I watched the happily married couple as they swayed on the dance floor. Safely out of her first trimester, Benny seemed to be over the worst of the morning sickness and the exhaustion. The cut of her wedding gown, an empire sheath, made it possible for her to keep their secret through the ceremony, but out on that dance floor, the fabric twisted just enough to show the rounded curve to her belly. Without even realizing it, Dimitri had been placing his hand across her tummy in a protective, shielding way all night.
"We should start a pool," Erin said with a giggle. "Due date. Boy or girl. Weight. All that."
"I'm so in."
"Maybe we should start a pool on that," Erin suggested with a slight gesture of her head.
Following the subtle lift of her chin, I spotted Vivian dancing with Kelly Connolly. The sight of the two laughing and swaying surprised me. Out of habit, I searched the crowd for Nikolai. He stood with Yuri and a couple of men I didn't recognize. His dark gaze was fixed on the dancing couple.
As if he could sense me watching him, his attention flicked my way. Our gazes clashed but I didn't look away. After the harrowing experience I'd shared with him, I no longer felt as nervous or scared around him. We would never be friendly—I wasn't sure he was capable of being friendly with any woman other than Vivian—but we were warm acquaintances.
Turning his back on Vivian and Kelly, Nikolai signaled that he was okay with whatever she wanted. But as I watched Vivian and Kelly dancing, I got the feeling that the two weren't attracted to each other in the least. There were no lingering touches or intense flirty looks exchanged between the pair.
I sipped my champagne. "I don't think that's going anywhere. It's just a dance."
"Pity," Erin said with a little frown. "They make a hot couple."
"I don't think Vivian wants anyone but the one man she can't have."
"I don't know about can't. I think if she went after him, he'd be defenseless against her." Erin drummed her fingers on the table. "What's the story with Kelly? I thought he'd given up his bodyguard post."
"He's not doing long-term jobs anymore. Apparently he told Dimitri that he worried he would become too attached to his clients. He's lost enough people that mattered to him while he was in the Marine Corps so he doesn't want to do that in civilian life. The last I heard he's doing short private security jobs. You know, a weekend here or there."
"I was so worried that Dimitri's new venture was going to take a hit after that mess with Jake but I guess it's turned out okay."
"Ty and I worked overtime to spin the hell out of that situation. Honestly, Dimitri has dozens of bouncers and bodyguards working for him and only one turned out to be rotten. It's very clear that he's super careful about vetting the men he hires. I think Jake was basically a great guy who got taken in by a beautiful psychopath with a sob story."
"At least that's all over now."
A few days earlier, I'd been cleared of any charges. I suspected the DA and the detectives on the case didn't fully believe my version of events. There were inconsistencies in some of the forensics, after all, but nothing to prove that Nikolai had ever been in that house. As far as I could tell, no one but the three of us knew that secret—and it would stay that way.
"Has Vivian decided what she's going to do once you totally move in with Yuri?"
"She's looking into a smaller apartment at the same complex." A quiver of guilt pierced my chest. "I still feel torn about moving out but she says she's happy for me."
"Vivian is happy for you. She always means what she says."
"Still…"
"Let it go, Lena." Erin shot me a knowing look. "Don't think this to death. If you want to move in with Yuri, move in with Yuri. Vivian wants you to be happy. She's a big girl and she'll be fine. Frankly, I think she's getting annoyed with the way we all treat her like our little sister."
"She's the closest thing I've ever had to a sister and she is younger than us."
"She's also survived more than the three of us," she gestured between the two of us and toward Benny, "can even imagine. Maybe it's time we step back and give her some space."
I grinned at Erin. "Damn, you are sexy when you go all mama-bear like that."
She rolled her eyes. "I've already got a date for tonight so the flattery is wasted on me."
"Speaking of your date…" I watched Ivan striding toward us. When he reached the table, he bent down and swept Erin into his brawny arms. He took her seat and settled her across his lap. From the way he kissed her, it was clear he was starting to feel the effect of all that vodka. His inhibitions had definitely been lowered and his libido was raging. Judging by the way he devoured her mouth, Erin would be lucky to make it to the room they'd been given on the yacht with all of her clothes intact.
"Ivan!" Giggling, Erin grasped his big hand and pushed it down to her waist. "Later."
I couldn't hear what he said in that gruff voice of his but Erin's face turned bright red. She nibbled her lower lip and tried not to smile. "Okay," she said a bit breathlessly. "We can go now."
He started to stand with her in his arms but she wiggled off his lap. "I'll walk."
Ivan looked like he wanted to protest but she grabbed his hand and tugged him after her. With a quick smile my way, she excused them with a wave.
"Jesus!" Ty exclaimed before dramatically falling into the chair Erin and Ivan had just vacated. "These Russians know how to throw a party!"
I couldn't help but laugh at him. He looked rather frazzled without his tuxedo jacket and his shirt gaping open at the top. His cheeks were ruddy from the exertion of dancing and he seemed to be sweating, something I'd never seen him do. "How much have you had to drink?"
"I don't know," he admitted with a brash laugh. "Too much probably."
"You have a ride home?" I was sure he had a driver but wanted to make sure my new business partner got home in one piece.
"Actually," he slid his chair closer, "I'm hoping that sexy beast takes me home."
Sexy beast? I followed his boldly pointing finger and nearly fell out of my damn chair. "Vasya?"
"Is he fucking hot or what?" Ty rested his chin on his hand and openly flirted with the behemoth bodyguard. When Vasya's lips briefly curved in a smile, I realized how blind I'd been. No wonder Vasya was always volunteering to babysit me. He wanted to spend time around Ty!
Recovering from the shock, I asked, "Are you two an item?"
"Not yet but I think this might be my lucky night."
"He's on duty."
"Well—maybe I'll follow him home. Do you think Yuri would mind if I spent the night in your guest house?"
"It's not Yuri I'm worried about."
He scrunched up his nose. "Oh, right. That awful dog."
I took offense. "Sasha is the sweetest, gentlest baby of a dog."
Ty guffawed. "Sweetheart, you need a new dictionary. That genetic experiment you call a dog looks like the bastard son of a grizzly bear and a gorilla."