She could feel the intensity of his gaze on her again, along with his restless tension, once Gregori and Petrov had gone outside onto the balcony.
“Any idea what’s going on, Daze?” Seth spoke softly out of the side of his mouth, Petrov’s men currently occupied in being offered coffee by the same waiter who had delivered and set out the lunch on the balcony.
She kept facing forward as she replied just as softly, “Dangling Mr. Petrov over the balcony was mentioned earlier.”
Jonas’s head whipped round. “Are you serious?”
“I certainly believe Nikolai and Gregori were, yes,” she answered dryly.
“Jesus,” Seth muttered under his breath.
Daisy’s feelings exactly. “If it works…”
If it worked.
“Well?” Nikolai handed Gregori one of the glasses of whisky he had poured, before sitting down in the chair opposite and taking a sip from his own glass.
The suite was empty of all but the two of them now, Nikolai’s men having accompanied Petrov and his men down in the lift, the employees of Grayson Security having also excused themselves to give the two men some privacy.
Including Daisy.
Nikolai’s jaw tightened just thinking about her.
She had been completely professional earlier, hadn’t revealed by so much as a glance his way that she was, in all probability, furious with him for the way he had spoken to her in their bedroom.
Our bedroom?
Jesus, it made them sound like a couple. Which they certainly weren’t. And never would be.
Daisy deserved a thatched cottage somewhere, with roses round the door, an accountant or lawyer for a husband with a nine-to-five job, and two or three children just as cute and courageous as she was.
What she didn’t need was a man surrounded by violence. A man who occasionally had death threats hanging over him like this one from Petrov.
Although Petrov’s ashen face earlier, when he returned from his “lunch” on the balcony with Gregori, seemed to imply that particular threat might now have gone away.
Until the next time.
Nikolai lived in a dangerous world, never knowing where the next threat might come from. Or when.
Gregori shrugged. “I believe, with the distraction of the waiter serving coffee and the invaluable help of Roman and Viktor, Mr. Petrov has been persuaded into seeing the error of his ways.”
It had been the easiest thing in the world to have Nikolai’s two missing men waiting outside on the balcony, to “help” Gregori in persuading Boris into rethinking his decision to eliminate Nikolai.
“We have agreed to forget both the matter of who is responsible for Sergei’s death and the recent attempts to kill you,” the other man continued lightly. “I now also have the name of the member of our ground crew in England whom Boris paid to plant the bomb on the plane. He is being dealt with as we speak,” he added grimly. “In exchange, I have agreed to endorse Boris’s claim as head of the Orlov family when we meet with the other families the day after tomorrow.”
Petrov had obviously been persuaded into realizing Gregori was much more valuable as a powerful ally than he was as an equally powerful enemy. “In other words, you gave him what he already had,” Nikolai drawled.
He nodded. “Petrov did exactly what I would have done in the same circumstances. Attempting to crash the plane was perhaps a little overkill, but he is young yet.” The other man shrugged. “With the right guidance, he may make a reasonable job of things.” He glanced curiously across at Nikolai. “What about you?”
He immediately tensed. “What about me?”
“Let me rephrase that.” Gregori gave the ghost of a smile. “What about you and Miss Redmond?”
His fingers tightened about his whisky glass. “This particular threat appears to be over for now, so presumably she and her associates can return to England and leave us to get on with the rest of your business trip.”
Those dark eyes remained on him unwaveringly. “Is that what you want?”
Nikolai feigned puzzlement. “There seems little point in any of them continuing to stay in New York.”
“And will you not…miss Miss Redmond, after she is gone?”
Of course he would fucking miss her. What a bloody stupid question— Ah, he saw what game Gregori was playing now. “No,” he answered coldly.
The other man sighed. “Denying your feelings will only cause you more pain in the end. I tried to do that with Gaia, remember? It was like cutting off my right arm.”
“I don’t have feelings for Daisy.”
“No?”
A nerve pulsed in his tightly clenched jaw. “She’s been an amusing diversion for a few days, nothing more.”
Gregori winced. “You don’t look very amused.”
He stood up abruptly. “Maybe that’s because I fucking resent your personal questions—” He broke off, breathing hard. “I’m sorry, Gregori. I don’t mean to be rude, but would you please stay out of my personal life.”
“Gaia worries about you.”
His tension eased a little as he gave a rueful smile. “Now you’re being unfair.” Gregori was well aware of the affection and respect Nikolai felt toward his wife.
“It is true, nonetheless. And I believe we will leave the arrangement with Grayson Security as it is for the moment.” Gregori frowned. “Just in case Boris has second thoughts regarding our…conversation.”
Which meant that, for the moment, Daisy would be staying in New York.
But that didn’t mean the two of them had to continue sharing a suite or a bedroom.
“What are you doing?”
“I believe my actions speak for themselves.” Daisy barely glanced up from putting her toiletries in the bag as Nikolai appeared in the doorway between the sitting room and bathroom.
Which wasn’t to say she wasn’t totally aware of how edible he looked in the dark business suit and snowy-white shirt with a gray silk tie. Or the sternness of his expression.
