And then I saw slight movement beside Dmitry’s leg. A sleek, toned body coming to stand beside her owner. Sasha was a dog.
“You know Sasha doesn't like to be alone.” Dmitry reached down and ran a hand over her head. Now that my eyes had adjusted I could see him more clearly… could see he was watching me.
Dmitry took another step forward and the motion activated lights flared to life. I stared at Nikolai’s brother, saw him smirk at me, then glanced down at his canine companion. A sleek black and brown Doberman sat on her haunches beside him, her ears pointed straight up, her black eyes trained on me. If I didn’t know she was alive, hadn’t seen her move just moments ago, I could have mistaken her for a statue for how still she was.
He kept stroking her head, his sleeve pushed up his forearm so I could make out the tattoos that lined his wrist and snaked up to disappear under his shirtsleeves. But even those dark designs couldn’t hide the very clear–and numerous–scars that were raised underneath the ink.
“Why don’t you just get to the point of why you’re here?” Nikolai had shifted once more so he was standing at my side, and I felt instantly warm when his hand settled on my lower back. But he only kept it there for a moment before he slowly slid it up, between my shoulder blades, and curled his fingers around my nape again.
God, why did I find that possessive, dominating hold so damn arousing?
I couldn’t help but feel as if Nikolai did this as some kind of brand of ownership. And I couldn’t find the energy to care. Because I liked it. I liked the heavy weight of his palm on my nape. I liked the feel of his thumb stroking up-and-down the side of my neck, over my pulse point right below my ear.
“I have business outside of the city that’s going to require my attention for a few days.” Another long pause. “I need you to watch Sasha,” Dmitry said in an even tone.
I looked at the Doberman again.
“I’m not a kennel, Dmitry.”
“Don’t act like you don’t like her company.” Dmitry slid his gaze over to me. “It’ll only be a few days. Besides, you know I don’t trust anyone else with her.” Dmitry slowly grinned as he kept staring at me. “Not allergic to dogs are you?”
I found myself slowly shaking my head.
“Great,” Dmitry said with as much enthusiasm as a cold man like him probably could muster. “It’s settled then. A couple of days tops. I think you and her will get along well, Amara.”
I was aware of a rough sound leaving Nikolai, felt the air in the room grow hotter, the tension increasing.
“You and I have some business to discuss, don't we brother?”
I looked at Nikolai, saw the hard set of his jaw, the clench of muscle underneath. His nostrils flared once before he gave a hard nod toward his brother.
And when he looked at me I saw that truth in his eyes. Whatever business they had to discuss most likely had to do with me… with my father and the massive mess that had been left back on the East Coast.
“You’ll be okay for a couple of minutes?” Nikolai asked and I was sucked into his orbit, as if he were the sun pulling me closer and closer.
Although I didn’t feel like I would be fine. I felt like I was coming apart at the seams and didn’t know if that was a frightening realization, or one that I ultimately would welcome.
I had to be stronger. I have to be stronger. Not just for me, but because of the situation at hand, the most important reason. Which was getting Claudia out of that house and away from Marco, away from being further molded and brainwashed into thinking that's how her life should be.
Nikolai looked like he wanted to say something else, and God did I want him to touch me again, even if it was just a stroke along the side of my neck, a reassurance that he was coming back.
When did I get so attached? When did I find myself wanting far more than I should with this man in such a short amount of time?
It seemed so insane yet I couldn’t convince myself it was wrong.
“Give me a moment and then we can settle in for the night.”
I found myself nodding, and when he did lift his hand, when he tightened his fingers around my chin, I felt myself soften. He leaned in and kissed me softly, so softly it was like he hadn’t even kissed me.
And then he was gone, both of them stepping out into the anteroom, leaving me with Sasha, who sat still, watching me, those dark eyes far more intelligent than any canine should have been.
I wasn’t necessarily a dog person, had never grown up with any kind of pets in my life, to be honest. Father never allowed it. So I sat in the garden and threw seed out in front of me, watching as the sparrows and chickadees, even the paired doves, pecked at the ground.
But Sasha didn’t seem like a “pet”. She was very much Dmitry’s companion.
I kept utterly still, not sure if making sudden movements would startle her, cause her to be defensive. So I stood there, picking at my shirt, feeling sweat start to bead my temples.
This was ridiculous. She was just an animal, not giving me any indication that she meant me any harm. And surely Nikolai wouldn’t have left me alone if he thought I was in danger.