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“Always.”
Going with her suspicions, she asked, “Do I know the person behind the leak?”
A muscle flexed in his jaw before he shook his head. “Please don’t ask me that. You know I won’t lie to you. It’s not my way. Dmitri deserves the chance to explain.”
His statement was proof enough. Presley thought of all the people she knew, trying to determine who might do something like this. More important, she suddenly began to understand that she didn’t know all the ins and outs of what had happened. And it became clear that none of the other submissives knew either, since none of the girls could make sense of Dmitri’s behavior.
She glanced down again, pondering. On one hand, she thought this was all pretty ridiculous. On the other hand, she realized that it was quite possible she had it all wrong. I’ll never hurt you, Dmitri had once told her. She thought he’d done exactly that, but maybe he hadn’t. Perhaps he was trying to save her from something that could hurt her more.
Dmitri had given so much to her, never asking for anything in return. He had changed her life in ways that she knew she’d always be grateful for. She saw that he was giving her the space that her leaving had made it clear she wanted. But he’d also sent Kyler to ensure that she knew he’d come for her in seven days.
She looked up at Kyler. “Seven days? That’s what he needs?”
Kyler gave a firm nod. “Seven days.”
He must have seen the look of agreement on her face, because he leaned in and took her into a friendly, warm hug. “You’ll be okay, Presley. All you gotta do is trust him.”
She rested her head against his shoulder. “That’s the hard part, isn’t it?”
Kyler chuckled. “When it comes to our lifestyle, it always is.”
Chapter 8
Dmitri: Good morning, doll. I wanted to text you this morning, so you weren’t fretting all day. I’ve missed you, and I know this week has been terrible. It’s been hard for me, too. Can we meet at Aces’ fountains at 8 p.m.?
Presley: I don’t understand any of this, Dmitri.
Dmitri: I know, and I’m sorry. Tonight everything will make sense. Do you trust me?
Presley: You know that I do. I’ll see you tonight.
Dmitri: I love you, doll.
Presley: I love you, too.
—
One week. It had been seven days of pure hell for Presley as she waited for Dmitri to be in touch with her. She’d told herself to trust him, but that trust had been growing thin in the depths of her misery without him, each day becoming darker and lonelier. When she’d finally received the text from Dmitri this afternoon, it left her reeling in confusion.
Later that night, standing on the corner of the strip near Aces’ fountains a few minutes before eight o’clock, her hands trembled. The light breeze brushed across her bare shoulders as she angled her head back, gathering her curled hair into one hand. The fountains behind her lit up the dark night, putting on a show for the crowd that gathered, and laughter fluttered through the air. But she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the glowing new sign: Club Sin. Bouncers were at the glass front door, keeping the line of partygoers waiting behind the velvet rope barriers under control. The line of people waiting to get inside ran all the way down the street. Presley thought back to the last club that had been in this space, a place called Risk; it had closed down a few weeks earlier.
“What do you think?”
Dmitri’s rumbly, powerful voice sizzled down Presley’s spine, igniting a shiver. How she’d craved hearing that voice. Those low, sexy tones made everything better. Tonight his voice didn’t waver or hint at any weakness, and the ease in it told her that he was happy to see her.
She turned around, and the crystal blue eyes focused solely on her made the ache in her chest vanish. She’d waited days to see him. For all those long nights she’d mourned the loss of his touch, his voice, and his commanding presence. She’d missed his love.
The silence stretching between them now wasn’t at all awkward. In fact, it seemed very much needed. She followed his hand as he reached up, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. Feeling the warm comfort of his touch, she closed her eyes. As his skillful caress brought her deeper into his possession, she almost lost her balance; she reached out, grabbing him, and making them remember how much they loved each other.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that his were tight and determined, not lustful and heated. She pushed back what her body demanded, and forced herself to address the question he’d asked her. “I’m confused at what exactly this is,” she admitted, pointing to the Club Sin sign.
Dressed in a tailored black suit with white shirt and black tie, his hair slicked back, Dmitri appeared very put together. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was trying to impress her. But he didn’t need to do that; she was his. And they both knew it.
The corner of his mouth slowly arched, as if he could read her thoughts. He closed the distance between them and leaned forward, sealing his mouth over hers. Their hearts twined, and she melted. She had wondered what to expect from Dmitri tonight, and was glad that he was the attentive Dmitri she’d always known. She returned the emotion-packed kiss, feeling tears escaping her half-shut eyes.
The week apart hadn’t hurt them, she suddenly realized. It had helped them.
That brought her a huge feeling of relief.
