“I have…a debt to repay,” he revealed tersely. “And Lijah, being the arrogant and capable bastard that he is, has made that virtually impossible.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just say thank you?”
“What?”
“Just say thank you,” she repeated with a frown. “It’s what people usually do when someone else does something for them. Or is saying thank you something else Nikolai Volkov doesn’t do?”
“Don’t pretend to know me, Daisy!”
Oh, but she did know him. Well enough, at least, to realize that he was uncomfortable having anyone do anything for him. No doubt it was a big part of being that lone wolf. “What sort of debt is it?” she probed softly.
Nikolai shrugged. “There was a…problem at Utopia six months ago. Lijah went a long way toward solving it when I couldn’t.”
And much as he might appreciate having that “problem” solved, it was obvious that Nikolai also resented Lijah for being the one to solve it.
Because he was a man accustomed to dealing with and solving his own problems. A man who didn’t need or want anyone—
Six months ago?
The same time that Gregori, Lijah, and Nikolai claimed Sergei Orlov had really died. Did that mean Lijah had been the one responsible for killing Orlov and not Nikolai, as she had originally thought? It was a distinct possibility.
Daisy eyed him sharply. “Just now you said you don’t answer to Gregori and Lijah either…?”
“Yes?” he challenged.
“That would seem to imply that they’ve both already made their opinion clear on your having left the apartment today without me…”
Which, in turn, meant that Daisy was in serious trouble.
So much so she might not have any choice as to whether or not she remained on Nikolai’s security detail after today.
Chapter 8
She hadn’t been too worried when she woke up a short time ago to find Nikolai was no longer in bed beside her. After all, this was his apartment, and despite the fact it was three o’clock in the afternoon, his days were upside-down, so in all likelihood he was in the kitchen having his version of breakfast. Or he may have already eaten and be in the gym working out.
Daisy’s concern came after showering, dressing, and putting on a pot of coffee, when she had searched the apartment only to realize it was completely empty apart from herself.
Nikolai wasn’t here.
A call from Seth confirmed that Nikolai had left the apartment an hour ago, he and Jonas having followed him. Apparently, Nikolai was currently inside a house in Hampstead. They had no idea why the other man was there, nor had they been able to find out who lived there either. Research into the property had only revealed the house was owned by the Markovic business empire.
Considering the nature of the Markovic “business,” that could mean the house was used for just about anything.
Or, alternatively, it was specifically for Nikolai’s use.
Daisy felt the fact that he had gone to that house today, after spending hours in bed with her, to be significant.
Because Nikolai had a guilty conscience?
Because his mistress lived in that house?
It was obvious from the uncluttered appearance of his apartment that Nikolai lived here alone, and Daisy hadn’t seen him with a woman this past four days—and nights—but that didn’t mean he didn’t keep a mistress available for when he was in the mood for sex.
Or when he felt the need to pay a guilty visit because he had been to bed with another woman. A visit that would make Daisy the last person he would wish to accompany him.
By the time she heard the lift doors opening, followed by the sound of footsteps heading in the direction of the kitchen, telling her of Nikolai’s return, her initial worry had turned to anger. Coming into the kitchen and finding Nikolai calmly pouring himself a cup of the coffee she’d made had only exacerbated the emotion.
That anger hadn’t abated in the slightest during this conversation. If anything, it had deepened because Nikolai was obviously and completely indifferent to her concerns or the reasons for them.
“You’ve seen both Gregori and Lijah today.” This time she made it a statement, not a question.
“Yes.” Nikolai was very aware Daisy kept a gun tucked into the waistband at the back of her jeans. He could feel the volcanic anger burning beneath her outer calmness, and getting shot by his own bodyguard hadn’t been in his plans for today.
Her eyes were now catlike slits. “When and where did you see them?”
He shrugged. “Ask your associates. They followed me there.”
“Gregori and Lijah were at the house in Hampstead?”
“You see, you knew where I was all the time.”
“I asked if Gregori and Lijah were there too,” she pressed determinedly.
“I just said they were.” Nikolai’s own patience was far from limitless either, and Daisy’s questions were bordering on accusing him of lying. Again.
“You left the apartment in order to meet up with Lijah and Gregori?”
“How many times do I have to say it? Why the hell did you think I went there?” He eyed her speculatively.
Her gaze no longer met his. “It doesn’t matter—”
“Oh yes, it matters.” He stepped forward to grasp the top of her arm. “Look at me. I said look at me, damn it!” Her eyes were shadowed as she reluctantly met his gaze. “Who do you think I went out to see today?”
Daisy gave a shake of her head. “I have no idea. That’s the problem. You were under my protection, Nikolai, and you just left. What do you think would have happened if you had been shot and killed while I slept on unaware in your bed?”
“I’m sure Jonas and Seth are more than capable of protecting me. Hell, the tall black-haired one scares the crap out of me. And the other one looks like a damned pirate, with that scar down his face.” He snorted. “Petrov’s men would probably run a mile after taking one glance at either of them.”
