Whydo I say these things?
For a moment, it looks like Dmitri's ready to leave me to go on his murderous search before he huffs out a sigh, kissing me again. "Come to bed."
"You might have to drag me," I say with a weak chuckle. He sweeps me up easily in his arms, carrying me past my guest room and down the hall to the master. The room is dominated by his enormous bed, the charcoal gray blankets and pristine white bedding.
I groan at the feel of the silky sheets, the mattress that feels like I'm floating. "I haven't felt anything this sublime since I stayed at a fancy hotel for a medical conference," I mumble. "That was the first time I realized how the other half lives, with amattress so spectacular that it feels like you're being caressed by a thousand tiny angel's wings."
"Angel's wings, hmm?" Dmitri gently runs a wet washcloth across my stomach, between my legs. "You're going to appreciate that when you realize how sore you are. That was a hell of a workout."
"Which part?" I yawn.
"All of it, sweet magpie." He clicks a remote and charcoal, gray curtains sweep across the windows, settling the room into twilight and crawls in bed with me. "Sleep for a minute," he says.
"Just for a minute," I agree, drowsy, surrounded by the comforting warmth of his body.
***
It's not a dream exactly.
Just a voice, bubbling up from the murky tar of my damaged memory. "Shut the fuck up!" A man is shouting, distant, like he's down the hall. "I do everything for you. You should be grateful!"
"Please…"A woman's voice, terrified. "Please, I won't tell anyone."
I bolt upright, shuddering, pulling the sheet up when I realize I'm naked.
"Hey," Dmitri's voice, his warm hand is on my back, grounding me. "You're safe, you're here with me. I have you. Was it a nightmare?" He settles me so that I'm leaning against his chest and puts his arms around me. He rocks me slowly, waiting for me to be able to speak.
My hands are shaking, pulse galloping, and it takes me a few breaths to calm down. "Not a nightmare exactly," I say, hating how weak my voice sounds, how fragile.
I'm not fucking fragile.
"I heard voices when the apartment door was open once. Another door must have been opened down the hall. I heard a guy shouting at someone to shut the fuck up and that he did everything for her." Dmitri's arms tighten slightly. "I think it's related because I heard the girl say, 'I won't tell anyone, just let me go.'"
His warm chest turns to granite, but his voice is still calm. "Good girl," he says. "I'll have Roman and Kolya run an electrical scan on the apartments on the tenth floor. Do you think you could recognize the voice if you heard it again?"
"I think so. He sounded whiny, entitled. There's a certain tone men like that have."
Dmitri runs his knuckles lightly up and down my arm, just listening. "It must be difficult," he says gently. "Part of you hoping you never have to remember and the other part trying so hard to recall."
"It'll be worth it," I say, nodding firmly. "I just… I just need to get the rest of the pieces put together."
Dmitri drops a kiss on the top of my head, before getting a glass of water from the kitchen for me. "No ice," he says. "The way you like it."
"You noticed that I hateice?"I force myself to laugh a little, trying to lighten the mood.
"And you prefertap water,"he says, pretending to shudder elaborately.
"Yes," I agree. "I'm a savage."
I drink my tap water without ice and he wraps me back up in his arms, turning off the light.
"Don't even think of suggesting that you go back to the guest bedroom," he says, his voice muffled in my hair.
I should. I should set a boundary here. But he's warm and my skin feels so thin, like I can't hold everything inside me and his arms are keeping me from exploding into a million pieces. So, I snuggle deeper against his chest, close my eyes, and sleep a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Two
In which we learn it's a very bad idea to throw Dmitri a surprise party.
