Even the waitress had begun flirting as if Destiny wasn’t a threat. As if Destiny didn’t exist. She had to give Nikolai credit. He was being friendly, but his attention had remained on Destiny.
The food was excellent and Destiny didn’t think she could eat another bite.
“You want to go for a walk?” Nikolai said as he escorted her out of the restaurant.
Women were still eyeing him. He hadn’t shaved in a few days and the scruff brought out the color of his eyes. It made him even sexier. She didn’t want to find him sexy.
“Actually, that sounds good.”
The evening was unseasonably warm and there was a river by the restaurant. It had a paved path. Nikolai took her hand, leading her that way.
Destiny wasn’t sure what else they would talk about. They’d covered many topics. She knew so much more about him than she had before tonight. She could do the girlfriend thing.
“You are such a gentleman,” Destiny said. She had to compliment him.
“Okay. Why, specifically?”
He glanced down at her.
“Because the waitress was practically throwing herself at you and you didn’t respond.”
“She was? I didn’t notice. I was there with the hottest woman in the room. Why would I look at someone else?”
Her breath stopped. “Aren’t you being charming.”
He kissed the back of her hand. “I’m not being charming. I’m being truthful.”
She shook her head. “I’m not Nikolai, and that’s not modesty or insecurity. It’s reality.”
“Who told you that? Didn’t Jamal tell you that you were beautiful?”
She snorted. Jamal certainly had not. “No.”
“Why would you spend time with a man who didn’t appreciate you?”
“Who said he didn’t appreciate me?”
“If he didn’t tell you that you were beautiful at least once a day, then he was doing it all wrong. He didn’t appreciate you.”
She mulled that over. “You don’t even have to tell me that since this isn’t real.”
“No, I don’t, but I will. Even if we aren’t in love, I do still appreciate you.”
Wow. Her mouth went dry. He’d just gotten even sexier. That was dangerous. She had to keep her eye on the prize. She would get her Master’s Degree then she could find a different job. One where Nikolai wasn’t.
One where she could start over. Make her own way without anyone else’s help. Or hindrance.
“It’s nice to be appreciated.”
He smiled at her and she thought for a moment he was going to kiss her. She licked her lips, but the moment passed. That was good. They shouldn’t be kissing unless it was for an audience. Private kissing wasn’t necessary.
***
Nikolai didn’t want the night to end. This wasn’t supposed to be a date, but he was enjoying himself as if it were a date. The best date he’d ever had. Destiny was easy to be with. Too easy. It scared him a little, but maybe while she was pretending to be his girlfriend, he could coax her back to his bed.
Destiny was yawning, so he should probably take her home. He led her back to the car. She was quiet now, most likely because she was tired.
He pulled into a spot on the street where she lived.
“You aren’t afraid that someone is going to steal this vehicle?”
“It’s a chance I have to take. All my cars are expensive. I’d have to borrow someone else’s if I wanted a crappy car.”
She just smiled and shook her head. “Still. It might get stolen.”
“Is the neighborhood that bad?”
“It can be.”
“It’s worth the risk to walk you to your door.”
He climbed out, then walked around to open her door. He held out his hand. Every time he touched Destiny there was a spark up his arm. He liked the hum of energy he felt when she was around. He felt alive for sure. It was as if he’d been sleeping, but was now awake and ready for his day.
She smiled up at him as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. He wanted her to feel safe. He was a big man and no one would mess with him. As they moved closer to her entrance to the building, she stiffened.
“What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s lurking.”
He patted her hand. “Go back to the car. I’ll take care of whoever it is.”
“No. This is my neighborhood and I won’t be chased away.”
“Destiny, please.”
“It might be a neighbor out for a smoke. Let’s not go in assuming something is wrong.”
“You were the one who was worried.”
“If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have been. I worry about a white guy in this neighborhood.”
He laughed. “Really? I’m pretty big, Destiny, as I said. Most people don’t bother me.”
She shrugged.
“At least let me go first.”
“Fine.”
He tucked her behind him then they walked toward the doorway. He could see someone in there, but not the light of a cigarette. They could have just finished and hadn’t gone back inside. Still, he didn’t like the situation, but he could handle it. He had faced worse odds.
Jamal came out of the shadows. “What are you doing out with his guy, Destiny?”
He wobbled a little. Nikolai suspected the man was in an altered state of consciousness. He’d scored some money or drugs somewhere. He might be coming down from the high and wanting more, or a place to stay.
“What are you doing here, Jamal?”
“I was waiting for you, baby.”
“I’m not your baby, Jamal. We haven’t been together in a long time. You aren’t getting any money from me.”
“You’re out of jail so soon?” Nikolai said.
“What are you doing with this Russian cracker, honey? You know I’ll take care of those needs,” Jamal said.
Nikolai saw red. Jamal would never get his hands on Destiny again. He took a few breaths so as not to punch the man’s lights out right here. Destiny might not like that. Or she’d love it. He wasn’t sure. Better to err on the side of caution.
