Chapter Six
Aquarius
H e was so damn nervous about this first date. As he sat there, out in the actual bar with the patrons and employees, he was waiting for Poppy to arrive. His heart was pounding, and his palms were sweaty. Dimitri had never had a date before in his whole life.
And he was going to puke.
He couldn’t help but think that everything rode on this one moment. If he could pull this off, he’d be able to get a second date and a third.
This moment with her was all he ever really wanted. With each hooker he’d used, and with each woman he’d watched walk away or die, he’d only wanted a connection.
A deep.
Meaningful.
Connection.
With Poppy, he finally felt that bond forming, and Dimitri was a greedy man.
He wanted more.
As he watched the door for her arrival, he couldn’t help but laugh. It was as if he were some scared teenager, and honestly, he loved it.
That rush was there.
That anticipation.
Dimitri had never had any of this before, and it was intoxicating.
Then she arrived.
The second he saw her, Dimitri stood, and the sight of her stole his breath.
Oh God.
She wore a dress for him.
He watched as Poppy navigated the room, her long black hair shining like silk. In that moment, he wanted to touch it.
Dimitri wanted to caress the black waves and let it rain across his naked body. He wanted to feel that intimacy with her.
Only her.
For years, he’d filled his life with hookers, women who meant nothing, and one disaster after another. Now he wanted to fill it with something more.
Someone who mattered.
Her.
Dimitri stood there, and when she turned her head to scope him out in the busy bar, he lifted his hand in greeting.
Their eyes met.
He was lost.
Dimitri Gideon fell hard.
He’d found his future wife.
When she saw him, her heart skipped in her chest. Emma hadn’t been lying. Dimitri was standing there, and he was wearing a suit just like she’d said.
He looked so dangerous and sexy.
There was something about that sexy grin that made her want to rip off her panties, jump him, and rock his world. It was the bad boy/dark hero thing he had going on.
Before, it did nothing for her.
With him?
Oh, it did everything for her now.
It was hard not to be drawn in by him as his dark hair kissed the tops of his shoulders. Oh, and the way he was watching her with those mysterious aqua pools. She wanted to fall into them and never come up again.
She couldn’t believe he was dressed for her.
Then again, she’d done the same.
“Dimitri,” she said when he offered her his hand as she finally reached him.
“Babochka, you look beautiful.”
She smiled. Poppy was fighting that blush she could feel moving up her body.
That nickname melted her, and she didn’t doubt the sexy devil knew it too.
“You look very sexy, Dimitri, and I’m sure I’m not the only woman noticing it.”
He looked around for the first time—just noticing that they weren’t alone. Yes, there were women, but they didn’t even register with him.
She did.
Poppy had his attention from that first moment he held her at gunpoint on the mountain.
A part of him knew.
For now, he wanted to remember this moment until his dying day. He wanted to lock this treasure away for only him to cherish. For him, this was a miracle. A woman, a beautiful one, had joined him on a date, and he didn’t have to pay for her time. The only other women who would rush out and meet him were his sister and Emma.
This was amazing.
“Would you like to sit out here, or someplace more private?” he asked, despite Emma telling him to sit with the customers. Dimitri didn’t want to share her with anyone, and there were men checking her out.
Some guy at the bar was staring at her ass.
He’d kill him later.
“Well, that depends,” Poppy offered.
“On?”
“You get some say in where we sit, too, Dimitri. Where do you want me?”
He laughed.
Oh, where to begin?
His instincts were to say that a bed would be the perfect place, but he knew with that came earning it.
“Care to share what’s funny?” Poppy asked.
“Internal dialog that’s not suitable for a lady. It was instinctual.”
She looked around when he said, ‘lady’.
“Oh, you meant me.”
His eyes twinkled. There was nothing like a woman who wasn’t a gold digger or who had a sense of humor. He loved that best in someone. God knew his life was stark. He needed someone who would light the way with humor.
“I think that we should sit out here,” Dimitri stated, going with what Emma suggested. “I have the loveliest of dates right here, and I don’t mind if people watch,” he admitted.
She flushed with heat.
Poppy didn’t mind if all the women around them stared either. This sexy man, for now, was hers.
“That works for me. I hear you have something that belongs to me,” she said, holding up the box of chocolates. “Holding booze hostage…that’s not nice.”
He found her endearing.
Like a gentleman, Dimitri pulled out the chair for her, and also pushed it in. Then he moved to the other side of the table and took a seat. Before his ass hit the chair, there was a waiter.
With a tray.
On it, there was a fifth of Jack.
It was her turn to laugh.
“Oh, to be you for one day,” she teased, sliding the box to the middle of the table. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to be powerful and have people doing anything you wanted at your slightest whim.
While she knew that Emma was down to earth, she didn’t doubt that this man was powerful like Greyson Croft.
Birds of a feather flocked together.
“What were you saying about me holding your other request hostage?” he asked, lifting a brow.
God!
When she smiled, she was gorgeous.
“I guess I was wrong about your intentions. Would you like to share?”
He took the two glasses and the bottle before answering her. Dimitri could have sworn she was flirting with him. The only time he’d seen it was with a hooker, but with her, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was him getting his hopes up. Still, he tried to flirt back, to see what would happen.
That’s what people did on dates, right?
“Oh, babochka, the good thing about me is you’ll know my intentions. I don’t play games.”
She stared into his eyes as his big hands and elegant fingers held the bottle and two glasses.
She didn’t doubt he was being one hundred percent honest about that.
“Duly noted, Mr. Gideon.”
Dimitri loved this game. It was like some sexy game of chase, and he’d run her down eventually. When he wanted something, he generally got it. Only, he’d never wanted a woman this much.
This.
Was.
New.
“How do you like your jack?”
She didn’t hesitate.
“Straight.”
She was a woman after his own heart.
He poured them some of the whiskey and gave the waiter his signal that they were perfectly fine for now.
Dimitri handed her a glass and clinked his glass off of it. “To our first date.”
She took a sip, and so did he. Meanwhile, she crossed her legs and brushed him with her foot.
He didn’t even flinch.
For some reason, that turned her on even more. He was so steady and strong. All her life, she had to take care of herself. She didn’t doubt she’d be safe with him.
Who would have thought that Detective Poppy Wayne would crave someone to watch over her?
“Thank you for the invite,” she stated.
Dimitri struggled not to react when she touched him. Whenever Poppy came in contact with him, it was a battle. Now was no different. Only, he didn’t know if it was an accident or if she was trying to relay some sexy message.
This was new to him.
“I wasn’t sure you’d show,” he admitted. “You seem to keep saying no to me. I was beginning to give up hope. It seems the third time was the charm.”
Poppy sipped her Jack.
“I do believe I explained that, Mr. Gideon. I was worried about you. Under different circumstances, I would have said, yes.”
He took a sip of his whiskey.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked. “I know it was a bad day for you, but I hope I’ve made it better—even if just a bit.”
She held up a finger and signaled him to wait.
Dimitri didn’t know what she was doing. No one ever told him to wait.
Ever.
While he did, she opened the chocolates and popped one in her mouth, and sighed.
“And now I feel better.”
He found that amusing. Apparently, this dating thing was fairly simple. Give the woman exactly what she wanted. This one favored chocolate and whiskey.
Noted.
“That has to be the best thing I’ve put in my mouth,” she stated. “So far.”
He lifted a brow.
