Page 23 of Nikolai: Mine to Protect
That’s what Dimitri did that night twelve months ago. He chose a path he knew would put him in Nikolai’s good graces. It was a smart move from both a business and personal standpoint.
Well, so it seemed at the time. Now I’m not so sure.
His expression when he said my punishment was worse than he ever wanted was the same one his face held when Col sentenced me to run the gauntlet. He seemed in pain, as if his heart bore the scars my body embraces. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear his visit today centered more around me than patching the rift between him and Nikolai.
I attempt to confirm my suspicions by asking, “Why was Dimitri here?”
With a grunt, Nikolai begins circling me again. “No,Ahren. That’s not the way things work.”
A year ago, I would have believed his sneer was in regards to the unjust rules men in his industry expect me to follow, but I’ve learned a lot the past twelve months. His attention isn’t fixated on the men pretending not to watch our charade through lowered lids. He has a union much more vital in his sights. He’s talking about our relationship—about us.
“He said I don’t owe him anything, and that he’s not your enemy.”
My breaths come out in a quiver when Nikolai’s nose dives into my hair to take a long, undignified whiff. “Is that all?”
The shake of my head amplifies the smell Nikolai is intoxicated by. “Although he wishes things were different, he said the only time he sides with an enemy is when he’s planning to take them down.”
My knees meet when Nikolai splays his hand across my jugular so he can pull my head closer to him. Even over the smell of smoke, his scent is hallucinogenic. He didn’t shower after our escapades, so he still smells of my arousal and sweat-slicked skin. It is a sweet, tangy scent that pairs well with the cigarette he just finished.
Recognizing that now is not the time for lust to get the better of me, I straighten my spine before stammering out, “Dimitri doesn’t wish you any harm. He said even though you were raised by the devil, you are still his brother.”
Nikolai growls. I’m unsure if my comment is responsible for his wordless reply or the fact my hair hasn’t been washed since our rigorous activities during our flight to Hopeton.
I assume it is the latter when he gathers my wild curls to one side of my neck. Although there’s an inch of air between us, I know he is hard. The blood roaring through his body isn’t just warming his breaths; it’s thickening his cock as well.
I gasp in a sharp breath when his fingertip traces the bitemarks on my shoulder. “Is that why you smell different? Becauseheset you free?”
Loose strands of hair fall to my shoulders when I rigorously shake my head. “If freedom comes with a new scent, you would have smelled it months ago.”
“Why?” His voice is jagged, as if his throat is being scorned by the same furious bout of lust charring mine.
A second growl ruffles the fine hair on my nape when I answer, “Because you broke through my cocoon with nothing but the tap of your knuckles on a tabletop.”
Nikolai’s men stand and leave when a whoosh sounds behind me. He doesn’t need to voice his demand for them to leave. They’re familiar with his silent commands because he issues them a minimum of three times a day.
Once we are alone, Nikolai bands his arm around my stomach to draw me into his body. He is hard as anticipated, the length of his thickened rod extending well past the curve in my lower back.
“Men in my industry are growing restless. They think I’m being led by my dick. What are your thoughts on that,Ahren?”
His brutish tone shouldn’t turn me on, but it does.
“I think they are foolish, impudent men whose stupidity will soon have them bowing at your feet, pleading for their lives.”
I’m not being facetious. Only a fool would accuse Nikolai of being spineless. If anything, our relationship should make them fear him more. The strong are brave because they were once weak. The fearless are no longer afraid because they’ve already been frightened, just like the men who were denied love stop at nothing to keep it once they have it.
“A real man does whatever it takes to protect the ones he loves. That doesn’t make him weak. It makes him fearless. Smart. It makes him the man I fell in love with in less than a second. You are the strongest you’ve ever been, Nikolai, so I don’t just find their remarks laughable, I believe they are punishable. They need to learn your crown isn’t emblazoned with fancy jewels and rhinestones. It is spiked with grit, discipline, and bravery.”
Nikolai’s cock throbs against my ass when he growls, “Spoken like a true queen.” The zipper in his jeans must be painfully biting his cock, yet it continues to grow, showing it hasn’t even reached half its strength yet. “The only person I’ll ever kneel for.”
Although it takes one hell of an effort to pull away from his embrace, I do. Nikolai wants me to stand at his side, not three paces behind him. I can’t do that if I continually follow the pleas of my body instead of my head. His responses tonight show he is struggling, and although he prefers to keep me out of the gritty elements of his “family business,” we’re a unit, meaning I have to accept both the good and bad parts of his industry.
“Ahren. . .” Nikolai’s disappointment weakens my campaign, but only a little.
I don’t want the power to rule a nation. I merely want enough to influence the man I’m in love with to see sense through the madness surrounding him.
I’m confident I have that. . . I just have no clue how to use it.
“Why was Dimitri here? It must have been important since he didn’t wait for the sun to rise.”