He was every inch Nikolai Volkov, head of Markovic security.
And nothing like the tousle-haired and relaxed man she had spent most of the morning in bed with.
“You’re moving out?”
“Obviously.”
“Where?”
She shrugged. “To the same suite as the rest of the security detail. I can sleep on the couch.”
“Why?”
Daisy moved to the shower unit to collect her shampoo and conditioner. “Because the expense of a separate room just for me isn’t necessary.”
“No, I meant, why are you moving out at all?” Nikolai snapped his impatience.
She picked up her bag of toiletries and then had to turn sideways in order to get past Nikolai as he remained standing in the doorway. She crossed the bedroom to put the things in the much larger travel bag she had open on the bed. And obviously the reason Nikolai had known she was in the process of packing.
She continued to move about the bedroom collecting the few things she had unpacked since yesterday.
God, was it really only yesterday they had arrived in New York?
So much had happened in just those few hours.
A platonic night in bed with Nikolai.
Being shot at. Again.
A morning of hot and sweaty sex in bed with Nikolai.
The Petrov danger now apparently over.
Overhearing a conversation between Gregori and Nikolai, in which he totally dismissed me. Of hearing myself described as nothing more than an “amusing diversion” as far as Nikolai was concerned.
Having Nikolai say those cruel things to her earlier today had been one thing. Hearing him talking about her so derisively to a third party was something else entirely.
It hurt.
It hurt more than Daisy wanted to think about right now.
She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, had only opened the connecting door between this suite and Gregori’s with the intention of asking the two men what they wanted the Grayso
n Security employees to do today. Once she’d heard her name mentioned, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from listening to the rest of the conversation.
Eavesdroppers never hear anything good about themselves, as the saying went.
Well, that had certainly been true for Daisy.
Nikolai hadn’t only hurt her, he had humiliated her too. Gregori had to know, after knocking on the bedroom door twice and being told to go away by Nikolai, exactly how the two of them had spent the rest of the morning. For Nikolai to dismiss her like that to the other man, just hours later, made Daisy cringe with embarrassment.
She didn’t have the sophisticated tools necessary to be able to continue to share this suite with Nikolai after hearing the things he had said about her to Gregori.
“Daisy?” Nikolai prompted sharply, slightly unnerved at her continued silence. Daisy always had something to say about everything.
She zipped up her bag before turning to face him, green eyes narrowed to catlike slits. “What do you want now, Nikolai? A last ‘reasonably good fuck’ before I go? Or maybe a testimonial from me so that you can hand it to the next women stupid enough not to realize that to you she’s just an ‘amusing diversion’?”
Fuck.
He’d made those remarks to Gregori, not Daisy, which meant that she had to have overheard their conversation. Heard it, and now hated him for it.
Which was what he wanted.
Wasn’t it?
Whether Nikolai wanted it or not, that was the end result.
He should be relieved it was all over between the two of them. Not dancing-in-the-streets relieved, but relieved nonetheless.
Instead, he felt an unease. A queasiness in the pit of his stomach. As if he had eaten or drunk something that disagreed with him.
As if I’ve said something that’s obviously hurt Daisy.
To take it back, to apologize would be wrong, when he knew it was over between the two of them. That it had to be.
But to allow her to go on hating him made him feel physically ill.
Nikolai’s fingers curled into fists at his sides as he fought an inner battle with himself. To just let it go. To let Daisy go. Even if it hurt him to do so.
“I did warn you this was the way it would be,” he reminded her mockingly.
“So you did.” Her eyes glittered with contempt. “And really, I should be thanking you. After all, you’ve assured me there are no other women out there who can claim to have lost their virginity to Nikolai Volkov!”
Daggers.
Each and every one of Daisy’s words pierced his skin like the sharp tip of a blade. Thrusting. Piercing. Drawing blood, time and time again. Until Nikolai wanted to crawl out of his skin to stop the continuous pain.
“There aren’t,” he confirmed abruptly.
“Lucky me,” she derided. “You also said I was a reasonably good fuck despite that inexperience, so perhaps I should be the one asking you for the testimonial to hand to the next man— You’re hurting me, Nikolai,” she gasped.
He had barely been aware of crossing the room, let alone grasping Daisy’s wrist tightly between his fingers. A grip he couldn’t relax, despite knowing it was causing her pain. “What next man? I said what next man, Daisy?” he bit out between clenched teeth.
“My, my, whoever would have guessed you were a ‘no one is allowed to play with my toys’ man.” Green eyes glittered up at him in challenge.
“You aren’t a toy—”
“Your fuck buddy, then.” She shrugged.
Nikolai was enraged. So enraged he could never remember being this angry before. Ever. “Don’t call yourself that!”
“Why not, when you’ve made it obvious that’s what I am to you. What I was,” she corrected pointedly. “Let go of me, Nikolai,” she repeated evenly.
Her skin felt like velvet beneath his fingers, her perfume, warm fragrant woman, filling his senses, until all Nikolai could feel and breathe was Daisy.
