Daisy swallowed. “I—”
“Don’t even attempt to deny it,” he warned. “You were so fucking tight when I had my fingers inside you, there’s no other explanation. Why do you think I came all over you rather than inside you?”
Color blazed in her cheeks. “Do you have to be so crude?”
“Crude?” Nikolai’s tone was incredulous. “You’re a virgin, and yet minutes ago, you were prepared to let me fuck you from behind on a public balcony!”
When he put it like that…
“It’s my virginity,” she pointed out. “I can choose to lose it wherever and with whomever the hell I please.”
“Not with me you can’t.” Nikolai thought he had seen and done it all the past twenty years, experienced every sexual pleasure and deviation that took his fancy. But this—a virgin, for Christ’s sake—was way beyond his experience. Mainly because he never went near the type of woman there was even the remotest possibility would, or could, still be a virgin. They were a complication he certainly didn’t need in his life. “How does a beautiful woman, in her midtwenties, still manage to be a virgin in the twenty-first century?” he added disgustedly.
Daisy frowned. “It isn’t a disease.”
Nikolai’s gaze swept over her, from that perkily flirtatious blonde hair to those red shoes. She had appeared all business earlier today in her work clothes and with her hair a blonde cap to her scalp, but her ultrasexy appearance tonight was a direct challenge to any man capable of a hard-on. She was a direct challenge.
And a virgin.
His heart had actually stopped beating when he realized how tight she was, and in all probability still a virgin.
He should have stopped then, of course. Should have withdrawn his fingers, put his cock back in his pants, and just walked away.
Except he couldn’t.
He had been so aroused by that time, and Daisy was equally as aroused, he hadn’t been able to stop. So he came all over her instead. The wet panties in his jacket pocket were proof of that, and he doubted the front of her dress felt too comfortable either.
Very suave. So sophisticated, coming all over a woman and her clothing.
Fuck suave and sophisticated.
Crudity was the only weapon he had at the moment. Because there was no way he could allow something like this to happen between the two of them again. That he dare risk something like this happening with Daisy again, because next time he might not be able to resist taking her, virginity or no virginity.
He stood up restlessly. “Do you have any concept, any idea, of how near I came to taking you tonight? Just bending you over that balcony and fucking your brains out in front of anyone who cared to glance our way?”
Her face paled. “You really are disgusting.”
“Oh, you’d better believe it.” Nikolai gave a tight and humorless smile as he leaned back against the front of his desk. “Saving that virginity for someone special, are you?”
She gave him a scathing glance. “Obviously not.”
His mouth thinned at the deliberate insult. “In the circumstances, I think it would be better for all concerned if you were to tell Lijah you can no longer continue to act as my bodyguard, don’t you?”
Daisy tensed as she eyed him suspiciously. Was that what tonight had been about? She had thought she was getting the better of Nikolai when she turned up here looking the way she did, and instead he had neatly turned the tables on her by calling her femme fatale bluff? With the sole intention of forcing her to then withdraw from being the principal on his protection team?
The challenge in those silver-gray eyes—wolf’s eyes—said that was exactly what had just happened.
Bastard.
Well, he had chosen the wrong woman to pull that stunt on. This evening certainly wasn’t one Daisy would ever think back on with any sense of pride or self-respect. But Nikolai had forgotten—or perhaps he just wasn’t aware of—the fact she had spent several years as part of the minority within the army, and she was certainly that at Grayson Security. She had lived and worked mainly with men all her life, had learned to deal with any amount of male harassment, in whatever form or guise, and she wasn’t about to allow herself to be intimidated by this arrogant Russian.
Even one who just minutes ago almost had her begging for his touch.
Especially as Nikolai had almost made her beg for physical release just minutes ago.
She straightened her spine, chin held high as she answered him. “I don’t think so.”
He scowled darkly. “Why the fuck not?”
Daisy forced a mocking smile to curve her lips. Lips this man hadn’t so much as kissed before or during that humiliating incident on the balcony earlier. She might have behaved like a fool, but Nikolai was a manipulative bastard. “I’m sure we’re both adult enough to be able to move past the events of tonight.” Like hell they were. She could cheerfully strangle Nikolai herself right now, never mind the danger he faced from a Petrov assassin.
“Then why do I have the feeling, after what just happened, you might just unlock the door to my hotel suite in New York and let Petrov’s man inside?” Nikolai had obviously picked up on some of her murderous thoughts.
Daisy gave a mocking smile. “Now there’s a thought.”
He nodded. “Probably one I shouldn’t have given you.”
“Oh, believe me, I’d already thought of it,” she taunted softly. “Panties, if you please?” She held out her hand, palm up. “Unless, of course, you like to keep trophies?” She arched a mocking brow as she allowed her empty hand to drop back to her side. “In which case…”
Nikolai had no idea at what point he had lost control of this conversation. Had he ever had control of it? Debatable, he acknowledged with impatient frustration. He’d certainly, no matter what impression he might try to give Daisy, been out of control when he had his cock buried between the warm wetness of her thighs.
Jesus, he was growing hard again just thinking about all that delicious wet heat.