As if. Jonas and Seth were scary, yes, but Nikolai’s lethal coldness was scarier. “Is that what this is about? Are you deliberately trying to get me fired? Because of what happened between the two of us?”
Earlier today had been…a revelation to Daisy. She had only ever gotten as far as a few passionate kisses with a man before. With Nikolai, she had learned all the ways there were for a man and woman to pleasure each other. All without losing her virginity.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Nikolai scowled darkly.
“Because if you are,” she continued firmly, “then you could at least have the courtesy of telling me that to my face, rather than just leaving me here in order to demonstrate to Gregori and Lijah how inept I am at my job.”
“No one said you’re inept—”
“No one had to.” She jerked her arm from his grasp to sink down wearily onto one of the chairs about the kitchen table. “You left here without my knowledge, and Lijah is going to want an explanation for that.”
“That’s ridiculous—”
“I’m the one who’s been made to look ridiculous.” She stood up again. “Well, you’ve got what you wanted, Nikolai. I’m going back to Grayson Security now to hand in my notice. Lijah will send another woman to act as your lover—”
“Will you just shut the fuck up for two minutes and let me think!” Nikolai glared at her as he ran an agitated hand through the thickness of his hair.
He’d received a telephone call earlier and then left the apartment minutes later in response to that call. At no time in either of those actions had he deliberately decided to make Daisy appear incapable of doing her job, or anything else.
Except he had, he now realized.
He had moved quietly about his bedroom getting dressed before leaving Daisy asleep in his bed. Maybe he had even felt a certain sense of satisfaction in being able to do so.
He just hadn’t thought of the repercussions those actions might have for Daisy.
Because
he wasn’t used to considering what other people thought about him or the consequences to other people of his actions. Gregori’s opinion and trust in him was important, yes, as was Gaia’s now, but everyone else was expendable. Nikolai had never felt the need to consider anyone else’s feelings. And he hadn’t felt the need to consider Daisy’s feelings today.
Which made him the selfish bastard Daisy’s words now implied he was.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“I’ll talk to Lijah—”
“I’m a big girl. I don’t need anyone else to defend me, Nikolai.” There were two wings of color in her cheeks. “I messed up by going to bed with you. I messed up badly, and this is the price I have to pay.”
“Going to bed with me wasn’t messing up—”
“Oh, it was.” She nodded. “Big-time.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Do you?”
He gave a wry smile. “I asked first.”
“We’re not sixteen years old, Nikolai!” she dismissed disgustedly.
“I doubt sixteen-year-olds know of all the ways we pleasured each other earlier today.”
“Oh, I think you might be surprised,” she drawled.
He scowled. “I don’t want some other woman protecting me and acting as my lover.”
Daisy’s mouth twisted. “After today, I don’t believe either one of us will have any choice in the matter.”
Nikolai shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Look, I had somewhere to go, and so I went. That’s all there was to it. I wasn’t visiting another woman—”
“I didn’t say you were—”
“You didn’t need to.” His nostrils flared. “I could see in your eyes just now that you believed I’d gone out this afternoon to see and be with another woman. I’m many things, Daisy, and I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of, but a two-timing bastard is not one of them. I would never deliberately hurt you.”
“Just inadvertently, hmm?”
He breathed his impatience. “There was no hidden plan to make you look incompetent. No trying to get you removed from my security detail. I just did what I always do.”
“Which is pretty much whatever you damn well please, and to hell with the consequences!”
“Yes.” He sighed. “Lijah telephoned to say they had taken one of Petrov’s men alive. I went to the house to be there when they questioned him. That’s it.”
This explanation in no way mitigated Daisy’s own absence from that meeting, something she was sure she was going to hear a lot more about from Lijah later today. In fact, she was surprised she hadn’t already received a telephone call from him.
“Is the man still alive?”
“Apart from the bullet wound he received to his shoulder last night at Utopia, he’s unharmed,” Nikolai drawled.
Her eyes widened. “It was the man who shot at us last night?”
He nodded. “The bullet wound incapacitated him so that he couldn’t fight back or get away.”
“Did he tell you anything useful?”
“Apart from the fact he has orders to kill me?”
Daisy snorted. “Oh, believe me, I’m starting to understand the sentiment.”
He grimaced. “I can imagine.”
“I doubt that very much.” She had known that seeing Nikolai again today, after the intimacies they had shared, was going to be a little…awkward for both of them. But she certainly hadn’t expected it would be anywhere near as bad as this. Not only had she slept with a client and then failed to protect him, but she had also just made a fool of herself by revealing that she had believed Nikolai had gone out today to see another woman.
As if she had any right to object even if he had. Hours of amazing sex did not a relationship make.
She wasn’t just a virgin, she was naïve too.
Well, she might be both those things when it came to men, but until today, she had believed she knew how to do her job.
Nikolai sighed. “Do you think we could start today over again? This part, I mean.” He made a gesture implying the tension between them. “I… Damn it, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t think and… I’m sorry,” he repeated impatiently.
Daisy gave a rueful smile. “How long has it been since you last apologized to anyone?”
He grimaced. “I’m a bit rusty, huh?”