Oh, Dimitri knew what he’d love to see in her mouth, and it wasn’t a truffle. Still, he kept it clean.
She was a lady.
Right?
“Do I get one?” he asked. “I did give you some of my whiskey. I believe the deal was we’d share.”
She picked out one and held it out to him.
“It’s a mystery. Mine was a coconut cream truffle. You’ll have to be surprised.”
He opened his mouth, curious as to if she’d actually feed him the pricey truffle. He’d watched Emma do the same thing with Greyson when they shared a meal.
He’d desperately wanted to know what that felt like. Now he wished he’d said dinner. He’d love to see what Poppy would do. She confused, baffled, and thrilled him.
“That was delicious,” he stated.
Poppy was curious.
“Dimitri, why are all of your staff watching us like we’re in a zoo?”
He chewed his truffle and contemplated how to answer that for her.
“It was raspberry—in case you were curious.”
She lifted a brow.
“Well, didn’t you get lucky? Now, how about the question? I’m a cop. I know a deflection when I hear one.”
He watched her sipping her whiskey and knew he wanted more of these nights. If he wanted that, he had to be honest and share who he really was with her.
Before he could take her to bed, she needed to know the real him. It looked like it began now.
“That’s simple,” he offered. “I don’t, as a general rule, sit out here with the customers.”
She listened.
“I’m sure there’s more. They are watching us like I’m a mad bomber, and you’re my target.”
He laughed.
“They are protective.”
She wasn’t buying it.
Dimitri saw the look.
“I also don’t bring or meet with women unless they’re a client. They are waiting for the pit to open and the horsemen to appear. For them, this is the sign of the apocalypse. I have a date.”
She laughed.
And there was the truth. Poppy knew when someone lied, and the first two, while not lies, had been the guarded truth. Now, Dimitri was being honest.
It was her turn too.
“Well, I like it in here. It’s a nice place. It reminds me of you.”
He grinned.
“Does it now?” he asked. “How so?”
“All the wood, the ambiance. It looks like something you’d create. It’s sturdy, it’s safe. It feels like a haven.”
Oh, she had no idea.
This woman was damn good at reading people. Here was his proof. She’d nailed it on the head. This was a haven. His and the people who worked there.
“Well, if it were truly like me, there’d be a cigar here.”
One appeared.
“Oh, look at that.”
Poppy laughed.
“In this place, wishes come true?” she asked teasingly. “What a handy thing to have.”
“What would you wish for?” he asked.
Poppy closed her eyes and whispered something that he couldn’t quite make out. When she opened her eyes, she was smiling wickedly at him.
“Oh look. A sexy man.”
His heart skipped.
That cinched it.
She was flirting with him, and again, he didn’t have to buy it. He didn’t have to pay for her attention, and his world stopped being so dark. There was that light there, and she was it.
She wanted to be with him, and he couldn’t believe it. Dimitri was waiting for the rug to be ripped out from beneath him.
“Do you mind if I smoke?” he asked. “Be honest. It’s more a habit that I save with the guys, but I do like smoking here.”
Poppy didn’t mind.
“Only if I can have chocolate. We all have a vice. This one…” She pointed at the chocolates. “Is mine.”
Dimitri laughed.
“I can live with that,” he stated. “You wouldn’t happen to know how to prep a cigar, now would you?” he asked.
She grinned.
“I’ve seen it done a few times,” she said, holding out her hand. He gently placed the clipper in her fingers and held out his cigar. She prepped it, clipped it, and handed it back.
He watched her.
Oh, his night was getting better.
The fantasies of a very sexy cigar girl to sit in his lap began playing out through his mind. Greyson wasn’t the only lucky man in Vegas. It looked like this place did grant wishes.
He almost grinned like an idiot.
When she was finished, he went to pick up his lighter, but she reached it first.
“Let me,” she said, as she flipped it open and lit it in one smooth motion that also stole his breath.
Yeah, he was rock-hard.
How did Greyson do this? All he was thinking about was taking her back upstairs and fornicating all night long. Then he recalled his secrets, and that killed that overwhelming need.
For now.
Dimitri cupped his hands around hers and puffed. He loved the way her hands felt against his. He could do this each and every night, and it would never get old.
When he was finished lighting it, he leaned back to take her in. She was watching him with a curiosity, and he knew they had to start somewhere.
He’d ask the questions.
“Tell me about yourself, Detective Wayne. I want to know everything about you.”
“You pretty much know everything, I’m sure. What I haven’t told you, I’m sure you or your buddy, Greyson, would have researched.”
“Nope. I didn’t ask, and he didn’t tell. I wanted to get to know you like this.”
She lifted a brow.
That surprised her. He was powerful. She was sure as the friend of a mob boss, her personnel file was in his possession. It was nice that it wasn’t.
“Really?”
“Yes. I don’t know more than you’ve told me. I refrained. I wanted to get to know you like two people on a date would. I think it’s better that way. Did you research me?”
She laughed.
“What?” he asked.
“Mr. Gideon, you’re all over the news, and inside the police precinct. Just last month, I heard you were running drugs for Greyson.”
“And?”
“I don’t buy it. You don’t seem like a drug kind of guy to me.”
He laughed.
“I can honestly say I’ve never run drugs.”
And that was the truth.
Guns?
Well, that was another story.
“My turn,” he stated.
She bit a truffle in half and then offered him the other piece. Immediately, Dimitri accepted it.
It was salted caramel. He hated caramel, but the fact that her lips touched it first…he’d eat a million caramels for her.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asked.
“Red.”
“What’s your favorite hobby?”
“Macramé.”
That caught him off guard.
“Really?”
She’d been testing him to see if he’d researched her, and the look on his face said it all. He hadn’t been. That answer shocked him.
“No, I’m a boring person. I come home, I shower, I go to bed. Rinse, repeat. That’s me. I live for my job.”
Oh, he knew what that was like.
“I work too much too,” Dimitri offered. “When you protect people, there are odd hours.”
“So you protect Greyson?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“Not anymore. I was originally hired as his security, but a funny thing happened.”
“What?” she asked as she sipped her whiskey.
“Emma Croft happened.”
She watched him.
“Okay, I need to ask. Are you two a couple? You seem close. I know what the media says…”
He did too.
Last month, she was having an affair with him, and Chris. They flip-flopped days while her husband was impotent.
Which was funny.
Anyone who knew Greyson Croft knew that the man was anything but impotent or on Viagra. This was more proof the media was way off base.
“The media lies. Emma…our relationship is hard to explain. It’s not sexual. It’s more like…”
How did he tell her without sounding stupid?
“Go ahead.”
“She’s like the mother I never had, combined with the sister I already have. I love her very much, and I’d die for her. Greyson is my best friend. When we became close...they are my family. He’s my brother.”
She believed him.
“Anything else, Miss Wayne?” he asked, glad that she was asking questions. He wanted her very comfortable with him. Like the last one, he wouldn’t have answered for anyone but her. His relationship with the Crofts was off limits.
Until now.
“What else do you like to do?”
“Gamble.”
“Really, Mr. Gideon. I hadn’t noticed. You know, since I saved you on a mountain full of risks.”
He laughed.
God!
He loved her quick wit. That wasn’t what he was expecting from her—not at all.
“I recall. My arm still isn’t the same.”
She smiled at him.
“You’re beautiful.”
It caught her off guard. He went so serious when he said it that it hung there between us.
“Thank you?”
He laughed.
“You don’t like to be complimented? Most women do,” he offered.
