The Russian's Secret Baby (The Tonov Triplets Series Book 3) (8 page)

Actually, it had crossed Dimitri’s mind more than once or twice. But he wasn’t about to tell her that, not when she was actually taking his offer on something, even if it was just a chance to shower and rest. 

“James seems to be doing well,” Carmine said. “He’s been getting along great with the other kids.”

“Yes,” Dimitri agreed. “Ian seems to have taken him under his wing.” He glanced at Carmine to see her smiling and staring off into space. “I’m glad he’s happy here.” 

“I am too, but I’m afraid that sooner or later we’ll have to go back to DC.” Her smile disappeared and a frown replaced it. 

Dimitri swallowed, hoping the expression on his face was neutral even though he was feeling anything but. She still hadn’t said that he could come along or that she wanted him to be a father to James, let alone that she wanted to see if the two of them could work out. The thought of them leaving filled him with dread, especially if he was left behind.

“I’m sure you’ll want to get back to work,” he said. 

“Yes,” she said. “I guess I do.” She glanced at him quickly, biting her lip. “Um, have you thought about what you’re going to do now that you quit your other work?”

“I’m not sure yet.” He had barely given it much thought. He had enough savings put away to last him a long time, especially since he was going to sell his house. He had been so busy with James and Carmine that he hadn’t had time to think about it. “I do want to take a small break. Maybe gather my bearings and see what happens. After that, we’ll see. Both Nik and Val have offered me jobs if I don’t get anything lined up, so I’m not too worried about it.”

“You don’t think you’ll get bored or restless?” Carmine asked. “I mean, you’re so used to being busy, and now you have a lot of free time on your hands.”

“Spending time with the two of you keeps me busy enough and I don’t think I’ll get bored or restless.” He glanced at her and could almost guess her fears. “I don’t miss it, Carmine, if that’s what you’re thinking. I haven’t enjoyed my work for a long time. I was just scared to stop.”

She swallowed. “I see.” 

They walked to Dimitri’s car, talking about more mundane things as they went. Dimitri relaxed and was able to put Carmine’s impending departure out of his mind for the time being as they drove to his place.

It wasn’t until they were inside his house and Carmine was looking around at partially packed boxes that he started to feel awkward again. “Too many old contacts know my address,” he said. “Besides, with selling and downsizing I’ll have more time to pick up an income before going broke.”

“I thought you liked this place.”

He loved his house. It had always made him feel powerful, and it impressed and intimidated everyone who walked inside. In fact, as a child, it was exactly the house that he had dreamed about owning one day but it meant nothing compared to Carmine. “I do like it,” he said. “But sometimes it is nice to have a change.”

Carmine nodded but didn’t say anything. 

“Are you hungry?” Dimitri asked. “I don’t remember seeing you eat dinner but I can make you something”

“That’s okay,” she said, smiling wanly. “I’m feeling tired more than anything else, so I think I’ll just go to bed. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Carmine.” Dimitri watched her go upstairs. He turned to go to his room. Just the thought of having her in his house again made him hard but he knew she wasn’t ready and he didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize any chance he had with her. Just having her here again was progress, and that was enough to go to bed, smiling. 

Carmine couldn’t sleep. Try as she might, sleep wouldn’t come. She tossed and turned, but the queensized bed felt too big for one person. Since all she could afford was a studio apartment, this was the first time in almost three years that she had slept alone, and her need for company was making her very aware of Dimitri’s presence just down the stairs. 

She had warned herself and had heeded the warnings from Rae and Courtney about Dimitri, but she still felt like she could trust him. His speech about not being happy in the crime industry was very convincing and Courtney had said that he never really lied, right? Besides, his brothers would keep him on track and so could she, if they lived together. 

There’s no way in hell I’m ready for that
,
　she thought. Living together? They barely knew each other. Aside from a month, three years ago and the past week and a half, they had practically no contact with each other and their worlds were completely different. At least, they used to be. It was hard to tell with him now since he was in transition mode. 

Carmine couldn’t deny the fact that there would be a lot of perks to having Dimitri live with them. It would be another person to help with James and if he decided to get a job, then there would be extra income coming in, not to mention the nice bit of cash he was sitting on.