“Creaking,” she confirmed dryly.
“Daisy—”
“Please don’t touch me, Nikolai.” She stepped back to avoid his reaching hands. “Earlier was…earlier, and now is now. Interlude over.”
“Never to be repeated,” he guessed wryly.
Daisy hoped not. Oh, not because she didn’t still want Nikolai. Certain parts of her body were going to ache for days as a constant reminder of their lovemaking. But it had also proven she couldn’t both protect Nikolai and be his lover as well. One of those things had to go. And as he’d given no indication he would ever want to repeat their time together either, it was safer if she just stuck with what she did know.
She knew how to protect.
If Lijah was willing to let her continue doing so after today.
“You, Jonas, and Seth are all leaving for New York with Markovic and Volkov later tonight.”
Daisy’s only show of emotion was to blink as she stood in front of Lijah’s desk at Grayson Security.
As predicted, Lijah had called her into the office. She just hadn’t expected it to be for this reason. But the expression of reproach in his dark blue eyes warned her not to relax her guard just yet.
Lijah leaned back in his chair. “I thought I warned you to be careful where Volkov is concerned?”
Daisy’s stomach churned. “I believe I was ordered to pretend to be his lover, as my cover to protect him.”
“Is the word pretend still applicable?”
She swallowed. “I don’t believe that’s relevant—”
“I’ll decide what is or isn’t relevant, Daisy.”
“I would never do anything to damage Grayson Security—”
“Forget about Grayson Security.” Lijah sat forward. “You’re the one who’s going to get hurt, Daisy.”
She was already hurting. Her body and emotions felt battered, the former from an overabundance of pleasure, followed by Nikolai’s disappearance, which had resulted in her career now being in jeopardy too.
Daisy didn’t fool herself for a moment that Lijah didn’t know exactly what had taken place between her and Nikolai. A man of few words, Lijah was also one of the most astute men she had ever met. He knew. He knew it all. She could see it in the compassion now glinting in his eyes as he gazed across the desk at her.
Heat warmed her cheeks as she lowered her lashes. “Why have the plans for New York been brought forward?”
“You aren’t listening to me, Daisy—”
“Of course I’m listening to you.” Her tone was impatient. Not with Lijah, but with herself. Because she knew he was right.
After their conversation earlier, she and Nikolai had barely spoken to each other for the rest of the day. Once Nikolai was safely inside Utopia, she had driven to Grayson Security in response to Lijah’s call, leaving Jonas and Seth to guard the other man.
Daisy shook her head. “It won’t happen again.”
“No?”
“No.”
Lijah sighed. “Dair is going to be seriously pissed if you end up getting hurt by Volkov. Your two brothers aren’t going to be too happy about it either,” he added dryly, having served with her eldest brother in the army for several years.
“I’m twenty-five years old, not five.”
“If you were five, the problem wouldn’t have arisen.”
“There is no problem. I…admit I made a mistake.” The heat was back in her cheeks. “But Nikolai and I have talked about it and… It won’t happen again.”
Lijah stood up. “The question is whether or not that once is going to affect your judgment. What the hell am I saying? Of course it’s going to affect your judgme
nt.”
“No—”
“Yes.” He moved round to the front of the desk. “Daisy, I fell in love with Callie in the middle of an assignment. I broke my own rules and those of Grayson Security, and I became involved with a client.”
“A few hours of sex do not mean I’m involved with Nikolai.”
“I’m guessing that would be a few hours of good sex… Amazing sex? Out-of-this-world sex,” Lijah enlarged dryly as Daisy’s cheeks blushed hotter and hotter. “I know Volkov, and if he’s going to do a thing, then you can be damned sure the man excels at it.”
“Strange, he seems to have the same respectful-slash-resentful feelings toward you.” Daisy tilted her chin challengingly in an effort not to think about those hours in bed with Nikolai.
He sighed. “I can assure you I’m not enjoying this conversation in the slightest, and if I thought for one moment there was a future for you with Nikolai, then I would be saying go for it. The guy is hard as bloody nails, but even so, he deserves some happiness in his life. But I know him too well, and he doesn’t care about his own safety, let alone anyone else’s. The only people he has affection for are Gregori and Gaia Markovic. He would happily give up his own life in order to save either one of them.”
She knew that, had seen that affection for Gregori firsthand, and no doubt Gaia Markovic came under that same protection. “You might be describing yourself right now, in regard to your loyalty to Dair and Kat Grayson before you met and fell in love with Callie.”
Lijah nodded abruptly. “It’s because we’re so alike that I know how Nikolai works. What motivates him. What he’s willing to give, and what he isn’t. If he has a heart, then it’s so well protected, you would need a bomb to pierce the armor he has around it.”
“Totally understandable when he lived on the streets of Moscow and London for several years as a child,” Daisy defended.
He shook his head. “I wish I could tell you you’re going to get through that armor plating he has about his emotions, but I can’t. I thought I was hard, but Nikolai is the original Ice Man. And you simply aren’t the type of woman for a quick tussle in bed whenever Nikolai feels in the mood.”
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