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But with Dani here, suddenly, I’m glad that my duty is to protect Pyotr and his family. Even if it means missing out on the action. Because here, I get to be near Dani, to enjoy the sight of her soaking up the golden sunshine and enjoying the beauty of the estate.
I could tell something was bothering her as soon as I saw her at the top of the stairs of Pyotr’s Brooklyn Heights home. It drove me crazy not to ask her about it. That’s the hardest part, I think.
Allowing myself to have feelings for Dani, pursuing a relationship with her, and yet maintaining my role as Pyotr’s bodyguard when she’s around. It’s going to take considerable effort to manage both at the same time. Because when I’m near Dani, I lose sight of everything else.
And right now, she’s entirely too appetizing in the paisley corset-top summer dress. The skirt flares around her hips in layers of bright yellow fabric, mimicking petals as they taper down to the thigh-high hem. The cropped denim jacket she borrowed from Silvia complements the look perfectly.
But her focus is what intrigues me. She’s entirely immersed in the nature around her, demonstrating immense patience as her toned arms keep the camera to her eye. She barely seems to breathe as she waits for the perfect shot.
And I don’t dare to interrupt. The angry chitter of a chipmunk finally reveals what it is she’s so absorbed by, and a smile tugs at the corners of my lips. The hushed click of her camera’s shutter follows a moment later. And that’s all it takes to disturb her subject.
Leaves rustle as the tiny creature scampers up the trunk of a tree, its cheeks bursting with an uneaten meal. Dani releases a soft chuckle, following the creature with her camera and then slowly turning to find something else that captures her interest.
She takes her time, seeming to switch between looking through her lens and studying the world with her naked eye. And as she treads through the wooded area in search of something new, I follow her.
Sweeping her gaze across the forest floor, Dani finally turns in my direction. Camera poised to take a photo, she pauses when she spots me. I still, curious to see how she might respond to my unexpected presence.
And slowly, she lowers her camera to meet my gaze.
“Are you stalking me?” she teases, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Hardly,” I counter. “You are the one with the camera here. And any proper stalker knows a camera is a necessary tool of the trade. If anything, you must be the one stalking me.”
Now that she’s spotted me and I’ve already disrupted her solitude, I take the opportunity to join her. Leaning my rifle against a nearby tree, I then close the distance between us.
“Me? Stalk you?” Dani scoffs. “I would never.”
“Because you are unsure of how to do it?” I joke lightly. “Here, let me show you how it is done.”
Taking the final step to reach her, I scoop the camera out of her hand. Dani gasps, snatching for it as I move out of her reach. Then I raise it to my eye.
“You are supposed to stay hidden. Never let your subject know you are watching. But since you already know I’m here, we’ll just pretend,” I continue.
“Efrem!” Dani scolds, jumping in her effort to take back her camera as I snap a quick picture of her. “Give that back!”
“Your pictures should help you understand your target better. Their movements, their motives, how you might entrap them if you should decide to move in.” I give her a pointed look.
“Or you could justnotstalk the person,” she amends, laughing.
I lower the camera, wearing a look of confusion. “Why on earth would you not?”
Dani takes the opportunity to steal her camera and turn it on me once more. “Because then how are you supposed to kiss the person?” She takes several steps back as if to frame her picture.
Heat races through my veins at the subtle invitation, and suddenly, I’m less inclined to keep teasing her. Because kissing her sounds so much better.
Prowling forward, I close the distance with a new purpose, the smile falling from my face as I prepare to pounce. Dani captures one side of her lower lip between her teeth, and a bright flash fills the clearing as she takes a picture of me.
Then I’m upon her, gripping her hips and pulling her roughly against me.
Dani gasps, her flash lighting the space once more, and this time, it blinds me momentarily. Shaking my head, I blink rapidly to clear my vision. And when I look down at her, she’s lowered her camera to her side. The coy smile from earlier is gone, replaced by wide-eyed anticipation.
“You’re right,” I concede, my voice low with the sudden intimacy between us.
“I am?” she asks, her tone confused, as if she’s forgotten we were even having a discussion.
“Yes, it makes no sense to stalk you. I much prefer kissing you, so I have decided to change my ways and do that instead,” I murmur.
Dani’s slender neck swallows convulsively as she peers up at me, and her tongue darts out to wet her lips. “So, you were stalking me then?” she teases, but her voice is too breathy to carry any weight.
