by Lia Lee
***
Nika kept stealing glances at Maksim in the car on the ride back to the safe house. She had fully expected him to threaten that skinny little Ukrainian man when he didn’t pay up what he owed. When it hadn’t happened, Maksim knew Nika was left to wonder why. Why had Maksim strong-armed her father all those years, but chose to go easy on Yuri?
“You might as well say what you’re thinking. It’s more or less written all over your face,” Maksim informed her.
“What am I thinking then?”
Maksim didn’t miss a beat. “That you don’t understand why I didn’t bleed that guy for the money he owes.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Maksim thought about what Nika had shared with him earlier that day, whether it had been intentional or not. She had been emotionally scarred by the methods of intimidation he had used on her and her father over the years. He knew it. And whether she would care, or whether it would even matter to her, Maksim had been scarred by those incidents as well.
He pursed his lips, trying to choose his words carefully. “I don’t particularly enjoy being an asshole, Nika.”
“Could have fooled me,” she retorted.
She wasn’t going to make this easy, but nothing was ever easy with Nika. “When I was young, my father would take me along when he went to collect money.” Maksim detested the memory of those excursions. They brought a sour taste to his mouth. “My father only bothered himself with collecting when there was a long debt or something large and complicated that required intimidation. He started me very young with my fists. If I didn’t do the job to his satisfaction he would take me into a room when we returned home, and show me exactly how I should have done things.”
Nika brought her hands up to her mouth to cover a gasp. Her blue eyes were wide with horror. “So he made you beat people?”
“My father was a real asshole.” Maksim couldn’t even begin to explain it to this young woman who had already seen so much in her short life. “Even Ivan doesn’t know how bad our Papa was.”
“Maksim, I’m sorry.” She reached out hesitantly and brushed her fingers over his arm. The touch seared him on the inside.
“Don’t be.” He thought of everything he had done. “I don’t deserve your pity. I’ve done so many things I’m ashamed of.” And then he thought of Yuri. “And now I just want the opportunity to do things differently. Ivan wants that too. No more threats. No more breaking fingers or busting up shops. Cooperation can be just as much of an incentive.”
Nika’s expression settled into something he couldn’t read. “Except some people only understand fear. That’s what motivates them. Kindness encourages laziness and then the whole system falls apart.”
“Yes.”
“I wouldn’t want your job if you paid me a million bucks a week,” Nika said dramatically.
“That’s fifty-two million dollars a year, Nika,” he teased. “I’m pretty sure you could get used to a lot of things for that sort of money.”
“I definitely spend a lot of time obsessing about money and possessions,” she agreed. “But I hate to think that I would sell out my integrity to get them.”
“It is a very fine line.” She surprised him with the clarity of her thinking. There was a lot more to Nika Sokolov than he had first thought.
Then she smiled. It was like the sun had come out on a cloudy day. Maksim felt gut kicked, as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Her full lips curved and her eyes brightened. She reached very slowly across the interior of the SUV and laid her palm on his bare shoulder. He glanced down, shocked at how arousing it was to see her hand on his body.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” she admitted.
His ego swelled to mythic proportions. “Your hand is soft. It feels good.”
“You’ve always sort of scared me with how strong you are.” Her words were soft, her tone almost pensive. “I used to think that if you ever really decided to let go, you would be able to utterly destroy anything you touched. But you didn’t.”
“I’m not a violent man by nature.” He willed this to be true. “But I’m capable of things that horrify even me.”
She traced the very edge of the tattoo that peeked out from under the arm of his T-shirt. “I think we all are, Maksim. Look at everything humans have done to each other. It wasn’t like we were forced to do those things. Someone had to think of it and then put the ideas into action.”
“You’re very wise for someone so young,” he told her.
She stuck out her lower lip, almost glowering at him. “You make me sound like a child.”
“Let me assure you, Nika Sokolov. I do not think of you as a child at all.” Maksim let his hungry gaze rake her from head to toe just to show her exactly what he meant. “I’ve been looking at you since the moment it became legal to do so. I’ve watched you waste away in that shop and wondered why you stayed. Now I think I understand.”
“Do you?”
“You are tied to your family in the same way that I’m tied to mine.” Maksim offered her a smile. “You and I are not so very different you know?”
Chapter Six
Nika dragged herself into the house and back to her bedroom. She had never been a very tidy person. At the moment her meager belongings were scattered about the room. Initially it had seemed sort of exciting to purchase some new clothes and other various sundries using an online shopping service. The account was under a fictitious name, and the Petrovs were footing the bill. After a few days, though, Nika realized that she missed going to an actual store. She apparently wasn’t cut out for this laying low stuff.
And how long did they have to do that anyway? Surely the cops weren’t still sniffing around her father’s shop. Couldn’t she just go home? She wasn’t even very important. Nika Sokolov was just the nobody sister of a Petrov queen.
She flopped onto the bed, hating the tears that stung her eyes. When was it Nika’s turn to have a life? She’d taken a backseat to her sister for what felt like forever. It was always about Katrina. Burying her head in a pillow, she tried to get control of her emotions.
The door creaked open. “Nika?”
“Go away.”