“Jamal, go away. I don’t want you here.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
He staggered again. Nikolai wasn’t going to catch him. No, he’d let the asshole fall on his face. Destiny had to purge this guy from her life once and for all. And Nikolai was going to help. Enough being nice.
He grabbed the front of Jamal’s shirt, lifting him off the ground. “Jamal, the lady said she doesn’t want you around. That means beat it. Do you understand?”
Jamal nodded, but Nikolai thought the smelled urine. The man had pissed himself. Nikolai was just glad he was here with Destiny instead of her being alone. He shuddered to think what would have happened.
He put Jamal down. “Go.”
The man ran about twenty feet away, then turned around. “I’ll be back, Destiny. With some home boys. We’ll have some fun.”
Before Nikolai could grab him again and pound him into the ground the way he wanted to, Jamal ran away. Like a scared little girl. Nikolai spun back to Destiny. “Pack a bag.”
“What?”
“Let’s go in and pack a bag. I don’t want you here by yourself.”
“I should stay in case my mother comes back.”
He doubted that her mother would come back. She had a pretty nasty reputation, according to his contacts at the police department. He couldn’t share that with Destiny.
“You’ll just have to chance it. Or I move in. I’m not letting you be here alone.”
She stared at him. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I have to protect you. It’s just part of my upbringing. Like a dog protects the pack. Russians protect their women.”
She blinked then nodded as if she accepted it. She led him to her apartment. He watched from her bedroom door while she threw clothes into a suitcase. She stopped to look at him. “I don’t like this demanding attitude you
have.”
He crossed his arms. “Tough. I’m going to keep my pretend girlfriend safe.”
“I can handle Jamal.”
“Then why is he still in your life?”
She shrugged, not giving him an answer. A frown populated her face. He didn’t care. She was his problem and he was going to deal with it how he chose. She’d just have to adjust.
Snapping her suitcase closed, she looked at him. “Happy?”
“I’ll be happier when you’re at my cottage.”
She rolled her eyes. “Where did this Neanderthal thing come from?”
“It came out when you were threatened. No one does that to any woman when I’m around.”
“Well, I think that you’re overreacting. Jamal has probably already forgotten his threat. He won’t even remember it once he comes down off that high.”
“I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if I left you here.”
“Fine.”
She brushed past him back into the living room. He grabbed her suitcase. She didn’t let go.
“I can carry my suitcase.”
“I will carry your suitcase.”
She eyed him, but must have seen the determined look in his eye because she let go. “Fine.”
She put her hand on the door knob.
“Stop. Let me go first.”
She stepped aside and let him open the door no one was in the hallway, and they made it back to his car without incident. Destiny remained quiet the whole ride to his cottage.
*
Nikolai brought Destiny’s suitcase into his cottage. He set it down, turning to her.
“I hope I didn’t forget anything,” she said.
She’d been in a hurry and in a huff. She hadn’t appreciated his strong-arm tactics. Jamal didn’t pose a threat to her. He never had. Nikolai had overreacted to the situation.
“I’ll buy you whatever you need.”
He waved a hand as if to dismiss her concerns. She didn’t like his attitude. She wasn’t comfortable in his house and she was too attracted to him to want to spend more than one night under the same roof.
She doubted he’d listen to any argument she had. He hadn’t even let her take her car so that she couldn’t be followed. As if his expensive sports car didn’t stand out in her neighborhood.
She stood in the foyer, not sure what she should do next.
“You want a drink?” Nikolai said.
He undid his tie then took off his jacket. He rolled up his sleeves to reveal his muscled arms. Her mouth went dry. She knew what those arms felt like around her. She knew what magic those hands could create when on her body.
He hung his jacket on the newel post at the bottom of the stairs.
“Or would you rather get settled in your room?”
Was she supposed to have her own room? She hoped. Though a wall might not stop her if she thought too hard about him sleeping in a bed. His hair rumpled, his beard just a little scruffy. He was a man who had to shave every day if he wanted a clean face. She didn’t’ need his face clean, remembering the chafing that had been on her thighs the day after their night together.
Her mouth went dry again. Holy shit. How was she going to keep her hands off of him?
“I guess let me get settled. I’ll change into something else.”
She didn’t say something more comfortable. That sounded too suggestive.
He nodded, then picked up her suitcase. He put his suit jacket over his shoulder.
“You have your pick of rooms. They’re all ready for guests. A cleaning lady comes in once a week while I’m at work, so the place is always tidy. It’s nice to come home and not have to do housework.”
She’d never imagined Nikolai doing something as mundane as housework. He had calloused hands, but she doubted that was from actual manual labor. He was a cop. Rough and ready. He was also a billionaire with a giant trust fund who didn’t have to work. He did anyway.
She had to admire that.
She followed him up the stairs, watching his butt as he took the steps two at a time. He glanced back at her, smiling. He’d caught her looking at his butt. Yikes.
She had to stop that. For some reason, she was more aware of him than she’d ever been. He turned at the top of the steps. They passed his room. She remembered it from her night here. The bed was unmade.
Her body tingled at the thought of what they’d gotten up to in that bed.
