The Only Woman to Defy Him

CHAPTER NINE


IT WAS A busy night and terribly hard to smile and be polite and discuss the specials on the menu when your head was locked in a war zone called Demyan.

She ached.

Not just her heart but also her body.

Alina was swollen and sore from their lovemaking, she was tender all over, and now, if she didn’t want to upset Pierre, she had to paint on that smile.

‘Alina!’ Pierre snapped. ‘Quickly to table four. He’s back.’ Then she turned and her heart almost stopped.

There sat Demyan, a lazy smile on his face.

‘How can I help you?’

‘Do you really want me to answer that here?’He said and then saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes.

‘You were right,’ Alina admitted. ‘I’m not up to this.’

‘Meaning?’

‘In a couple of weeks you’ll be gone.’

‘What an amazing couple of weeks we could have,’ Demyan said. ‘I want to get to know you, Alina.’ Even if he had no soul to offer, he could leave her with the gift of herself. ‘I want to know who you’re hiding yourself from.’

‘I’m not hiding.’

‘What’s the bravest thing you have ever done?’ Demyan asked, and he watched as she struggled to answer. ‘I’ll tell you—it was when you came back with me last night. You took a risk, a chance...’

‘It seems terribly foolish now.’

‘You regret it?’

‘No.’

‘Then take another risk,’ he said. ‘Come out with me tonight.’

‘I’ve got to work.’

‘After work,’ Demyan said, but she shook her head. ‘Be with me during the time I have left in Australia.’ Demyan made a scissors sign with his fingers. ‘It’s time to snip that safety net.’

‘If I wanted psychological advice you’re the last person I’d go to,’ she said, but it just made him smile.

‘What’s stopping you, Alina? What’s stopping you from having fun and living as you want to?’

‘Roll up, roll up, Demyan’s in town, but then you’ll be gone and I’ll be left with the muddy field.’

‘You’ve got boots in your car.’

She closed her eyes.

‘You can do this, Alina.’

Could she, though? ‘How?’

‘Just be yourself.’

‘I am.’

‘Not quite,’ he said, because he’d seen her pictures, he knew there was so very much more. ‘But you’ll get there. For now, what’s on the menu?’

‘A promiscuous Russian and a na?ve farm girl.’

‘Sounds very tempting.’

‘It is.’ She took out her pad. ‘What do you want to eat?’

‘You choose,’ Demyan said. ‘Surprise me.’

‘I doubt that I can.’

‘Oh, I’m sure that you could.’ He confused her, he tested her, he challenged her. ‘Off you go.’

‘What does God want?’ Pierre asked, when Alina had left Demyan’s table. He blinked at Alina’s response but just a little. Demyan could have whatever he liked.


Which was the problem.

Pierre would never guess they were lovers, no one could know the sex that was burning in the room as Glynn brought him his drink.

‘One Nothing Left to Lose.’ Glynn smiled and as Demyan caught her eye, Alina smiled too as he called her over. ‘What’s in it?’

‘I haven’t a clue,’ Alina said. ‘The name seemed appropriate.’

‘It tastes sensational.’ He made her feel weak as he rolled the beverage on his tongue and then swallowed. ‘I taste Yellow Chartreuse,’ Demyan said. ‘It is a liqueur made from a secret recipe by monks...’ He offered her the glass to taste but Alina shook her head.

She was working.

She could feel his eyes on her as she worked and her body thrummed with awareness, all her senses heightened. She was petrified to go to the loo, quite sure that in the smouldering mood he was in Demyan would have no qualms about following her in. She was on a delicious edge, so much so she almost shot out of her skin when the bell went and his food was ready.

Demyan looked down.

‘We’re skipping straight to dessert,’ Alina said. ‘To the best bit. It’s the nicest thing on the menu.’

‘You like crème br?lée?’

‘Yes, but that’s lavender crème br?lée. It’s delicious, one taste and you swear you could eat it for ever, but it’s very rich...’

‘A treat.’

‘An occasional treat,’ Alina said, trying to tell herself that this was not love, jut a delicious dalliance she would soon tire of. ‘Enjoy.’ She went to go but he stopped her.

‘Bring me another.’

All night he teased her, all night they played till Alina’s skin was burning, and she was grateful to end the shift without dropping a pile of plates. She could hardly breathe as she stepped out of the restaurant and to his mouth.

‘I want you.’ His tongue had the last traces of her favourite thing in the world and his erection was almost painful on her bursting bladder.

‘I need to go to the loo...’

‘I needed you to go to the loo...’ They were filthy kissing between laughing. ‘Be bad, Alina.’

‘I can’t be.’

‘You’re in my world now.’

‘When do I sleep?’

‘Monday, eight a.m.’ Demyan said, between hot, urgent kisses as he pressed into and tried to breathe his bad into her. ‘I tuck you into bed in my hotel and I pay you to sleep. Or is that inappropriate?’

‘No,’ Alina breathed, but as his fingers moved up her skirt her hand halted him. ‘That’s inappropriate.’

‘Funny girl.’ He looked at her. ‘What do you want to do?’

‘I don’t know.’ She was on a high she had never been on. He was back and it was like nothing she had known. That she had him, even if for a little while, was the most delicious treat and she would not waste their time with shyness.

She had perhaps a few days, maybe a couple of weeks with the most beautiful billionaire in the world, and she had no intention of looking at prices.

‘I want to go to the casino opening.’

‘What else?’ Demyan said. ‘Tell me, don’t hold back, what do you think a night in my world is like?’

‘I don’t know...’ Alina begged, ‘Sex on the beach...’

‘You can do better than that.’

She was holding back because otherwise she’d be being taken in the street yet he pulled back a little from her and God help Demyan because the brown eyes that met his were just so clear and non-calculating. She could have asked for her pick from any jewellery shop and it wouldn’t have been about money, just escape, just... His mind searched for the word and it had nothing to do with language, because the word had never existed for Demyan till now.

