“I still hate him.”

“Of course you do, darling.”

“I’m serious!”

“So am I.”

“Okay, so he took a couple of bullets for my best friend. That was almost…cool. Okay, it was cool. But one nice thing doesn’t erase all the crummy things he’s done.”

“Certainly not.”

“And I didn’t check on him because I was, you know, concerned or anything. It was for Stacy’s sake. Obviously, she’s gone insane, but until she regains her senses, it’s probably good if the creep doesn’t die of blood loss or whatever.”

“Quite right.”

“Argh!” Caitlyn cried, throwing herself facedown on the bed. “My world has turned upside down!”

Dmitri was shutting down his laptop and smirking in her general direction. “Do tell.”

“What, do tell? Haven’t you been paying attention?”

“I’d like to hear your summation.”

“I mean, how weird is all this? Stacy’s going out with the nut, and he actually seems like he doesn’t exactly hate her, which boggles the mind….”

“Mm-hmm…”

“I mean, he took bullets for her. Who does that?”

“I would do that,” Dmitri said quietly.

“I wouldn’t have thought he’d take bullets for his granny, assuming he had one and wasn’t, you know, spawned by the devil. Which I haven’t entirely ruled out.” Caitlyn flopped over and stared at the ceiling. “And all of this…it was because Rebecca was in love with him. Him! Is it possible the Boss is more attractive than I think he is? Naw,” she said before Dmitri could answer. “I can’t believe Rebecca thought he was working too hard and decided, in the manner of all psychos, to help him out. Does it surprise me that he had a slobbering nut-job working for him? No. Does it surprise me that she actually had feelings for him? Yup.”

“At least we solved it,” he said. “And your friend is okay, which is the important thing.”

“That’s true.”

“And Gregory Hamlin is in the hospital with various tubes in his chest.”

Caitlyn perked up. “That’s true too. Tough for him to interfere in my life when he’s flat on his back. And who knows? Maybe he’ll have a really mean nurse.”

Dmitri slapped the laptop closed and came over to the bed. “We can always hope,” he said, bending to her. “I like your skirt.”

“Thanks. Of course, I didn’t think I’d be leaping balconies and such when I put it on.” She smoothed the black pleats.

He pulled her shoes off, her socks, then reached under her skirt and relieved her of her panties. “You know,” she griped, “I’m kind of having a crisis here.”

“I know the exact cure,” he assured her, rolling her over on her stomach.

“Men,” she grumbled, then sucked in her breath as she felt him kneel behind her, pull her up on her knees, and then kiss her. Not on the mouth.

His tongue darted and licked while his thumbs held her open for him, and she rocked against his busy, busy mouth, forgetting her woes for the moment.

“God, you’re so good at that,” she groaned, biting her forearm.

He hummed in response, the vibrations doing delicious things to her tender flesh, and then she felt his tongue dart inside her and she trembled so hard, the bed shook.

After a torturous, delightfully long time when he wouldn’t let her come and laughed at her when she begged, she heard his zipper come down, felt him slide his hand down her spine, and then he was easing into her from behind, and she pushed back against him, feeling him slam all the way home.

“Like that,” she gasped.

“Yes,” he replied, his voice so thick, she could barely understand the word.

He thrust into her, and she rocked back, and that was it, that was enough, she tipped over into orgasm and heard him gasp behind her, as if he could feel her all-over tightening. Their rhythm quickened, the bed slammed against the wall, and she reached between her thighs and found his testicles, warm and plum-sized, and cupped them in her hand, testing their weight, and he groaned and stiffened behind her.

They collapsed to the bed together. Caitlyn realized she still had her shirt and cardigan on, and her skirt, and Dmitri was fully dressed, just…disheveled.

“I think,” he said after a long moment, “yes. I think you’re going to kill me.”

“Me? You’re the one who’s going for, like, the Boinking Championship.”

He snorted against her shoulder, then flopped over when she elbowed him off her. “We’re definitely going to hurt each other one of these days,” she groaned.

“At least your archenemy won’t be making love with your friend for quite a while.”

“Okay, that’s it. I’m never having sex again. No, really,” she said as he started to laugh. “That little comment totally killed my drive.”

“I’ll see if I can revive it,” he said, pulling her against him so they were cuddling together on the big bed. “Later. After a long nap.”

There was a long, comfortable silence, broken when she finally asked the question that had been on her mind for the last three days. “Dmitri…”

“Um?” He sounded sleepy and content, and she almost hated to get into it. But it was better to know, dammit. No matter how much it was going to hurt. After all, the guy was probably getting on a jet as soon as his nap was over.

