapped the chair’s armrest. “I’m not here for Luka. I’m here for the whole

band. So what if he kisses like a professional?”

Demitri choked then coughed. “Way too much information.” He waved his hand at me like

he was fanning out a flame. “Not something I’d like to know about my cousin, please.”

A hint of mischief tickled my insides. Demitri’s growing embarrassment spurred me

forward. “That tongue ring. Did you know about that?”

The lead guitarist of Vicious turned a shade of red so bright I thought his head would

explode from all the blood rushing up there. I laughed so hard I almost fell off my seat. Oh

God, I felt so much better. So much so that I wasn’t thinking when I asked, “How long have

you and Phoenix been together?”

The air around Demitri grew tense for a second before he breathed it away. “I don’t really

like talking about it.”

“I get that,” I said by way of an apology. “But know that I’m not a reporter.”

“I know.” He grinned. “It’s just you grow so guarded with your private life that it’s difficult to share anything with anyone.”

A part of me understood that too.

“What happened there?”

It was only when Demitri’s question sunk in that I realized I’d reached up to touch my

patch. I really had to stop drawing attention to it. Although, how could you stop something

unconscious?

“The way you don’t like talking about your relationship with Phoenix is the way I don’t like

talking about this.” I dropped my hand.

“I get it. I’m sorry I asked.”

I waved his apology away. “You’re not the first person to ask, and I expect you won’t be the

last. I’m actually surprised everyone in the manor seems okay with my patch. Normally,

people stare.”

“Oh please. Someone walking around with an eye patch isn’t the strangest thing we’ve had

in this house.”

Somehow I believed him. “So, are you busy this afternoon?”

He shook his head.

I pushed up from my chair and smiled at him. “Then get your kilt on and meet me back

here at sunset.

“Why sunset?”

I glanced at the window. “If the morning light can make you look twice as gorgeous as you

already are, I can just imagine what the sunset would do.”

A snort followed my words. I didn’t mind since Demitri was blushing again. I liked

unsettling him.

With a grin, I said, “I think it’s time for me to show the world the essence of Demitri

Barinkoff, lead guitarist of Vicious.”

“I like the sound of that.”

I left Demitri’s study buoyant, not knowing that in a couple of hours I would get more

than what I bargained for.

Chapter Twenty-One

Passion

A couple of hours after lunch, I returned to Demitri’s study with a bounce in my step. I

planned on scoping out the location. A good photographer always familiarizes herself with

her surroundings before the actual shoot. I figured I could imagine where I wanted Demitri

and the different poses that could work. I’d asked him to bring along his guitar. I wanted to

incorporate the instrument in the shoot.

Finally getting used to the ins and outs of the maze-like manor, I easily found my way

back to the hall that led to Demitri’s study. Like this morning, the door had been left ajar. The difference from this morning was the sounds emanating from within. The grunts, moans, and

groans should have warned me off. I kept going because maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t what I

thought it would be. And then I nudge the door open. Stupid decision.

There on the floor lay Demitri with Phoenix straddling him. Only a white dress shirt

pooled around her waist maintained some semblance of modesty. From their nakedness and

the way Phoenix moved her hips, I’d have to be blind in both eyes and severely dumb not to

know what they were in the middle of. Having seen enough, I took a step back, sure they

hadn’t noticed me yet. Until the floor creaked behind me, of course.

I froze, not knowing if I should close my eye or turn around and bolt. Considering my

depth perception challenges, I didn’t trust myself not to bump into anything if I fled. Lots of expensive breakables from Demitri’s study to freedom. Phoenix dropped down on Demitri,

eliciting a pained groan from the guy on his back. Both heads turned toward me before

Demitri returned his attention to Phoenix, watching her, waiting. She raked a critical gaze up and down my body.

A roaring blush burned my neck and face. Like passing a traffic accident, I couldn’t look

away. I kept mentally telling myself to do so, but my one eye wouldn’t cooperate. Great. Now

they must think I was some kind of pervert who got off from watching. I counted the seconds

until Phoenix would scream and cover herself with the shirt at her waist. I also waited for the moment when they would kick me out of the manor and deny me any chance of completing

my project.

Instead, several heart pounding moments later, Phoenix crooked a finger at me, beckoning

me further into the room. I stayed frozen in place, unsure what exactly she wanted from me. I

certainly wasn’t joining in if that was what she thought.

When she pointed at my camera, I couldn’t believe she would actually let me take a picture

of them in such an intimate and potentially compromising position. Based on what Demitri

had told me, they kept their relationship private. I completely understood their reason behind this. The pictures I was about to take in the wrong hands could blow the lid right off their

private life. Many media whore celebrities gained fame by “leaking” intimate photos and

videos. Vicious wasn’t like that. They didn’t need manufactured fame.

“A-a-are you sure?” I whispered.

She tore her gaze from mine to look down at Demitri. He frowned up at her and she kissed

it away—deeply. He shuddered beneath her when she added a hip rotation to her kiss. She

tugged his lower lip between her teeth before sitting up straight again. Breathing hard,

Demitri nodded his assent without opening his eyes. His self-control amazed me. Lesser guys

wouldn’t have lasted after that kiss.

Phoenix locked her gaze with mine again and nodded. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t

have too.

Heart beating like an entire drums section of an orchestra, I lifted my camera and watched

them through my view finder. I adjusted the zoom just as Phoenix rode Demitri, first in slow

strokes. Demitri circled Phoenix’s waist with his hands, guiding her into a rhythm they both

found pleasure in as indicated by their moans. I snapped a couple of shots standing up then

took a knee. I did my best to ignore the growing discomfort between my legs. You try

watching two beautiful people make love and not be turned on. God, this must have been one

of the hardest shoots I’d ever participated in. Even my nude perspective class wasn’t this

uncomfortable.

The second Demitri met Phoenix thrust for thrust she arched her back and ran her fingers

through her hair. They both looked glorious, sweat glistening on their flawless skin. The

sunlight caught Demitri’s tattoos just right, as if bringing the intricate artwork to life.

Phoenix’s voice hitched in her throat when she encouraged Demitri to enter her harder. I

didn’t know how much more I could take. I swallowed, never once lowering my camera

because if I did I was sure I wouldn’t last much longer in their presence. Sweat beaded my

upper lip. My fingers grew damp against my camera. I needed something to anchor me in the

present, something that separated me from what was happening in front of me.

They increased their pace, their shared grunts and moans getting louder. At their climax, I

caught Phoenix arching her back, screaming a single high note toward the ceiling while

Demitri watched her shudder before he found his own release.

My stomach in tight knots, I stood up and mumbled something to Demitri like I would be

back in an hour for our shoot. I twisted around and ran out of the study. I didn’t care if

Demitri heard me or not post coitus. Add my sexual frustration toward Luka with what I’d

just witnessed and it was a recipe that called for a cold shower.

***

uploaded the pictures of their passion into my laptop, making sure to place them in a secure

folder. No one but me, Demitri and Phoenix would have access to those shots. They had given