Chapter Five

“Landi? Landi!” Dimitri’s deep voice jolted Landi back from a memory best left in the past. “Stay with me, here; we have to make a run for it. Are you ready?”

Swallowing hard, she fought to focus on his words. She could still taste him as if they had just finished sharing their bodies with one another. “I think so,” she rasped.

Dimitri narrowed his gaze as he took in the rapidness of her breathing combined with the lingering desire in her eyes. She could tell it had hit him; he knew exactly what she was thinking about. Their time together. Visibly forcing his lust back under control, he tightened his grip on her hand and stepped out into the chaos.

They moved swiftly through the crowd. The chants were increasing as was the shoving all people were doing. Things were being yelled in Greek and Landi had no idea what was said, although it wasn’t hard to tell they were pissed off about something.

Dimitri kept them moving at a constant speed but had automatically adjusted for the length of Landi’s stride. “You okay?” he asked as they dodged a large man who was hefting part of a table over his head.

“Peachy! You know I do this all the time.” Her answer smacked of sarcasm and Dimitri grinned de-spite the seriousness of the situation. “How the hell do you know where I’m staying?”

“I am guessing you stay in the same place when you come to Athens,” he responded as they dashed across another street.

“Assumptions…an ass…yeah that fits,” Landi bit off as her hotel came into view.

“I didn’t say I assumed, I guessed.” Dimitri continued to pull her along even after they were inside the building.

“Stop. Stop. Stop! Damn it, Dimitri, knock it off.” Landi jerked her hand out of his hold. “I’m fine now. Go back to…whatever.” Her palms moved over the seat of her pants as if wiping off the mere touch he had given her.

The golden eyes of his handsome face raked up her body and they burned her with their intensity. “Landi, about what happened—”

“Oh, my God! Landi, you’re okay! I was so worried!” A masculine voice interrupted Dimitri and both people looked toward the person jogging through the hotel lobby to her side.

Dimitri snarled quietly as he watched this man pick up Landi and kiss her cheek. The man was, Dimitri guessed, five-nine, and a striking black man. Good body, nice smile, tasteful clothes, the man had Landi in his arms. Dimitri hated him.

“I’m okay; I think it’s time to readjust our plans, however.” Landi kissed him back and didn’t rush him in setting her down.

“I agree,” the man said. “I’ve made arrangements. Let’s get going before it’s too late.” His dark-brown eyes swung over to rest upon Dimitri. “And you are?”

“Dimitri Melonakos.” The Greek paused for a moment. “You?”

Before answering, his gaze flicked over to Ilanderae, who was standing there staring with a blank expression on her face. “Jason Erickson.” He reached out a hand and as it was taken, both men sizing up one another.

Landi took a step backwards and immediately Dimitri’s gaze had zeroed in on her. “We aren’t done, Landi.”

Her brown eyes narrowed to slits; and this time, unlike back at the restaurant, she did nothing to disguise her anger. “I have nothing to say to you!” She turned from him, took one step, and froze when his hand circled her arm.

“We aren’t done,” Dimitri bit out.

Realizing they were getting odd looks from the people in the lobby of the hotel, Landi swallowed her response to his forward behavior. Her fingers itched to slap him for his boldness and her mouth longed to feel his firm lips upon it.

Narrowing her eyes, she commanded in an icy and haughty tone, “Remove your hand.”

His golden eyes swirled with emotion and her belly quivered. She read the warning in his gaze be-fore he dropped her arm.

“We will finish discussing this.”

“Thank you for the escort, Mr. Melonakos.” She tugged the hem of her shirt down and smiled at Jason before walking away without another word. With each step she took, she fought the urge to look over her shoulder at him.

Damn him! Damn him for being so damn good looking after all this time! Damn him for wreaking the same havoc in my body as he had before!

Blinking back tears, Landi headed straight for her room and locked herself in. After leaving a message to have her room rung when AJ arrived, she crawled into her bed and curled up to the big pillows and drifted off to the past.

**

The further away from Landi Dimitri walked brought the image of her on a date with AJ closer. He moved swiftly through the streets, avoiding the crowds of irate people and the police. Understanding his mood as being one that was less than decent, he entered the restaurant through the back to avoid any customers.

“Alejandro Kyriakos Melonakos!” Dimitri bellowed as he entered the restaurant.

“Why are you yelling?” AJ questioned as he nimbly avoided another person.

“You aren’t going.”

His cousin stared at him with those guileless green eyes. “Excuse me?” He set the down plate he had in his hands. “Not going where?”

“Out.” Dimitri fought to get his rage in check.

“Of course not! Don’t be stupid. This is a busy time. I’m not going until tonight with my date with…” he trailed off, eyes growing wide with understanding. “You don’t want me to go out with that little cutie in pink?”

A low rumble rolled from his chest. “Don’t call her that.”

“You have a problem with me taking Landi out?” AJ crossed his arms and a mocking smile filled his face.

“Leave her alone, cousin,” he growled.

“Why? She agreed to go out with me. In fact…she seemed downright pleased about it.”

White-hot rage poured through his veins. Dimitri smiled ferally as he stepped up flush to his cousin. It didn’t matter that AJ was inches taller than he. “Don’t push me, AJ,” he warned. “Change your plans.”

AJ stared at him for a moment before deeper comprehension filled his eyes and a grin crossed his face. “You aren’t in my plans at all. She is.” Devilish humor filled his countenance before he strode away. He said over his shoulder, “You can always be here to watch our date if you like. Maybe you’ll learn how a real man treats a woman.”