NIKOLAI (Her Russian Protector #4) (29 page)

"It'll be fine." She smiled encouragingly.
"Don't overthink it. Just let it happen."

A ball of nerves wiggled in my belly. Before I
was ready, Lena pulled open the door. With his hand resting on the
door frame, Nikolai loomed over me. He'd put on his coat and tie
but had that disheveled, sexy thing going for him. Lips twitching
with amusement, he pinned me in place with a look that made my
thighs clench together. He lifted his hand and crooked one finger
in a come-hither motion. Powerless to deny him, I joined him in the
doorway.

Nikolai slid his arm around my waist and tugged
me close for a kiss. "Let's get out here before these three friends
of mine bankrupt me with these ransoms."

My eyes closed briefly as his mouth brushed
mine. Peering into his dark gaze, I whispered, "I'm
ready."

Nikolai grasped my hand and led me back onto
the dance floor where our guests waited to see us off. Lena brought
me my bouquet while dozens of our single friends crammed into a
small space for the chance to catch it. One of the weekend
waitresses from Samovar launched herself above the shoving crowd to
triumphantly snatch the bouquet.

In a whirlwind of hugs and kisses and well
wishes, we were ushered out of Faze and into a waiting limousine.
Not surprisingly, I spotted Sergei and Kostya climbing into two
idling SUVs surrounding the limo. The sight of them guarding us
reminded me how much my life had changed since that fateful
December night.

Though he'd been playful during the reception,
Nikolai seemed to tense up as we pulled away from the club. I
stroked his hand but didn't question him. I sensed he was concerned
about our safety. If anyone wanted to make a move on him, this
would be the night to do it.

Nikolai brought my hand to his mouth and kissed
the back of it. I appreciated his reassuring smile but his worried
eyes kept me on edge. As if wanting to put me at ease, he leaned
over and kissed me tenderly. His fingertips grazed my cheek as he
gazed down at me with such love burning in his eyes. "Was it
everything you wanted?"

"Yes." I touched his jaw. "Thank you. It was a
perfect wedding." Feeling a bit guilty, I added, "I can only
imagine what it cost to do all of that on such short
notice."

"I'd pay it again in a heartbeat to see you
smile the way you have all day." His sweet reply made me grin.
Touching my chin, he whispered, "Just like that."

Emboldened by the wedding band now resting on
my right hand, I dragged Nikolai down for a seeking kiss. He made a
happy sound and wrapped his arms around me. Feeling braver than
ever, I flicked my tongue against the seam of his lips. He let
loose a needy growl before granting me access.

As our tongues started to duel, I lost control
of the kiss. Nikolai's masterful hands roamed my back and cupped my
neck. His ravenous attack left me dizzy. I clutched at the lapels
of his jacket as the passion burning between us raged like a
wildfire. When he palmed my breast, I nearly fainted. It was the
first time he'd ever dared to touch me in that way—and I wanted
more.

I slid my hands under his jacket and held tight
to his powerful body. Turned as far as I could manage with my
safety belt in place, I arched into his punishing kisses. His hand
skimmed my back and finally settled right on my bottom. When he
squeezed my plump flesh, I gasped against his mouth.

If it hadn't been for our seatbelts and his
constant concern for my safety, I felt sure he would have pushed me
onto my back and hiked up my skirt to take me right there. His
heavy breathing proved his legendary control was about to snap. As
if desperate to maintain the tenuous hold on his raging lust,
Nikolai inhaled deeply and put a little space between
us.

By the time we arrived at his house, he'd
managed to cool down some but the promise of what this night would
bring left me shaking and hot. Nikolai stepped out of limo first
and came around to my side to help me out. Even though I'm sure it
hurt his still healing body, Nikolai swept me up into his arms to
carry me up the sidewalk and into the house.

I noticed the way Sergei, Kostya and the others
didn't follow us inside. Tonight, at least, it seemed Nikolai had
regained the privacy of his home. He set me down to close the door
but he didn't lock it. Instead, he dragged me close for a loving
kiss. He spoke Russian to me as he murmured, "Welcome home, Mrs.
Kalasnikova."

