“Just…answer the door and tell him,” she whispered. And yet, she remained still, not daring to move.
Another, louder knock warned her that either she was too slow to answer the door, or he was impatient. Probably both, she thought as she moved towards the door and, with a tug, opened it.
For a long moment, they just stared at each other. Those atoms immediately began vibrating, pinging against each other. The tension increased, her heart pounded in her chest as she stared up at him, hyper aware of every pulse of his body.
She inhaled a long, slow breath, fully aware of what this intensity was leading up to. “I have to warn you about something,” she announced, before she could lose her nerve.
Dimitri stepped into her apartment, closing the door behind him, and leaned back against the heavy wood. “What’s that, little one?”
She laughed, her hand fluttering self-consciously over her stomach. “I’m not little,” she countered self-consciously.
His eyes sharpened, his gaze moving over her figure. She’d chosen a yellow sundress tonight, the straps over her shoulders barely an inch wide and covered with a white cardigan sweater. “Is that what you needed to tell me? The warning?”
Pepper laughed again, self-consciously pulling her hand away from her soft stomach. “No. That’s not it. Not even close.”
“You look beautiful,” he said, as he held her arms out so that he could properly admire her outfit. “You made this, ne?”
His accent thickened and, for some reason, she attributed that to him being here with her.
“Yes. I made this, but that’s…”
He moved closer, towering over her and she felt it. That zing. But it wasn’t just a zing anymore. It was more, something significantly more intense than a mere zing. “I’m going to kiss you, Pepper,” he announced.
She stepped back, but because his hands were still holding hers, she couldn’t move far enough. How had he captured her fingers, she wondered?
“I need to warn you about something.”
“What’s that?”
He moved closer and she softened, feeling his warmth and the strength of his body.
She shook her head, pulling her hand away and holding it up, trying to stop his forward momentum. “I can’t think when you’re touching me.”
He chuckled softly, then kissed her cheek. “Fine,” and he dropped her hands, stepping back. “What do you need to warn me about?”
Pepper looked up at him, startled by the authority. It was always there, but when he looked at her like this, that authority was more…intense.
Turning away, she started pacing. “Okay, so here’s the thing. I’m the youngest of three daughters. But my sisters…we’re only half sisters,” she amended, then looked up at him, hoping that he understood. “My mother was a good woman, but she kept looking for love in all the wrong men. She was a hair stylist and the men loved coming to her, they loved the way she cut their hair, and also the way she touched them. My mother was really good at flirting.”
“This is not a reflection on you,” he announced, his voice firm, his arms crossed arrogantly over his chest.
Pepper blinked, not sure what he meant by that. “Of course not. Nor is it a reflection on my mother. She was a good person.” She shook her head. “But that’s not the point. We’re not debating my mother’s morality. I need to warn you about…” she stopped and turned away from him, wringing her hands. “Okay, so…here’s the thing. After last night’s kiss, I know that we’re going to end up in bed.” She faced him again, waiting warily, wanting him to acknowledge her point.
The heat in his eyes intensified immediately. “Yes, I agree.”
For some reason, his agreement was both exciting and terrifying.
“Okay, well, then…” she stopped, trying to remember her point. Sex. Sex was…! “Right! Okay!” Pepper knew that she was stammering, but she couldn’t seem to help it. “Okay. Warning. Here it comes!” And still, she hesitated, feeling a bit foolish. “I’ve never done this before. I’ve had sex. That’s not the problem. But before I had sex, I’d warned the man that…well, it didn’t matter because we both used protection. I’d dated both men for a long time and we’d discussed having sex for weeks before we even started to…” she waved her hands awkwardly, “you know.”
“Had sex?’ he prompted, his amusement evident in his eyes.
“No!” She huffed, irritated with herself now. “Before we started doing anything physical. We talked. I was able to warn them about this and get on birth control myself.”
That stopped him and he looked…well slightly less predatory. “Birth control? I will take care of the birth control, Pepper.” That’s when he noticed the blush. “There’s more?”
With a rush of air, she exhaled. “You see, my grandmother got pregnant at eighteen with my mother. Thankfully, my grandfather stuck around.”
His shoulders stiffened and he dropped his arms so that his hands fisted on his lean hips. “As he should. A child is a man’s responsibility to care for and provide for!”
That kernel of happiness expanded in her chest. “Yes, I agree, to a point. I think it is the mother and father’s responsibility. But that’s not the issue.”
“Mothers provide love. Fathers provide everything else.”
Pepper laughed, shocked by his sexism. “Well, just so you know, I’m fully capable of providing for my family. So that’s never going to be an issue!”
Dimitri stepped back, leaning against the table with her words. There was a story there, something she wasn’t telling him. Yet.
Last night, holding her in
