“Are you killing time or something?”
Nicolai frowned at Logan before picking up another chair. “Why would you say that?”
“Because if you spend any more time arranging those chairs on the table, I won’t be able to get them apart after I finish mopping tomorrow.”
“If I were him, I’d be hiding down here too.” Donal set a case of clean pint glasses on the counter behind the bar.
“I’m not hiding!” Even as he said the words, Nicolai knew they weren’t 100 percent true.
“Locking a woman in your room against her will wasn’t one of your better moves, but maybe she’s into that.” Donal’s suggestion wasn’t even worth an eye roll.
“I doubt he has a clue what she’s into if he’s down here and she’s up there.” Logan waggled his eyebrows. “I don’t know about Donal, but if I had a gorgeous woman locked in my room, I sure as hell wouldn’t be down here hanging with you two.”
The validity of their boneheaded comments wasn’t lost on Nicolai. He had no doubt Desiree was furious about being locked in his apartment. It hadn’t been the best decision, but he couldn’t let her walk out the door. Besides, he could think of several ways to help her work out her anger.
“All right, I’m convinced.” Nicolai put one last chair up. “I’ll leave the two of you to your sausage fest. Just remember to lock up when you leave.”
“Smug bastard,” Donal muttered.
Nicolai didn’t bother to respond to the insult. Truth be told, he was a little smug. He was going home to the sexiest woman on the planet.
DESIREE HOVERED IN a drowsy state between sleep and wakefulness. Her body was relaxed, cocooned in Nicolai’s bed and soothed by his scent on the sheets. She wondered what it would be like to feel this way all the time, insulated from life’s petty problems by the acceptance of a man who existed in the real world.
The bed moved, a whisper of cool air sending a chill up her spine before Nicolai’s intense body heat set her blood on fire. He slid into the bed behind her. The short hair on his legs tickled her skin, the sensation deliciously foreign. A throbbing below her belly reminded her that makeup sex was the best way to solve a disagreement.
His lips brushed her neck. “Are you angry?”
“Would it do any good?”
“I don’t want to see you hurt.”
He wrapped his arms around her body and drew her against him. His erection pressed against her butt. Any vestige of anger was replaced by a craving so strong it rendered her breathless. How could she stay mad at a man whose only desire was to protect her?
Reaching behind herself, she palmed his shaft. He groaned and thrust his hips at the contact, pushing his cock into her hand. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Make love to me.”
He kissed her shoulder, nipping her skin and sending a chill down her spine. He ran his hand over her hip and across her thigh before lifting her leg and propping it on his knee. The position left her open to his touch. Vulnerability was something she usually avoided, but this—this was different.
Anticipation heightened her sensitivity. Cool air brushed against the delicate flesh of her pussy. Her folds grew warm and slippery as she waited several agonizing seconds for him to make the first move.
“Are you wet for me?”
She whimpered, needing his touch.
He brushed his knuckles across her bare mound. Her vagina clenched in anticipation. When he finally slid two fingers through her damp slit, she nearly climaxed. His cock pressed against her ass. It was a promise of more to come. She arched her back against his chest and rubbed like a cat in heat.
“Is this what you want?”
He gave her several long, firm strokes, avoiding her clit and keeping his rhythm slow and steady. Her cunt burned, liquid fire drenching his hand in her cream. The room was filled with the wet sound of him finger-fucking her.
She rested her head against his shoulder. “More. I need to come.”
Tension rippled across the muscles of her back, and he lifted her leg higher. With her still on her side, the position gave him full control. He removed his fingers and probed her entrance with the head of his cock. Arching her spine, she felt him slip into her opening. She gasped as he penetrated her pussy in one long thrust.
“Fuck, you feel so good.”
She couldn’t speak. He gathered her closer, one arm beneath her body to hold her steady and the other keeping her legs spread wide to accommodate his body inside hers. Each movement was a taste of heaven as his cock caressed her channel. With her cunt exposed, her clit began to throb. She’d have given anything to feel his fingers brushing over the sensitive nub.
