Page 15 (1/1)

I wasn't surprised when the man didn't take the bait He seeht before when he'd been arrested He'd been cal the officers’ questions as they'd led him away Under nor hi or two, but I was stillwith the man

Nik

The name suited him and yet it didn't I reiven to Simon The card hadn't said Nik It'd said Nikolai Why did I even care about that? Why was I thinking that the longer version of his name fit him better?

And as I fascinated by the hint of the accent I could hear in his voice? It sounded Eastern European Russian maybe Or Ukrainian

I could feelto scatter into different directions That wasn't so I could afford, especially not in front of Nikolai

Jesus, where had that co to call him that in my head?

My eyes fell to my damp sleeve The discoloration froaveto focus on I ave hi to do with ed the jacket off my shoulders as I walked toward the bathroom

"Pick that up," I said to Nikolai as I motioned to my fallen computer I didn't expect him to do it, of course, but I'd lost a lot of cool points already

Hell, as I kidding? I had absolutely no cool points going for

As I neared the bathrooan unbuttoningfor the handle on the door when firers closed around my wrist and I was pulled back several feet The action had ers curled around my upper arms The heat was unmistakable So was the fact that I couldn't breathe

I automatically yanked myself away from him and spun around The move caused ?" I snapped He was still too close for comfort I could s off his body God, he’d be so warht, especially after a nightmare No doubt those arms of his could chase away any fear

I fully expected hi around anymore He'd already crossed way tooback, Nikolai stepped forward instead, crowding ainst the door His jaas set into a hard line as he said, "Lesson number one You never enter a room until I do a sweep of it"

A twinge of disappointh I didn't really understand why It probably had to do with the fact that my body felt like it was in all sorts of knots fro me a so-called lesson

"Get off ed to keep retting that fact He was far too close for coainst him beyond my words

"Lesson number two," Nikolai continued as if I hadn't spoken "You calm the fuck down"

It was all I could do not to shove hiet control of et me nowhere and I couldn't afford for my brain to scatter into a ot overly stressed No way in hell was I going to allow Nikolai Falkov to undo what I’d spent years and years working to overcome

Instead of lettinghis own body between mine and the door At that point, he released his hold on me and entered the bathroom I had no doubt that he'd already checked the bathrooshow of checking every nook and cranny When his big body filled the doorway, he said, "Now I'm done"

My fingers felt like they were shaking as I plucked at the last few buttons on my shirt I practically ripped the last one off as I tore the shirt from my body at the same time that I strode past Nikolai Our bodies briefly brushed one another's, but I ignored the fiery sensation that shot straight to my balls and practically slammed the door shut on the man I flipped the lock on the bathroom door and stumbled to the sink I leaned over and cranked the cold water as high as it would go