The Lord's Passionate Lover (The Royals of Monaco, #3) (10 page)

She loved to dance, but being pressed up against five other people while she did so was not her idea of a good time.

While she waited for Tonya to return, she glanced around the large room once more, focusing once again on the group of good-looking men sitting at the corner table. They were all tall, with dark hair, and great physiques. The two younger men kept going out on the dance floor, but the third man simply watched.

Feeling someone staring at him, Dmitry raised his head and once again caught the young woman sitting at the bar looking directly at him. He raised an eyebrow at her and then smiled when she held his gaze and didn’t look away.

Julia wasn’t sure why she kept staring at him. He gave off an aura of power and danger, but she was feeling on top of the world at the moment, and the alcohol buzzing through her system helped her project a confidence she normally didn’t have.

Dmitry motioned with his head for her to come to him, pleased when she slipped from the stool and sauntered over to him, a small smile upon her face. “Hi,” she said when she was standing next to his table.

“Hello. Would you care to join me?”

Julia nodded and slid into the booth, “How come you’re not joining your friends on the dance floor?” She tossed her head towards the throng of people and then looked back at him.

“Too many people. What about you?”

“Same. I love to dance, but getting trampled on isn’t my idea of fun.” Julia let her eyes roam over his face, loving what she saw. His gray eyes were striking and very intense. This man seemed like someone who had trouble relaxing. His accent was unusual, and she wondered where he was from, “You’re not from around here.”

It wasn’t said as a question, but a statement of fact and Dmitry nodded, “No, I’m not. My brother and cousin are here with me on business.”

Julia looked around the crowded bar, “You conduct business in a nightclub?”

Dmitry looked at her, smiling at her jest, “No, we concluded our business earlier today. My brother and cousin wanted a chance to unwind before we returned home. Hence, the reason I am sitting here.”

“Oh. You don’t sound like you’re having fun.”

“Not at all. Now that you are here, the night is looking much better.”

Julia blushed prettily and then lowered her eyes before replying, “So...”

Before she could finish her statement, the two younger men returned, sliding into the booth and forcing her to press up against the third. “Hey, I’m Alexey. What’s your name?”

Julia couldn’t help but smile at the enthusiasm on the younger man’s face, “I’m Julia.”

Alexey took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it before reluctantly letting her pull it from his grasp. “So, you want to dance?”

Julia shook her head, “Not really.”

Alexey looked disappointed, but then seeing Tonya heading towards their table, he brightened up, “Do you know that girl?”

Julia had seen Tonya leave the dance floor and nodded her head for her to come over. “That’s my best friend, Tonya.”

“Think she might dance with me?” Alexey asked, never taking his eyes off the gorgeous red-head coming towards them.

“Probably. Why don’t you ask her?”

Alexey didn’t even wait for to reach the table before he jumped from the booth and grabbed her hand, pulling her to the dance floor at her nod of acceptance.

The other younger man excused himself and headed back to the dance floor, leaving Julia alone once again with the man whose name she didn’t even know. “I told you my name. Care to return the favor?”

Dmitry smiled and then nodded, “Dmitry. Since you don’t want to dance, would you care to head over to the small diner next door and grab a coffee? The loud music is beginning to wear.”

Julia had been thinking the same thing and nodded. Dmitry scooted from the booth and then pulled her from the booth. Her ankle twisted as she attempted to stand up and she fell against him, plastering herself across his entire front.

Dmitry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close enough that he could smell her perfume. She smelled delicious! It had been many weeks since he had last spent time with a female as beautiful as Julia and he found himself reluctant to loosen his hold.

Julia looked up at him, knowing she should pull away, but somehow liking the feelings rushing through her body. He was hard in all the right places and she looked up into his face, wondering if his lips were as firm as they looked.

Dmitry gazed down upon her face, leaning in slowly to place a chaste kiss upon her lips. A firestorm of desire rushed through his body at their contact and he found himself deepening the kiss, regardless of the fact that they were in a crowded nightclub.

Finally regaining some self-control, he murmured, “Come, let’s get out of here.”