Fun.

He partied, he did whatever pleased him.

It had never been as simple as fun.

‘What does Alina love to do when she’s not being a PA or waitressing?’ He smiled a slow lazy smile as he looked at her, waiting for her to reveal a bit more of her truth, but still Alina resisted, and for now Demyan chose not to push.

‘Come on, then...’ He kissed the tip of her nose before taking her hand. ‘We go to the casino.’

‘I didn’t RSVP.’

‘Good, then we make a better entrance.’

‘Can I go and have a shower?’

‘No point,’ Demyan said. ‘You’ll still smell of sex.’

* * *

Sydney was pulsing, the crowds building as the rich and famous gathered to celebrate the opening of the luxurious complex.

They drove past the red carpet where lights were flashing as security tried to hold the gathering crowd back, and Alina blinked as they drew up at a side door and she realised that again it was her turn to get out.

‘You can be such a bastard without even trying,’ Alina hissed.

‘You want to go on the red carpet in your waitressing outfit?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Then go and choose something to wear.’ The door was being opened by two burly security guards.

‘Demyan, I have no idea what to get.’

‘You had no trouble choosing the other night,’ Demyan said, opening his wallet and handing her a card. ‘Go, get your hair done or whatever. I wait for you here.’

‘Demyan, the other night...’ He waited, waited for her to tell him that it had been a dress that had been born from her own hands, but instead she shook her head. ‘It’s not just about money...’

‘It has nothing to do with money, it is what you think of you,’ Demyan said, ignoring her frown as she tried to make out his words. ‘I’ll wait here.’

Because the new casino was strictly by invitation for its opening night it was heaving with beautiful people. It was also laden with shops that Alina would never think of going into had she not had Demyan waiting outside.

First she found a bathroom and had a quick wash as she gave herself a small pep talk. To hell with being nervous Alina decided as she headed out to the boutiques and walked into the one that beckoned the most.

‘I need a dress for tonight.’

‘Did you have anything in particular in mind?’ An assistant gave a very nice smile. ‘This is just in...’ She held up what to Alina looked like a huge black cape.

‘I like colour,’ Alina said, her eyes homing in on an incredibly slinky number, the Monet of dresses—it was lilacs and greens and the prettiest of whites. It came with its own built-in underwear that tamed her breasts but did not contain them, and had small poppers in a crotch that Alina struggled to do up.

Yes, she loved colours, Alina thought as the experts dealt with her face and hair, and soon she was staring in the mirror at silver-lilac eyelids and a mouth painted pink that might look sweet were it not so wanton.

And Alina liked glossy curls.

And naming beautiful shoes.

Alina tried to decide between I-Lost-It-To-Demyan shoes, which were willow green and had six-inch heels, and Take-Me-From-Behind shoes, which consisted of heels, a single purple strap and not much else.

‘Both,’ Alina said, as she stared down at her pretty feet. ‘I’ll take both.’

He would not recognise her, Alina thought as she stepped out of the shadows and into his car.

He did.

It was the woman who had opened the door to him that night of the ball, a woman who smelt of summer and anticipation, a woman whose river ran deep for she kept her secrets hidden.


‘Tiy viy-gli-dish’ kra-see-va.’ He said what he had said the evening she had opened the door in that amazing dress.

‘You have a thing about my nipples, Demyan.’

‘I do,’ he freely admitted, but he told her the truth now. ‘It actually means you look beautiful. You did then and you do now.’

With Demyan she felt it.

It was giddying, stepping out to the cameras and to the shouts and cheers because Zukov was there, but who was this woman on his arm?

‘Your friends will get a surprise...’ Demyan said, as they danced through to the small hours, for they would be all over the papers tomorrow.

‘My friends won’t even recognise me,’ Alina said, and it came with a bit of a jolt that Demyan had. That this version of her, the one who felt more like herself than she ever had, was one that neither her friends or family had met.

They headed to the gaming rooms and, yes, Alina turned heads.

What was it? she mused.

Because she’d have felt like a Christmas decoration had she worn this dress just a week ago. Now, though, she was on fire.

‘I’m going to win.’ She knew that she was as he kissed the dice in her palm and his tongue met her skin.

She was.

Alina simply knew it.

Tonight a win was inevitable.

‘No!’ Alina screamed, when the gods didn’t oblige.

‘Again,’ Demyan said, urging her on.

‘Ow!’ she screamed, when still the stars did not align.

‘Again,’ he urged. People were starting to gather and she turned to him, to his kiss, to her winnings.

‘I can’t wait for the beach...’ Demyan moaned to her mouth, for he had organised a helicopter while she’d shopped.

‘I can’t either.’

‘I mean, I can’t wait.’

‘Me too.’

He kissed her all the way up in the elevator, his tongue almost savage, but Alina’s was too. He nearly had her in the hall. She was vaguely aware of a butler rapidly disappearing as they fell through an open door.

Those tiny poppers that had been so hard to do up were her undoing now for Demyan was inside before the door even closed. Frantic, urgent sex where she could barely even lift her legs, such was the force of the man pinning her down.

‘God, Alina...’

It was new-shoes-worthy sex, it was amazing sex. There was nothing she could complain about for she was shouting his name too and coming as rapidly as Demyan...

It was the aftermath that confused.

She lay there, staring up at the ceiling with Demyan on top of and inside her, and then turned her head slightly and looked around.

They were in a very luxurious suite, but a different one. Though it was similar to the one she had become used to.

It took a moment to register that he must have booked them into the casino hotel.

What man kept two presidential suites on the go?

It took another unsettling moment for Alina to realise that she hadn’t even known where she was.