Page 42 of Nikolai

A flash of pain crosses Nikolai's face, and on instinct, I reach up and palm his cheek, running my fingers through his beard.

"Fuck, baby." He shakes his head. "When Maxim told me you had been in an accident, I lost it. All I could think about was getting to you."

"Nikolai," I whisper.

"No, Leah. You don't understand. The thought of losing you. Fuck." Nikolai rests his forehead against mine. I don't realize I am holding my breath until Nikolai says, "Breathe, Malyshka."

I do as he says, my breath washing over his face. I can't help looking at his mouth as he speaks. I bite my bottom lip at the memory of our kiss. And when a growl rumbles through Nikolai's chest, my gaze abandons his full lips and travels up his face to see his nostrils flare, and his pupils dilate. Suddenly my tummy flutters as I recognize the look he has. It's the same look he gave me the night I played for him. "Fuck it," he bites out just before his mouth crashes down on mine, breathing life back into me. One second, I feel empty, and the next, his kiss if giving me back all I lost.

An hour later,Nikolai is sitting on the sofa in the living room with Chinese takeout on the coffee table in front of us, and I am still trying to come down from my post kiss fog. Nikolai and I spent what seemed like forever exploring each other's mouths. That kiss left no doubt on exactly how he feels about me. But that doesn't mean I still don't have questions. I stab my chopsticks into my noodles, contemplating how to broach the subject of his mother. Nikolai and I have been spending a lot of time together, but he hasn't talked much about himself. Sure, we discussed his father and, of course, Logan, but never his mom. His confession about his mother showing up has me wanting to know more about his relationship with her. Although my gut tells me, it's not a good one.

Setting my food down on the table, I turn toward Nikolai, who is sitting beside me. His eyes are already assessing me, and I realize he must have been watching my contemplation the past few minutes because he too has stopped eating like he knew what conversation was coming.

"I've never heard you talk about your mom. Earlier, you said she showed up unannounced. Was that a good thing or bad?"

Nikolai lets out a heavy sigh. "Whenever something concerns my mother, you can assume it's bad. My mother has spent my whole life lying and manipulating me. She did the same to my father for the length of their marriage. The stunt she pulled yesterday with Katya was just another one of her tactics. To be clear, before this conversation about my mother goes any further, I want you to believe me when I say Katya was never my fiancé or girlfriend."

"She was someone you were intimate with, though, right?" Nikolai's jaw clenches, and he looks like he doesn't want to answer the question but does anyway.

"Yes. It's been over a year since I last saw her, though."

At his age, I knew Nikolai was no choir boy. But having it thrown in my face stung.

Nikolai cups my cheek. "I know that hurt you, Leah. I'd probably lose my shit if I ever come face to face with an old boyfriend." He shakes his head. "Fuck, I don't like even thinking about you with someone else."

An old boyfriend? Nikolai thinks I've had boyfriends. Oh, God. How embarrassing.

"Um…I don't have any ex-boyfriends." I look down at my lap, my face heating at my confession.

"What? Surly you…"

I shake my head before the last word leaves his mouth. Nikolai places his finger under my chin, forcing me to look up. "Are you telling me there has been no one before me?"

"No one."

"In every sense?"

My breathing picks up because I know he's referring to sex. "Yes," I whisper.

Nikolai's pupils dilate. The heat coming off him is palpable as he runs the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. I don't know what possesses me to look down, but when I do, I gasp at the sight of his very noticeable erection, resting against the inside of his thigh, tightly concealed behind the zipper of his jeans. Realizing my mouth is hanging open, I snap it shut and bring my eyes back to his. Only his focus is not on my face. No, Nikolai's attention is on my chest. And when I look down, I see why. My nipples are peeking through the front of my t-shirt. My chest begins to rise and fall with my heavy breathing. Nikolai's arm that was resting on the back of the sofa drops to around my waist. The next thing I know, I'm straddling his lap, and his mouth is on mine. The moment my center presses down on his hard length, my mouth opens on a groan, and Nikolai takes full advantage, sneaking his tongue past my lips.

Breaking our kiss, Nikolai bites his way along my jaw, and his husky tone fills my ear. "I want to make you come. Will you let me?"

Unable to speak, I nod.

"Stand up, Malyshka."

Nervously, I slide off his lap and stand between his spread legs. He doesn't take his eyes off mine as he hooks his thumbs into the band of my leggings and drags them down my legs, leaving me in my panties. I grab hold of his shoulders as I step out of them. It takes all the strength I can muster not to fidget at how exposed I am. I fail when I fist the hem of my shirt and try pulling it down to cover myself.

Nikolai knocks my hands away. "Stop. Never hide from me. Do you understand? I love your body, Leah. You have the body of a woman." He runs his palms up my calves and over my thighs until both hands cup my butt. "Straddle me," he commands, his voice gruff.

Setting over his lap, with my knees on either side, Nikolai slips his hands under my shirt, cupping my full breast. My eyes close and I let out a throaty moan when he lightly pinches my nipples. His hands then travel to my back and downward, inside my panties. My nails dig into the flesh of his shoulders when one hand slowly makes its way to the front.

"Relax for me, Leah." At the soothing tone of his voice, I allow all the tension to leave my body and focus only on the pleasure Nikolai is giving me. The world around me fades away, and the only thing I feel is his touch.

"That's it, Leah. Let go and feel what your man is doing to you," Nikolai says just as his thumb presses against my clit the same time a second finger slips inside me.

"Fuck, you're so wet and tight."

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