She should have known that Maksim Petrov wouldn’t just go away because she had ordered him to. His heavy tread stopped right next to her. It was odd, but Nika could actually sense how badly he wanted to reach out to her. She had never thought of him as a particularly empathetic person, but right now the regard he felt for her was a tangible thing.
“Are you all right?” He gently touched her shoulder.
Trying to save face was almost instinctual. Nika rolled to a sitting position, putting some distance between them. “I think I must have overdone it at the gym. It’s been awhile since I’ve worked out, or even moved around much. We just sit here all day and night, you know?”
She hazarded a glance up at him through her lashes and realized his expression was sympathetic. “How about I run you a hot bath?”
“No thanks. I’ll get stuck in that miniature tub.” Nika made a face.
“How about you use the one in my bathroom. It’s huge.”
The offer sent a tingle of excitement down her spine. Maksim’s bathroom. His bedroom. She hadn’t ever been in those areas of the house. “All right. It’s a deal.”
He chuckled. “Give me five minutes and then you’ll have it all to yourself.”
Nika waited for him to exit her bedroom and then jumped up. She wondered what he would say if she told him that she didn’t particularly want the room all to herself. Would he be horrified? Or would he be interested?
Ugh! And why did she care? Maksim Petrov was the enemy. Sort of. She shouldn’t want anything with the man. Yet she couldn’t help that she had softened toward him in the last few days. She was starting to see that he wasn’t as much of an asshole as she had always thought. He was right. The two of them were more alike than she ever would have expected. He got her and that was more than she could say about anyone else
in her life.
Nika piled her hair on top of her head and stripped out of her clothing. Wrapping herself in a towel, she squared her shoulders and headed out her bedroom door. Yes. Strutting her stuff from one end of the house to the other wearing nothing more than a towel was a little on the bold side, but she wanted to show Maksim that was exactly who and what Nika Sokolov was.
Too bad her efforts to impress the man were completely wasted. He was nowhere to be found. Nika peered into the kitchen, but it was deserted. There was nobody in the bedroom. And the only thing in the bathroom was a tub full of steaming hot water.
To be fair, the garden tub overflowing with vanilla scented bubbles was pretty spectacular. Nika even gave a little groan as she dropped her towel. It looked so very inviting. She stepped into the warm water and sank in to her neck. Closing her eyes, she exhaled in total bliss.
The feel of the silky water was exquisite against her skin. Soreness leached from her muscles. She hadn’t even realized they were actually was a bit stiff after using the rowing machine. Now she felt wonderful. The water level hovered near her chin and tendrils of her hair grew damp.
Opening her eyes, she blew a stream of air at the bubbles. Her efforts created a little tunnel. She was focused on expanding the size and shape of her bubble takeover when she realized that she wasn’t alone in the room.
Maksim stood in the open doorway, one shoulder braced against the frame. His expression was unreadable. Yet the heat in his eyes was also unmistakable. He wanted her. The thought make Nika lightheaded with excitement. Why shouldn’t she take advantage of this situation? She was shut up in this stupid house. There was a super hot guy there who was attracted to her. She wanted him. It was simple. Wasn’t it?
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said gruffly. “I just wanted to make sure you have everything you need.”
“The door was open, right?” Nika asked, bracing herself and hoping she hadn’t misread everything.
Maksim pushed away from the wall and moved closer. “Did you want me to close it?”
“No.”
“Why not?” He squatted down beside the rim of the bathtub.
Nika strared at the handsome man before her and almost couldn’t breathe. Every nerve in her body was so very alive. “Because I want you, Maksim.”
***
Maksim could hardly believe that he was actually hearing her say those words. Nika Sokolov wanted him? His body responded almost instantly. Blood rushed to his groin and his cock swelled behind the fly of his jeans.
He moved from a squatting position to his knees beside the tub. Keeping his movements slow in case she changed her mind, Maksim drew his T-shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated until there was only a thin ring of blue. Her arousal was plain as day. The water moved with each ragged breath she took. Bubbles gathered around her breasts until he could barely see the pink tips of her nipples cresting the water.
“I’m going to touch you,” he told her. His voice was rough and gravelly with the effort of holding himself back.
“Yes.”
The simple word was devastating to his self-control. Maksim put his hand in the warm water and placed his palm against her belly. Her eyes slid shut. He could actually feel her anticipation. And when he began stroking her petal soft skin she uttered a tiny sigh of satisfaction.
Nika was incredibly soft. He followed her voluptuous curves, stroking over her hips and bumping across her ribs until he could cup her breast. The buoyancy of the water made her breasts bob playfully. He gently teased the underside of each one before letting his thumb slide across her right nipple.
Her gasp of pleasure made him bolder. Maksim swirled the pad of his thumb around her areola and watched as the skin puckered and tightened at his touch. He repeated the same attention on her left nipple and watched as Nika’s head lolled back against the edge of the tub. She gripped the edge until her knuckles turned white. He could see how turned on she was and how sensitive she was to his touch.
Lowering his lips to her shoulder, Maksim continued to fondle her breasts while he placed a line of kisses across her collarbone. Her skin tasted divine. She was spicy and feminine and just as wild as he’d imagined her to be. He let his tongue skim her softness. Each of her breaths was a gasp now.
