Dmitri's Christmas Angel, page 1
Dmitri’s Christmas Angel
Kat Mizera
Copyright © 2019 by Kat Mizera
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Cover Art: Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs
Created with Vellum
Contents
Also by Kat Mizera
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Excerpt from Nowhere Left to Fall (book one of A Royal Trilogy)
Also by Kat Mizera
Las Vegas Sidewinders Series:
Dominic
Cody’s Christmas Surprise
Drake
Karl
Anatoli
Zakk
Toli & Tessa
Brock
Vladimir
Royce
Nate
Sidewinders: Ever After
Jared
Dmitri’s Christmas Angel
Ian (2020)
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Inferno Series:
Salvation’s Inferno
Temptation’s Inferno
Redemption’s Inferno
Tropical Inferno (formerly “Tropical Ice”)
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Romancing Europe Series:
Adonis in Athens
Smitten in Santorini
Lucky in Lugano
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Alaska Blizzard Series:
Defending Dani
Holding Hailey
Winning Whitney
Losing Laurel
Saving Sarah
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The Nowhere Trilogy:
Nowhere Left to Fall
Nowhere Left to Run
Nowhere Left to Hide
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Other Books:
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Bobbi (Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World)
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Delilah (Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World)
Brotherhood Protectors: Catching Lana (Elle James’s Brotherhood Protectors World)
Author’s Note
Dear Readers:
Dmitri’s Christmas Angel was previously released as part of the Hockey Holidays charity anthology. It takes place two years ago in the Sidewinders timeline. However, this new version includes an extended epilogue with an update to the story and the couple, which brings them up to date in the current timeline.
I hope you enjoy Dmitri and Angel, and as always, thank you for reading!
—Kat
1
Two lines.
A plus sign.
Two lines meant positive.
So did that stupid plus sign.
Positive.
Pregnant.
Holy shit.
Angelica Reardon stared at the plastic pregnancy tests in horror. How had this happened? For the first time in her life, she’d been dating the most amazing guy. A hot, sexy, on-the-rebound hockey player with big dark eyes whom she’d started to fall in love with. A guy who’d made her happier than she’d imagined possible, who liked her in spite of her faults, who’d thought she was worth taking a chance on.
The team he played for, the Las Vegas Sidewinders, was on a road trip, but he was supposed to call her when he got home and she’d been planning to sleep over. Their relationship was already complicated but this was going to add a level of hell she hadn’t been expecting.
Angel had been a mess after the death of her parents. Barely eighteen, she’d been wholly unprepared to be the sole guardian of her seven-year-old sister, Bella. There had been no money, no savings, nothing, and they’d wound up living on the street. Though she’d had enough presence of mind to get her little sister to a homeless shelter, she herself had made spectacularly stupid choices, dating a member of a local gang and getting involved in things she never would have done had her parents lived. She’d been a scared, bitchy teenager who’d nearly screwed up everything with the bad choices she’d made. And now she’d screwed up again.
An actress named Ashleigh Hunter-Lassiter had swept into that homeless shelter like a television super hero, adopting Bella and offering Angel a chance to start over as well. She hadn’t trusted her to live up to her promises, but Ashleigh and her hockey-playing husband, Brock, had done all that and then some. Though Angel was twenty now and a legal adult, Ashleigh was only six years older than she was but Angel considered Ashleigh and Brock second parents. They’d been so good to her, giving her money and paying for her to attend UCLA so she’d be able to get a degree and have a career. Then she’d met one of Brock’s teammates, Dmitri Papadakis, and gotten herself knocked up. This was a cluster-fuck if she’d ever been in one and she had a feeling no one was going to be happy about it.
Her phone buzzed and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or terrified when she saw Dmitri’s text.
You awake? I’m home. Flight was delayed.
Do you still want me to come over?
Is this a trick question?
See you soon.
She picked up her overnight bag and crept down the stairs quietly. Brock wasn’t home yet but Ashleigh, Bella and the new baby, Devon, were asleep. If she could get out of here before Brock got home, she’d avoid unpleasant questions.
She was staying at their gorgeous house in Las Vegas for the Thanksgiving break, and though they didn’t treat her like a child, Ashleigh worried if she didn’t know where she was. Angel usually told her she was at a friend’s house, but the truth was she didn’t have many female friends and none in Las Vegas. She had a few acquaintances, but when she and Dmitri had gotten involved, she’d made up a girlfriend. Lying sucked, but Dmitri was nervous that Brock wouldn’t be happy they were dating, so no one knew except Dmitri’s roommate, Royce, who promised to keep his mouth shut.
