Masterpiece (The Masters of The Order Book 1) (19 page)

The doorman was very formal and greeted her by name, “
Bienvenue
,
Mademoiselle
Giroux.”

“
Bonsoir
,
monsieur
,” she replied, giving her best coy smile.
And don't think I missed that appreciative glance at my derriere as you held the door open
. She swayed her hips for him as he escorted her into the elevator.

Nicolai swatted her bottom as soon as the doors closed behind them. “Naughty girl.”

She bit her lip with a shrug, "What can I say? You make me feel sexy."

The look she got in reply said,
you just wait
.

Penthouse, of course
.

When the doors opened again, he swept her into his arms and carried her over the threshold. “Welcome home, my Beauty.”

“I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”

He seemed surprised. “I suppose I am.” Cocking his head to the side to flash a smile that suggested things she’d only fantasized about, her wolf added, “Among other things.”

Julianne’s heart hammered as her eyes darted around. Each detail was more fabulous than the last. Late afternoon sunlight poured through a large window high above and streamed over a shiny black and white marble floor. In the center sat a nearly life sized bronze of a kneeling man. His arms held a gigantic oriental vase filled with an extravagant spray of fresh flowers. Twin antique settees sat across from each other beneath huge contemporary paintings Not Nicolai’s work. Curved archways flanked a spindled staircase and offered a glimpse of the rooms beyond. The magnificent colors of the foyer were carried throughout the first floor. The unique blend of varying styles, periods and textures was masterful. Only an artist with a trained eye like Nicolai’s could make the combination work and oh, did it ever work. With this foyer as the introduction, she knew the rest of the apartment would to be spectacular.

Nicolai ignored the rest of the first floor as if it didn’t exist and headed straight for the staircase. She gasped when she looked up. Prominently displayed at the top of the stairs was her painting of Le Bois.

My work isn’t worthy of its prime placement in this grand home
. She tried to hide the insecurity behind a flip remark. “I wondered what happened to that. I thought you might have thrown it away.”

“Nonsense. This painting is a masterpiece. There’s such a fascinating blend of emotions in it. I thought you might enjoy having this cherished memory in your new home.”

“How can you see that?” She’d never told Nicolai anything about her mother and Le Bois.
Am I that transparent?

He smiled patiently, but didn’t answer the question.

Apparently, I am.

“Perhaps one day you will explain its significance to me, but that’s a conversation for another time. Today, I have a special surprise,” he said, blue eyes flashing with suggestion.

Julianne wasn’t sure how to feel about the last comment. Nicolai’s surprises tended to be very challenging.

He carried her up the steps as if she was weightless in his arms. They walked along a wide hallway until he stopped in front of a closed door and set her onto her feet. Then covered her eyes before opening the door.

“For you."

Removing his hand, he revealed a feminine boudoir fit for a princess. Decorated in shades of cream and grey, a tufted velvet ottoman sat in front of a platform surrounded by a gilt three-way mirror. An oversized vanity offered every conceivable accoutrement to pamper a woman. A few dresses hung on built in racks large enough to accommodate many, many more. But the thing that caught her attention filled the back wall.

Shoes!

She’d confessed her shoe obsession to Nicolai and there were shelves filled with every variety of spectacular, decadent, marvelous shoes. Black, silver, blue, grey, red, white, gold. There must have been thirty pair.

“I don’t understand,” she breathed, not taking her eyes off all those tempting babies.

“I wanted to give you a gift.” His eyes lit with mirth, “I guess I got carried away. Do you like it?”

Like it? I love it
. She spun into his arms and hugged tight.

“There’s more,” he said, prying her arms from his neck.

What more can this man possibly give?

Nicolai led her through the boudoir and opened a door on the far side, chuckling at her whimper as he dragged her away from her new babies.

“You can play with them later.”

“Promise?” She gave him a little pout.

“Look at me that way again and I’ll buy the whole damn factory for you.” Taking her hand, he led her into the bathroom.

This was no ordinary room. Finished in hues of brown, it was divided into three sections. An octagonal antechamber with antiqued mirrored walls housed a hammered copper basin with a very low rim. Two wave-like sculptures about six inches long and two feet high stood on either side. A faucet rested atop a similarly graceful holder at the back. Copper veining in the mirrors and the golden glow from overhead lighting softened the hard surfaces and made the space appear warm and inviting. Beyond the place where they stood, she could see two other sections that held the more practical elements of a typical bathroom.

“I designed this specially for you.” Nicolai pointed to the basin and leaned in to purr in her ear, “This is where I will bathe you.”

“Bathe me?” The idea of those talented hands tending to her body in such a basic way was beyond appealing, but despite how many times she imagined giving herself to Nicolai, something about seeing that basin dredged every insecurity to the surface. “I am capable of bathing myself,” she offered softly, eyes glued to the floor.

“You’re mine to care for, Beauty, and I intend on caring for you very well,” he said, dismissing her reply as if she had suggested something ludicrous.

And how else will you care for me, Nicolai?

They were playing in his world now. Nicolai knew the game. Knew the rules. Knew how to win. What did she know?

Nothing. Naïve virgin nothing.
How am I ever going to satisfy this man?

“Stop, Beauty.” He lifted her chin and looked deeply into her eyes as if he was reading her mind. “Just stop. You have no reason to be insecure with me.”

Oh, yes. Reading me as easily as he can read a simple child’s book.

“It’s okay to be nervous, you know. I am.”

“Impossible,” she challenged, perturbed by the thought that Nicolai was patronizing her.