Moving his mouth to her neck, he sucked lightly at her skin until she squirmed. He let his hand dip lower, down her belly and all the way to the junction of her thighs. When he slid his fingers into her cleft he was rewarded with her moan of enjoyment.
Nika’s pussy was wet. Not just with the water, but her slick cream. It coated his fingers as he began to stroke her clit. He circled the tiny nub and savored the sensitivity he discovered at the taut tip of the bundle. She braced her feet on the bottom of the tub and pushed herself against his hand.
“Maksim, please!” she begged.
He needed no more encouragement. Sliding one finger deep inside her opening, he placed his thumb against her clit and worked her sex as if nothing else in the world needed his attention. He was completely focused on her pleasure. Her scent enveloped him and the feel of her against him was exquisite. When he felt the tiny tremors that signaled she was close to orgasm, Maksim felt elated. He wanted so badly to bring her pleasure.
Her hips began to jerk with each stroke. Maksim curled his finger against her pelvic bone to increase the friction. The smooth muscle inside her opening grew rigid. She bore down on him until he almost couldn’t move. And then with a gasp and a shout, Nika climaxed in a rush of warm fluids.
Maksim groaned as he watched her orgasm. Her eyelids fluttered and the lines of her beautiful face grew tense. Her brows knit together and she looked almost as if she were in pain. Then the undulating muscular contractions squeezing his finger began to abate. Nika shuddered and sighed. It was as if her entire body relaxed in that one instant.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “That was so amazing.”
He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Who says we’re done yet?”
Nika’s eyes fluttered open. He savored the bemused look on her face. Then he scooped her out of the tub and set her gently on her feet. She was shaking, clinging to him as if she were afraid she couldn’t stand.
“Nika,” Maksim whispered. “I’m going to kiss you. And then I’m going to carry you in there to my bed, and I’m going to fuck you until we’re both too satisfied to move.”
“Oh,” she breathed.
Then he cupped her face in his damp hands and took her lips in a deep, drugging kiss. She flung her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to meet him halfway. Maksim reveled in the feel of her fingers tugging at his short hair. She used her nails on his scalp. He moved his mouth against hers and examined the taste of her as though he were sampling a fine wine.
Sliding his tongue across the seam of her lips, he coaxed her open. She immediately acquiesced. He explored the softness of her mouth and encouraged her to do the same. Pulling back just slightly, he let the kiss grow almost playful. He nipped at her full lower lip and sucked on her tongue until she was squirming against him and moaning into his mouth.
“Maksim!” she said raggedly. “I want your cock between my legs. Make me yours. Please?”
He put one arm beneath her deliciously rounded ass and swung her up. Cradling her against his chest, he carried her curvy little body to his bed. The sheets were already rumpled and thrown back. He didn’t care. When he set her in the middle of his bed only one thing mattered.
Chapter Seven
Nothing existed for Nika except the need for Maksim. She stretched languorously in his bed, loving the way the cotton sheets felt against her flushed skin. He was staring down at her in silence. His regard made her feel wanton and sexy. In fact she had never felt so attractive in her life. The way he looked at her made her feel as though she were the only woman on earth.
His chest was bare, but Nika began to tremble with excitement when he unfastened his jeans. He skimmed them down his legs
and off onto the floor. His boxer briefs soon followed and the two of them were naked together in his bedroom.
Holding out her hand, she beckoned him down onto the mattress with her. He put one knee down and braced his weight on his hands. His body was covering hers, their skin barely touching. And when he kissed her it was all she could do not to pull him closer. She wanted to be beneath him, around him, and owned by him in every way possible.
Nika arched up, letting the tips of her breasts rub his smooth chest. The friction made her shiver. She was already so wet from her first orgasm. Her body was ready to move on to the next stage as quickly as possible. Placing her hands on his belly, she let her fingers glide down to his crotch.
Maksim’s cock was long and thick. A niggling worry in the back of Nika’s mind wondered if she would ever be able to take all of him at once. She gripped him in her hand and gave his shaft a squeeze. His growl made her shiver with delight. He was busy kissing her neck and shoulders. The softness of his lips was a direct contrast to the sharpness of his teeth when he nipped at her skin.
Nika pumped his cock from base to tip. Cupping his balls, she explored their shape and sensitivity. She loved the way they grew heavy in her hands. Every time she gave the skin of his sac a tug he would shudder and exhale a ragged breath that whispered across her sensitive neck.
A spurt of liquid beaded on the tip of his cock. Nika spread the fluid over the rounded head and traced tiny circles that made his muscles tighten. She knew he wanted her, but it was so tempting to draw everything out to make it that much sweeter.
“Please, Nika.” Maksim’s growl told her just how close to the edge he was. “I need you.”
A decadent idea drifted through her mind. “Get on your back.”
Maksim rolled to the side, reaching for her even as he settled on the mattress. Nika straddled him, keeping her spread pussy centered on his thighs and using her weight to trap him beneath her. When she grabbed his cock with both hands and began to jack him off, Maksim’s belly muscles grew hard.