Chapter Six
Feeling the warm sun on her face, Risa woke up. She opened her eyes, expecting to see Nikolai next to her. Gone. She sighed, sat up, and did her morning stretches. Was last night a wonderful dream after all?
No. She slid a hand on the back of her neck. Risa could remember the press of his mouth over that particular spot, the promise he’d made. Last night, he’d slept next to her. That happened because she wouldn’t be able to sleep so well otherwise. She went to the bathroom and splashed some water on her face.
Risa stared at the tub, remembering the feel of his fingers, gently massaging her scalp. The hungry look in his eyes when he toweled her off. She took a quick shower and brushed her teeth. Risa wore what she usually did at home. Another of Nikolai’s old shirts, which she’d stolen, and a pair of cut-off jeans. Since his shirt was two sizes too big for her, she tied a knot at the front. There. She looked a little more fashionable and less sloppy.
She waltzed out of her room. Nikolai must be somewhere in the house, or had he gone to work? She tracked down Matthew on the first floor. Matthew had been working for Nikolai for a long time. He’d know where he was.
“Master Nikolai’s in his office. He mentioned he’s not heading to the office today,” Matthew told her. The butler seemed to pause, considering his next words. “He hasn’t eaten any breakfast.”
She grinned. “Thanks.”
Risa’s next stop was the kitchen. Jean, the head cook, had made French toast for breakfast. She asked for two plates with plenty of cream, syrup, and strawberries. Jean handed them to her. She made her way to Nikolai’s home office on the second floor. Risa overhead him arguing on the phone with someone.
“Take care of the fucker. Make it look like an accident.”
Why did Risa have a feeling Nikolai was talking about John Stevenson? Risa still had a hard time believing John was capable of doing something like that to her. Then again, she and John weren’t friends. Just ex-schoolmates who happened to bump to each other at events. Thinking back, maybe it was too much of a coincidence that their paths kept crossing.
Risa wanted to move past last night. Knowing John was finally gone, unable to hurt anyone again, gave her a measure of relief.
Using her shoulder, she opened the door. Nikolai looked up from his desk. She always loved his office. Mahogany furniture everywhere. Shelves full of books lined the sides of the room, and Nikolai positioned his big desk right in front of the window.
“Get it done,” Nikolai said to the phone, before putting it down. Even if today was his day off, Nikolai still wore a suit. He had his jacket slung over his chair. It didn’t escape her notice that he wore the maroon-striped tie she’d given him for his last birthday.
“Was that about John?” she asked, setting the two plates in front of his desk.
Nikolai seemed to consider her for a few moments, before moving his gaze from her face to the rest of her. “How many of my shirts have you secretly stolen?”
“Don’t ignore the question.”
Feeling bold thanks to last night, she moved around his desk. Nikolai seemed to sense her intentions because he moved his swivel chair a little further back from the desk. Heart thumping, she slid into his lap, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He didn’t comment when she settled her arms on his shoulders.
“Scum like that shouldn’t be allowed to walk freely. Even prison won’t be able to rehabilitate him,” Nikolai answered her. He reached out, undoing the knot on her shirt. The fabric fell loosely around her. Had he noticed she didn’t bother with a bra?
“Angel,” Nikolai finally said, resting one hand on her left thigh. “Stevenson deserves to die. I’ve got his file from the police. This isn’t his first rodeo.”
Risa blinked, cleared away the dirty thoughts lingering in her head. “You mean he’s done this to someone else?”
“He’s been arrested for rape before, but his family paid off the victim. Those with money think they can get away with anything. But he made a mistake in targeting my woman.”
“You’re right. He deserves whatever’s coming to him.” The calm way she delivered those words chilled her a little. However, after finding out the truth about Stevenson, Risa believed eliminating scum like him would make the world a better place.
Risa quirked her lips to a smile. “Am I your woman?”
Nikolai moved his hand further up her thigh. He undid the button of her shorts, unzipping her.
“You’re not wearing any panties either.” Nikolai pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, the shell of her ear. “Bad girl.”
A thrill went down her spine at those two words. The touch of his lips on her bare skin felt electric. She wanted more, for him to finally take what was rightfully his.
“Are you going to hold yourself back again today?” she asked him.
He answered her by placing his mouth over hers for a sharp, deep kiss that left her gasping after.
“No.” Nikolai reached for the hem of her shirt.
Risa lifted her arms so he could take it off. That left her breasts exposed. He lowered his mouth, took her left nipple between his lips, and sucked. She dug her nails into his biceps as he bit down, leaving his bite mark there. She gasped at the slight flare of pain before he lapped at the hard nipple. Nikolai did the same with her right.
After he was done, she looked at the perfect imprint of his teeth on both her tits. She got wet just from that, and he hadn’t even fucked her yet.
“Very nice,” he said, nuzzling the side of her neck. Nikolai left another hickey there before putting his hand on her waist.
“Are you going to leave plenty of souvenirs all over my body?” she asked him. Risa gasped when he easily lifted her and planted her ass on his desk.
“Any objections?” he asked, pushing away his laptop and other papers.
“Nope. I had a fantasy of you doing this to me once,” Risa confessed.
“Tell me more.”
Nikolai pressed a gentle hand to her chest, urging her to lie flat on the desk. Not the most comfortable position, but both of them couldn’t wait any longer. Besides, she feared Nikolai could still change his mind about all of this.
“Well, you’d throw me on your desk, just like this,” Risa said. He pulled her knees apart, then slid her shorts off her legs. She lay spread out before him, completely nude while he still wore his clothes. The thought only turned her on. Risa wasn’t aware of reaching for her clit until Nikolai grabbed her fingers.
“Naughty girl,” he said, pressing a kiss to her hand. “Your cunt belongs to me now, and so do your precious breasts and the rest of your body. No touching yourself until I permit you to do so.”
Nikolai undid his tie and began wrapping the silk fabric around her wrists. The maroon stripes contrasted nicely against her skin.
“Ooh, kinky,” she commented. Risa experimentally tugged at the bonds. They held tight but didn’t cut into her skin. Nikolai raised her bound hands above her head.
“Keep your hands there, while I get a taste of you.”
“A taste?” she managed to ask. All logical thought emptied her head as he left a trail of sizzling kisses down her marked breasts, her stomach, and thighs.
Nikolai gripped her knees and then put his mouth to her most intimate place. She clawed at the wood as he pushed his tongue into the wet folds of her pussy. Nikolai licked and explored, opening her up like he couldn’t have enough. Risa squirmed as he moved his tongue to her clit. He circled the sensitive bundle of nerves, before biting down lightly on it.
Risa expelled a breath as the pressure building inside her burst. She came, moaning out his name, her head in the clouds.
Nikolai rose up to kiss her on the mouth. She tasted the combined taste of her and him on his tongue. He pulled away, undid the buttons of his shirt, then tossed it aside. Risa licked her lips at the hard planes of muscle across his chest, his six-pack abs, and the V that tapered down to his waist.
“Pants,” she managed to utter.
“Your wish is my command, angel,” Nikolai said, finally unzipping his trousers.