Her juices spilled from her vagina, filling the room with the scent of their combined essence. She felt swollen, needy, and desperate for climax. His body pounded a staccato beat against hers, his hips grinding against her as he filled her again and again.
He shifted position, the new angle sending the head of his cock deeper. He brushed the center of her body, and she melted around him, moaning in pleasure. The need to come was overwhelming, her vagina shuddering as her body prepared for orgasm.
As if he sensed her desperation, Nicolai propped her leg on his knee and moved his hand to her cunt. The lightest touch of his fingertips on her clit was enough. Desiree cried out as she climaxed hard. Behind her, Nicolai groaned and impaled her once more as he came. His muscles grew rock hard, tension making him tighten his hold until she was aware of nothing but the hot splash of his cum deep inside her cunt.
He left his cock buried inside her body and gently lowered her leg. Wrapping both arms around her, he nuzzled her neck. “Sorry I woke you.”
“Liar.”
“I didn’t say I was sorry for what happened once you were awake.”
“So you think I could’ve slept through it?”
He growled, shifting position and capturing her mouth in a hot kiss. His tongue slid into her mouth, marking her with his taste and scent until she didn’t know where she ended and he began. She curled her toes and let the wave of sensation wash her in fiery emotions she couldn’t name.
Breaking off the kiss, he pulled away. Not content to end it there, Desiree wriggled around until she could push him onto his back. Settling herself astride his body, she reveled in the sense of power. She wasn’t deluded enough to think she was stronger than he was, but seeing and feeling his body react to hers wasn’t about strength.
She lightly scraped her nails across his chest until her fingers found the barbells piercing his nipples. “You can go to sleep now if you want.”
“Will it bother you if I snore?”
He hissed when she tugged at his piercings. “I’ll let you know if it does.”
His cock began to harden beneath her. It created a ridge between her legs that put just enough pressure on her clit to tease instead of ease. Wriggling her hips, she was rewarded with a jolt of excitement. She wanted more, wanted to drown in the scent and feel of him.
She rocked her body. Her nerve endings were already tingling from her climax. The new friction sent incredible sensations shooting through her pussy. His cock began to grow, swelling with each movement until it was hard and hot. Reaching down, she fit his head against her opening and slid his shaft deep.
Nicolai moaned, locking his hands onto her hips. The tone of his voice struck a chord inside her, urging her on. Mindless to everything but the way his cock felt, she moved with unhurried purpose. Euphoria tingled down her spine, tickling over her skin, and filling her with a sense of belonging.
Completion came slowly, steadily building within her. Her awareness intensified. Nicolai’s scent mingled with hers, and the room was filled with his low groans punctuated by her higher-pitched cries. Sweat beaded on her neck, trickling down her back. The friction of his cock spiraled into a fissure of pressure that threatened to rend her in two.
“Let go, Desiree.”
The rough tone of his voice was soothing.
“I can feel how
badly you want it. Give in and let go, wild girl.”
As if responding to his command, her tension snapped. Climax broke like a wave, muscles contracting and releasing with a powerful surge that left her weak in its wake. Beneath her, Nicolai stiffened, pushing his head back against the bed and thrusting up into her pussy.
She collapsed against his chest in the aftermath, his cock still buried inside her. Their hearts pounded in unison. She listened to his steady breathing. He inhaled deeply and gently brushed her hair away from her face. For a guy who looked forbidding as hell, he could be unspeakably tender.
“I could lie like this forever.” She propped her chin on his chest so she could see his face in the half-light.
“Forever is a long time.”
His words gave her a jolt. Was commitment really that unpalatable to him? Or was it just the idea of being committed to her that bothered him?
“About tomorrow—”
She put a finger to his lips. “Let tomorrow worry about itself.”
