Dimitri's Moon (20 page)

“Where are you off to?” he mumbled as he stared into her eyes.

A small yet satisfied smile graced her features. “I was going to get the grass that is residing in places it really shouldn’t be.”

Dimitri waggled his eyebrows. “Lucky grass.” Pressing a kiss on the end of her nose, he got to his feet and effortlessly lifted her to his.

He watched with amusement as she shimmied and shook before she was happy nothing lingered under her clothes that had no business being there.

Landi sighed and slid her arm through his. “Are you sure it’s okay to be here with me?”

“Mara is busy with something else.” Dimitri observed the slight tensing of her body when he mentioned the name.

“I see.” Her tone took on a harder tone.

“I haven’t slept with her,” Dimitri said. Landi shrugged and dropped his arm. Fast as a striking snake, his fingers were around her upper arm, turning her toward him. “Landi, don’t brush me off like that.”

She arched a brow and looked between his hold on her and his face. There was no mistaking her unspoken command. Dimitri dropped her arm but never glanced away.

“As was pointed out to me, you’re here to do a job.
Whatever it
takes
. So by all means, go back to it. I’m sure
Mara
will be waiting for you.”

134

Aliyah Burke

Dimitri struggled to control his temper. It wasn’t easy for her to digest what his job could require him to do, but it wasn’t like he
wanted
to be with Mara.

“Landi, don’t get mad because of that. I have a job to do, yes, but I am here with you.”

“Which is probably a mistake. We both have things to do.”

There was no inflection in her tone and he knew she was shutting down. With a sigh, he nodded and stepped back.

“You’re right. And this is neither the time nor place to work through this. We will discuss this, Landi; don’t make me hunt you down.” He cupped her cheek, his fingers digging into her skin when she tried to pull away. “No matter what, Landi, there’s one thing you need to remember.”

Her brown eyes shot flames at him. “What? That you’re a SEAL.

A man who does things others won’t?” Venom dripped from her tongue. “It’s a
hardship
to kiss that leggy brunette? What is it I
need
to remember, Dimitri Melonakos?”

“Just this.” Dimitri covered her mouth with his and kissed her with everything he had in him. When her body began to tremble beneath his touch, he backed off and waited for her eyes to open. Her hazy stare met his and he brushed his thumb along her lower lip.

“
S’agapo
, Landi. Now and forever.”

Then he spun around and walked off without looking back.

S’agapo
, Landi.

Those words ran through her head nonstop while her gaze followed Dimitri as he vanished from view.
Damn it! Damn him!
She fought the urge to stomp her foot like a child. Moving until she could see the waterfall, Landi sank to the ground, knees to her chin, and sat there in silence.

“Why do I keep pushing him away?” she hissed to herself.

“Because it’s ne’er easy to see the man you love with another woman,” a deep but gentle voice commented from beside her.

Trying not to scream, Landi jumped and turned toward the accented voice. Her surprise morphed into relief as recognition set in.

Aidrian, the single black man on the Team. A smile touched her lips as he joined her on the ground. Landi couldn’t believe how large he was
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135

next to her. Being five-two, he towered over her by at least a foot. He was one of the quietest of the group from what she recalled.

“Am I allowed to speak to you?” she asked, still a bit upset at Dimitri.

“Did someone tell you not to speak to me?”

He stretched his legs out and leaned back on his elbows. Landi found herself staring at her own reflection in his tinted Hugo Boss glasses.

“No, but I thought…”

Aidrian looked ahead again. “You know he didn’t want to do it.

None of the married ones do.”

Landi crossed her legs and began plucking some strands of grass. “But he still took it.”

A rich chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Our job isn’t a democ-racy. We do as we’re told. I know that fact is hard for many non-military to grasp. We may not always agree, but we follow orders and save lives.”

There was a slight reproach in his tone and Landi felt ashamed.

She hadn’t thought of it like that. Even talking with Kacy, Landi realized she didn’t fully understand what it took to be in a relationship with not just a military man, but a Navy SEAL. Landi remained silent as she thought about the truth of his words.