He straightened abruptly to take her panties out of his pocket and hand them to her before moving to sit back behind his desk. Before that arousal became physically obvious to her. “I think this meeting is over, don’t you?”
She glanced at the delicate gold watch on her wrist. “The club doesn’t close for another three hours.”
“So?”
“So I’m on duty until five.”
“You don’t have any fucking panties on!”
“So?”
“So you can’t spend the next two hours at Utopia not wearing panties!”
She quirked one blonde brow. “Is that a club rule? Because I’m pretty sure some of the other women in here tonight are wearing dresses that don’t allow for wearing panties either. And if it is a rule, how do you check and enforce it?” she mused. “Does one of the doormen inspect under each dress as the women arrive? Or maybe you prefer to do that personally—”
“It’s not a club rule.” Nikolai was so angry, his hands were clenched into fists on his thighs beneath his desk.
“Then if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go and take Brock up on his invitation to have a drink with him. Problem?” She eyed Nikolai with innocently wide eyes as he stood up to move quickly across the room and stand in front of the door, effectively barring her exit.
“You’re the fucking problem,” he bit out between clenched teeth.
“And why is that?”
“Because you are not going anywhere near Brock Hamilton when you aren’t wearing panties.”
“I think that’s my decision, not yours.”
“I advise you not to push me any more tonight,” Nikolai growled in warning.
“I wasn’t aware I had so much as touched you.”
No, she hadn’t. Because Nikolai hadn’t let her. He had preferred to keep Daisy’s hands on the balcony railing in front of her rather than touching him. Because he hadn’t been sure he wouldn’t just shoot his cum into her hand if he had once let her touch the
hardness of his bare cock.
“Move out of my way, Nikolai.”
He stood his ground. “You need to leave, go home, and come back dressed appropriately.”
“Appropriately for what?” One fuck-me red shoe began to tap impatiently against the carpet as indication of Daisy’s own rising temper. “From what I observed earlier, it’s pretty much a free-for-all out there after midnight.”
Nikolai’s mouth thinned. “If it is, you aren’t going to be a part of it.”
“Exactly when did you become my mother? Because that’s who you sound like.” She snorted her disgust.
Nikolai knew exactly what he sounded like. Who he sounded like. But just the thought of Daisy going back into the club bare assed, let alone being with Brock Hamilton that way, was enough to make him feel murderous. Whether toward Daisy or Brock, he wasn’t sure. And he didn’t want to find out either.
“Don’t make me call Lijah,” he warned softly.
Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
Ah-ha. He’d found a weak spot in Daisy’s defiance. Although evoking the other man’s name in order to get her to do what he wanted wasn’t something Nikolai particularly enjoyed. He and Lijah had a history, one that had created a relationship of mutual respect and distrust. Which meant he didn’t relish the idea of asking the other man for anything. It was also more than a little irritating to know that Daisy feared Lijah’s displeasure more than she did his.
“Try me,” he dared.
Daisy could tell that Nikolai meant what he said by the hard and humorless smile now curving his lips. A smile she immediately wanted to wipe off his arrogant face.
She was still so angry with him for what happened earlier. Felt utterly humiliated. By her own behavior, in response to his. She certainly wasn’t about to back down when it came to doing her job. “I’ll give Jonas a ring and ask him to go to my apartment and pick me up some other clothes.”
“Who the hell is Jonas?” Nikolai now had a scowl as dark as a thundercloud on his forehead.
She shrugged. “He works for Grayson Security too and will be taking over from me in a couple of hours. I’m sure he won’t mind calling at my apartment and getting me some clothes on his way over here.”
“Why does he have a key to your apartment?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Daisy wasn’t about to tell him that Jonas didn’t need a key to get in anywhere, when he was capable of opening any lock currently available.
Nikolai’s eyes turned to icy chips of gray. “I’m making it my business.”
She gave a shiver as he suddenly seemed to be looming over her, the tension in his body definitely threatening. Threatening or not, Daisy refused to back down. “I don’t answer to you— What are you doing?” She gasped as his hand snaked out and his fingers wrapped about one of her wrists like a steel band.
His face was just inches away from hers. “What happened between us earlier means that for tonight, you do answer to me, and only me,” he grated harshly, his breath warm against her face. “Now tell me why this man has a key to your apartment.”
She gave a pained frown. “You’re hurting me.”
Nikolai breathed deeply in his frustration with this situation. How fucked up was this—was he?—that he had no intention of getting involved with Daisy himself, and yet felt almost murderous at the thought of her being involved with another man.
Except she wasn’t. Couldn’t be. Because she was still a virgin.
So maybe this Jonas really was just a work colleague?
Which still didn’t explain why he had a key to Daisy’s apartment. “Fine. Call this Jonas. Have him bring you in some other clothes. But you’re waiting in here until he does,” he added as Daisy stepped past him to open the door.
She frowned at him. “You’re being ridiculous.”
His smile was derisive. “And it would be better for you if you listened when I say I don’t want you to go out there without your panties on. Besides,” he added as two bright wings of color now brightened her cheeks, whether from anger or embarrassment, he wasn’t sure, “Hamilton is a player. He will have found someone else to spend the night with by now.” He flicked on the security screens showing the bar area. “There.” He nodded at the third screen, which showed Brock Hamilton and a brunette sitting warm and cozy together in one of the private booths.