I pressed my cheek to his chest. "It doesn’t
seem real. It's like a dream."

"A good dream?" he asked hopefully.

"The very best," I whispered.

"Turn around," he ordered softly.

Swallowing hard, I presented my back to him.
Nikolai gathered the long waves of my hair in one hand and pushed
them over my left shoulder. His nimble fingers flicked through the
delicate pearl buttons now bared to him. He unhooked the dress and
lowered the zipper. I trembled inside when he pressed feather-light
kisses to my shoulder.

"I'll be upstairs in a short while. There are
things I must attend first."

I assumed he meant giving Kostya and Sergei
their orders for the night. "All right."

Nikolai peppered noisy kisses along the curve
of my neck. He gave my dress a little tug. "Take this off." He ran
his finger along the band of my bra. "And this too."

My voice left me as excitement and anxiety took
hold. All I could do was nod as I gathered the bustled skirt of my
dress in one hand and began the slow walk toward the staircase.
When I reached the second floor, I turned to gaze at Nikolai. He
hadn't moved a muscle. He simply watched me, his eyes blazing with
desire and love.

I waited until I was safely inside the guest
bedroom to start panicking and rushing. Even though my friends had
warned me not worry about making everything go perfectly, I still
wanted to try. After I wiggled out of my dress and draped it over
the reading chair, I scurried into the bathroom and stripped out of
my undies to prepare myself.

As I removed my makeup and brushed my teeth, I
tried to get a grip. Maybe Lena and Erin were right about keeping
my expectations low for this first time. I hoped Benny and Bianca's
first times would mirror my own experience. I could live with
tender and sweet this first time. I didn't doubt that Nikolai would
be patient with me or that he would show me pleasure. I only hoped
I could figure out how to make him feel good too.

When I finished primping, I stared at the
ridiculously expensive set of lingerie the girls had given me. I
held up the skimpy lacy pieces but didn't feel the urge to wear
them. Something told me Nikolai would rather find me naked and
waiting.

I slipped into the pale pink silk
dressing gown that matched the lingerie and tied the belt around my
waist. Gulping down my nervousness, I finally managed to leave the
guest room and cross the hall to Nikolai's—
our
—bedroom.

When I opened the door, I found him sitting on
the edge of his bed, removing his shoes and socks. He'd already
discarded his jacket, tie and shirt. His heavily tattooed chest and
back made him look so dangerous and terrifying. I wasn't so blinded
by love that I didn't recognize what his myriad tattoos meant but I
didn't find him scary or intimidating in the least.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, I crossed the
room to stand in front of him. Spreading his thighs, Nikolai tugged
me between his legs. The stiff fabric of his trousers felt strange
against my bare skin. Wordlessly, Nikolai pulled on one end of the
robe's belt, loosening the knot until both sides of the robe fell
open. For the longest time, he simply gazed at my naked
flesh.

"You are so damn beautiful. You're beautiful
every day," he added with a smile, "but today you are exceptionally
perfect."

Goose bumps blossomed on my naked skin as his
fingertips trailed a straight line from my collarbone to my breast.
My toes curled against the hardwood planks as he slowly circled my
nipple. The dusky peak reacted to his touch by puckering tightly.
Nikolai slid his other hand along my waist to the small of my back,
holding me firmly in place as his mouth lowered to my
breast.

"Oh!" The shocked gasp left my throat the
moment his soft lips closed around my aching flesh. He suckled me
gently, each pull of his lips around my nipple transferring the
wicked tugging sensations straight to my throbbing clitoris.
Overheated and trembling, I gripped his shoulder and prayed my
knees wouldn't give out. "Nikolai…"

When his mouth began to sensually torment my
other breast, he tweaked my wet nipple between his fingertips. The
bright arcs of sensation raced through my chest and down into my
core. My thighs flexed as I tried to assuage the dull ache building
between them. I'd been excited before but this was a whole new
level of arousal.