“In this world, lies are prevalent, and the truth is seldom given. It caught me off guard. I’m a cop. People see my badge, and immediately, they lie.”
“Good point.”
She wanted to give him a compliment back. Poppy was beginning to believe not enough had been tossed his way.
“You’re wickedly handsome, and you absolutely know it. I bet you could sweep a lady off her feet in seconds.”
“Are you offering?”
She laughed.
“That answers that for me.”
“Let’s play a little game, Miss Wayne.”
She leaned forward.
“Okay. I’m in. What do you have in mind, Mr. Gideon?” she inquired.
“Truth or dare?”
She laughed.
“Oh, I’m in. I love a dare.”
He hoped so.
“You’re worried about me being some serial killer?” he asked.
“Truth. No, I’m not. I can tell what kind of man you are. When you rushed in to save me today, I knew I was safe.”
His heart skipped.
Dimitri loved saving her too.
“Your turn.”
“Are you a playboy who gets what he wants from every woman?” she asked.
“Truth. I’m not. You’re my first date ever. I don’t date women.” He didn’t tell her he paid for sex. That…yeah, that was going to have to wait. He wasn’t ready for her to know it yet. If he said it, she’d run.
Poppy waited.
“What’s next?” she asked.
“I think I’m done. That was all I was worried about. People talk about me. I’m apparently dangerous.”
She didn’t speak.
He was dangerous.
She’d fallen for him. On that mountain, she fell for the man. Why? She had no clue.
“Thank you for today,” she said.
He didn’t want her thanking him. He wanted Poppy to know he’d be there for her when she needed him. Dimitri wanted her to call him when she was in trouble.
“Is that why you agreed to have a drink with me?” he asked, his mood darkening. “Because I showed up and saved you?” he asked.
Poppy didn’t lie.
“Yes.”
Oh, he didn’t like that answer. Maybe this game was a really bad idea.
“I see,” he said.
His tone must have said it all because she put down her drink.
“Do you? What do you see, Dimitri?” Poppy asked.
“This is repayment and nothing more. That’s why you said no to two other dates but not this one?”
He kicked back his drink to chase the anger away. He was disappointed.
“Uh, no.”
He watched her. He was enjoying his time until he realized that she might only be there out of obligation.
“Then what?”
“I should go.”
She went to stand.
He grabbed her hand.
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“Dare.”
“Sit in my lap,” he said, curious what she was hiding from him. She got up and did as he asked. When she sat, he stared into her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“About what?” she asked.
“The dare won’t be enough. I need to know why you came, Poppy? Why did you come here tonight?” he asked. “Please say it’s not to repay me. Please say it’s more.”
“I came because you rushed over to save me.”
His heart dropped.
“No one has ever saved me before.”
He listened.
“It was nice. For once, I didn’t have to be the cop. I could be saved. I came because you let me be Poppy—not Detective Wayne. She’s my day job. Poppy is the woman. I seldom get seen as anything more than a cop. Finally, someone saw me.”
She blushed at her admission.
And that melted the ice.
Dimitri believed her. She was sitting in his lap, and they were staring into each other’s eyes.
“Why did you come?” she asked. “When I called, why did you come to save me? I turned you down. Was it because you felt like you owed me for the mountain?” she asked. Then she handed back his same line. “Please say it was more.”
“Dare,” Dimitri said, not sure if he could even get the words out to explain it to her. He showed because he knew she was going to be his wife one day—if he could keep her from running from him when she found out the truth.
“Kiss me,” she said, pushing the envelope further. He wanted her in his lap, and she wanted that sinful mouth on hers.
His heart skipped.
“Your wish is my command,” he whispered, as he slowly pulled her mouth to his.
The second their lips touched, he found that sweet, delicious warmth so inviting. Dimitri never had this attachment and this feeling of completeness.
He controlled the kiss by keeping her mouth trapped to his. Immediately, his body responded. He went even harder than he’d been seconds ago.
He couldn’t fight it.
Dimitri was only so strong.
Poppy was his weakness. While he’d gotten entangled with Marissa Pierce, he realized the difference. He didn’t have that same need for brutality. He didn’t want to throw Poppy against a wall and just rut.
He wanted to carry her to bed and make love. Dimitri wanted to gently feel her hands soothing him, instead of nails tearing into his flesh to make him pay for his sins.
With Poppy, his sins were forgiven.
That was the difference, and it changed everything in his world.
With the kiss, he fell into it. Dimitri forgot where he was, the time, or what was happening around him.
When he felt the tap on his arm, he prayed the person would go away, only she didn’t.
It was Marie.
Slowly, he set Poppy’s mouth free.
“Yes, Marie?” he asked. “The building had better be on fire.”
He knew he was.
“People are taking pictures, boss. I hated to bother you, but I know how you and Mr. Croft like your privacy. Someone will be selling the pictures to a rag tabloid.”
Here was his other proof that she was special.
His first thought was he didn’t care. He’d been Mr. Ivanov for so long to hide his dalliances. He had bought women to keep himself hidden. Now he didn’t want to hide. He wanted the world to know that she was his.
Dimitri wanted to live in the light instead of lurk in the dark.
His second instinct was to be worried. Poppy was a cop. He was a criminal. He wouldn't be the one who would suffer.
She would.
Commissioner Raye would ride her, and then he’d kill him. To that moment, he’d let justice take its time. If Jeffrey Raye used him to hurt Poppy…
He was a dead man.
So, he worried about the woman in his lap.
“Thank you, Marie. I think I’ll escort Miss Wayne up to her room. Tomorrow, can you have breakfast sent to the penthouse for us.”
Poppy knew what that would sound like to the woman. It sounded like…
Oh, shit!
Was he sleeping over?
“What would you like?” she asked, pulling out a pad and getting ready to take his order.
“Chocolate croissants, hot chocolate, and anything else chocolate.”
Poppy laughed.
“Miss Wayne likes chocolate.”
Oh, Miss Wayne liked him too.
A lot.
“I’m good with chocolate,” she teased. “Cover anything you want,” she said, laughing more when he lifted a brow.
“Tempting. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Marie hid a giggle behind her hand.
“Miss Wayne, can I walk you up to your room?” he asked, as she got out of his lap.
“Thank you, Mr. Gideon. I would really enjoy that.”
Dimitri held out his arm, and she placed her hand through the opening. It was the first time a man had ever done that for her, and she was baffled by it.
He was old world, bad boy, and trouble rolled into one, and she was excited about being with him.
Together, they headed out, but first, he grabbed her box of chocolates on the table. He wanted to buy her lots of them. For once, he wanted to shower someone with affection—other than his sisters, and Emma.
As a rule, he didn’t buy things for women. He paid them, tipped them, and that was it. With her…
Oh, that was going to change.
As they rode up in the elevator, she kept peeking over at him. He had her arm through his, and his hand was on hers. It was so…hot.
It made her wet.
It made Poppy forget what chased her, and how tomorrow, she’d have to reopen that part of her life.
As the elevator stopped at the floor to the penthouse, he turned toward her.
“I know we’re having breakfast tomorrow, but will you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner?”
She was a little caught off guard.
“Of course, Dimitri.”
He smiled.
“May I steal a kiss goodnight?” he asked.
“You’re not staying?”
Oh, he wanted to stay. Dimitri wanted that more than anything, but he had the kids at home, and he wanted more time with her before he was honest.
