Dimitri POV
At last, he'd satisfied his boundless hunger for his sugar baby. Her heavy-lidded eyes and well-loved expression, as well as her languid body in his bed, demonstrated her utter exhaustion. She ate the fruits and the meat and cheese he provided.
Smelling satisfied, she looked up at him through beautiful, hazy eyes. "I should go and check on my aunt and uncle."
He nodded, with an indulgent look. "Of course. We'll both go."
She chewed her lip, and her eyes cleared. "Not right now. They've just had a scare. I need ... I need time alone with them. Please."
He frowned, seeing the skittish look in her eyes. "I'd like to reassure them that they're safe in my home. OUR home."
She melted. "Really?"
God, his family had done a number on her, hadn't they? Irina only added fuel to the fire.
"Really. Get dressed in one of the beautiful caftans I bought you, and we'll go and see your aunt and uncle in their new quarters. I thought of putting them in a guest house on the property just for their privacy and comfort."
"Oh? That was sweet of you."
He felt inordinately pleased with her response. "But I want them to be safe, above all, so I've put them in their own suite. Let's go."
He admired her in the lavish, beautiful leopard-print caftan that fell to her ankles. She wore comfortable sandals, and looked like the lady of the house, though she might not see herself that way. For his money, he'd needed a hostess, and she fit the bill. Just because he'd appointed himself her sugar daddy didn't mean she had to sit and just be decorative, or lounge around eating bonbons, not that she would.
Taking her arm, he escorted her down a short hallway to a set of double doors and knocked. Her Aunt Sally's sweet voice answered. "Come in."
Opening the door, he let Ariana go through first, and then followed her. She gawked at the furniture, which had generous amounts of orange, and also several paintings of golfers, which he knew Bill collected. It looked bizarre, especially in this ancient villa, and it insulted his eyes. But anything to make his sugar baby happy--and to keep her family safe and content. He didn't need any discord that would make them leave.
Sally was reorganizing the mini-fridge in their apartments. "Dimitri, this apartment is the size of most of our house back home."
"Yes. But be sure to make room for your furniture, Mrs. Norton," he said, hiding a grimace at the thought of more orange. "And the rest of your family mementoes."
Bill paced, a cell phone in hand. "I can't reach my family."
Dimitri handed him a phone with special encryptions. "Use this one. Just tell them you got a contract with some rich bigwig in Europe and it's very hush-hush. I assume they don't know about Trenholm or your wife's family."
Bill scowled. "No. Sally made me promise."
Dimitri nods. "They know, I presume, that your business has had some struggles lately. A big European contract, conveniently located near where your niece is attending school, would be hard to pass up. And it won't be a lie--I can use your skills around here. You'll be working for me. No more clients that make your life miserable and refuse to pay. I'll give you a salary you could only dream of, plus room and board."
Bill Norton babbled. "That's ... that's ... someone pinch me. What's the catch?"
Dimitri's eyes took on a dangerous glow. "I'm glad you asked. Just understand that within these walls, as long as you live with me and serve me, my word is law. I won't mistreat you, ever. But I rule here."
Sally Norton stared at him suspiciously. "And what will you do with that rule?"
Her eyes traveled to Ariana, and Dimitri smiled to himself. Sally was no fool.
"Nothing cruel," he assured her. "Does Ariana seem as though I've mistreated her?"
Sally circled Ariana, her bare feet gliding over the soft carpet. Squinting, with a motherly gaze, she admitted, "No. Ariana ... have you been well-treated?"
Ariana smiled slightly. "Oh yes. I had to leave behind a lot of my things. He felt compelled to give me a new wardrobe because of what his family did."
Dimitri's brows arched. She handled all this better than he expected.
She might not want to advertise the truth about their relationship to her aunt and uncle. They might misunderstand. They'd think he was taking advantage of Ariana, and would just discard her when he tired of her, leaving her to face his family alone.
No way. Never.
Even if he did tire of her and let her go, he'd make sure to put her someplace his family could never locate her. He'd set her up in a lab of her own. He'd do anything to help her stay safe and happy. It was the least he could do.
But seeing her fire and her loyalty, he knew he wouldn't get bored with her anytime soon. He'd keep her with him. No other man would have her. Especially not Luc, who would---
His mind blocked out thoughts of what Luc might do to Ariana. The last girl hadn't exactly enjoyed her time with Luc. Maybe Irina was right to ignore the Crown Prince's blatant desire and love for her.
Ariana continued, smiling. "Dimitri's been more than generous. Other than you two and Mom, no one has taken such good care of me."
* * * * *
Ariana POV
It was the truth, for the most part. Just a few major details left out. So why did she feel a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach?
Maybe because she kept the truth from her beloved aunt and uncle. Otherwise, they'd do exactly what Dimitri didn't want them to do. They'd leave. The arrangement would just trigger Sally's hatred for the Lyunov family.
Sally's eyes bored into Ariana's, trying to read the truth. Ariana stood, feeling like she was at the airport and Sally's gaze probed her like one of those scanning machines you stepped into at the security checkpoint.
After several moments, Sally relaxed. "You do look less stressed. Honestly, I didn't realize how much stress you'd been carrying after Amalia's death, and even before. She worried that you were going to get an ulcer."
Ariana grinned fondly. "That was Mom, all right."
Bill glanced at Dimitri. "My employment with you sounds a lot better than what I've been doing. I even have a few ideas for this place, just from the walkthrough to our bedroom."
Dimitri nodded at the dining table. "Food should be here in a few moments. You need a proper meal, not just soup and coffee. And yes, before you ask, I do eat regular food sometimes. A lot of vampires do ... we don't need to, but we do it anyway. Let's have a family dinner together ... our families are linked, are they not?"
Sally lifted her chin proudly. "Not by our own choice, but yes. Still, this is better than the alternative. We'll eat with you."
He sensed the wave of panic from Ariana and put a comforting arm around her, ignoring Sally's sharp look. "This will be a new era for our families, at least in this villa."
It was one dinner, after all. He could pretend Ariana wasn't his sugar baby for one dinner. Eventually, they might have to tell her aunt and uncle. But not now. If it meant concealing the truth to keep them all safe, so be it!