on your second day when your nose scrunched up and you complained about the smog and the heat.” He smiled and pulled her toward the closed sliding glass door. “It’s okay, though. I think I’m about done with the city, anyway.”
“What do you mean?” Oliver met them and demanded attention. The dog was a big baby and rolled over to get his belly scratched as soon as Becca dropped to her knees.
Dimitri didn’t answer right away. He just watched his traitor of a dog get the attention he himself wanted. Why wouldn’t she rub his belly like that?
Fuck. He had it bad. He was jealous of the damn dog.
“All my brothers are on the east coast. They’ve been bugging me for months to move to New York. With Mason transferring to NYU, there’s no reason to stay here anymore, especially if my soon-to-be wife hates it.”
“We still haven’t established I’m marrying you.”
Dimitri wanted to demand she marry him and have her obey him, but he knew she had her own mind and wouldn’t be pushed on this. She’d told him more than once she wouldn’t be forced. It was a big decision.
He knew that. Nothing had ever been more important to him. Sure, he might play the jokester, laugh all the time, and flirt like nobody’s business, but once he realized Becca was his, all that silliness went out the window. His relationship with her was the one thing he took seriously. And he’d make her realize that, no matter what it took.
“What made you move out here, anyway? I don’t think I ever asked.”
“It wasn’t cold.” He threw a bag of popcorn in the microwave. “I grew up in Russia where it’s damn cold, then moved to Virginia where the cold wasn’t as severe, but still horrible. I just wanted to stay warm for a change.”
“And you’re willing to give up the sunshine state to be with your brothers?”
“No. I’m willing to give it up for you.”
Which was true. He would have flat out refused, if not for Becca. He loved the sunshine and the warmth, but he’d give it all up and freeze his ass off for his woman.
“I love the cold and the snow.” She gave Oliver one last rub and got to her feet. “It makes for good cuddling weather.”
“Well, since you put it like that, I love the cold and the snow too.” He opened the microwave when it beeped at him and took out the popcorn. “Can you hand me a bowl, please?”
“Movie night?” She found the right cabinet after three tries. He could have told her, but he enjoyed watching her stretch to get the cabinets open then push up on her toes to reach it, causing her shirt to ride up her backside. It afforded him a fantastic view.
“Since it’s so late, I thought we could settle in and watch Game of Thrones. You said you’ve never seen it, so why not introduce you to my fascination for Cersei?”
“Isn’t she the one everyone hates?” Becca held the bowl while he shook the popcorn into it. “Or is it the imp they all hate?”
“Cersei is the evil queen of the show. Everyone loves to hate her. Except me. I think all those evil tendencies she has are hot as fuck.”
“You’re terrible.”
“Get your ass upstairs before I show you just how terrible I can be.” She laughed when he slapped her ass but took off for the stairs. He was slower than she was, but it didn’t matter. He’d been babying his legs and going to his physical therapy every day.
Taking Becca’s advice, he ’fessed up on social media about his legs. As she’d pointed out, he’d barely made it through two hours of standing. He couldn’t stand for the five-hour signing event in Texas. He’d made a long post about it on Facebook, and much to his surprise, he’d received an outpouring of sympathy from readers and authors. So much so, he felt stupid for thinking they’d jump ship when they found he was less than perfect.
She was in the bathroom when he finally rolled into his bedroom. He saw the bowl of popcorn sitting on the bedside table. Stripping, he fetched a pair of pajama bottoms out of his dresser and pulled them on before turning down his blankets and finding the remote to the TV. He had the entire Game of Thrones series on his DVR.
He knew Becca was a sucker for fantasy novels, so he couldn’t wait to see her