If he told her now, he had nothing to get her to stay. He needed a day with her. Some romance.
He needed her to see he was worthy, so he went with the easy way out.
“Kids.”
She blushed.
“So, may I?” he asked, the Russian accent rising to the surface. He’d tried so hard to make it stay gone, but when he wasn’t focused on it, the accent came out.
“Yes, you may kiss me goodnight.”
Dimitri moved toward her, and miracle of miracles, she didn’t move away. She stood there and stared up at him. While he wasn’t too much taller, he felt big and powerful.
Detective Wayne could handle herself, but he was with Poppy. She made his heart skip.
Dimitri placed the chocolates on the table by the elevator doors.
“I have to have my good arm free,” he admitted.
She laughed.
“I hope you can manage, Mr. Gideon.”
He loved how she teased him.
He loved how she called him that. There was humor in her blue eyes, and he saw such happiness there that he never wanted to leave it.
“I will try my best.”
His good arm went around her waist, and he pulled her against his body. His mouth found hers, and instead of wild and frenetic, he went with deep and meaningful. He wanted Poppy to think about him all night long.
Her hands went around his neck, and her fingers moved into his hair as she held him to her.
He dove in, taking and giving everything he had. His mouth didn’t stop moving until he was ready to lose control. Then, and only then, he backed off.
Slowly.
When his lips came free of hers, they both hesitantly opened their eyes, as if afraid to break the spell.
“Poppy?”
She blinked.
“Dimitri?”
“Think of me,” he said, as moved back into the elevator to put some space between them. If he didn’t move away and leave, he’d be in bed with her. His body was already begging him to do what he lusted after, and it was a hard-fought battle.
He entered the code to close the door.
“You have a minute,” he said as the door began closing between them.
She realized what he was saying.
“Goodnight, Dimitri,” she called, “I love your accent! Keep it,” she blurted. “It’s sexy!”
The last thing she saw was that quick grin. Then she hurriedly entered the code and leaned against the wall.
HOLY.
SHIT.
She headed toward the bedroom, pulled off her dress, and put on her running gear. Then she headed to the private gym.
And she ran.
For an hour straight.
She was NOT ready for Dimitri Gideon.
Not even close.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Sky Villa
When Dimitri returned to his condo, he found Greyson flipping through some files as Emma was asleep on the couch beside him.
As he entered, Greyson glanced up.
“You’re smiling,” Greyson said. “I’m going to say you had a good date.”
Oh, he could say that.
“Do you have time for a cigar?” Dimitri asked, wanting to talk it over with a man he considered his closest and best friend.
Greyson jerked his head toward the sliding glass balcony door.
“You know I always have time if you need me,” he replied, and it was the truth. They had a bond, and that mattered. Besides, Emma was out cold.
“Then join me,” Dimitri stated.
Out on the balcony that overlooked the city, Dimitri handed Greyson a cigar.
“What are we celebrating?” Croft inquired. “Did you seal the deal?” he asked.
Oh, Dimitri only wished that were the case. He wanted to stay with Poppy more than anything, but he knew he couldn’t.
“No, not yet.”
Greyson took Dimitri’s lighter and lit his cigar. Then he took a deep puff.
“Then why all the smiles? Let’s face it. You aren’t a smiler,” he teased.
“I’m really happy.”
Well, that was a first.
Happy and Dimitri Gideon were NOT synonymous. That was one word that normally didn’t describe him.
Ever.
“Are you drunk? You don’t do happy. Whenever Chris says he’s happy, you mock him. What gives?”
He actually laughed.
Yeah, he had ridden his employee every time he smiled so brightly. Now he got it. Dimitri finally understood what that feeling felt like, and he liked it.
“I know, and that’s why I’m happy. I get it now.”
Greyson was glad.
The man beside him deserved it. So, together, they stood there and smoked.
It was Dimitri who broke the silence.
“When I first met you, Grey, I was jealous of what you’d found,” Dimitri stated. “I truly believed that what you had in your life was out of my reach. I wanted Emma. I wanted that connection with someone.”
He let the man talk.
“I wanted someone to prep my cigar, play the piano for me, and look at me the way she does you.”
Greyson lifted a brow.
“I don’t like this turn in the conversation,” he teased. “You should explain, or I might need to make sure you’re not left alone with my girl.”
He laughed.
“Yes, by all means, give me Chris as a chaperone. That should work out well.”
Greyson grinned.
He knew what he was doing. While so many people gossiped about his wife having affairs with both men, he knew the truth. They needed each other to heal that part of them.
Dimitri exhaled the stream of silvery smoke as he contemplated his words.
“While an Emma is amazing, and I’d be blessed to have that, it wouldn’t be enough. I just realized that Emma is what Greyson needs. I’m not Greyson. I don’t need an Emma. I need a Poppy.”
Greyson patted him on the back.
“And that is why I never worried about losing my Emma to you. You asked me a few times why I didn’t get enraged when Chris cuddled up to my wife. You’ve asked why I didn’t get angry when you were hurt, and she held you in a tub of water while you were naked. I already knew what you just said. You don’t need an Emma. You needed something different.”
He grinned as he smoked the cigar.
“I really needed a Poppy.”
“From where I see things, your attachment to Emma is because you didn’t have that mother figure. While you had sisters, they were more like your children. Emma, for the first time in your life, is more a sister to you. I watch you with her. You rarely laugh or smile, but with her, you feel safe. So, by stepping back, I knew she’d give you that safe place.”
Dimitri listened.
“You weren’t looking for sex with my wife, Dimitri. You’ve been looking for that simple affection we all need. When she hugs you, you’re not turned on. You’re at peace. I can tell the difference.”
“You’re right.”
“I’m good at reading people. That’s why I ran an FBI office. They didn’t give it to me because I’m sexy.”
He laughed.
“They gave it to me because when I watch someone, I can tell their motives. It’s like Chris.”
“He’s attracted to her.”
“Yes, I know. I know that he’s always going to have that need in him, and that’s my safety net. If I die tomorrow…”
Dimitri stopped him.
“That’s killing my buzz.”
He laughed.
“Let’s face it, my friend. We have people gunning for us, and we don’t know the extent of Babylon’s death yet. It’s been quiet, and that usually means they’re regrouping. I could die, and if I do, I know Chris would take my wife and keep her safe. That love he feels is different than yours.”
“And let’s say hypothetically that you do die…”
“Yes?”
“You want me to promote Chris’s attraction to your wife? Is that what you really want?”
“Emma would mourn me, and Chris would fill my role and help her heal. We all know that had she met him first, he’d be her husband. I accept that. Fate put us together, but I wouldn’t want her to suffer if I died.”
“Would you remarry?” Dimitri asked.
“No. She is the only woman for me, but our situations are reversed. In Vegas, I can protect myself. I’ve killed already, and I’ll do it again. Emma…she’s good. We’re not.”
He got it.
“I would miss you.”
Greyson glanced over at him.
“I would want you to help raise my son. I saw you with Sam. You’re a good father, Dimitri. I’ve never done this before, so I’m going to ask you lots of questions about how to do it. I want Mac to be a decent man. I want him to have your bravery, Chris’s humor, my brother’s loyalty, and my tenacity. I want the men I love to love him for me, and if I can’t be here…”
“I would tell him every day about you. I promise.”
That was what he wanted.
“I’m so glad you found someone,” Greyson admitted. “I’m so glad you found that missing piece.”
“Me too,” he replied.
