“You deserve to be taken care of.” He rinses the soap from my hair, then presses a kiss to my shoulder. His hand trails down my side, over my hip, and I shiver despite the warm water.
“Dmitri...” I breathe, not sure if it’s a warning or an invitation.
“One more,” he murmurs against my neck, his fingers sliding between my thighs. “I want to feel you come one more time tonight.”
I’m still sensitive from before, so it doesn’t take long. His fingers work me with that same devastating precision, his other arm wrapped around my waist to keep me upright as my legs start to tremble. When I shatter against his hand, he swallows my cry with a deep kiss, holding me steady until the tremors fade.
“That’s three,” he says with a satisfied smile, pressing his lips to my forehead.
After the shower, he wraps me in a warm towel. I’m boneless, exhausted in the best way, barely able to keep my eyes open.
“Stay tonight,” he says softly, brushing damp hair from my face.
I want to. God, I want to. But reality creeps back in—my roommate, my morning class, the fact that I don’t have anything with me.
“I can’t,” I say reluctantly. “I have brunch with my parents tomorrow, and all my things are at the dorm...”
Something flickers in his eyes—disappointment, maybe—but he nods. “Then I’ll take you home.”
The drive back to campus is quiet, comfortable. His hand rests on my thigh the whole way, his thumb tracing lazy circles on my skin. When he pulls up outside my dorm, he cups my face and kisses me slowly, thoroughly.
“Goodnight,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Goodnight, Dmitri.”
I float up to my room on a cloud, barely remembering to wash my face before collapsing into bed. And as I drift toward sleep, I think that maybe, just maybe, I’m falling in love with him.
***
The next morning, I wake to the sound of my phone buzzing somewhere on the nightstand. I grunt softly, reaching out blindly for the phone, but it stops ringing the moment my fingers close around it. I fall back on the bed with another groan, taking the phone with me.
For a moment, I just lay back, eyes closed, letting the memories of the previous night at Dmitri’s penthouse wash over me. The way he kissed me and touched me…
Oh, I never felt so…alive.
My heart races just thinking about it.
I open my eyes with a giddy chuckle as my phone vibrates in my hand. It's a message this time, from Mom, reminding me about brunch. I glance at the clock and groan. I’m already late.
I rush into the bathroom to get ready, and in twenty minutes, I'm all dressed up and ready to go. As I do my makeup in front of the mirror, I think about Dmitri. Part of me wants him to meet my parents—I’m sure enough about what I feel for him. But another part knows it’s probably too soon. We only had our first real date last night, even if the weeks of chess and conversation have made him feel like so much more.
Still, I take a chance and send him a quick text, asking if he'd like to go with me to brunch with my parents.
His reply comes almost immediately.Good morning,beautiful. I'm sorry I won't be able to make it to brunch. I’m meeting with my brothers.
I stare at the message for a second longer, my stomach tightening with disappointment. But I shake the feeling away and head out the door.
It's probably for the best anyway. We’ve only just had our first official date. Meeting my parents can wait.
By the time I reach the restaurant, I’ve managed to talk myself into a good mood. My parents are already seated by the window. Mom waves me over, smiling, and my father stands to kiss the top of my head.
“Morning, sweetheart. You look happy.”
“I am,” I say, sliding into the seat across from them.
He gives me that knowing look fathers have. “New guy?”
Mom laughs. “Bill, don’t interrogate her already.”