“As you wish.” His chest bunched beneath her chin, and then he was kissing her as if he could stave off tomorrow altogether.
As if that were possible.
Chapter Seventeen
“What the hell, Desiree? Don’t you answer your damn phone anymore?”
“If you don’t mind, brother dear, would you get the hell out of my way so I can set these bags down? They’re heavy.”
Erik moved grudgingly out of the doorway so Desiree could step inside his town house. Despite the cabdriver’s help in getting up the front steps, the string-handled shopping bags were beginning to cut off the circulation in her hands.
“Where the hell were you? Nicolai has been calling me every ten minutes.”
Desiree let the bags plop onto the sofa cushions while she carefully laid her and Talia’s bridesmaid dresses over the back. She had no doubt Nicolai had been riding Erik all day about her whereabouts. She had so many missed calls on her phone she was surprised the damn thing hadn’t exploded.
“Wow!” Talia entered the room and made a beeline for the bags. “Was this retail therapy or a fashion emergency?”
“Actually this was a furnish-my-new-condo necessity.” Oh yes. Now she had their undivided attention.
Erik recovered first. “Since when do you have a condo?”
“Since this morning. Well, in three weeks when we close.”
“You’re moving away from the estate?” Erik’s expression grew so pensive he looked like he was in physical pain. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I’m thirty-six years old, Erik. I think moving out of my mother’s house is long overdue. At some point she’s got to learn to get along without me.”
His conflict over the issue was nothing compared to hers. The truth was that her moving out was more than just okay. It was a necessity for both her and her mother. She wished she could tell him how free it made her feel. He’d moved out years ago, even before Talia. Even before that, he’d placed firm boundaries on their mother’s interference in his life. It was something he’d only dealt with when he had to. For Desiree, dealing with Annaline’s overbearing interference was so much a part of her daily existence that the idea of living without it was the equivalent of throwing off the bonds of slavery.
“I think you’re right, Dee Dee.” Talia reached out and took Erik’s hand to gain his full attention. “I haven’t been part of this family for very long, but she’s the one who ran interference with your mother while we were trying to patch up our relationship. She was the one who kept Selena in line and managed your mother’s dating fiascos. I think she’s earned a chance to live her own life.”
“Okay. So you’re moving out.” Erik took a seat on one of the chairs not covered in her latest purchases. “I thought you and Nicolai were getting serious. Why not move in with him?”
“You never approved of Nicolai and me to begin with. Why would you even suggest that?” She propped her hands on her hips and gave him her best big-sister stare down.
“I used to think you were just biding your time until the right guy came available. Now I think you’ve lost your damn mind. At this point I figure you’re better off with Nicolai than running around half-cocked on your own.”
“Ugh! I don’t need someone to take care of me!” Desiree wondered if stamping the words “independent woman” on her forehead would make anyone sit up and take notice. “Why do men seem to think me incapable of managing my own life? Hell, I’ve been managing our mother’s for years! Why can’t I handle my own?”
Erik started to open his mouth, and she put the palm of her hand less than six inches away from his face. He bit back his words with an audible click of his teeth. She did not want to hear a reminder that their mother had been in more failed marriages than the worst of the Hollywood set. That wasn’t Desiree’s doing. If her mother would quit picking her men because they were at the top of the hot list, she might not have so much trouble hanging on to them. It was difficult to sustain any kind of marriage when the only thing holding the man was money. Eventually they all sought greener grass in someone else’s pasture.
“It doesn’t matter what we think, Dee Dee.” Talia pulled her into a warm hug. “You’re entitled to do your own thing. We all are. And since Erik and I spend most of our time in New York, we’ve got even less right to try and manipulate you.”
Erik’s face settled into the patronizing expression he wore when she tried to explain why she needed a new pair of shoes. “I’m not going to argue about this now. When you come running to me for help because you discover things like association fees and utility bills, we’ll revisit this conversation. Until then, would you please call Nicolai? He’s driving me bat-shit crazy worrying about you.” Erik stood up and walked off.