Greyson found something odd.
“Don’t get bitchy, but we’ve known you for a while, and do you realize that your accent is back?”
He was well aware.
“She likes me, Greyson. She said it’s sexy. Is it?”
“Yes, I’m particularly turned on right now,” he teased.
Dimitri laughed.
“That’s awkward with your wife right inside.”
Greyson grinned.
“So, she likes the Russian.”
“I’ve hidden it for so long, trying to blend in. I’ve tried to sound more like everyone else, but now I find myself wanting to be me—for her.”
“I say keep it. I like it. It gets me all hot and bothered,” he teased. “Mmmmm….Russian. So hot.”
He punched him in the arm.
“Asshole. You’ve been around Chris too much as of late. It makes you dickish.”
He dropped his arm over his shoulder.
“I’m so happy for you, my brother. I like the genuine you. I say keep it. Poppy is good for you.”
Yes, he was beginning to believe she was.
They stood there for a while.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“When is the appropriate time to sleep with a lady? How long did you wait with Emma?”
“Well, I think it was around four days.”
Dimitri thought about it. He could wait four days. Any more than that and he might have to service his own needs. He really wanted to roll around naked with Poppy.
Desperately.
“BUT…,” Greyson added.
He looked over.
“I hate that word.”
“You already slept with her technically. She cuddled you in a sleeping bag, you big pussy.”
He laughed.
“A guy gets shot one time…”
“If you think you’re ready, sleep with her. If you don’t think you are…”
“I’m going to come clean.”
“About?”
“Mace and the hookers.”
He stared at him.
“Maybe you should keep the Mace part quiet. She is a cop. If you admit it, Dimitri, and it ever goes bad, you could be screwed. There’s no statute of limitations on murder.”
He was well aware, and he appreciated that this was his brother trying to protect him, but he wanted to make sure he started something with a clean slate—not on lies.
“She’d have to prove it, and if she turned on me…?”
“You’d kill her?” Greyson asked.
He looked horrified.
“Jesus! What kind of monster do you think I am?” he asked. “I wouldn’t kill her!”
Greyson kissed him on both cheeks much to his Russian friend’s surprise.
“Congratulations, Dimitri. She’s the one. That’s how I know she is. You’d kill someone who betrayed you, or us. You would protect her.”
His heart skipped.
“Honestly, Grey, if she turned on me, I’d die,” he offered. “I’d have no faith left for anything. I have to believe she’ll protect me.”
“Why?”
“After Marissa turned on me when she found out Viktor killed her sister, she crushed my soul. You told me, and Emma has told me, that if someone loves me, they will protect me. I have to believe that if Poppy is the one, she’d protect me.”
He understood.
“My money is on her.”
“How do you know?” he asked.
“Because I know what a good man you are, and I know that she’d be very lucky to have you. You’re a decent person who will love her with all you have. As your brother and best friend, you have my blessing when it comes to the girl. You picked someone good for you.”
That meant everything to Dimitri.
He hugged Greyson.
“Thank you for loving me and having my back when I couldn’t do it, Grey.”
He hugged him back.
“Always. I’m your wingman and I’ll have your back. You’ve had mine since Randall died.”
“Wingman, huh?” Dimitri asked.
“Yup.”
“Until Emma hears you use that phrase and kills us both with all those pregnancy hormones,” Dimitri teased.
He laughed.
“Speaking of my pregnant little mother-to-be, I need to get her up to bed. I like it here,” he said. Looking out over the city. “For a little while, I began hating it. I think we are going to be okay.”
He put out his cigar beside Greyson’s.
“I know we are. We have a job to do here, and we’re back on track.”
Yeah, they were.
Together, they headed into the condo. Greyson went to get Emma, but Dimitri got there first. He left a kiss on her forehead, and the said something sweet in Russian.
“She loves you, too, you big puddle of mush. If Chris hears you, he’ll ride your ass.”
He was aware, but it was definitely worth it. Dimitri would take his chances.
Greyson picked her up, and she moved into his body.
Dimitri walked them to the elevator and opened the doors for them.
“About the accent,” Greyson said.
“Keep it,” Emma muttered. “It’s sexy.”
Dimitri grinned.
And there it was. He was going to make sure he was true to himself. Gone were the days where he wanted to hide who he was. Dimitri Gideon, the real Dimitri Gideon, was here to stay.
“I think I shall.”
When the door closed, he headed into the condo, locked the door, and checked on his kids.
Petra wasn’t in her bed.
He headed into Sam’s room and found them both there. Petra was cuddled against Sam, and his arm was protectively around her.
Yeah, he was proud.
Gently, and without waking them, he covered them both with Sam’s comforter and then gave them both a kiss on the top of their heads.
It was a beautiful moment, so Dimitri pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. With his sisters, he didn’t take enough pictures of the girls, and he regretted it.
With these two, he wouldn’t make that mistake again. Time was fleeting, and in ten years, they’d likely both be going off to college.
Closing the door, he headed into his room. Once there, he brushed his teeth and then sniffed his shirt.
It smelled like Poppy. There was that sexy scent that made his body react when he smelled it. In fact, he was rock-hard thinking about her.
So, Dimitri decided to keep it on as he climbed into bed to try and get some sleep.
When he closed his eyes, he laughed.
He was actually excited to go to bed.
So he could dream about Poppy.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
When Greyson got them back to the penthouse, Chris was sitting on the couch and flipping through some papers that they had from the FBI.
He glanced over when Greyson carried Emma in.
“I was going to come down to check on you both,” Chris stated. “She should get some sleep. She’s still recovering.”
Oh, he was aware.
“That was my plan. What are you up to?” he asked.
“I was catching up on our buddy the commissioner, so when we start in the morning, we are all on the same page.”
Emma moved in his arms.
“Want me to carry her in?” Chris asked.
Greyson would have laughed, only he knew the man was suffering.
“Sure. I’ll lock up,” he said, taking one for the team. Chris was hovering nonstop, and he’d cut the man a break.
When Chris reached him, Greyson gently handed her over to him. Emma curled into Chris’s chest and nestled her face into his neck.
“I’ll be right in.”
Chris headed toward their rooms, and he went around and shut everything off. Heading down the hallway to the other two bedrooms on the opposite side of the condo, he could hear his brother and Steele talking.
He lightly knocked.
When he opened the door, the men were in bed, bare-chested, and with the sheet across their lower bodies.
Thankfully.
“I’m heading to bed. I thought I’d say goodnight.”
“Is everything okay with Dimitri?” Dante asked, worried about the man.
“Yeah, he’s good. He’s got it bad for the detective.”
Steele grinned.
“Love is a beautiful thing,” he admitted.
“Yeah, it is. See you two lovebirds in the morning,” he said, as Steele cuddled against his husband.
“Night, Greyson,” he said.
When he closed the door, the one across from it opened. Heath popped his head out.
“Everything okay, Mr. C?” he asked.
“Yes, Heath, we’re good. I’m just locking up for the night. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Where’s Mrs. C?” he asked.
“Asleep.”
He made a package of cookies appear.
“These came today from Elizabeth. Want one?” he asked, holding out the tin.
Greyson laughed.
The only person who liked cookies more than him was this man.
“You know it,” he said, grabbing a chocolate chip cookie from the container. “Thanks!”
“Anytime, Mr. C. See you tomorrow.”
He closed the door, headed to the alarm by the entryway, and secured the penthouse. Then he finished his cookie as he headed toward his bedroom.
