Sasha: The Wallflower (The Wallflower Series Book 1) (10 page)

Sasha choked at the girl’s audacity. Unable to even respond, she turned away. Dmitri was putting on his suit jacket in the living room when she found him. He looked up at her with a smile. “You ready? I can drop you off at your apartment before I go to work.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

“But…I want you to come to my office for lunch.” He walked up towards her and grasped her cheeks in both of his hands. Looking down at her with clear and blatant adoration in his eyes, he said, “We may not be able to spend as much time together here because of my sister. But I want to see you- I don’t think I can go a day without being with you in some way.”

Aware of Nadia’s presence in the kitchen, Sasha held herself back from throwing her arms around his neck and passionately kissing him. Instead, she returned his smile. “So, I guess I’ll see you at lunch then.”

He stroked her cheek. “You better.”

Sasha entered her apartment after giving a farewell kiss to Dmitri. She found Teagan prancing around in her underwear, her hips swishing along to the music blaring from the stereo in the living room. Smiling to herself, she threw her overnight bag on the floor and waved her arms to get her friend’s attention.

“Teagan!”

Teagan squealed, pleasantly surprised. “Sasha! I haven’t seen you in like forever. What’s going on girl?”

Sasha plopped herself down on the couch. “Well…I spent a night over at Dmitri’s condo again.”

A naughty look came across Teagan’s face; she immediately turned off the music and sat down next to Sasha. “And…was there a little bump and grind?” She wiggled her brows suggestively.

Sasha laughed. “Um…yes. We did it!”

Teagan, who had only been teasing, looked at her questioningly. Her face now serious, she asked, “Did what?”

“We had sex, Teagan.”

There was an awkward silence between them until Sasha jumped at the celebratory scream Teagan released. Her friend pulled her into a tight embrace, rocking back and forth.

“I’m so happy for you, Sasha. Oh my god, you have to tell me everything!” At Sasha’s pause, she corrected herself, “Well, not everything. But I would like some juicy details.” She lowered her voice as if other people were in the room. “You see, I’ve been on a self-induced dry spell.”

Sasha was shocked to hear this. Teagan had always been very vocal about her sexual activity. “You mean you’re trying to be celibate.”

She nodded her head enthusiastically. “Yup! At least until I find me a man that treats me like Dmitri treats you.”

Sasha gave her friend an encouraging smile. “You will, Teagan.” She paused, pondering whether to voice her concerns. But this was her best friend; if there was anyone she could reveal this to it would be Teagan. “There’s something else I have to tell you, though. I think I may need your advice.” Before Teagan could open her mouth, she continued, “Not sexual advice, Teagan.”

Sasha’s best friend frowned, disappointed. “Fine,” she groaned. “But I’ll have you know that I am a tiger in the bedroom.”

Rolling her eyes, Sasha revealed, “You can’t tell anyone this, okay?” At her acquiescence, she continued, “Well…Dmitri’s sister came last night.”

Teagan’s eyes widened. Her mouth gaped open in excitement. She gripped Sasha’s delicate shoulders and shook her slightly, “He introduced you to his family? OMG! This is even more serious than I thought.”

Sasha shook her head and tried to calm her friend down. “No, it wasn’t planned. I’m telling you this because I think she doesn’t like me.”

“Oh, shit!” Teagan stood up and began to pace. “Was she being an absolute bitch? Because you definitely don’t want her to get in the way of you and Dmitri.”

She frowned at the thought of that. At first, she had only been concerned about not having a positive relationship with Nadia. She had honestly never considered its implications on her relationship with Dmitri. Until now. “Oh, no” she mumbled to herself.

Sasha entered the elevator, her heart and mind racing with eagerness to see Dmitri. She had made it a habit to come see him during lunch considering his distaste for the food served at the diner she worked at. Usually, their time was mostly spent at his apartment but considering the presence of his sister, who still had not warmed to her presence, Sasha preferred to just spend time with him at his office when she was neither working nor going to class. Unfortunately, that didn’t leave much room for intimate moments.

In all honesty, she could admit to herself that she missed being close to him. Following their first night together, she could hardly go a day without thinking of his touch and his taste. To her shock, she was becoming exactly like Teagan-sexually frustrated.

She reached out to press the number for his office level but found it already glowing a bright yellow. The only other person in the elevator was a man in a fitted suit. It looked good on his tall and athletic frame. She gave him a smile and then looked straight ahead. When the elevator door opened she walked briskly to Dmitri’s office, nodding slightly at his executive assistant Jeremy, who had grown used to her continued presence and rarely announced her to his boss.

Knocking lightly, Sasha opened the door with a big grin. She found Dmitri lying back nonchalantly at his desk, his smartphone pressed to his ear. Glancing up quickly, he motion her to come in, returning her smile.

Sasha closed the door behind her and walked behind his desk to give him a hug. As had become routine, Dmitri pulled her onto his lap. She cuddled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on the space between his neck and shoulder as Dmitri ended his phone call.

When he clicked off, she asked, “Who was that? A client?”

“It was Nady. Apparently, she’s bored and wants me to take her to Cancun to be with friends.” He snorted at the very idea.

