Chapter Thirty Seven

“Sit down,” Kelly snapped, finally starting to lose her patience. She grabbed Dimitri’s arm, stopping him midgrowl as he began to climb over the back of his seat. “You, too. Before you get us all thrown out.” She said to him

“Kelly…” he began.

She kept her hand on his arm, her nails digging in tight, determined to handle this situation herself. Without violence.

Though, she had to admit, a teeny, tiny part of her liked how protective Dimitri was, even if she usually had absolutely no use for such blatant displays of testosterone.

“You. Sit. I mean it,” she ordered the intoxicated stranger, pointing to his seat.

The man sat.

“Now, I’m quite certain that somewhere in your beer-sodden brain, you believe I’m flattered by your eloquently worded… compliments.” Kelly didn’t have to raise her voice to make sure she was being heard. All around them, conversations had quieted, and she didn’t think a single spectator in their section was watching what was going on down in the field. The showdown here was apparently much more interesting.

“However, while I’m sure you are a man who possesses many admirable porcine qualities, as you can see, I am here in the company of another gentleman. And neither of us appreciates your attentions. Will you please, therefore, refrain from commenting further and allow us to get back to the game?” she continued.

The man’s mouth fell open. “What’d she say?” he asked foolishly

The embarrassed-looking man next to him—his friend who’d made no effort to provide backup to the drunk—muttered, “I’m pretty sure she told you to shut the hell up.”

“Yeah,” someone else said. “So please do us all a favor and do it!”

“Oh,” the drunk said, finally glancing around and realizing what a spectacle he’d made of himself. If Kelly had railed at him, he probably wouldn’t have backed down. As it was, though, her calm, courteous reply made him look an absolute fool. And he wasn’t too drunk to realize it.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Thank you.” Kelly smiled and nodded politely, then turned back around to face the field, putting a definite end to the interaction. It was the top of the ninth and things were getting interesting. She wasn’t going to waste another moment of the beautiful day on a blithering fool.

She didn’t even glance over as Dimitri slowly dropped back into his seat beside her. “I can take care of myself, you know,” she murmured, watching the field.

“Yeah, I noticed.” Dimitri leaned closer, near enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath on her hair. Not to mention the way his shoulders shook with laughter. His anger had disappeared as quickly as steam off a bathroom mirror. “Correct me if I’m wrong…did you just call him a pig?”

“I’m certain I don’t know what you mean.” She replied.

“Uh-huh. Sure you don’t.” Still chuckling, Dimitri casually dropped his big, solid hand onto her thigh, above her knee, and squeezed it. Not exactly the most erogenous zone on her body, but still, every molecule inside her leaped to attention. Her blood roared in her veins at the feel of that strong, warm touch, and she was completely incapable of stopping the visual images that flooded her mind.

Kelly's skin tingled beneath the soft fabric of her capris at the thought of him sliding that touch higher, caressing her all the way up her thigh as he kissed her.

Slow, sweet…then deeper, harder. Wetter and faster.

She wanted him to kiss her in every way a man could kiss a woman. And in every place on her body.

God, she was a wreck. She was beginning to like him way too much. Yet he seemed completely unaffected, still smiling that easygoing smile. “Remind me never to get on your bad side. I’m slightly more literate than our friend back there. And I do believe that tongue of yours could draw blood if the person actually understood what the hell you were saying. You are so bad ass and I love it.”

Kelly tried to force her heart to slow its rapid pace, striving for the same nonchalance Dimitri obviously felt about his casually possessive touch on her leg.

She didn’t succeed. Her pulse still raced, her breaths grew fast and uneven. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the strong, deeply tanned fingers starkly outlined against her clothing.

Then, thank heaven, she was saved. Because with the bases loaded, the next player at bat hit one out of the park. The entire stadium roared, rising to its feet as if one huge, sinuous being, Kelly and Dimitri among them.

Whoever that player was, she could kiss him, she really could.

Because somehow, during the euphoric celebrations of the home team’s victory, she managed to calm down and put all her protective gear firmly back in place.

Almost through, she reminded herself. This wasn't real. It was purely sexual. She should find a way to control her feelings.

Seeing the way he’d been completely unaffected by a simple touch that had left her breathless had reminded her of just who she was dealing with here. This man dealt in intimate touches and was completely unaffected by them.

She, however, was not like that, and maybe she would never be. Which meant she needed to put an end to this ridiculous feeling. Soon they would get tired of this, and their lives would go back to the way it was before.

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On the way back to her place, Dimitri said : "I didn't know you would love the game so much. I'm glad you did. A part of me was worried that you wouldn't... Most ladies don't"

Kelly didn't miss that part of his comment... 'most ladies'. Just how many women did he bring to these games with him? She wondered. But she didn't ask, it wasn't her business to question him about his other activities.

"Oh I have always loved baseball.... Especially in high school" she said, "But my dad wasn't crazy about the idea so he made me quit and then I just forgot about the whole thing."

"Oh yeah.... Your dad" Dimitri replied, nodding his head, "He has his own ideas about everything. I have worked with him for a while and I know that he can be really...."

"Annoying..." Kelly completed for him.