Nikolai stopped at the bedroom next to his. “You can have this one. It has its own bathroom so we don’t have to worry about sharing.”
“Okay.”
He put her suitcase inside the door. She admired the dark wood of the bed and the intricate crown moulding. The room was magnificent. The bed was a king with soft blue linens on it.
She spun in his direction. “Thanks. Let me freshen up and I’ll be down.”
“Wine?”
“Sure.”
He left her finally. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her body had been on high alert since he’d insisted that she move in with him. If he touched her, she might shatter. Her panties would fall off for sure.
She plopped on the bed. She was going to have to keep Nikolai at arm’s length or she was going to throw herself at him. That decided, she changed into sweats. Nikolai was in the kitchen. He hadn’t changed at all except to take off his shoes.
He sat on a stool by the kitchen island. He had a glass of wine in his hand. He swirled it before tasting the purple liquid. He spun around when Destiny entered the kitchen. His gaze went up and down her, but she didn’t hesitate as she strode in.
He handed her the other glass. She chose sweats so she wasn’t sexy.
He touched his glass to hers. “To our first date.”
She laughed. “Our first fake date.”
“Right.”
The wine was dry on her tongue. She liked how it coated her mouth. She had never been a wine drinker, but everything she’d had while with Nikolai had been excellent. He patted the stool next to him.
She sat. “Whatever you normally do when you are home, please continue doing. Don’t let my presence stop you.”
“What if I walk around naked?”
She gulped. “Ah, I guess then I’ll spend my time in my room.”
She moved to get up. He grabbed her wrist. “I’m just kidding, Destiny. If I walked around naked, you’d know just how much you turn me on.”
Her breath caught in her throat. He felt it too? That electricity when they touched. The low humming whenever they were in a room together. She was affecting him. His gaze bore into her then he let go.
“I didn’t ask you to stay here to sleep with me.”
“You didn’t ask in the first place. You told me what was going to happen.”
“Yes. It was the most logical course of action.”
She sighed. “Do you always do what is most logical?”
How frustrating. He didn’t even see that he’d been an alpha male to her. Not giving her a choice and not taking into account her feelings. Sometimes logic was overrated. Sometimes you had to go with your gut or your heart and hope it didn’t steer you wrong. Her heart told her to be here, but her brain knew that being close to Nikolai, night and day, could prove to be hazardous. So logic had nothing to do with her presence in his house right now. She’d let him dictate what she would do so that when it went incredibly wrong, she didn’t have to take responsibility.
“No, I don’t, Destiny.”
Then he kissed her and the world stopped turning.
***
Nikolai knew as his pressed his lips to Destiny’s that he shouldn’t have done it. He’d never wanted to be so wrong. Ever. Her lips tasted of honey and the wine she’d just sipped. He wanted to hold her head steady so he could deepen the kiss. He wanted to make love to her mouth for an hour or two.
Then he wanted to take care of the rest of her. He’d lick, touch, and suck his way around her body. Whatever she would let him do.
Given that she was an a
ctive participant in this kiss, he’d bet that she would let him. She didn’t push him away. Instead, her fingers grabbed the cloth of his shirt, pulling him closer. His body was on fire just from their lips touching. He had to breathe, but he didn’t want to break contact.
She nudged him away, but held onto his shirt. He realized that his hands had migrated to her shoulders, holding her just as tight. His breath came out in pants. His heart beat a staccato in his chest.
Her lips were swollen from his onslaught. She didn’t look away. More importantly, she didn’t look guilty. She wasn’t going to apologize. He certainly wasn’t going to.
“Oh, Nikolai.”
He loved the sound of his name in her mouth. Her face was right by his, so he kissed her again. This time softer. Then he nipped a trail down her neck. Her hands fisted harder into his shirt. She was going to rip it. Not that he cared. He could buy another one. He couldn’t get another person like Destiny.
He couldn’t deny his attraction to her. His dick strained in his pants. He let her lips go, then scooped her up in his arms. This was happening. He strode upstairs as she snaked her arms around his neck. She buried her face into his neck and the touch and smell of her ignited dirty thoughts in his brain.
He wanted to bury himself in her and not come up for air for days. Too bad they had to go to work tomorrow. He put her down on her feet, next to his bed.
“We return to the scene of the crime,” she said.
He laughed. He couldn’t help it. Being with Destiny was a lot of fun. “The criminal always does.”
He tugged her top off of her. She wasn’t wearing a bra and he gasped at the sight of her naked breasts. They were perfect. Round and just small enough for his hands. Large enough to satisfy him. Large enough to fill out the dress she’d been wearing tonight. Large enough he could almost suffocate if he got lost between them.
He couldn’t help smiling. “You’re amazing. That’s a nice set you have there Destiny. I mean it. I couldn’t have sculpted better breasts.”
She glanced down at her own chest then back to him. “I can’t say anyone has ever described them that way. Ever.”
“They’re a work of art.”
He put his hands on them, gently testing their weight. His thumbs rubbed over her nipples, bringing them to a peak. He could stare at them all day, but his dick had other ideas. He could blame his friend for wanting to get satisfied.
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