Sasha frowned at the mention of his sister but decided not to delve too deep into the turn of conversation. Instead, she said, “I didn’t get to stop by the Indian restaurant to pick up food. So…”

“No worries. I can send Jeremy out.” His hand settled to rest softly against her lower back. He pulled her closer. “Either way, I only care that you’re here. Come here, baby.” Dmitri brought his head down to capture her lips.

When he finally released her, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “I want you to make love to me, Dmitri.” It had come out of nowhere but after his kiss she knew it was now or never.

Dmitri groaned at her confession. Instead of ripping her clothes off, as a part of her had hoped, he gently pushed her off his lap and stood up. Just as she was losing hope that he would adhere to her wishes, she suddenly found herself bent over his desk, ass in the air.

Taking a masculine satisfaction in her submissive position, Dmitri grinned arrogantly and slapped her lightly on her bottom. Gently resting his chest upon her back, he said, “Your wish is my command.”

Dmitri was in the middle of unbuckling his pants when he heard a subtle knock on his door. Acting quickly, he zipped himself back up and, grabbing onto Sasha’s waist, pulled her up from the desk. He felt a huge wave of disappointment as he saw Jeremy’s familiar face peek through the crack in his office door. Sasha’s breath was heavy as she tried to calm the intense lust her body had been flooded with only a few seconds prior. Purposely facing away from the door, she leaned against the surface of the desk as she tried to catch her breath and fix her ruffled clothing.

She self-consciously fixed her hair and licked her lips as she heard Jeremy say, “Dominic is here.”

Dmitri’s visible stiffening made her wonder exactly who this person was. Interested, she turned around to face the door again, standing beside Dmitri. She watched as the man from the elevator strolled into the room with a gait very similar to Dmitri’s.

The man named Dominic lifted a brow at her presence before turning to look at Dmitri. “I wasn’t aware you had guests,” he said.

The subtle teasing in his voice made her face heat. It was as if he knew exactly what they were planning to do. She looked for reassurance in Dmitri’s gaze but his attention was placed solely upon Dominic. Noting his locked jaw and protruding veins, she could immediately tell that he was angry. But, what for? Admittedly, she was also vastly disappointed they never got the chance to finish what they started but was Dmitri really feeling that upset over an interrupted love session? Or was there something more going on?

The man named Dominic smiled warmly at her and reached out for a handshake. “Hello, I am Dominic...” he paused before adding with a swift glance at Dmitri, “Dmitri’s brother.”

Trying to cloak her surprise, Sasha returned his smile while shaking his hand politely. “Sasha.” As soon as he revealed his relation to Dmitri, she immediately saw the similarities in their faces. Almost the same height, they both had eerily dark eyes with an aristocratic nose. Dominic’s eyes were more open and less cold than Dmitri’s however; he carried himself with a nonchalant attitude that was inviting and almost playful.

“She’s a friend,” Dmitri added quickly.

Dominic returned his gaze to his older brother with a smirk. “If you say so…” The skeptical expression on his face clearly displayed his disbelief of Dmitri’s statement.

Sasha avoided his gaze, determined not to dwell on her disappointment once more. She was upset with herself for feeling such discontent even while being aware of why Dmitri refused to reveal their relationship to his family. She instead focused on how happy she was in their relationship, especially when it was just the two of them. They were growing to love each other; she knew it for certain.

“I wanted to talk with you over lunch but given you have company, I can come back another time.”

Sasha immediately shook her head. She wanted to get to know Dmitri’s family as much as possible despite them not knowing about her relationship with Dmitri. Plus, Dominic seemed much nicer than Dmitri’s sister Nadia.

“Oh, we were planning on going out to lunch. Would you like to join us?” she asked vibrantly.

Dmitri immediately glared down at her. “I’m sure Dominic would not wish to intrude, Sasha.”

Taken aback by the malevolence in Dmitri’s stare, Sasha was tongue-tied for a moment. Thankfully, Dominic spoke in her stead as she continued to stare up at Dmitri, flabbergasted.

“Actually, I haven’t eaten myself, Dmitri. I would love to join you both. Any place you have in mind, Sasha?”

She turned to his brother again with a slight smile; it definitely seemed like Dominic was much more pleasant than Nadia, their little sister. “That would be wonderful, Dominic. I believe we planned on going to the Indian restaurant a few blocks from here. Right, Dmitri?” She looked up at him expectantly.

Sasha watched his jaw tick in irritation. “Dominic can have Jeremy get him something.”

Beginning to get irritated at his stubbornness, she argued, “Dmitri, your brother has come to see you. The least you could do is have lunch with him. Why are you being so difficult?”

“I agree,” Dominic interceded with an arrogant smirk. “It almost seems as if you would prefer to be alone with dear Sasha.” He paused dramatically, bringing a finger to his strong chin in thought while pursing his lips. “But that can’t be. You said yourself you were only friends- no romantic entanglements, correct?”

Dominic inwardly chuckled at the furious glance his brother threw his way. He was curious as to why Dmitri wouldn’t simply admit that he was seeing this young woman. From his initial perception of her, she was not only quite adorable with her small stature and wealth of hair but also endearingly innocent. He remembered seeing her in the elevator on his way up to meet Dmitri in his office; even then, he couldn’t help but to slyly admire her form.