Despite Dimitri’s intention to downsize for financial reasons, he was well off. As one of the biggest crime lords in Washington, DC, and then in Maine, he was easily a multimillionaire.
That’s dirty money, though. Not a perk, not at all
.
But it was really hard to see a downside to it. 

“Oh hell,” she muttered, throwing the blanket off her. She might as well be sleeping in Dimitri’s bed considering how much she was thinking about him. She definitely wasn’t going to sleep up here and isn’t that what she came here for in the first place? 

Carmine knew she was walking into dangerous territory as she made her way downstairs towards Dimitri’s room, but she couldn’t summon enough energy to care. His door was slightly ajar and she entered quietly shutting it behind her. He was sprawled out on the bed with the blanket around his waist, showing off his gorgeous but scarred torso. She tiptoed to the side of the bed and lifted up the covers just enough to slip into bed beside him. 

He stirred awake as her foot touched his shin. “Carmine?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” she told him. “I still haven’t made my decision yet.”

He rubbed his eyes and looked at her as her words finally registered. He nodded. “Okay,” he said, and he pulled her closer. 

Carmine slid on top of him as she stretched out. Sliding his arms around her, he held her to him as she kissed him gently. He began to stroke her skin as he ran his hands up and down her body, enjoying the silky feel of her skin. Tangling his fingers in her hair, her mind quieted, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. Touching his lips lightly to hers, she kissed him tenderly.

The way he touched her reminded her of what it felt like to be in his arms. While they often didn’t have time to luxuriate in each other’s arms, she always felt so protected when he held her, as if he could shield her from the weight of the world. Except this time, she kept things from him. Big things. She hadn’t been fair to him and yet, he seemed so willing to accept what she was prepared to offer and no more. How could she do that to him? He was the first person he called after 911 and yet she kept pushing him away.

Cupping the side of his face, she traced her finger down his regal nose as he captured her hand. Holding it to him, he kissed her palm as she sucked in her breath. Kissing her fingers, he sucked on each one as her pupils contracted in response and she squirmed against him. He flinched slightly when she brushed up against his erection with her thigh.

Smiling seductively, she pulled her hand free and began to kiss her way down his body as he moaned in response.

“Are you sure we should be doing this? You’re just out of the hospital.”

“I’m fine,” she murmured as she continued to kiss him. “Feeling really good at the moment,” she added as she kissed her way past his navel. Reaching her hand out, she gripped his cock lightly in her hand, rubbing up and down as he moaned again. Tightening her hold, she pumped her hand back and forth a few times as she felt her own arousal grow.

Sitting up, she straddled his hips as she lifted up to position him. Wiggling her hips, he easily slid between her folds as she pushed her weight all the way down, burying him deeply inside her. Sighing in satisfaction, she paused briefly, simply enjoying the feel of him inside her.

While Dimitri was content to let her go at her own pace, his cock twitched encouraging her to begin moving. Giving him a lazy smile, she began to rock slowly back and forth, simply enjoying the sensation. She was content to move at this languid pace, enjoying the gradual build up as pleasure tendrils made themselves known throughout her body, but she realized that he needed more. Clenching her muscles, she began to move faster, making long strokes as her vaginal muscles held tight to him with each outward pull. When she would arch her hips in, she would pause briefly, enjoying the sensation of him brushing up against all her more sensitive spots.

As her need grew, she could feel his own, as he twitched and bounced inside her. Grabbing her hips, he kneaded them as his fingers dug into her butt cheeks, getting her to move faster. With a moan, Carmine’s orgasm rolled quietly through her as her body spasmed above him. Thrusting up into her, he groaned loudly as pleasure coursed through him and he emptied himself deep inside her as her muscles milked him dry.

When they finished, she collapsed against him as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

Dimitri forced himself to stay awake the rest of the night while Carmine slept on top of him. As tired as he was, he wanted to savor every second of her body fitted so tightly to his because he wasn’t sure if he would ever get another night like this. He rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes, breathing in her scent and feeling her silky curls. It felt wonderful and unbearable at the same time and he knew he would give just about anything to have more nights like this. Their lovemaking last night was beyond anything he had ever experienced before as they shared of themselves.