She asked, “Dmitri, do you believe in love at first sight?”

“No,” he replied comfortably.

“Oh,” she said, trying to ignore the stab of disappointment. “Yeah. That’s what I figured.”

“Do you?”

“What? Oh, no. No! Not at all.”

“I don’t believe in love at first sight because I loved you before I even met you,” he explained.

“Yeah, that’s what I—what?”

“What’s that charming phrase you used? ‘The nanobytes in your ears take the day off, or what?’” Her fist thumped lightly into his shoulder, and he grunted. “When my sources told me the Wagner team was reactivated, had created another cybernetically enhanced individual, I broke through their fire walls and security system and finally downloaded your file. I memorized it instantly, of course.”

“Of course,” she replied, flattered yet mildly creeped out.

“Some of the transcripts of your meetings with Gregory Hamlin were in there…and your reaction when you woke up in the hospital…your refusal to work for Hamlin…yes,” he finished with a happy sigh, “by the time I finished your file, I was definitely in love.”

“Dmitri…” She rolled over and kissed him. “That’s, honest to God, the sweetest thing ever.”

“What about you?”

“Oh, I fell in love with you when you beat me on the treadmill.”

“So when I’m old and weak, you won’t love me anymore?”

“I dunno,” she said cheerfully. “I guess we’ll find out.”

“You plan to be around when I’m decrepit?”

“Well, duh. Boy. You’re, like, the smartest guy and the dumbest guy, all at the same time. I mean, hello, I have been totally throwing myself at you.”

“When you weren’t sending me away and refusing to sleep with me,” he pointed out.

“Jeez, how long are you going to hold that against me? I swear. Men are the biggest babies. Sulk much?”

He hugged her to his chest. “I’m planning on holding it against you for at least sixty years.”

“Great,” she grumbled.

“Come back to the castle with me.”

“Sure, as long as you put in central heating.”

“It’s a national landmark,” he complained. Then, “Really? You’ll come?”

“You sound surprised.”

“Well, I didn’t think it would be that easy.”

“I’m not letting some Lithuanian slut get her mitts on you. Frankly, it’s sort of a miracle someone hasn’t snapped you up before now. Not just because you’re gorgeous. You’re smart and cool and funny and, you know, neat and stuff.”

He looked immensely gratified. “Most people find me…cold, I suppose. Nobody’s ever…I mean, you’re the first—”

“Well, ‘most people’ are idiots.”

“You’re the miracle. You’re the one I was waiting for. Even if I didn’t know it.”

“Well, aren’t you nice. Listen, I don’t mind going back home with you, but I’m not living in Lithuania twenty-four/seven. I’ve got a business to run. In fact, I’ve neglected it shamefully lately. My clients all probably have split ends by now.”

“I have three homes in the States,” he replied. “It’s no trouble to buy one here in Minneapolis.”

“Oh. Right. Well, okay, then.”

“But we will be married there, of course.”

“As long as you fly Stacy over for it. And the gang from Tau Delta Nu. Lame proposal, by the way. ‘We’ll be married.’ Boom. Dmitri has spoken.”

“I’m sorry, I get bossy when I’m anxious, as my mother will be the first to tell you. My mother…” He trailed off, musing. “My, won’t she be surprised.”

“I’ll bet. Well, she’ll probably take it better now that she knows I’m not the killer.”

“Indeed. Perhaps being a duchess will make up for my clumsy marriage proposal.”

“Get out!” she cried, sitting up. “Are you shitting? You’re a duke?”

“Didn’t you read the file on me?” he complained.

“Yes, I read the file! I wish people would quit bugging me about the fucking file! There’s nothing in there about being a duke.”

“Well, maybe I didn’t mention it to anyone in the O.S.F. when I was here.”

“Yeah, maybe, you sneaky fuck. Duchess,” she mused. “I’ll have to, you know, get some duchess clothes.”

“Your clothes are fine.”

“And duchess shoes. And I need a manicure like you would not believe.” She peeked at her fingernails, appalled.

“While we’re on the subject of necessities, are we going to let Stacy bring a guest?” he teased.

“God, no.”

“As you wish.”

“Seriously, Dmitri. She can’t bring a date. No way. I’m not having that—that—I’m not having him at my wedding. Forget it!”

“Great minds,” he sighed, bringing her back into his embrace, “truly do think alike.”