Without a word of warning, Nikolai picked me up
and dropped me in the middle of his bed. In an instant, he was
crawling over me. With one knee between my legs, he pinned me to
the mattress and crashed his mouth to mine. I relished the feel of
his hot skin against mine.

We kissed frantically while we
clutched and caressed. I could feel myself growing wetter as
Nikolai's hands glided along my curves. I desperately wanted him to
touch me
there
but
he kept his hands above my waist for now.

Nikolai shifted until both of his legs were
between mine. The rigid length of him tented the front of his
pants. Wanting to feel the weight of his steely heat in my hand, I
reached between us to unbuckle his belt. My coordination wasn't
good enough to kiss and unbuckle at the same time so Nikolai
rescued me from my fumbling attempts.

Brushing aside my hands, he quickly took care
of his belt and zipper. Taking my smaller hand in his, he dragged
it down between our entwined bodied. When my fingers encountered
the blistering heat of his cock, I experienced a desperate need to
caress and stroke him.

Nikolai groaned as my small hand closed around
him. His tongue thrust into my mouth in a way that mimicked what he
intended to do to me very soon. I couldn't breathe now. I shuddered
with anticipation and excitement. Red-hot currents raced up and
down my body.

When the blunt tip of his cock stabbed against
my sex, I moaned and tore away from his mouth. "Wait," I begged
breathlessly.

The sound of my voice seemed to startle him.
Nikolai went perfectly still above me. Before I could explain that
I didn't want him to stop, only to slow down, he lifted his hips
and pushed up onto one knee. He broke all contact with me—and it
hurt.

Breathing hard, he ran his fingers through his
hair. When he looked at me, that old mask of indifference had
returned to his face. The icy wall he'd used to keep me at arm's
length for so long slammed down between us, leaving me utterly
confounded.

He bent down to brush a tender kiss to my
forehead. "It's been a long day. You should rest."

"But—" I didn't even get a chance to ask him
what I'd done wrong. He fled the room without even zipping his
pants. Alone in our bed, I stared at the closed door now between
us. Embarrassment twisted my gut.

What the hell had just happened?

Chapter Nineteen

Fuck.
Fuck
.

Safe in the hallway, Nikolai zipped his pants
and pressed his forehead to the wall. Shame gripped him. He'd
nearly lost control with Vivian. He'd promised himself that he'd
take his time with her and show her real pleasure, but instead he'd
let his dick take control. He'd been seconds away from taking her
virginity like a fucking ogre.

The way she'd practically begged him to stop
made his stomach churn. He could only imagine what she thought of
him right now. She'd trusted him to be gentle and he'd frightened
her.

As he rubbed his hand down his face, he heard
the front door open. Irritated, he pushed off the wall and stormed
to the stairs. Kostya stood just inside the entryway and glanced
toward the second floor. The look in Kostya's eyes chilled
Nikolai's raging lust.

Expecting the very worst, he asked, "What's
happened?"

"Someone left you a wedding gift at
Samovar."

The ominous statement left him uneasy.
Unwilling to face Vivian so soon after he'd fucked everything up
between them, he headed downstairs to the laundry room. He found a
pair of jeans and a shirt in the clean stacks the housekeeper had
left on the folding counter and pulled on clean socks and his
boots. Once on the porch, he gave Sergei and Danny strict orders
for keeping Vivian safe.

Certain she was in safe hands, he slid into the
front seat of Kostya's SUV. During the drive, images of Vivian's
gorgeous body bombarded him. He could still feel the silky heat of
her skin beneath his fingertips. Her soft moans and excited
whimpers echoed in his ears. He thought of all the ways he could
apologize for scaring her and of the ways he might earn her
trust.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Nikolai
noticed the grim faces of the men who waited outside. No one would
meet his eye. His chest tightened as he entered the restaurant
through the employee entrance, crossed through the kitchen and
stepped inside the dining room. The lights had been dimmed to their
lowest setting and the shades were pulled to prevent anyone from
getting a look through the front windows.