Chapter Twenty Seven

Kelly didn’t look away.

“You’ve no place to run,” he said, his voice going lower. Sexier.

She remained unfazed, at least on the outside. “I don’t run from anything,” she told him. “And I’m not easily intimidated.”

He tilted his head curiously and arched a brow. "That's good to know.” he said.

He took another step and leaned in before pausing to look down at her hands. Kelly had not moved a muscle. She held eye contact with him. A part of her wanted to take another step around him, while an-other part—the stubborn and inquisitive part—stood still and waited. For what, she wasn’t quite sure. All she knew for certain was that she wanted to know what he was going to do next.

"I feel like you are avoiding me, Kelly. Why is that?" he asked.

"I didn't say anything like that to you" she replied. "And yes, I don't want to see or speak to you, but it doesn't mean that I'm afraid of you or avoiding you"

"This is about that thing with Edward Franklin, huh?" he asked, nodding his head.

That thing?

Kelly couldn't believe how annoying the man was. Talking like she shouldn't be worried about what he did. He hadn't even bothered to apologize for it.

"You know you are such an insufferable asshole, Dimitri" she snapped at him, and his eyes widened a little. She couldn't really read the expression on his face and she honestly didn't care at the moment.

"Yeah I said what I said. You are an asshole. You screw people over to get what you want and that is so fucking selfish. And the worse part is that you show no atom of remorse after acting like this. I don't even know what to say to you anymore" she lifted a hand to her forehead and rubbed it, shaking her head. When she looked back at him, Dimitri hated the look on he face.

Dimitri had never really cared about what people said or thought about him. He was ruthless and he knew it, and when it came to work he liked to be completely focused. He had been that way... And fine with it... Until Kelly came along.

And now as he stared at her, he knew that a part of him cared about what this beautiful lady thought about him. She was glaring at him right now, like she hated him, and Dimitri didn't want her to hate him. It baffled him that he cared to this extent, and he didn't even know a lot about her, but he couldn't change how he felt.

She moved to walk past him, but he didn't let her. Long fingers caught her wrist in a steely grip. "I wish to talk to you properly, Kelly.....In private" he said, "This balcony isn't the best place to have this conversation"

"But I don't wish to talk to you in private, Dimitri, or in public come to think of it. This short time I have known you is enough for me to know exactly what kind of person you are, so take my advice and quit while you are only slightly behind."

His glance reflected barely contained frustration," Let's talk about this, Kelly "he said.

"Why? Because that's what you want and you will do anything to get what you want? I don't want to talk to you. What are you going to do now, force me? kidnap me?"

His dark eyes were suddenly veiled. "I hardly think such extreme measures will be required" he replied. "I want to talk to you, and If you are honest about your feelings, you will admit to yourself that you want the same thing. I know you are mad at me right now, but you can feel this and so can I. So please just....let's just talk"

Kelly didn't let him finish the sentence. "You are insufferably arrogant" she gasped, trying to ignore the tiny shock waves that gripped her body. "What ever happened between us was a mistake that I don't intend to make again"

She was lying. She knew it and so did he.

Far from being disconcerted, his eyes gleamed and she remembered too late that Dimitri thrived on challenge. He was a man who hunted for obstacles just so he could smash them down and prove his superiority.

"Do you really mean that, Kelly?" he asked her, his voice going lower. His face was just inches from hers as he stood in what should have been an uncomfortable stance.

But he wasn’t trying to move. He just stayed there waiting…for her.

"Fuck you, Dimitri" she said as she twisted her arm free of his grip.

He didn't touch her again, but as she tried to walk past him and out of the balcony, she heard him say something she wasn't expecting him to say.

"I'm sorry, Kelly" he said softly.

She halted and stared at him. She almost couldn't believe he had said that. She didn't know much about Dimitri Collins, but she knew that the man didn't apologize often.  She wasn't even sure if he meant it, but she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

"What exactly are you sorry for, Dimitri?" she asked.

"The last time we talked, there was a lot of tension between us and I just want to clear the air" he replied.

Kelly couldn't believe the man. "Oh that's it?" she asked, "That's your apology?"

"Oh, of course not. What I meant was that I'm sorry that I was a little —"

"....Obnoxious? Over the top? Opinionated?" Kelly cut in.

He grinned, "Did you want me to pick one?" he asked.

Kelly sighed. She should have known. The man was just too annoying and proud to actually apologize for anything.  She moved to walk away again, but he spoke hurriedly.

"Okay. Okay. Yes, all of the above. Can I get a do over? I'm sorry, Kelly" he said. "I'm sorry about what happened at my office the other day. I was rude and I'm truly sorry that I upset you"

The apology softened her a bit, and she stopped giving him the murderous look. She sighed and stepped away from him, back to the railings where she had been standing when he came to meet her.

"Why are you even here, Dimitri" she asked, her back turned to him. Again he was tempted to hold her, to pull and press her body against his, feel her warmth and breath in that amazing scent of her that had already filled the balcony and was driving him crazy.