"Don't you have an office you can use?" Clara's annoying voice drew Dima out of his thoughts. The door to the office he'd commendeered in their home was opened and he had barely acknowledged it before she said anything.

After their 'meeting' yesterday with the twins he went through the Barton estate, not at all paying attention to how Elsie went right back outside to her animals outside. He noticed an unused office in the large house, deciding it would do for his work load.

His hotel, while he appreciated it's luxuries, would be a hard place to focus. However, he wasn't acknowledging the window behind him where he had a clear view of the place Elsie seemed to be hanging out so often or the fact that her bedroom was just upstairs.

"Hello?" Clara interrupted his thoughts once again.

Groaning lowly, he looked up. "Would you rather me take over the little office compound you have?"

The woman frowned at the question, they both know he was curteous enough not to invade her own work space. In that space others can see Dima taking control, it would definitely begin undermining Clare and her authority.

As much as the russian man would like to, it wasn't what he was here to do and it didn't benefit the longevity of the Ivanov's if Clare couldn't do her job long term.

"Is that all you came here for?" Dima followed up his own question. Clare rolled her eyes, leaning against the doorway of the office, staring at Dima as if she was trying to figure him out.

Pursing her lips, she spoke up. "The twins are making contact with the Pavlova's by the end of the week. I've relayed all of the checklists they need to follow and information they should look out for. Am I running point on this or are you?"

Dima frowned, finally leaning back in his cushioned seat. "I would say I have the experience between the two of us," he crossed his arms over his chest.

Snorting, Clare nodded. "Yeah but which one of us do they like better between the two of us?"

Clare watched his dark brows furrow with what she could only assume was confusion, "Why would that matter? If I need you- I'll let you know, how about that?"

The only response he got after that was a grunt and the next time he glanced up she was gone- finally.

Once he was sure she was away, Dima glanced over his shoulder to look out the large window. His dark eyes scanned the fields, seeing no curly mop in the plains of green.

His search was interrupted by the brief, quiet patter of feet, his head turning swiftly to see Elsie standing in the middle of his office. Her hands were wringing together behind her back, he could see her doing it as she twisted her toes into the polished wooden floor.

"What're you looking for outside?" She pushed up on her toes to see out of the window past him, wondering if her animals were acting up.

"Do either of the Barton women knock around here?"

Her eyes flitted up to the ceiling as she really thought about the question. "Hm... Not really-No, I guess not." She slid closer to him, standing on the other side of the desk as he gave her his attention.

Elsie stood in small fabric shorts that were worn out from what he could tell and a shirt that tied around her neck and waist that seemed to be equally as old.

"If you didn't want people that didn't knock then why pick the office in our house?" Elsie's brow cocked at him questioningly, lazily leaning against his large desk.
a
Dima's eyes widened for a moment at the question, once again he was leaning back in his chair- this time to get a good look at her.

"And just yesterday she was talking about how she should have given me more respect because of my last name."

Elsie hummed softly, sitting more heavily on top of his desk. "And just yesterday he was telling me to just call him Dima."

The large man before her exhaled roughly as he watched her with a heavy gaze. "Do you have a reason for bothering me?"

Elsie turned away from him as she slid off of his desk, hiding her amused grin as she slid her tongue over her teeth giddily. By the time she turned back towards Dima, she was pouting. "I was just trying to see what was going on in my own house. I'll leave you alone, I swear. Was just curious," she mumbled the last bit to herself.

Dima rubbed a hand roughly down his face, dragging his skin down momentarily exasperated by the puppy dog eyes and lip she was giving him. His stomach was turning at that damn look.

Her feet shuffled as she made her way out.
"Elsie."

A shiver shot down her spine at the rumble his voice had as he said her name. The accent licked at every syllable of it so harshly.

He watched as she spun around unbalanced on one foot to glance over at him, his dark eyes slid over her one more time. "Make me a plate for lunch, will you?" It was phrased as a question but it wasn't actually.

Elsie's lips fell open in mild offense at the request before huffing to herself and leaving with a tempting sway of her hips.
As he focused back in on the papers in front of him, he wiped at his face once again only to pause when he felt his lips upturned unconsciously.

Immediately, he set them in a confused frown as he looked at the closed door where Elsie had just been.