When he reached his and Emma’s room, Chris was waiting for him in the hallway.
“Night,” Greyson stated.
Only, Chris stopped him.
“Is Dimitri okay?”
He laughed.
This was why he loved his brothers.
“Yeah, he’s worked up over a certain detective,” he stated. “You know how it is.”
Chris grinned.
“Oh, the irony. The ultimate bad boy is crazy about a cop. The universe has a sense of humor.”
Greyson didn’t buy the fake smile.
“How are you?”
“Great.”
He didn’t call him out on it. When Chris was ready, he’d come to him. The ‘Bro Code’ stated that he wasn’t supposed to dig. Chris would let him in when he was ready.
“Okay, Chris. Have a good night. I’m going to bed.”
“She’s tucked in. Sweet dreams,” he said, heading toward his room across from theirs. When the door closed, Greyson shook his head and gave up.
In due time.
That was all he could say over and over again.
Heading into his own room, he found their bed empty. Before he could call for Emma, he felt her behind him.
“Come here often?” she asked, grinning at him.
“I thought you were asleep.”
She laughed.
“Yeah, well, I was missing my sexy pirate.”
He grinned.
“I missed you too. Want to go to bed and cuddle?” he asked, knowing he couldn’t do sex. All he saw was that wound on her chest.
In his head, he pictured rigorous sex and her heart stopping. It scared him shitless.
“I had something else in mind,” she said moving toward him.
Greyson backed up.
“What? A bath? Foot rub?” he asked, trying to offer up anything but sex.
“I miss tasting you, Greyson,” she said unabashedly.
“Oh.”
He fell backward onto the bed when she gave him a shove. Then, Emma was on him.
“Hey, stranger. Come here often?” she asked.
“Emma.”
Her hands wandered, and she had his shirt open, and his pants in the same condition. Her husband, oddly, was not rock-hard.
That confused her, but Emma wasn’t one to give up.
“We should cuddle,” he began, only to have her kissing her way down his chest.
Greyson fought the battle.
Deep inside him, he was terrified that something bad would happen if they rolled around too soon.
He’d Googled it.
Yeah, that had been a really bad idea.
Now his wife was trying to molest him, and he needed a way to stall her.
“I’m really tired.”
She paused.
“Pardon?”
“It’s been a rough day,” he said, “Maybe just a blowjob?” he offered once he realized that him turning down sex was not the norm.
Emma was smart.
She’d figure it out.
“Oh, well, Mr. Croft, let me show you what I’ve got.”
Emma pulled him from his pants, and his dick hardened the second her warm palm touched his flesh.
“Emma,” he moaned as she stroked him. It was so damn hard not to get turned on by his wife. She was licking the head of his dick as her hand drove him wild.
“What do you want?” she asked.
Oh, what didn’t he want?
Greyson craved Emma riding him, but he couldn’t do it. He was afraid. A blow job would tax his heart, not hers.
“Take me in your mouth, kitten. Make me cum.”
Was it shitty to just not tell her?
Yes.
Only Greyson didn’t want to stress her out with that either. It was his issue.
Not hers.
Emma teased and tormented him, enjoying the way he reacted to her mouth on his dick.
His moans and body told the tale.
There was nothing to worry about. Her husband was hard now. So, she blew him, stealing his breath. As her mouth found him, Greyson became more vocal.
“Work me hard,” he begged.
Emma gave him what he craved.
Greyson struggled to put together a coherent thought as he stared down his body. His wife was perched between his thighs and she was giving him the works.
Hand.
Balls.
Teeth.
Mouth.
It was so amazing that his eyes nearly crossed. Over the last week, he’d missed this. Greyson missed the intimacy, but he couldn’t go there.
Not yet.
She needed time to heal.
Emma worked him hard. In fact, she didn’t let up. He was tense, and Emma knew a lot was on his shoulders. She’d love to take some of that tension away.
He popped free of her mouth.
“I love tasting you.”
“Not as much as I love you doing it,” he muttered, as she toyed with him.
It was hot.
Then, his wife went back to destroying his control.
“Jesus, Emma! You’re killing me,” he muttered when she sucked the tip of his dick so hard that he felt it all the way to his toes. “Don’t stop,” he begged. “More. I need more!”
And he did.
Greyson needed someone to chase that fear away.
Emma gave him all she had.
She didn’t slow down when he begged her. Emma wouldn’t stop when his balls tightened.
Greyson needed this.
She could sense it.
“Oh, Jesus, kitten, I’m going to cum,” he said, his hands finding the back of her head to slow her down.
The quake started low in his body, and as he controlled the stroke of her mouth, he could see his vision blurring around the edges.
It was time.
Pulling her mouth down, he forced her all the way down his dick until she swallowed him whole. When her lips touched the base, he lost control.
He exploded down her throat.
His moan was deep, guttural, and said it all.
He’d needed that.
Desperately.
As his hands dropped from her hair, his chest rose and fell as if he’d run a race.
Emma set him free and climbed up the bed to find her spot beside him.
“I love you, Greyson,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before cuddling into his body.
“Emma,” he began, but she cut him off.
She knew when something was bothering her husband. She’d give him this moment.
“Go to sleep, Greyson. Everything will be all right,” she promised.
He let her words sink in.
He hoped so.
For now, he was worried. He didn’t want to lose Emma, and especially at his own hand.
Sex would wait.
He’d be fine.
He hoped.
Now, he only had to tell his wife that.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Tuesday Morning
Five Thirty A.M.
When he woke, Riley found himself alone in bed. He could hear Delilah in the bathroom, and he knew what she was doing.
She was peeing on a stick.
When he sat up in bed, she came out and joined him. He tucked her under his arm and against his body.
“Do you want kids?” he asked her.
“I don’t know. What about you?” she asked. “What do you want?”
“You.”
She held onto him.
“I’m scared. I’ve never been this afraid in all of my life. I’ve faced down crooked cops, the bar exam, and so much, but this…”
Riley understood.
“Me too. I wasn’t thinking kids,” Riley admitted. “I knew that going in bare during sex was a risk, but my dick likes it. He’s the one I listen to most of the time. I admit it.”
She laughed.
“Well, I like it, too, so no complaints. I know there’s a tiny chance the pill can fail. I just didn’t bet on it being that way for us.”
Yeah, neither of them did.
So, while they waited, Riley held her.
“Did you set a time?”
She nodded.
Neither of them spoke.
“Delilah, I’ll be honest with you. I hope you are pregnant. If you are, I’ll be happy,” Riley stated. “I have always wanted kids, and more so with you.”
There.
He owned it.
Delilah looked up at him and there were tears in her eyes. That said it all.
“I want them, too, Riley. I’m so afraid either way. When I met you, damn it, you set off that biological clock. Thanks.”
He kissed her and laughed.
“You can kick my ass later. They let me keep my handcuffs,” he teased to lighten the mood.
Before she could say anything, there was a ding.
“Want me to go?” he asked. “I’ll go in and check if you can’t.”
She nodded.
“I don’t think I can do it. I’m normally not a chicken shit, but if I look, I’ll puke.”
That was good enough for him. Releasing her, Riley got up and headed into his bathroom.
When he came out, he looked at her.
“Well?”
He shook his head.
“It’s negative.”
She started to cry.
Riley hopped back into bed and held her. He understood the feeling. He was disappointed too. It was like that really good prize at the end of something amazing. You didn’t need it, but when you got it, you were even happier.