I really can be such a bitch.
She shook her head. It wasn’t Dimitri who had been hesitant about things. He’d owned up to what had transpired between them in the past and had been there for her ever since.
She
was the one who didn’t share feelings and kept a wall erected around her heart.
I’m the one keeping him at a distance.

“I…I…”

“It really is beautiful here,” Aidrian interrupted. “Would you care to walk a bit with me?”

Landi smiled as she got to her feet. “I’d love to.”

She understood what he was doing. He might be quiet but he was very protective of his friend and teammate. But at the same time, he didn’t want to be all in their business. He wasn’t looking for an explanation for her actions. She admired that very much.

When he got to his feet, Landi swallowed in amazement. Aidrian was a very large, very handsome man. He wore a white button-down shirt and dark-green cargo pants. In her mind she automatically began designing clothes for him.
I wonder if I could get these men to model
for me…

136

Aliyah Burke

Together they continued to walk through the forest. Landi found herself completely relaxed. She felt very safe with this man beside her, as if a brother was walking with her. Chatter was minimal but comfortable.

After they grabbed some ice cream, Aidrian led her to an outside table. Landi ate a bite before she looked at the man with her. He appeared deceptively relaxed.

“Did he want you to keep an eye on me?”

Black eyes held her gaze as he ate more ice cream. “Nae, that was me. You remind me of my sister.”

“Cute and charming?” she teased.

He flashed a grin of straight, white teeth. “I was thinking more along the lines of stubborn and hard-headed.”

Landi shrugged. “Humph. Doesn’t sound like me! You sure that’s what your sister reminds you of?”

Aidrian laughed. “I like you, Ms. Nycks, and I can see why Merlin does as well.”

That got a smile. “Likewise.”

Aidrian O’Shea spent the rest of the day as her escort. The afternoon was lovely and carefree. When she returned to the hotel, things were right in her world again.

“Thank you,” she said, reaching for Aidrian’s hand, “for a wonderful day and helping me get my head on straight.”

Aidrian took off his glasses and hooked them on the v of his shirt before placing his onyx gaze on her. “It was my honor to spend some time with you. Thank you.”

“If you…if you get a chance, could you tell him I understand.”

Black eyebrows rose and she blushed. “Well…I…just…oh, never mind!”

A slight smile cracked the corners of his mouth. “I’ll see he gets the message. Good day, Ms. Nycks.” He nodded briefly and walked away without a single look back. Landi didn’t take offense; in fact, there was a smile on her face as she headed up to her room.

It was late at night when Landi stood out on her balcony and stared down at the nightlife of Rio de Janeiro. A knock on her door turned her attention from the hustle and bustle of the city below.

“Yes?” she asked as she waited by the door.

“Room service, ma’am.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t order anything.”

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137

“I know. This is a delivery from the front desk.”

Breathing deeply, she opened the door to a slender woman in a housekeeping uniform. In her hand was a small envelope. Landi reached for it, one eyebrow arched. The woman smiled.

“
Boa noite
.”

“Same to you.”

With a soft click she closed the door and walked to a chair to sit.

Landi opened the envelope and removed the folded sheet of plain paper.

~S’agapo~

She bit her lower lip as the tiny prick of tears came. There was nothing else on the paper, but it didn’t matter. Nothing else need be said.

“Love you, too, Dimitri.” Pressing a kiss to the note, Landi slipped the letter inside her purse. With a sigh, she got ready for and went to bed. Golden eyes were the last thing she saw before sleep claimed her; and despite the fact she was alone when she woke up, that gaze was still there. They remained with her the rest of her trip, following her through her presentation and even after she boarded a plane for the United States.

Fifteen

Dimitri leaned against the wall as if he were totally into all of the dancing going on around him in street. His head moved in time to the seductive as the dancers’ hips swayed around him. Even as he stood there, his gaze moved over the crowd as he kept his gaze on the man he was following.

This is going to be a long night.

Smiles came easily as he drank his bottled water on the warm night. He couldn’t see them, but he knew Hondo, Jeb, and Harrier were nearby while the other four men on the Team pulled protection detail on the ambassador.