“Last chance, Nikolai,” she warned softly.
The smell of Daisy was like a drug in his system, a stark reminder of their hot and naked bodies. Entwined. Joined. His cock encased like a glove inside her heat, the pleasure immeasurable—
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she rasped harshly before grasping Nikolai’s wrist with her other hand, squeezing before bending his fingers back as he released his grip slightly.
Within seconds, Daisy had him facedown on the carpeted floor, with both his arms twisted and pulled up painfully behind his back, her knees on either side of his body as she straddled his waist.
Because Nikolai had let her. Because at this moment, he had no fight left in him, was utterly consumed by his own self-inflicted loathing.
Knowing that no matter how much he might despise himself right now, Daisy must despise him even more. She wouldn’t thank him for it now—she seemed more intent on inflicting physical pain on him than thanking him—but he would hurt her less by walking away now than if they continued with this affair and he left her in a week, or a month, from now.
Because he would leave.
He had spent too many years protecting himself, erecting that barrier about his emotions, to now allow a tiny blonde Amazon to bring him to his knees.
Although he didn’t seem to have the same problem allowing her to put him flat on his face!
He sighed heavily. “You can release me now.”
Daisy wasn’t ready to release him. She felt too overwrought, too aware of Nikolai’s heat and the hard muscles of his body, to feel able to move away from that warmth just yet. Especially when she knew this was probably the last time she would be allowed to touch him. To feel that heat, and the raw power behind those tensed muscles.
As evidence that he could release himself if he chose to do so?
He hadn’t fought back, she realized belatedly. If he had, then she would most likely now be the one facedown on the carpet.
Why hadn’t Nikolai fought back?
Because this is over, and I’m just making a fool of myself, she realized.
She abruptly released her grip on his wrists before standing up, waiting until Nikolai was also back on his feet before speaking. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to call in my report to Lijah.” She turned on her heel to collect her packed bag and leave the suite.
Before she compounded her misery and broke down and told Nikolai she had fallen in love with him.
A declaration she knew he didn’t want to hear.
Not from her.
Not from any woman.
Chapter 14
Three weeks later.
“Don’t make me regret asking you to stand in as best man at my wedding when Dair couldn’t make it in time.” Lijah eyed Nikolai impatiently as he watched him pushing and pulling at the claret-colored cravat currently constricting his throat. “You could at least stop scowling and try to look as if my wedding is a happy occasion?” he muttered as he pushed Nikolai’s finger out of the way and straightened the cravat himself.
“My scowl has nothing to do with the fact you’re marrying Callie today and everything to do with— Oh, to hell with it.” Nikolai broke off the angry comment to turn away in disgust from the mirror. He was no happier with his formal appearance now than he had been ten minutes ago, so why bother wasting any more time on it? “I pretty much hate you right now. You know that, don’t you?”
“If you hated me, you wouldn’t have agreed to dress up in the penguin suit.” Lijah gave an unconcerned grin.
A grin from the condemned man. And yet Lijah didn’t appear condemned. He looked happier and more relaxed than Nikolai had ever seen him.
Because he was about to marry the woman he loved. Build a marriage with her, a home, have children.
Because he could, Nikolai reminded himself. Lijah no longer worked for Grayson Security, was going to write a book when he and Callie returned from their honeymoon.
“I’m dressed up in this fucking penguin suit because I’m the only person you know who�
�s the same size as Dair!” Nikolai’s voice rose in exasperation.
What the hell had he been thinking of to agree to this? So Dair’s jet had developed engine trouble and he was going to arrive from Venice too late to attend the actual wedding ceremony. That didn’t mean that Nikolai had to be hauled in to take his place as Lijah’s best man. Did it?
Apparently, according to Lijah, it did. Enough so that the two men were currently at the warehouse the other man had converted into a home, dressed in their morning suits, ready for the wedding ceremony due to take place in just over half an hour.
“Do you really believe that?”
He turned his scowling gaze on Lijah. “Well, of course I believe it.”
“Then you’re an idiot.”
He raised surprised brows. “Thanks.”
“Jonas is obviously out.” The other man was six feet six inches tall, and heavily muscled. “But Seth is the same size as Dair. Gregori is too. And Finn and Lucien. So is Rory, for that matter.” Lijah ticked off each of his friends in turn by tapping the top of a finger. “I asked you because I wanted you to be my best man.”
“Oh.”
Lijah chuckled at his obvious bewilderment. “You can be a cold bastard at times, but the truth is I actually like you, Nikolai.”
Daisy had implied that might be the case—
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Nikolai had been so determined not to think of her until he absolutely had to.
Except he had done nothing else but remember since he had last seen Daisy the day they had all returned from New York.
She had been so beautiful that day. The softness of her hair, golden in the sunlight. Her eyes a beautiful clear green. That smattering of freckles across her nose. The fullness of her lips. The sexy hollows at the base of her throat. Her breasts tipped with those juicy nipples. The dip of her waist. The curve of her hips. Those golden curls between her thighs. Oh God, the smell and taste of her—
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