“You don’t have to marry me,” she said. “You can call it off.”
He held her.
“Oh, Delilah, that’s not happening. We’re getting married tonight. You, me, and your very unfertilized egg.”
He soothed her.
“Do you know what the best part of this is?” he asked, trying to make her feel better. It freaked him out to see her cry. Delilah was the strong one.
“What?”
“We can try to have a baby, and then when our kid asks us if he or she was planned, we don’t have to lie our asses off.”
She snorted.
“We’ll still have to lie about the handcuffs.”
“Good point. Want to have a baby with me?” he asked.
Never in her life did she want anything more. All yesterday, as she walked around the courtroom, she was thinking about having his child.
It thrilled her.
Delilah, queen of the lawyers wanted that more than anything.
“Yes, Riley, I want to have a baby with you.”
“Can you get some time off from work?” he asked. “A week?”
“Yes, why?”
“Want to go on a honeymoon?” he asked.
She sat up.
“Really?”
“Yes. Where do you want to go?”
“Want to go to Tahoe? We can go skiing. We can make snow angels, and we can cuddle in a lodge. Then, we can try to make a baby.”
She smiled at him.
“Riley?”
“Yes?”
“Promise you won’t be mad?” she asked. “Promise you won’t laugh at me?”
He kissed her on the forehead.
“Absolutely.”
“If we have kids, I want to stay home, bake cookies, and be a PTA mom. Look what you did to me.”
He stared at her as he tried to picture it. For some reason, that was even hotter than Delilah the courtroom shark.
“I know. It’s silly,” she said, embarrassed that she’d even said it out loud.
“Will you still wear those sexy lawyer things for me when I come home from work?” he asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Deal. It’s not silly. That’s the hottest thing ever. I have never done it with a PTA mom who wears yoga pants.”
She laughed.
“Want to?”
He didn’t have to answer.
His maniacal laugh said it all.
Count him in.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Tuesday
Seven A.M.
The penthouse was hopping. Emma was in the kitchen as she finished making a batch of muffins, and everyone was there. Chris was making coffee, Greyson was reading a file, and Dimitri was trying to get Petra to eat breakfast as the gunkles looked on in absolute horror.
It wasn’t pretty, and it was clear that Dimitri was getting frustrated. He didn’t have this problem with Natasha and Katerina. They’d been starved. The second they saw food, like Sam, they hoarded it.
Petra wasn’t starved.
Clearly.
“Do you need help?” Greyson asked his friend.
He didn’t know what he needed.
“I don’t get it. She won’t eat,” he said. “Why not? It’s a muffin. That’s like cake in a wrapper.”
She shook her head as he tried to get her to eat.
Even Sam was failing.
That’s when Emma opted to come to the rescue. Grabbing the blender from the cabinet, she grabbed some ice cream and threw some banana into the shake. She whipped it up. In it, she added protein powder and then poured it into the glass with a ton of whipped cream on the top.
They all watched as she put sprinkles on it and chocolate syrup.
“Someone get the holy water. She’s possessed,” Dante stated.
Greyson agreed.
“Uh, who are you?” Dimitri asked.
“Ice cream is dairy. There’s fruit, and there is protein. Choose your battles. The kid is underweight. She needs the calories. Let her have ice cream for breakfast until she gets back on the growth chart.”
“She’s not going to eat it,” he said.
Emma held it out.
“Petra. Ice cream?” she asked.
She looked at it but wouldn’t go near it.
“See?” Dimitri stated. “Maybe I should make a doctor appointment and take her in,” he said.
“Uh, I’m a doctor,” Steele stated.
He had a point.
“She needs to eat,” Dimitri stated.
Emma wasn’t done yet.
Emma got out a spoon and fun twisty straw she used for Sam. Once it was in the shake, she tasted it. Then she offered some to Petra.
That was all it took.
The girl smiled and held out her hands. Emma passed it off and smiled triumphantly.
“There you go. Breakfast is handled.”
Dimitri couldn’t believe it.
He kissed her.
“You win. I will let you mother her. I can’t handle it. I’m a nervous wreck.”
Sam saw the shake.
“Uh, babe, what the hell? You handed me a Greek yogurt and a banana. Someone is playing favorites, and it’s not cool.”
“Language,” all three men stated.
“Seriously? She gets a shake? What about your favorite, charming, Gideon boy?”
“You can have one.”
He smiled.
“IF you can tell me what the formula is for finding the radius of a circle?”
“Come on! A Quiz?” he asked in horror.
“What is it, Sam? If you want the goods, you supply the answers to my question. You skipped math yesterday…”
He sighed.
“Fine. Radius equals circumference divided by two pi. For the record, pregnancy has made you mean.”
Greyson snorted, and she took away his muffin.
“HEY!”
Emma made Sam one, and as soon as it was done, he went off with Petra to have his shake.
Dimitri just laughed.
“I bow to you.”
“It was non-fat frozen yogurt, spirulina protein, and organic bananas. I won twice. I switch the labels on the ice cream containers since my husband has been known to eat ice cream when I’m asleep at night.”
“Marry me,” Dimitri teased.
“Okay.”
Greyson cleared his throat.
“When they find your body, I’ll have a room full of alibis…”
Dimitri laughed.
“Now give me back my muffin, woman!”
She tossed it to him.
When they heard the door, Kat came in carrying Sadie, and she was breastfeeding her. Emma gave her granddaughter a kiss on her head.
“Uh, there’s boob right there,” Chris stated. “Seriously? What the hell happened to this house? It used to be rocking and a place for babes.”
“Right on,” Sam shouted.
“Now we have breastfeeding and pregnant women all over the damn place. I’m awash in hormones,” he muttered.
“Yeah, PMS,” Emma stated.
“Funny.”
“I’m planning to breastfeed, too, Christopher.”
He grinned.
“Oh yeah? Can I watch?”
“Two dead bodies outside Sky Villa,” Greyson stated. “One less witness, but Dante will have my back,” he said.
“Oh, I will.”
Chris laughed.
“Point taken.”
Emma knew they needed to focus or they’d be off on some crazed tangent.
“Where’s Curtis?” Emma asked.
“He’s coming. He said something about going out with his father to do something non-baby related.”
“He’s going out with me and Riley as we do the interviews.”
Emma pointed at herself.
“Uh…what about me?” she asked.
Oh, he was well aware. Greyson weighed his options, but he knew she’d flip her shit on him if he said no. Besides, Chris was hovering.
She’d be fine.
“We have a bunch of people to interview today, so you and your bodyguard are going to do one. Curtis, Heath and I are going to do two, and Dimitri and Poppy are going to work on her situation.”
Curtis came in.
“I’ll take the kids downstairs,” Kat stated. “I have to finish feeding Sadie.”
Curtis didn’t say anything as his wife got the kids wrangled and walked past him.
“Thank you, Kat,” Dimitri offered.
There would be tutors coming, and Dimitri hoped Kat could handle them.
He kissed his sister on her way past and kissed the baby on the head.
“You ready to roll, Chris?” Emma asked.
“You bet.”
Greyson went into protection mode.
“Are you sure you’re up for this? You can stay here and babysit…,” he asked, suddenly having second thoughts.
“I am babysitting. I have Chris.”
“Yeah, I like to run into the street and run with sharp objects. I’m a menace, said the person who wasn’t just stabbed in the chest.”
Heath came in at the right moment.