By the time she got to the house the guys shared, Angel was a nervous wreck, her mouth a little dry and her stomach in knots. She and Dmitri had met at a cookout over the summer and they’d fallen into bed together pretty quickly. She’d assumed it would be a one-nighter, but he’d kept calling and they’d kept sleeping together and by the end of summer they’d been unsure what direction to go with their relationship. The start of the school year had put a damper on things but they saw each other whenever they could and just before hockey season began, Dmitri had said he didn’t want to date anyone else. If they were going to be exclusive, they had to start thinking about going public with their relationship, and he’d said he thought she should meet his family over the holidays. They hadn’t yet decided when to tell Brock and Ashleigh but now it didn’t seem that they had a choice.
“Hey, beautiful.” Dmitri met her at the door, taking her bag as he leaned over to kiss her.
He was so damn handsome, she took a moment to appreciate his big brown eyes, dark hair that was cropped close to his head and those damn full, sexy lips. That had been her downfall, that mouth of his, and the first time he kissed her she’d essentially lost all sense of reason. Not to mention a hockey player’s body, all hard, muscular lines, lean hips and the most fantastic ass she’d ever had the pleasure of biting into. He was sexier than anyone she’d ever met but she was about to ruin his day and most likely get her heart broken in the process.
“You guys want to play Cards Against Humanity?” Royce called out as she and Dmitri walked into the living room.
Angel smiled but shook her head. “Not tonight. Dmitri and I need to talk about something.”
“Yikes.” Royce grimaced, his green eyes narrowed slightly. “On that note, I’m gonna watch some TV.”
“Let’s go to my room,” Dmitri said, frowning slightly as he took her hand.
Angel followed him and sank onto his California king size bed and leaned back on her hands, watching as he put her bag in the closet and then leaned against the wall.
“Are you breaking up with me?” he asked quietly.
She snorted out a derisive laugh. “No, but you’ll probably want to when I tell you what’s going on.”
“What’s wrong, ayapi mou?” Dmitri was first generation Greek, born to Greek parents who lived in Astoria, New York and owned a Greek diner. He spoke Greek and “ayapi mou” meant “my love.” Though he hadn’t said “I love you” in English, he’d been using the term of endearment with her regularly.
She dug in her purse and pulled out the pregnancy test she’d wrapped in a tissue, handing it to him without a word.
He unwrapped it slowly and she watched the play of emotions on his face as he went from confusion, to recognition and then surprise. His eyes snapped to hers but instead of anger or shock, he merely smiled. “We’re having a baby?”
She was so surprised by his reaction she only managed a little nod.
“Wow… when?”
“I don’t know. I just figured it out today and… I’ve been too freaked out to think about how far I could be. Probably that party in October—we got pretty wild in the bathroom.”
He chuckled. “So, like four weeks? Are you sure?”
“According to when I looked it up online, you actually add two weeks or so to it based on the date of your last period. I’m thinking more like six weeks.”
“A summer baby.”
She stood up slowly and walked over to him. “Dmitri—I’m pregnant. Not only are we not married, we’re not even a couple.”
He frowned. “What does that mean? I asked you to be my girl nearly two months ago.”
She flushed. “Yes, but… no one knows but Royce. And you know damn well your parents aren’t going to be happy because I’m not Greek.”
“Now that there’s a baby, they’ll have no choice but to come around.” He reached for her, pulling her close and looking into her face. “Honey, aren’t you happy?”
“Honestly? No. This is just another screw-up in a long line of screw-ups for me.”
“You didn’t screw up—we did this together. I’ll take full responsibility to everyone, so you don’t have to say or do anything that makes you uncomfortable. It’s too late to worry about how it happened, so let’s focus on what we’re going to do next.”
“Please don’t say we should get married.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
“We’ve only been serious for two months, and most of that time has been spent apart, with you here in Vegas and me in L.A. Would you be proposing if I wasn’t pregnant?”
“No, but—”
“Then there’s no reason for you to do it now.”
“There is a reason, one that’ll be here in eight months or so.”
“I’m not trapping anyone like that.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I’ve done some really dumb shit since my parents died, but not this time. You can be as involved as you like, but we’re not getting married.”
“Do I look trapped to you?” he demanded. “I’m fine with this. I can’t wait to be a dad and I’m crazy about you, Angel. No, I wasn’t planning to propose yet, but we’ve stopped seeing other people and I was hoping we’d tell everyone we’re together during the break around Christmas. My parents, sisters and brother-in-law are flying in to spend the holidays, so the timing would be perfect.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she said dryly. “Hey… here’s my non-Greek girlfriend, and by the way, she’s already knocked up. Awesome. They’re going to love me.”