Daisy gave an unconcerned shrug. “I’m sure I can find someone else to dance or have a drink with.”
Nikolai was sure she could too. Except it wasn’t going to happen. Not tonight. Nor any other night she was with him. “Not going to happen—” He broke off as the door swung open behind him.
“Ah, Nikolai, I wanted— Miss Redmond?” Gregori came to a halt in the open doorway, a frown creasing his brow as he immediately picked up on the tension in the room. “Problem?” he prompted sharply.
Problem?
Yes, there was a fucking problem.
Nikolai hadn’t so much as asked to meet Daisy Redmond, let alone… Let alone what? Be tormented by her? Desire her? Want her? To the point he had forgotten everything else tonight but possessing her.
Daisy’s reason for being here was to guard him, but he was the head of nightclub security, and as such, he was supposed to be guarding everyone else. Supposed to be. Because a riot could have broken out in the club earlier and Nikolai doubted he would have noticed when all he could think about was being inside Daisy.
“I was just leaving.” She now took unabashed advantage of Gregori’s interruption. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Markovic.”
“You will wait downstairs, in the bar—alone—until this Jonas arrives,” Nikolai cautioned harshly as she stepped out into the hallway.
She narrowed those catlike green eyes on him and gave Gregori a brief glance before nodding abruptly and closing the door behind her as she left.
Nikolai immediately took out his cell phone and dialed Rick. “The blonde from earlier is on her way back down to the bar,” he bit out as soon as the other man answered the call. “If anyone attempts to join her, get rid of them.” He waited for Rick’s confirmation before ending the call. Only to tense as he saw Gregori was eyeing him with open curiosity.
“Do I want to know why you’ve gone all protective on Miss Redmond?”
His jaw tightened. “No.”
“Or why the tension in here was so thick between the two of you when I arrived?” Gregori prompted again mildly.
A nerve pulsed in Nikolai’s tightly clenched jaw. “No.”
“Or why the room smells of sex?”
Nikolai gave a pained wince at this reminder that not much escaped Gregori’s sharp-eyed—nosed?—notice. At the reminder it was his cum all over the inside of Daisy’s gown the other man had been able to smell.
His friend’s brows rose at his lack of reply. “Should I even bother asking why Miss Redmond was holding her panties in her hand rather than wearing them? I may be a married man, but I still recognize a pair of women’s lace panties when I see them,” he added dryly as Nikolai’s frown deepened. “In fact, I’m rather partial to when Gaia wears—”
“Too much information, Gregori,” he dismissed impatiently.
The other man chuckled. “So?”
Nikolai frowned as he tried to recall what Gregori had asked him. All this talk of Daisy’s black panties was addling his brain. Those sweet-smelling lace panties. He finally opted for the safe answer. “No, you shouldn’t bother asking any of those questions.”
“That’s what I thought.” The other man nodded. “In that case, I just came by to tell you I’m leaving for the night.”
“Fine.”
“Are you and Miss Redmond going to be…okay?” Gregori gave him a searching glance.
Nikolai doubted that very much.
“Would you prefer I contact Lijah and ask him to send someone else?” Gregori lingered beside the door.
“I spoke to Lijah on the telephone earlier for the same reason, and he assured me
Daisy is the only female member of Grayson Security available right now.” That pulsing nerve in his jaw was beating rapid time and surely a complete giveaway of the tension he was currently feeling. Currently? He had been tense as a bow string since the moment Daisy had arrived at Utopia this evening.
“You have to admit, she—how does the saying go? Daisy Redmond scrubs up well.” Gregori sounded amused.
Daisy Redmond was too fucking beautiful for her own good, as far as Nikolai was concerned. For his good. A deliberate and bold beauty this evening, a quieter, more subtle beauty at other times. As either, she was seriously starting to get under his skin.
“Go home, Gregori,” he said wearily. “Daisy and I will…sort out our differences.”
“I hope so.” The other man sobered.
So did Nikolai. Because if they couldn’t reach some sort of compromise, the next week of being constantly in her company, of having her pretend to be his lover, was going to become his own private living hell.
“Where did you go to last night?”
Daisy gazed at Nikolai calmly as she fell into step beside him to enter through the back door of the Utopia nightclub at eight o’clock the following evening. She had spent the hours in between steeling herself for this meeting, having decided that the only way to deal with seeing Nikolai again was to resume her professional persona as his bodyguard.
She had intended to teach Nikolai a lesson the previous night, but instead it had rebounded on her, big-time. She was the one who had been taught a lesson. On the pleasures of her own body. A body over which Nikolai had taken complete control as he brought her to climax after climax.
Something she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about during the hours she sat outside his apartment in her car earlier today, waiting to follow him to Utopia at the start of his night working at the club.
Her heart had skipped several beats when he finally emerged from his apartment building, once again dressed in a black evening suit, snowy white shirt, and black bow tie. His overlong golden hair appeared slightly darker, possibly because he had showered before dressing.
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