He was way past caring about her. He was without a doubt in love with her and he loved her more than anything else. His old instincts kept kicking in, telling him that she was a liability, people could use her to hurt him and he knew that if she decided that she preferred him far away, it would be excruciating, but he just couldn’t stop how he felt.
This mus
t
have been how Valovand Nikolay felt when they fell in love
.
He hated the feeling; it made him helpless but he wouldn’t want it to go away for the world. 

The morning came all too soon for his liking and Carmine awoke with a start from his alarm clock, even though he rushed to shut it off. “Sorry,” he said. “It’s still really early. You have plenty of time. Good morning, by the way.”

Carmine sat up quickly, her cheeks reddening. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what possessed me to get into bed with you. That was horribly unfair of me and I really don’t want you getting the wrong idea. I swear I’m not toying with you”

“Carmine,” Dimitri said calmly. “You have no need to apologize. It was wonderful. And I know you don’t toy with people. It’s not an easy decision and I’ll be here whenever you need me and I’ll do whatever you want me to do. Nothing more.” 

She bit her lip. “It’s still not fair to you,” she whispered. The guilt and conflict on her face made Dimitri’s throat constrict. He balled his hands into fists to keep from reaching out to her and pulling her back against him.

“I don’t mind,” he said. “I really don’t. Please don’t feel guilty about asking for something I’m more than happy to give you.”

She crossed her arms and looked down at her feet, putting up a wall between the two of them. Dimitri sensed that the conversation was now at a standstill and decided not to push it. He looked around and grabbed a shirt off an open box of clothes. “I’m going to shower in the bathroom across the hall,” he said. “You can use mine if you want. Do you want some breakfast before we go to the hospital?” 

“Yes,” she said. “But I can fix it myself.”

“My showers only last five minutes, so I’ll have more time than you will. It’s no trouble at all.”

“Okay. I’ll have whatever you make for yourself, then. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” But she had already turned to go into his bathroom. 

It’s going to take some time
,
he reminded himself as he went across the hall for a quick shower. He knew that. Carmine had plenty of reason not to trust him and she was under a lot of pressure from everything recently, not to mention the trauma from the attack on the house.
If sh
e
had made up her mind against you, then she wouldn’t have slept with you.
He hoped she wouldn’t. He hadn’t been lying when he had said that he knew she didn’t toy with people. Everything she did was honest and with the best of intentions. That was probably why she had such an attack of conscience over one night, even though she had not done anything wrong. 

He sighed and turned on the shower before undressing. Even though he was trying his best not to pressure Carmine into anything, he could think of nothing better than having her in the shower with him right now. 

***

Dimitri made them both breakfast sandwiches on poppy seed bagels with bacon, egg, and pepper jack cheese. It was Carmine’s favorite breakfast food, but he enjoyed it as well and he hoped that she would believe that he had all of the ingredients here by coincidence and not because he had been hoping that she would eventually come around for a good night’s sleep and a shower. 

When she came out, freshly scrubbed and dressed, he handed her the plate with her sandwich on it and she made a face. “I told you not to go to any trouble for me,” she said. 

“I remember you saying to make you one of whatever I was making for myself,” Dimitri said, holding up his own sandwich. 

“I thought you were going to make toast. That’s usually what you have in the morning.”

He shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich. “Sometimes I like to change it up. “If you don’t start eating soon, though, it’ll get cold.”

She smiled, sat down at the table and took a bite, her eyes rolling back with pleasure. She moaned and Dimitri felt himself get hard from the sound.

He gritted his teeth and willed it away. “You always were able to cook.” 

“I think your taste buds have been a little warped by the hospital food.” 

She shook her head. “Hardly. I still know that your cooking is a lot better than mine and this is easily the best sandwich I’ve ever had.” 

“I’m glad you like it. It’s too bad I can’t bring food into the hospital. Otherwise I would make you one every day.”

Carmine smiled softly and finished her meal. “I was thinking about that,” she said. “Would you mind if I spend tonight here as well? You know if everything went okay last night at the hospital and everything is fine today, it would be nice to sleep on a real bed.”

“Of course. You’re always welcome, Carmine.”

“Thank you. That’s very nice of you.”

“Any time,” he said.
In fact, the more time you want to stay here, the better
.