He gave her a weird look. “I think maybe I’m missing something. Are you not as into me as I’m into you? Or is this your way of telling me you don’t want it?”
She stared into his handsome but now frustrated face and struggled to hide her feelings. It was way too soon to tell him how she felt, not after dropping the pregnancy bomb on him. Instead, she reached for his face, cupping one cheek. “You’re incredible. I’ve never met anyone like you and the last few months have been amazing. But I can’t continue to make rash decisions to get myself out of bad situations. If we’re going to get married, we have to be prepared for forever. Not for a year or two because of a baby and then figure out it wasn’t meant to be.”
He didn’t respond for a while, just looking into her eyes until he finally stepped back and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She sat next to him and they were both silent until he said, “Do you remember what the first thing I ever said to you was?”
Warmth spread through her as she nodded, the memory washing over her and reminding her of those first few magical dates. “You said, ‘I don’t know who you are but if you tell me you have a boyfriend I’m going to challenge him to a duel.’”
“I knew immediately there was something special about you. About us. Your smile lights up the room and when you’re in my arms it feels like our bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. After a couple of months, I discovered you’re not only beautiful, you’re also sarcastic, hard-working and loving, traits I love. You care about Brock and Ashleigh, you still worry about your little sister and you miss your parents a lot. I started falling for you right away.”
“You did?” She stared at him in surprise.
He took a breath. “I have a confession to make.”
“Okay.”
“I ran into my ex when I was home in New York over Labor Day weekend. We spent time together, talked about the past, reconnected.”
“And?” She had no idea why he was telling her this.
“I came home and basically asked you to go steady because I knew there would never be anyone else for me. I had to see if I still had feelings for her and I don’t. I was afraid to admit how I was feeling to you because it was too soon and would scare you off… afraid of all this.”
“Dmitri.” Her eyes puddled with tears and she leaned over, resting her head against one of his strong, hard biceps. “I don’t think anyone has ever said anything so beautiful to me. I feel it too. I just need a little time to get used to everything. Can we tell Brock and Ashleigh but then take a few weeks to talk and figure out exactly what we want to do? Can you give me a little time?”
“Yeah.” He slid his arm around her shoulders and pressed a light kiss to the top of her head. “As much time as you need.”
2
Dmitri was nervous as he pulled into Brock and Ashleigh’s driveway Saturday night for dinner. Angel had told them she’d invited someone she wanted them to meet for dinner. He and Angel felt bad about letting them think there was someone new in her life, but there was no other way to do it where the four of them could be somewhere private. He expected Brock to be pissed but he would do whatever was necessary to spare Angel as much discomfort as possible.
“Hey.” Brock opened the door with a curious look on his face. “What are you doing here?”
Dmitri cleared his throat. “I’m Angel’s date.”
Brock’s face changed, his jaw tightening slightly and his eyes narrowing. “You’re dating Angel? Since when?”
“Brock, I—” Angel began.
“How the—” Brock began at the same time but then his wife was there, sliding an arm around his waist.
“Let’s invite him in and go talk.”
Brock looked like he was going to protest, but his petite wife tugged him away from the door.
“Hi.” Dmitri pressed a light kiss to Angel’s lips. “How are you?”
“I feel like I’m going to puke,” she whispered.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” He wrapped his hand around hers tightly and they followed Brock and Ashleigh.
“How long has this been going on?” They’d barely sat down before the words spilled from Brock’s mouth.
“Since summer,” Angel replied.
“It got serious around the beginning of the season,” Dmitri added. “We were planning to tell everyone, you guys and my family as well, when we were all together at Christmas but…” His voice trailed off and he glanced at Angel, suddenly unsure what to say. He’d take an ass-kicking if it meant making it easier for her, but it was still hard to come clean.
“But?” Ashleigh prompted when no one spoke.
“We’re having a baby,” Dmitri said as he blew out a breath.
“What?!” Brock looked ready to kill someone and Ashleigh put a gentle hand on his forearm.
“I’m sorry,” Angel whispered, tears filling her eyes.
“Don’t cry.” Dmitri slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, fixing Brock with a firm stare. “I’m sorry we kept this from you, and I’m sorry it happened this way, but I’m not sorry it happened. I’m crazy about her and I can’t wait to be a dad. The timing could’ve been better, but we’ve been friends and teammates for three years, so I’d like to think you know me well enough to believe I’ll take care of her.”
Brock made a sound that was a cross between a cough and a grunt, but he didn’t say anything, merely looked at his wife as she answered for them. “We absolutely believe that,” she said. “The question isn’t about taking care of her financially, it’s whether or not you love her and will take care of her emotionally.”
“I do and I will.”
