He was here. For me. I wasn’t going to question it anymore.
And just when I thought all of my romantic fantasies had come true, Dimitri’s eyes shifted over my shoulder to the crowds behind us, and his jaw tensed. “You better not be here with a fucking date.”
Well, thatwasromantic as far as Dimitri was concerned.
40
DIMITRI
IWASN’T THE kind of man to make grand gestures.
I’d been raised to be tough, uncompromising, immune to any emotion that would make me weak. So it made sense that things like romance, soul mates, and forever weren’t anywhere on my radar—until Benoit Olivier waltzed into my life.
Now here I was, having flown thousands of miles across an ocean, standing in some secret location in the hopes that Benoit felt even an inkling of what I did.
What King failed to mention when I’d called to set up this meeting was that I’d be walking into some kind of party.Yes, it was Valentine’s Day, but King and his cohorts hadn’t really struck me as the types to hold a fancy get-together to celebrate such a romantic day. What with their penchant for espionage and holding arms dealers at gunpoint.
But that was whyIwas here, wasn’t it? For romance? I wasn’t exactly the poster child for sweeping someone off their feet either, which was why this spectacle had me momentarily faltering.
I’d expected Benoit to be in a meeting room somewhere for this rendezvous, not standing in the middle of a shindig wherethere were gorgeous men in tuxedos all vying for his attention—and that immediately set me on edge.
I scanned the crowds of people drinking and dancing, looking for him, and when my eyes locked on Benoit standing next to a tall, broad-shouldered man—wait, is that Shepard Winchester III, son of the former president?—I tensed.
Blood began to ring in my ears as every possessive instinct began to fire, then I spotted King move up to Benoit and gesture for him to turn around.
That was when it happened, when I saw it. The same emotions that had plagued me for weeks swirled in Benoit’s eyes, and my feet began to move of their own accord.
I didn’t care whom he was standing next to, whom he had come here with tonight. All I wanted was to be back within touching distance, kissing distance—claimingdistance.
Because Benoit Olivier was mine, and no one was going to stand in my way.
I crossed the room, mindful of the crowd parting as I made my approach, just in case someone got stupid and tried to make a move on me.
I didn’t think King would be the kind to invite me to an ambush, especially after our business dealings had gone so well, but one could never be too careful.
All the while I kept my eyes trained on the beautiful man watching me. Benoit looked as gorgeous as ever in tailored high-waist black pants, a gold filigree blouse that I would lay bets was silk, and a lightweight cape around his shoulders. He looked almost…regal. His brown hair looked to have copper highlights where it was pushed back from his face, making his cheekbones look impossibly high, and the stubble lining his lips and jaw was just enough to tempt.
I wanted closer to those lips, closer to that man. So I could slide my fingers through his hair and taste him the way I was dying to.
Like a moth to the brightest of flames I moved in, and when I was close enough to breathe in his unique scent, I said, “You better not be here with a fucking date.”
Benoit’s eyes widened, and I realized that maybe I wasn’t cut out for this romance business after all. But then he blinked and that slow, sensual smile of his crossed his lips.
He took a step forward, then looked up at me from under impossibly long lashes.
“And if I am?”
My cock jerked at the silky challenge in his voice, but my heart pounded even harder. He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t running from my threat. He was indulging me, playing with me, and fuck if I hadn’t missed that.
I leaned down until my lips were by his ear and said, “You better send him home orIwill send him six feet under.”
“Ooh.” Benoit chuckled and turned his face until our lips were an inch apart. “I do so love a possessive man.”
I angled my head, dying to take the kiss I’d so desperately been missing, but I couldn’t get past the word he’d uttered—love. Even though he was teasing, I had to know…was it possible? Had I come here in vain, or was he feeling the same twisted wrongness I was at being apart?
There was only one way to find out.
“Do you?” I said, losing the battle to keep from touching him. I slipped my fingers under his cape and curved them possessively at his waist. “Do you think you could?”
