Dimitri by Roxie Rivera

the ground with mismanagement? It wasn't true, of course. By
the time my grandmother had let me see the books and come clean
about the creative accounting she'd been using to get by, I'd had
very few options left to save the business and the people depending
on me for jobs. I'd done the very best I could—but it wasn't
enough.
    My stomach twisted with guilt and embarrassment
as I considered the very real possibility that I would fail and
lose the business that had been in my family for nearly forty
years. I could only imagine the kind of gossip that would blaze
through this neighborhood like wildfire. I'd probably have to
relocate to another city just to escape the humiliation of it
all.
    Not wanting to ruin what had started as such a
good morning, I pushed away those ugly thoughts and dried off. I
squeezed as much water out of my hair as possible and tugged
Dimitri's comb through the snarls and tangles. I couldn't find a
blow dryer so I left my hair down to air dry.
    Out in the bedroom, I found the jeans, shirt
and clean socks from my office stacked on the foot of his bed. It
only took one kitchen accident as a teenager working in the bakery
to teach me a valuable lesson about keeping extra clothes at hand.
If I'd known I was going to use them the morning after a torrid
night with Dimitri, I might have slipped a pair of undies and a bra
in there.
    "I've tossed your clothes in the washer.
They'll be dry before you open." With my bra dangling from his
fingers, he leaned against the door frame and watched me shimmy
into my jeans. His mouth curved in a wolfish grin "Although I have
to admit I rather like the commando look on you."
    I shot him a quick smile. "You would. May I
have my bra?"
    Instead of handing it over, he came into the
room and slid an arm around my waist. He made sure to brush his
cock against my bottom. Not even the denim of my jeans or his
cotton pajama pants could stop the snap of heat between our
touching bodies. His big hand cupped my breast. "Hold out your
arms."
    I glanced back at him. "You realize I've been
wearing a bra for, like, fifteen years, right? I know how to put it
on."
    He nuzzled my neck and gave my nipple a little
pinch that made me rise up on my toes and gasp. "Humor
me."
    How could I say no to that? Lifting my arms, I
let Dimitri help me into my bra. His skilled hands made quick work
of it but he let them linger on my bare skin. Kissing my cheek, he
caressed the spot just above my navel. "I'm going to make
breakfast. I'll bring something down for you."
    I turned in his arms and gazed up at him. "You
don't have to do that. Go back to bed, Dimitri."
    "Once I'm awake, I'm awake." His fingertip
traced my lower lip. "I want to spend time with you before I head
into the gym for my workout." Dimitri's hands glided down my sides
before he let me loose. "It's Friday."
    I smiled and patted his chest. Like many of our
customers, he'd memorized the schedule we used for specialty breads
and pastries. "I'll make sure to put aside half a dozen of the
pineapple turnovers you love so much."
    "Better make it a full dozen. Ivan and Kostya
are hooked on them now." He gave my backside a squeeze. "I'm
getting in the shower. If I don't, you'll never get
downstairs."
    Our lips met in a quick kiss. I watched him
duck into the bathroom and close the door. My heartbeat finally
started to slow and I slipped into the red shirt with the bakery's
logo on the back. After finding my shoes in the living room, I
quickly braided my still damp hair, grabbed my purse and headed
downstairs.
    Even though I was running a little behind my
usual schedule, I was still the first one into the kitchen. Most of
our morning crew started rolling in around five. I enjoyed the
quiet stillness of the place and took my time turning on the lights
and prepping the ovens.
    After peeking into the proofing boxes and
ensuring everything was as it should be, I started a big pot of
coffee in the employee's locker and break room. I made a quick stop
in