“Wait! I need to text my friend and tell her where I’m going. We kind of have a system for keeping each other safe, you know?”

No, he didn’t know, but if texting her girlfriend was some sort of ritual that allowed her to leave with him feeling safe, so be it. “Quickly.”

Julia looked at him, and then grabbed her phone from her purse and quickly typed out a message.

Dmitry escorted her from the crowded room, breathing a sigh of relief once they were outside in the cool night air and quiet. He placed his hand at the lowest part of her spine and felt the shiver that snaked up her vertebrae and the goose bumps that came out on her arms.

Julia had never reacted so strongly to a man in her life. She’d dated plenty of guys, but this one was something special. Too bad he was only in town on business! Making a quick decision, she decided that since he wasn’t going to be around long-term, there was no reason she couldn’t indulge in a little making out before heading home for the night.

She was too conservative to jump into bed with someone she just met, but making out with them, trading kisses and touches was just fine.  She sensed him watching her as they stood on the sidewalk and glanced up at him, stepping in his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Dmitry was taken aback at how forthright she was being, normally women waited until he made the first move and then they jumped in. Julia wrapped her arms around his neck like a practiced courtesan and when she pulled his head down for a kiss, he was unable to resist.

The kiss was explosive and went on until neither of them could breathe. Breaking apart, Dmitry took her hand and pulled her around the side of the building. He wasn’t sure where this was heading, but he knew that standing on the sidewalk for all to see was not where he wanted to be.

He pushed her up against the brick building and then let his lips drift from her mouth to her ear and down her neck. “You smell so sweet,” he told her, using his hands to hold her hips still, lest she unknowingly unman him. She was moving around so much, his manhood was in danger of coming into forceful contact with her hipbones.

“You’re a really good kisser,” she murmured, using her fingertips to play with the hair at the back of his neck.

Dmitry let one of his hands wander up the side of her ribcage, stopping just below her breasts and rubbing his thumb back and forth beneath one several times. When he heard her moan and she arched into his touch, he brought his thumb up and over her distended nipple, loving the way she had already hardened for his touch. She was so responsive!

Julia felt his touch and realized that things were quickly spiraling out of control. She leaned her head back against the building and struggled to catch her breath. When Dmitry tried to take possession of her mouth once again, she evaded him, whispering, “We have to stop.”

Dmitry shook his head, “No, we don’t.”

Julia became more insistent, pushing with both hands upon his chest to put some space between them, “I have to stop. I shouldn’t have let things get so out of control.”

They were both gasping for breath and Dmitry was confused as to why she had allowed him to get so worked up if she wasn’t going to follow through. “So what was this?” he asked, gesturing between them with a hand.

Julia shook her head, “I’m sorry. You’re such a good kisser, I just let things go too far.”

Dmitry attempted to move back in, stopped when she pushed against his chest again, “There’s no reason we can’t continue this at my hotel. Let me call my driver. We can be there inside of ten minutes.”

Julia shook her head, pushing herself away from the building and out of his arms, straightening her clothes as she went, “I can’t.”

Dmitry felt his anger begin to build and then he remembered a conversation he’d had with several of his college mates’ years earlier, “You are one of those women who get off and teasing a man, no?”

Julia looked at him aghast and angry, “No! I’m not a tease! I simply don’t jump into bed with every Tom, Dick and Harry who decides to pay me some attention.”

“You seemed willing enough a few minutes ago when I was palming your breast.” Dmitry was not used to being turned down, and knew some of his anger was fueled by the lust still raging through his body.

“Whatever. Look, it was nice meeting you, but I need to go.” Julia turned on her heel and headed back into the nightclub.

Dmitry watched her walk away and then cursed loud enough that several passersby gave him a wary glance and wider berth. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket, summoning first his driver and then letting his brother and cousin know he was returning to the hotel. He didn’t need this aggravation. He had several major investment deals in the works, and the mining company was expanding into the far northern regions of Russia within the next three months.

His father had been taking care of most of the details while he met with the Americans, but now it was time to head back to the Russia and get back to work.

Excerpt from ‘The Russian’s Stubborn Lover’

Copyright © 2014 by Leslie North

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