~

Elsie shook her head to the music she hummed to herself. She mixed around the pasta salad she had been making for lunch, it was one of her go to's food wise as spring continued on. But now she was worrying if it was enough lunch for Dima even if she made extra food for him.

Once she was done stirring, she pursed her lips as she stared at the food in thought. She lifted her thumb up to nibble at her nail, cocking her hip as she did so.

Her eyes flitted to the fridge and then the pantry, wondering if there was any last minute additions she could make.

Then she glanced at the clock knowing that Dima never gave her a set time that he was going to eat. And he never really said that he was going to eat with her at the same time- so he could come down whenever.

But the swirling in her stomach made her painfully aware of him up in his office. The hairs on her arms were beginning to stand up.

Before she could think more about it a hand reached for one of the two plates she had set out. The tattooed skin made her jump up nearly onto her toes when she finally felt the large mans warmth behind her, the large man who was remarkably silent coming up behind her.

Elsie's head shot up to see Dima already peering down at her. Her mouth opened and closed once before she tried again, "Uh- The foods all done. I'm going to eat outside, let me know how it is when you get a chance?"

Dima watched as she took the plate from him, piling it up with the meal before doing the same with herself. As she served herself, she could feel his dark eyes on her and her smooth brown skin heating up under the watchful gaze.

Raising a brow as he watched her shift and squirm, he hadn't noticed her getting flustered this easily before.

His silence seemed to only make her more nervous, Elsie gripped her plate as she walked backwards to the door. When she realized he wasn't going to say much while she pushed at the door, she hung her head as her words tumbled out of her mouth.

"Do you want to sit with me while you eat?"

Dima cocked his head to the side before following after her, while his face didn't show it he felt amusement at how her head hung when she realized he was actually coming with her.

The little confidence boost she'd had in his office obviously dwindled as she skittered around him and his eyes that never left her.

The large russian man trailed after her into the green grass, not appreciating the chaos garden to his left or the farm on his right. Instead he just kept his focus forward and on the woman in front of him. She sat down at a small, two chair table that was round and painted white.

He found himself sat in the too small chair right across from her.

"I um... I usually just make this for myself. It's pretty filling for me but I started to worry it wouldn't be enough for you because you're... y'know..."

Dima squinted before she raised her hand up, signaling to him his own height and then flexing her slender arms and puffing out her chest. Elsie looked surprised when his lips tilted up just barely in a smirk when she tried to get as broad as him.

"This'll be fine for now," he ate without complaint.

Elsie finally began to relax, a lot of that anxiety from before rolling away just a bit now that she knew he was okay with the food. "That's a good thing... I wouldn't have time to make anything else I have to take Paula out soon."

Dima glanced up at her, "Who the hell is Paula?"

Frowning tightly, Eliana leaned forward and pointed towards the stables. "You met her!"

"I for sure didn't meet anybody named fuckin' Paula."

"My horse!" Just as she waved in the direction again, like she was summoned the dark brown horse was beginning to peek around to try and see where Elsie was.

Paula loved sticking to her schedule so she probably knew it was time to stretch her legs soon.

Dima shook his head at her answer, looking behind him. "I don't understand willingly managing that shit show over there."

Elsie furrowed her brows in thought, Dima who had been watching her quickly glanced down at the face. He exhaled roughly when he felt heat crawl up his neck... a word that wasn't in his vocabulary came to mind.

Cute.

He took a long swig of water to wash the taste of that word out of his mouth.
"I love the animals, they're mine y'know. They listen to me."

Dima frowned, "They don't listen, they can't respond."

Elsie rolled her eyes, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. "Yeah well, it works for me. It's something. Besides it's nice for me to have something to do for me. It's a hobby."

Dima just grunted, looking over at her when she stood up. His eyes trailed down her once, she spared him a smile.

"You should find one while you're here, Dima. All I ever see you do is working," Elsie brushed her hair behind her ears.

"Um- but I'll leave you alone. I've got to go talk to those animals that don't listen to me."

He grunted, his eyes didn't leave her when she grabbed her plate and got moving. He was reluctantly to admit he felt a 'hobby' forming as he watched her aptly.

•••••

shocker u guys didn't have to wait three months for the next chapters 😚😚