“Yeah, I heard that about you,” he stated.
“Har-har.”
Emma tossed the big man a muffin. Then a second one because Heath ate…a lot.
“Food is love, Mrs. C. Keep it coming. You can feed me any day.”
She gave him a hug.
“While you’re out today, keep my husband hole-free. If you do, I might be able to come up with some reward.”
“Will it be hot and delicious?”
“I hope you’re talking about pastries,” Greyson stated. “If not, the body count just went up to three,” he stated.
Dante and Steele took that as their chance to run for cover. They needed to head out.
“Later,” they said, heading out.
“For your information, boss, I was talking about those fresh, hot glazed donuts that the one place makes all day long. For being a pervert, I’m not sharing.”
Greyson laughed.
“She’s tainted you already.”
“Yes, your wife has,” Emma stated. “He comes home in one piece, you get two. Not a dozen. Let’s not be insane.”
Heath would take it. Honestly, he loved living there with them. It was nice to have a ‘family’.
“Are you ready, Curtis?” Greyson asked.
He was staring out the window and didn’t reply.
“Uh, Curtis, are you ready?” he asked again.
He glanced over.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” he said. “Sorry. I was thinking. I have my body armor on, and a gun.”
Emma gave him the look.
‘He’s your son too. Fix it!’ she mouthed. ‘Something is wrong!’
He rolled his eyes.
Great.
It looked like he was on killer and relationship duty now too. A Croft’s work was never done.
“Emma, you get the woman Libby worked with. Her name is Emily Bauer. Abby said she doesn’t work there anymore. So, here’s her home address. It’s early enough that you might be able to catch her before she heads out to do woman things.”
“What more do I need to know?” she asked as Dimitri helped her into her Kevlar. He checked out her wound before helping her zip into it.
Then he pulled her shirt over it so no one would see it. It was very motherly.
It amused her.
“Uh, Mom, I’m good,” she said.
“Sucks, doesn’t it?” he asked before giving her a kiss on the forehead.
“Continue.”
“She’s married, and she’s a mother of one. That’s all Abby could give me. Her husband’s name is Tristan. Apparently, they hung out a lot. Jeffrey Raye and the Bauers were buddy-buddy.”
That worked for her.
She kissed her husband and grabbed the address from him before he could change his mind.
“I’ll call you later, sexy Croft-i-gator.”
He laughed.
“Take care of my wife, Chris.”
He wiggled his eyebrows.
“On her, boss.”
“Can I hurt him, Mr. C? That made me think of not so pretty pictures.”
Greyson tossed him the keys.
“He’s trying to get you riled up,” Dimitri stated. “Chris is Chris.”
Both men knew he was still mourning Natasha, even if he couldn’t bring himself to admit it. They’d give him time.
Heath caught the keys, and Greyson pointed at Dimitri.
“Please tell me you have backup. You’re down an arm, and while we know Babylon went down, we don’t know about anyone else.”
He was aware.
“I have Ilan on me. I’ll be good.”
“What’s your plan?” Croft asked.
“I’m leaving it up to Detective Wayne. She knows how she wants to run this show. I’m just there to keep my eyes on her.”
Oh, he was aware.
And hands, knowing the man—and he couldn’t blame him in the least.
“Be safe.”
“Yes, Mom.”
The man snorted.
“While funny with Emma, not so amusing with me, Dimitri. I didn’t get shot or stabbed, so I’m allowed to say it to those who have.”
He had a point.
Without having to ask him, Greyson helped Dimitri into his body armor, and then his suit jacket.
“I’ll check in as soon as I can. Are you and Emma still up for babysitting for me so I can have a date with the detective tonight?”
“Yep. We’ll do it,” he offered.
Curtis didn’t make a comment.
They were both waiting for it. He loved busting Dimitri’s ass. That was the highlight of his life. In fact, Curtis liked busting EVERYONE’S ass.
Nothing.
Yeah, this wasn’t good.
“Where are you three heading?” Dimitri asked. “So I can save your asses when you need me.”
Greyson raised both arms.
“Simon Says.”
Dimitri couldn’t do it, so he flipped him off with his good hand.
“Anyway, leftie, we’re heading to Riley’s to pick him up, and then to Libby’s place of employment. We’re going to talk to the people who worked with her.”
“How? You’re not a cop.”
He grinned.
Oh, that was easy.
“I want to invest some money. If they want it, they’ll talk to me about her.”
Dimitri laughed.
“Genius.”
“I know.”
He grabbed his body armor and pulled it on. When he and Curtis were riding down in the elevator, he knew he needed to find out what was wrong.
As of late, his son had a puss on his face.
It couldn’t be that he was tired.
Curtis had been a Fed, and he’d made the boy run on fumes most of the time when they worked. It was conditioning. He was getting plenty of sleep.
Plus, Sadie was a sweet baby.
Oh, and he had a doting, gorgeous wife.
Whatever was bugging him had to be something so insane, and so ridiculous that he couldn’t wait to hear it.
All the way down in the elevator, Curtis didn’t say anything. As they approached the bottom floor, Greyson offered to give him an out.
“If you’re not up for this, you can stay home with Kat.”
“NO!”
He stared at him like he was insane. Normally, the man would take that and go with it.
Now he was shouting ‘NO’ like he was asked if he wanted to eat his own arm off to escape a bear trap?
Yeah, something was up.
When his phone rang, Greyson pulled his phone from his pocket. It was Riley.
“We’re on our way now. We’ll be at your place in ten,” he said, as the elevator opened.
“I’m getting married,” he blurted.
Greyson stopped walking.
Had he heard him correctly?
TO DELILAH?
“Pardon? Can you repeat that? I thought you said you were getting married.”
“I am. Delilah and I got engaged last night. We’re getting married tonight. I need two favors.”
“Well, I hope one is the day off and some time for a honeymoon,” Greyson stated, as they walked through the lobby toward the second elevator.
“Well, yes, unless it will mean getting fired.”
He laughed.
“Riley, don’t be crazy. You’re not getting fired. You’re marrying my attorney. She’d kill me. She knows all my secrets. I need to keep her happy.”
He laughed.
“Thank you, Greyson. The second is I need two witnesses for this evening. Are you and Emma available tonight to stand there for us? I know it’s short notice, but it would mean a lot to us.”
Crap!
He’d promised to babysit for Dimitri.
He’d have to work this one out.
Greyson thought of their backup plan when things like this happened and Sam needed a babysitter. Surely, Paris and Tessa would do it.
Yeah, that would work.
This whole ‘everyone under one roof’ thing was working out just fine.
It took a village.
“We are available.”
“Will you be my best man?” he asked. “I need a friend, and you’re a good one.”
He would be honored to do it for them. Greyson genuinely loved both of them. Riley had their back when he needed them, and Delilah always put their best interests first when she was defending them.
“Riley, for you, my friend, I’ll be there. Send me the information.”
“Thanks, Greyson.”
“Congrats,” he said.
When he hung up, Curtis was curious.
“What’s going on?”
“Riley and Delilah are tying the knot tonight. They want witnesses,” he offered.
“Awesome,” he said, only his voice said otherwise.
Greyson didn’t get what the hell was going on with the man. He should be happy.
“Why are you so freaking miserable, Curtis? What the hell is bugging you?”
He looked over and had tears in his eyes.
“I don’t think Katerina loves me anymore. I think my marriage is over.”
Greyson stared at him.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Not.
Freaking.
Again.