Page 48 of The Billionaire's Vow

Dimitri froze, then carefully put the knife down.He shifted to stare at her.

“Hewhat?”

Giselle sighed, running a hand through her hair.“Like I said, he wanted to talk.He grabbed my arm, tried to get me to go somewhere with him, but I refused.He kept begging, saying he needed my help, that I could talk to you, convince you to give him his job back.”She scoffed, crossing her arms.“As if I have that kind of influence over you.”

Dimitri’s jaw ticked as he considered what she’d just said.“You have more influence than you think.”

She blinked up at him, caught off guard by the intensity in his gaze.“What?”

He ignored her question.“Did he hurt you?”

“No,” she answered immediately, then hesitated.“Well, not really.I mean, he grabbed my arm, but it wasn’t…”

Dimitri’s expression darkened.“It wasn’t what?”His voice was low, dangerous.

She sighed.“It wasn’t aggressive.Just desperate.I pulled away, told him no, and walked off.That was it.”

“That wasnotit,” he growled, turning to face her fully.He braced his hands on the counter, muscles tense.“He put his hands on you.That’s not acceptable.”

Giselle exhaled sharply, frustration creeping into her voice.“Dimitri, I handled it.He’s just a pathetic jerk who lost his job and doesn’t know what to do now.”

“That pathetic man tried to corner you, get youalone.If he had been a little more desperate, a little more unhinged, what could have happened?”His voice was controlled, but the fury behind it was palpable.

She sighed and looked away.“I don’t know.”

He reached out, tipping her chin up until she met his eyes again.“Exactly.And I refuse to give him another opportunity to find out.”

The quiet promise in his voice sent a shiver down her spine.He wasn’t just saying it—he meant it.There was an unmistakable finality in his words, a lethal determination that made her stomach flip.

She cleared her throat.“Can we just drop it?I don’t want to waste any more energy thinking about Elliot.”

Dimitri studied her for a long moment, then exhaled and picked up the knife again.“Fine.For now.”He pointed the blade at her, smirking when her eyes widened slightly.“But if he so much aslooksin your direction again, you tell me immediately.Understood?”

She huffed, rolling her eyes but unable to suppress the warmth curling in her chest.“Yes, sir,” she muttered sarcastically.

His smirk widened as he returned to his cooking.“Much better.”

Giselle shook her head, inching closer to peek at the food.“Can I at least help with something?I feel useless watching you cook.”

Dimitri flicked a glance at her, amusement dancing in his eyes.“You can pour the wine.”

“I don’t drink.”

“Then pour mine.”

She laughed softly, shaking her head as she grabbed the bottle.Maybe, just maybe, being around him wasn’t such a bad thing.

Dimitri’s hands tightened around the whisk, his muscles flexing as he turned back to her.“Giselle, let’s get something straight right now.You have never been useless.But more importantly, you are not to go anywhere alone again.”

She blinked, startled by the sharp command in his voice.“I—what?”

He dropped the whisk onto the counter, bracing his hands on the surface as he leaned in.His dark eyes locked onto hers, unwavering.“Elliot grabbed you today, and you didn’t think that was worth mentioning sooner?”

She hesitated, then lifted her chin slightly, trying to hold her ground.“I didn’t go anywhere with him.I told him no, and I walked away.End of story.”

“Not even close to the end,” Dimitri growled, his jaw flexing.“He grabbed you, tried to get you alone, and you don’t think that’s something I should be concerned about?”

Giselle turned away from the wine selection, her fingers twisting together in her lap, the weight of his anger pressing into her.But beneath the fury, there was something else—an unwavering protectiveness that sent warmth curling through her chest.No one had ever gotten angry on her behalf before.No one had ever cared enough.