Talia watched him sail toward the doorway. “We need to leave for the rehearsal dinner in less than an hour, Erik.”
He waved his hand and grunted but didn’t turn around.
“So, any other bombs you need to drop?” Talia flopped back into her seat.
It was now or never. “Actually there is one.”
“Hit me.”
“Stop calling me Dee Dee, please? I hate that name! I don’t even like Delia. I’m Desiree.”
Talia looked honestly shocked. “Really? Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“It does seem stupid, doesn’t it?” Desiree thought about how hard it was just to be herself with her family.
“No more Dee Dee. I swear. I’ll use the name Desiree when I talk about you behind your back.” Talia put one hand on her chest as if swearing a solemn oath.
“Sometimes I forget how lucky my brother was to find you.”
“I’m just glad to have you around. Sometimes it seems like you’re the only normal one in the family.” Talia made a sour face. “Guess I better go get dressed. I hate cocktail dresses. Seriously, who invented the damn things?”
“Speaking of cocktail dresses, I hope I’ve got something presentable in the closet upstairs.” Desiree looked around at her latest acquisitions.
“You’re telling me you didn’t hit a single clothing store today?”
She couldn’t hide her excitement. “Not unless I can wear cooking utensils, sheets, and bath towels, although I did pick up our bridesmaid dresses.”
“Nicolai is a man. He might go for a sheet in the toga style.”
A lump formed in her belly at the thought of her sexy bartender from Back Bay. “Actually Nicolai isn’t coming with me tonight.”
“You are going to call him, right? Erik wasn’t kidding when he said the man was going crazy worrying about you.”
“No doubt because he’s convinced I’ve done something stupid to get myself into trouble and he needs to fix it.”
Talia picked up her bridesmaid dress. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I’d think long and hard before I did something to damage a relationship with a guy like him.”
Desiree didn’t respond as Talia left the room. She
hadn’t said anything Desiree didn’t already know. He might be overprotective, but there was only one Nicolai, and there was no one else on the planet who made her feel the way he did.
* * * *
Places like the Colonial Country Club had been designed to intimidate. It was as though the creator had wanted visitors to feel insignificant. The grand foyer with its sweeping twin staircases was cold and sterile. Even the flower arrangements looked as though they were made of ice crystals instead of warm blooms.
“Desiree, I’m glad to see you here.” Her mother placed an air-kiss on either cheek. Odd, but Annaline Aasen went well with the overdone decor.
“I’m here to support my baby sister, nothing else.”
“So good of you to make it clear where you stand. Someday you’re going to realize that I’ve only ever had your best interests at heart. You might be sorry to have thrown them in my face when you do.”
“Hardly.”
Behind her perfectly composed exterior, Desiree could see her mother trying to decide how to proceed. “Harmon is here. Please be pleasant. He’s already been asking after you.”
“If I can be pleasant toward you, I suspect I can be pleasant to anyone.”
“Desiree, Desiree, Desiree, stunning as always. It’s wonderful to think we’re going to be so close. I’ll be moving into Selena’s rooms at the estate by the end of the week.” Jackson tried to wrap her in an overly enthusiastic embrace.
She stepped out of groping range. Three weeks was too long. Maybe she could get a hotel until she closed on the new condo. “You’re not getting a little love nest for your new bride?”
“Maybe once things settle down. Until then, we both feel there are certain…perks to living on the estate.”
Annaline shot Desiree a quelling look, but Desiree didn’t have a ready retort for his suggestive declaration. Did her mother actually think Desiree was inviting this uncomfortable banter? Where the hell did everyone get off thinking she had any interest whatsoever in Jackson?
She opted to ignore his implied proposition. “Where’s my sister, Jackson? I’d really like to congratulate her and make certain she’s ready for her big day.”
Boston Avant-Garde: Impetuous Page 14