Page 20 of The Billionaire's Vow

And even more embarrassing, a special kind of heat surged through her, settling low in her stomach, and she clenched her thighs together under the table, mortified by the strength of her reaction to his command.

What was wrong with her?

The way he spoke to her, the way his voice wrapped around her name, sent a pulse through her.

It was unsettling.

And worse, it was a little intoxicating.

Chapter 8

Dimitriwasgoingtoexplode.

This woman was his punishment.Giselle Carrington was the universe’s way of making him pay for every brutal act, every ruthless decision, every time he had destroyed an enemy without a second thought.

His entire body throbbed with need, his blood boiling in his veins, and she had absolutely no idea of the impact she had on him.He tried to focus on anything except the way her lips parted when she’d leaned into him earlier, how for a split second, she had looked like she wanted to kiss him.

Had he imagined it?Was it just his own painful hunger twisting reality?It had to be.There was no way someone like Giselle—a woman who was soft, lovely, and completely untouched by the darkness that clung to him like a faithful shadow—could want a man like him.

His fingers curled tightly around the menu, willing himself to calm down, and then—

"What was that?"he asked, blinking as he realized she had spoken.

She lifted her chin slightly, her expression an adorable mix of irritation and stubbornness."I said," she repeated through gritted teeth, "I’m not a dog."

For a second, he didn’t understand.Slowly, he replayed his last words, then let out a deep chuckle.Here he was, struggling not to haul her across the table and kiss her senseless, while she was furious because he had told her to sit.Damn, she was something else.

Suppressing his amusement, he tilted his head in what he hoped was a polite concession."I apologize," he said, still amused."It was rude of me to be so abrupt."

The waiter appeared beside them, looking between them cautiously, probably wondering why the tension at the table felt closer to a battle than a dinner.

"Would you prefer wine or a cocktail?"Dimitri asked, shifting the conversation.

Her irritation faded, but something else flickered across her face.For a brief moment, she looked… confused.As if she wasn’t used to someone apologizing to her.

"Nothing for me," she replied politely, glancing down and nervously readjusting the linen napkin on her lap.When she looked up at the waiter, she gave him a polite smile."Water with no ice, please."

Dimitri watched her closely.She wasn’t being difficult, but there was something about the way she said it, the way her fingers lightly traced the pattern on the edge of the table, like she was steadying herself.

"Do you mind if I drink?"he asked carefully.

Those silver-blue eyes of hers flashed up to him, then quickly away."Of course not," she replied quickly.Too quickly.He noticed the sudden tension tighten her shoulders and the way she fiddled nervously with the precisely aligned silverware.

And her lips, which had been soft and slightly parted only moments ago, pressed together, thinning in quiet disapproval.That reaction told him everything.

It wasn’t obvious, and maybe she didn’t even realize she’d done it, but he had spent years studying people.Reading the smallest shifts in expression, the tiniest tells that gave away fear, anger, or unease.

She wasn’t just indifferent to drinking.She didn’t like it.Dimitri didn’t know why, but the way she reacted told him it wasn’t a preference—it was something deeper.He barely hesitated.

"I’ll have water as well," he told the waiter.

Giselle’s lips parted slightly, her shock evident.She hadn’t expected that.But he wasn’t done.He didn’t give her a chance to object.

"She’ll have the steak, and I’ll have the salmon," he added.

The waiter nodded and disappeared, leaving the two of them alone again.Giselle still looked surprised, as if she wasn’t sure what had just happened.Dimitri leaned back in his chair, studying her with renewed curiosity.

She had a past.That much was clear.