Page 15 of The Billionaire's Vow

And Giselle?She was too pure.Too good.

Again, he vowed not to sully her beauty with his filthy paws.

But thinking of his friends, he realized that there was something he could do for her.

When she stood up to grab another file from the stack on a nearby chair, Dimitri stepped away, pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

“Ava, I need a favor,” he said, knowing he could count on her.

Ava Santos was a sharp, stylish woman who had built a wildly successful clothing empire.Her designs were sleek and professional, the kind of pieces that fit flawlessly and made a woman look elegant and powerful.

“What’s up?”Ava’s perky voice filtered through the phone, and Dimitri pictured her leaning back in her leather chair, smiling at nothing—or more likely, Luca, who was presumably hovering nearby.That man rarely let his wife out of his sight.

“I need a whole line of your clothes in a size…” he paused, glancing back at Giselle.“Ten.”

There was a brief silence, then Ava chuckled.“Absolutely.I’ll overnight them to your place.How many suits do you want?”

“They aren’t for me,” he muttered.

Ava gasped playfully.“No way!Dimitri De Luca is buying clothes for awoman?Who is she?”

“She’s about five-foot-six and…” He hesitated.He wasn’t about to admit to Ava that Giselle was quietly beautiful, that she had a soft loveliness that snuck up on a man and lingered.Instead, he cleared his throat.“She just needs your special touch.”

Ava laughed.“Oh my gosh, youlikeher!This is adorable.”

“It is not,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes and huffing impatiently.

“Oh, but it is!Dimitri, the big bad tough guy is secretly gifting a woman designer clothes?This is tabloid gold.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose.“Ava.”

“Fine, fine,” she said, still way too amused.“I’ll have several pieces flown out tonight.You’ll have them in the morning.”

“Great.Send me the invoice.”

“Not a chance,” she shot back.“I don’t charge for friends.Plus, whoever this mystery woman is, she’s going to look fabulous.You’ll take her out to some fancy restaurant, she’ll be photographed in my designs, and suddenly my clothing line will be everywhere.I consider it free advertising.”

Dimitri exhaled through his nose.She had a point.

“Fine.But I’m sending you something in return.”

Ava snickered.“You are a teddy bear.”

His face darkened.“I amnota teddy bear.”

“You so are.You pretend you’re all grumpy and tough, but I’ve heard the stories, Dimitri.”

His jaw ticked.“What stories?”

“Oh, you know… how you ‘anonymously’ paid off that bakery owner’s mortgage last year when her husband passed away.How you covered the hospital bills for your driver when his kid got sick.Or how you arranged for security cameras to be installed at the shelter downtown after a few break-ins.”

Dimitri scowled.

“And,” Ava continued, relentlessly, “let’s not forget the multiple times you’ve saved Max and Luca’s butts over the years.My husband has told me stories, and, by the way, he still claims you are the meanest friend in existence.”

“Because I am,” he agreed with a firm nod.

“No, you’re not,” Ava sang.“You pretend you’re a grumpy guy, Dimitri, but underneath all that bad-boy brooding, you’re just a big ol’ softie.”