“Very possible,” he pushed back. “Do you think I lie when I say you are my muse?” His eyes burned with sincerity. “You mean everything to me. I finally have the chance to make love to you, the chance to begin building a home with someone as precious as you. Would you care to explain how a person in that situation could not be nervous?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. Circling behind her, he put his lips to the side of her neck and whispered over her shoulder, “Let me take care of you. Please.”

Please
. She’d never heard that humble entreaty cross his lips. Nicolai wasn’t patronizing her. And he wasn’t lying.
Mon Dieu
. The room suddenly became very warm.

Seductive hands began to stroke up and down her arms as soft, wet kisses played along the sensitive skin at her nape. Nicolai moved very slowly, as if to gently entice her, but those little kisses kindled a crackling arousal, making her flush and grow hotter.

“Is it warm in here?”

“Mmm hmm. And getting warmer,” he murmured without moving his lips away.

A delicious ache softened her body and she felt the smile curve on his lips the moment she surrendered to it. Thumbs traced the curve of her shoulders.

“I must compliment you,
Mademoiselle
Giroux. This dress is very tempting.”

She recognized that tone. She was about to be stripped to the skin, no doubt about it. Fingers ran leisurely over her back before tugging the zipper.

“I’ve wanted to peel it off since I first saw you in it.”

The air trickled over her back as the zipper trailed, ever so slowly, down to her waist. Her head fell forward as his tongue travelled up the smooth curve of her spine. Soft breath blowing over the moistened skin sparked another flash of fire.

This is so Nicolai. The seductive ways and the hands and the lips and ooohhh, the tongue. Am I panting?

She really did want to play with him, but he had a whole arsenal of toys in his toy box and she had none.

Well, not exactly none
. “Honestly, sir,” she cooed in the sappy sweet voice she’d used on him that rainy day in the studio, “it’s not as if I planned to seduce you,” and wiggled her bottom against him.

She should have known better.

“Hmm, if you really want to seduce me...” he mused with a hand against his chin and in a motion so quick she almost missed it, pulled the dress up by the hem, over her head and tossed it across the room. Another flash of his hands and her bra fell away. She was stripped to her heels before she could blink. “May I suggest this?" The tone of his voice was playful; the eyes in the mirror were anything but.

“Very impressive.” She swallowed hard, trying to hide the surge of nerves.

”Not as impressive as the beauty I see when I look at you. I’ve imagined you here, like this, for months. You take my breath, Julianne.” The seductive rhythm of Nicolai’s voice announced that playtime was over.

Standing in the middle of the room, she understood the purpose of all those mirrors. Her body was reflected from every angle. Her gaze wandered over the contours of her reflection. She did look beautiful. Felt so sexual. The realization that her artist created all of this for her, for this moment, seduced away the last of her hesitation.

She met Nicolai’s eyes in the glass. “I see how beautiful you are, Nicolai.”

“I am yours to enjoy, Beauty.”

He began to remove his clothing, loosening his tie and cuffs. She could barely breathe as he unbuttoned his shirt with suggestive deliberateness and reached for his belt. He chuckled when she looked away.

“I thought you told me there were plenty of naked men running around at school for you to admire,” he joked and continued his sexy striptease. “I hope I measure up.”

She couldn’t answer.

Deliciously sexy with eyes riveted to her, her man stood, naked and proud, in front of her. Nicolai was even more gorgeous without the expensive clothing. Her gaze slipped to his groin. She didn’t want to stare, but couldn’t rip her eyes away. His erection was huge, jutting out from his toned body as a testament to his desire for her. She remembered the sensation of his fingers inside of her and wondering how
that
would ever fit.

As if he sensed her nervousness, he stepped forward and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Trust me, Beauty.” Turning her toward the basin, he said, “Indulge me in this pleasure. I’ve waited for it too long.”

Indulge me.

There was that phrase again. Those two simple, inexplicable words that seemed to open something deep inside, compelling her to choose the path Nicolai wanted her to follow.

The path that leads to him.

She slipped off her shoes and stepped into the basin. It was too small for her to sit so she settled onto her knees and extended her arms, resting her hands on the handles at the sides. Given what she expected to happen next, she had a feeling that in this case, Nicolai would be doing all the indulging.

“Another dream of you realized, my muse.”

The tableau in the mirror did look like a dream. Amber light reflected up from beneath her. Her hair shimmered with golden highlights, her eyes sparkled and her skin appeared to be dusted in gold. She looked like a gilt goddess kneeling atop an altar.

“Is this real, Nicolai?” she asked, holding his eyes in the mirror.

“Yes, Beauty, this is real. You and I together is the only thing that is real.”

He turned to retrieve a small tray and placed it on the floor next to the basin. She lifted her hand to touch him, but he replaced its position on the smooth metal and turned on the faucet.

“Close your eyes.”

His hand moved to her forehead to coax her head back. Her hair tickled her lower back as his fingers stroked through the dark mane. Warm water. A gentle scent of shampoo. Firm hands massaging her scalp. Was this how it was going to be? Spoiled, pampered and adored by the most gorgeous man in Paris.

A girl could get used to this.

Nicolai spent a long time with her hair. When he finished, he began to run soapy palms over her body. He rubbed every inch of her skin, leaving no part of her untouched. His obvious intent was to clean, but the silky feel of his skin on hers had her entire body throbbing with arousal. By the time he turned off the faucet, she was soaking and not from the water.

“Lean back on your elbows and put your legs over the side of the basin.” His voice had grown deeper, more commanding, and her body responded immediately.

He lifted a fat brush off the tray and swirled it into a lather in a small tin. Warm hands pressed against the cool, wet skin on the inside of her knees to open her legs. He stroked the brush over her folds, the soft bristles tickling as they coated her with foamy froth. At first, she didn’t understand, but then he spoke.