With a yawn, Dimitri pushed away from the wall and wove through the numerous gyrating couples. A wry smile crossed his face as he watched them. Even so, he never lost sight of his target. Dimitri stuck to the shadows when they hit a seedier, more desolate area. The person he followed seemed unconcerned with the goings on around him and strictly focused on his business. Dimitri knew better; this was a man who lived for his next drink. He planned on using this vice to his benefit.

Dimitri fell back even more when the streets grew narrower and hiding spots became limited. When the man, Pima, stopped and cast a glance behind him, Dimitri knew time was running out. He took the open beer in his hand and tossed some on his clothes as he ingested a mouthful, swishing it around and then spitting it out. He stumbled into view and wove drunkenly to the man he’d been following. Raising his bottle in salute, Dimitri tripped over his feet and into the man.

“Sorry,” Dimitri babbled.

“You’re drunk,” the man replied sharply.

“No…no…I don’t think so,” he slurred. “Wanna…wanna have a drink?” He tipped the bottle on the man’s shirt soaking it.

“Oops…so…sorry ’bout that. Let say I buy you a drink.”

The glimmer of an alcoholic flared to life, but it was tampered down by his knowledge he still had a job to do.
Just another push.

“Get away from me man.” He shoved Dimitri, who stumbled and fell to the ground, dropping his beer.

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139

“Wow…see…now I need a drink.” Dimitri held his arm up.

“Come on, help me up. I’m on vacation and…” he trailed off before shrugging. “I don’t know. I just need a drink. Help me up and it’s on me.”

Hook, line, and sinker.
Dimitri knew he had him when the gaze flickered across the street to a bar and he nodded.

“Let me help you up. Name’s Pima.” He glanced at his watch. “I have a few minutes and you can buy me that drink.”

“Wonderful.” Dimitri allowed Pima to pull him up and they went into a small bar. He waved for a bottle and two glasses, and soon his partner was as drunk as Dimitri pretended to be. When Pima almost fell out of his chair, Dimitri caught him.

“I think you need some help. Where do you need to go?”

“A…across the street. I have a room there. Have to pick something up,” he slurred.

Moving slow as if intoxicated himself, Dimitri pushed up, jostling the table and knocking over the bottle. “Okay, let’s go.”

Together, arms around each other’s shoulders as if the best of friends, Dimitri and Pima left the bar and shuffled up the street a short pace. The building they entered was dark and rundown. There was a staircase in one corner and Pima stumbled in that direction. They climbed to the third floor to a weather-beaten door. Fumbling for his key, it took Pima a moment to fit it in the lock. Dimitri pushed open the door and turned on the single overhead light.

Not much to look at.
There was a bed against a wall, a round table with a single chair, and a sink beside a door he presumed led to a bathroom of sorts. Just looking at this place made him itch for another tetanus shot.

“Here you go,” Dimitri uttered as Pima reached for the bottle on the table, uncorked it, and took another swig. “What’d you need to pick up?”

“Wanna,” he paused and frowned, “…it’s in the mattress. I’ll get it in a minute. Let’s have another drink.” The bottle was thrust in Dimitri’s direction. “That bitch won’t mind if it’s a bit late,” he said as he tried to whisper.

“In a minute,” Dimitri said.

Moving behind the drunk with a sigh, Dimitri put a choke hold on him until he slumped forward, unconscious. The bottle fell to the floor, tipping over, the amber liquid pouring into the stained carpet.

“What a waste of good drink,” Dimitri muttered.

140

Aliyah Burke

Lowering Pima to floor as well, he cast a glance to the door. He locked it and moved to the mattress. He searched it carefully and methodically, yet quickly. Finding a small cut in the mattress, he grinned as he slipped his hand in and removed the folded stack of papers from the smelly, moldy bedding. Dimitri secured the papers in a deep pocket with a flap. Standing, he made short work of remaking the bed. He went to the door, stepping over the figure in the way, unlocked it, and peeked out. Voices from below floated up the stairwell. Sober ones.