Admittedly, she was obviously not who he was used to seeing his brother date. If he remembered correctly, Dmitri tended to go for model-like women but that in no way took away from Sasha’s beauty. She seemed like a small spitfire underneath her calm exterior.

“Fine,” Dmitri finally replied through taut lips. “Let’s go.” He snatched up his suit jacket from the chair next to him. He caught himself from grabbing onto Sasha’s hand possessively and instead released a frustrated grunt, walking to the door. Sasha and Dominic watched his back for a moment before finally following in step behind him.

“So, are you Dmitri’s younger or older brother?”

Ever the flirt, Dominic smirked down at her, leaning in closer to her walking form and purposely brushing himself against her arm and leg. “Well, younger but only by a couple of years.”

Sasha felt his body brush against her as they walked to the elevator but assumed he had only taken a misstep. Deciding to ignore it, she continued, “I apologize for what he said earlier.” Thinking of their missed love session, she added in afterthought, “He just hasn’t had a great day.”

Dominic snorted. Instead of adding, “When has he ever?” he held his tongue and only nodded in affirmation. Having grown up together, he was used to Dmitri’s negative attitude when it came to him. He couldn’t remember exactly when it started but it always seemed to be simply the character of their relationship together. Shrugging off any hurt feelings as he usually did, Dominic followed Sasha and Dmitri into the elevator.

They were sitting in the restaurant, conversing as if he wasn’t even there. Dmitri watched through narrowed eyes as Sasha laughed at one of Dominic’s inappropriate jokes. He knew he had made an ass of himself in his instinctive possessiveness from the moment they entered the restaurant. Dominic had been suggesting to Sasha various dishes she could try out but with every one, Dmitri felt compelled to decline on her behalf.

“This particular one has shellfish. What about that?” Dominic had asked her eagerly.

Dmitri automatically interjected, “Sasha is allergic and she is not a fan of fish.”

Sasha had looked over at him with surprise, clearly not expecting him to have known her preferences so intimately. “It’s okay, Dmitri. I’m willing to try something new, besides the shellfish of course.” Her humor helped calm the rising tension between the two brothers.

But as he watched the two of them act so chummy with one another, his anger was growing to the point that the tranquil atmosphere was quickly changing. At that moment, Dmitri’s fist was clenched around his fork as he forced himself to eat. The food had been tasteless for him, despite this being his favorite restaurant. Of course, he was upset that he and Sasha couldn’t continue what they had started in his office but, now, it was more than that. He felt almost territorial as Dominic blatantly flirted with Sasha in front of him.

Dmitri tried to tell himself that Dominic was only trying to get under his skin, like he always did, but as soon as he saw his brother reach out and brush a finger down Sasha’s cheeks, he couldn’t hold back anymore. She was his, friends or not!

“Sasha!” He interrupted their conversation which was getting too intimate for his comfort.

She looked up from her food and smiled sweetly at him. He almost felt his anger dissipate at the sight. That was what she always did to him; the mere sight of her calmed him. Too bad he couldn’t say the same about his anger with his brother.

“Don’t you have class soon?” He asked.

Sasha’s eyes widened. Hurriedly, she dove into her purse for her phone to check the time. As she did so, Dmitri turned his attention back to his brother. Glaring at him, he mouthed loud enough for him to hear without involving Sasha,

“Leave her alone, Dominic.”

His brother only shrugged innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s single, right?”

Instead of answering, Dmitri turned back to Sasha, whose attention had returned to the center of conversation. He raised a brow, silently asking if she had to leave.

“I have some time left before I have to go. Thank you for reminding me, Dmitri.”

He felt slightly guilty at her sincere expression of gratitude. “Of course, Sasha. I can drive you there whenever you are ready.”

Sasha immediately shook her head; she could tell he was only trying to avoid his brother Dominic. Fascinated with Dmitri’s family, despite her negative relationship with Nadia, she felt compelled to try to help him rebuild what he had lost years ago. She doubted she could ever forget the deep sorrow he expressed the night they had consummated their relationship. His eyes still haunted her because it was so similar to her own anytime she thought of ‘family.’ It was something she knew she could never gain back but being with Dmitri made her hopeful that one day she could start her own.

“Oh, no. I’m perfectly fine with taking the train. It’s only a few stops away. You should stay here with Dominic. He came to speak with you, after all and you two have hardly said two words to one another this entire time.”

As she said that, Dominic and Dmitri’s eyes connected, filled with its usual hostility. Sasha felt a shiver run down her spine at the uncomfortable ambience they created between them. It only confirmed her mission to help them resolve their issues. They were family!

“Dominic, how long are you staying in Boston?” she asked, trying to initiate an amicable conversation.

He shrugged. “As long as I’m needed.” Dominic’s gaze was still focused across the table at Dmitri. With a sly smirk, he turned to Sasha and continued, “But I’m happy to stay as long as you want me to, Sasha.” He reached out a hand once more and lightly stroked her shoulder.