Stripped Love #4 (BBW Alpha Male Romance) (7 page)

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Authors: Alycia Taylor

BOOK: Stripped Love #4 (BBW Alpha Male Romance)

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Dimitri’s eyes shimmered with lust and he lunged at me,
but I pushed him playfully away and shook my finger at him admonishingly.

“Not yet, naughty boy. Dinner first. Then we’ll go to
your place to play.”

I pulled an elegant little black dress out of my
closet and slipped it on over the naughty lingerie. The lovely dress had a
scoop neck bodice and short hemline that was sexy without being slutty. Smiling,
Dimitri said to me, “You look beautiful, but it’s missing something.”

“What?” I asked worriedly, craning my neck behind me
to see if I’d accidentally left a tag on the dress or had lint on my ass.

Dimitri reached into the breast pocket of his suit and
pulled out a black velvet box. Grinning, he held it out to me and said, “You’re
missing this.”

I held my breath and opened the box to reveal a
glittering white gold chain with an emerald pendant. It was the most beautiful
thing I had ever seen and my heart froze in my chest as Dimitri fastened it
around my neck. “The green reminded me of your eyes,” he said and I kissed him
passionately, devouring him whole until we had to break for air lest we both
suffocate.

“Thank you so much. I love it,” I said, with tears
glistening in my eyes. “You didn’t need to get me anything so extravagant.”

“You say that now, but you might decide it’s not
enough after tonight,” Dimitri said with a look of chagrin.

I scowled with suspicion and asked, “Why? What have
you done?”

“My mother cornered me today. She wants to have dinner
and when I told her I had a date with you she insisted I bring you along. I
tried to get out of it, but she can be very demanding sometimes. I’m really
sorry to ruin our date.”

“Are you kidding? I get to have dinner with
th
e Marianne Morrison! I loved her
movies ever since I was a little girl! Holy shit! I have to change clothes! This
dress isn’t nearly good enough, but it’s the best one I have. Do I look all
right?”

I knew I sounded like a crazy person, but I just
couldn’t stop myself. Dimitri grabbed me firmly by the shoulders and I thought
he might shake me in an effort to silence my hysteria, but he simply kissed me
instead. It was just what I needed to calm myself and end my mini freak out.

“Better?” he asked me with a tender smile.

“Better!”

I nodded and allowed him to escort me to the car. He
was driving a black BMW tonight, which was a car I hadn’t seen him in before.

I arched my eyebrows questioningly and he said,
“Mother prefers when I stay away from hot rods. I warn you she’s pretty
insistent in her opinions, but don’t let her intimidate you. Just be yourself
and she’s bound to love you. After all, I already do.”

When we got to the restaurant she was already there
seated at a cozy table secluded by the fish tank. She greeted her son with a
warm embrace and shook my hand elegantly when Dimitri introduced me as his
date. I had come to realize that date was the closest title he ever used to
girlfriend and felt my heart swell that he wanted his mother to know that was
my role in his life. As I shook her dainty hand I was so nervous my palms were
sweating and my knees were shaking, but she graciously pretended not to notice.

We spent the evening discussing politics, current
events, and various relatives of the Morrison family. I found the whole thing
fascinating and could hardly eat, I was so excited. At every opportunity he
could, Dimitri made a point of bragging about me to his mother, complimenting
me, or praising me in some manner. It was obvious he wanted her to like me, and
I was touched by it. Marianne was pleasant and polite, but seemed very stoic
and distant. I tried desperately to get her to warm up to me, asking her what
Dimitri was like a boy and what it had been like to work with some of the
greats, like Al Pacino and Robert Redford. I was mesmerized by her and
understood at once why people said she was a legendary actress beyond any equal
in Hollywood.

Just after the main course, Dimitri rose from his
chair to use the restroom and said politely, “Please excuse me ladies. I’ll be
back before the dessert arrives. Please be good while I’m gone mother.”

“Of course, darling,” Marianne smiled at her son, and
we all chuckled good naturedly at the silly joke. The moment he was out of
sight, however, Marianne leaned close to me and said, “Let me be blunt and to
the point. How much is it going to take to get you out of my son’s life?”

“What?” I blinked with shock.

“Nothing. I don’t love Dimitri for his money.”

“Well then what will it take to get rid of you? Do you
want me to set you up with someone more famous? Perhaps a director or producer
who could guarantee you roles in movies and make you a star?”

“No. Nothing and no one could take me away from
Dimitri. I know we haven’t been together for very long, but I love your son.”

“Yes, and it seems that he loves you; but really, you’re
not good enough for him. You’ll only drag him down and ruin his career. It’s already
all over the news and plastered all over the papers. You’re nothing but a cheap
stripper working in a dive bar, and not nearly good enough for my son.”

I was horrified by her words and rendered completely
speechless. Mostly because what she was saying was true. I swallowed hard
against the lump strangling my throat and tried to defend myself against her vicious
attack.

“I think that’s between me and Dimitri to decide.”

“If only that were true, I wouldn’t care,” Marianne
spat with a vicious glare.

“How long do you think it will be before you’re status
as stripper affects him? Directors and producers don’t just look at an actor’s talent;
they look at his entire image. A playboy running around with a different girl
every night is just a healthy young man sowing his wild oats; but a man who
permanently attaches himself to a low-class stripper is setting himself up for
a life of degradation, shame, and tawdry living. No actor is going to obtain
the type of grade-A roles needed to win an Academy Award with a reputation like
that. It’s a reputation you’re giving to Dimitri right now, just by sitting
here with him. If you really loved him like you say you do, you wouldn’t hurt
him like this. Instead, you would end things with him now.”

I wanted to say something to her, to tell her she was
wrong…but I couldn’t. Deep inside I was terrified that she was right. Maybe I
was hurting Dimitri’s reputation by dating him. Maybe he would be better off
without me.

Just then, Dimitri returned from the restroom. He
froze in place when he saw the pale look on my face. “What’s wrong? Mother, did
you say something while I was gone?”

I shook my head and blinked back my tears.

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just don’t feel well all of a
sudden. I think something in the food didn’t agree with me.”

“I’ll take you home,” Dimitri said with a look of
concern and wrapped his arms around me as I stood up to leave, but I waved him
off and pushed past him.

“No, you stay here and enjoy a nice desert with your
mother. I’ll just take a cab.”

Before Dimitri could say another word, I bolted from
the restaurant. He started to follow after me, but his mother caught him by the
arm and convinced him to stay.

Good.
I
thought
. Maybe she can help him make a
clean break from me.

Click here to read Stripped Love #5 on June 28th.

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