by Kay Loren
"Shall we?" Nikolai smiled as he gestured for Audrina to lead the way.
Audrina walked in front of him into the tall, fancy building. They took the elevator to one of the top floors and walked down the long white hall and stopped once they reached the end of the hall where there was a big white door. Audrina fumbled around in her purse for her house keys and opened the door quickly once she retrieved them.
Nikolai couldn't help but be amazed at how white her apartment was. White carpet, white tile, white furniture, white kitchen, white walls… everything from was white except for her plush red couches that faced the window view, and a few objects in the room.
"You like white a lot don't you?" Nikolai chuckled as he took off his black coat along with his matching suit jacket.
"Eh…" Audrina shrugged as she walked over to a huge sliding glass door that was in the middle of her living room. She opened it and stepped out onto the little balcony, "The apartment was furnished like this when I moved in so I kept it. "
Nikolai walked over to the couch and sat down, "I thought you lived with Michael."
Audrina turned from the balcony, facing Nikolai from far and leaned against the railing, bringing her arms around her chest. "I do… but when Michael goes on his business trips, I like to come back here and be completely alone."
"Completely alone?" Nikolai slowly asked.
He was never completely alone. He always had either Sergei or another one of his other guards around him 24/7. Even now Sergei was parked down the street, on the look out.
"Yeah," she smiled, walking back into the house. "None of Michael's bodyguards or maids around me… it feels great."
Nikolai chuckled and leaned back on the sofa, crossing his leg, "Wouldn't know what it… feels… like."
"Would you like anything to drink?"
Nikolai nodded his head, "What do you have?"
Audrina walked over to her kitchen and opened up her the fridge. She only had bottles and canned drinks in there along with a few items of food that she was sure had gone beyond their expiration date. "Um… water… Red Bull… and oh look… a bottle of champagne." She took out the bottle and wiggled it in the air so Nikolai could see.
"I guess the champagne then," he chuckled.
Audrina gathered two glasses from the cabinet then brought it over to the living room, setting it down on the little white coffee table.
"Can you?" Audrina smiled, gesturing for Nikolai to open the champagne.
Nikolai stood up, getting the chilled bottled from Audrina and opening it efficiently without the cork flying crazy about. He poured the golden, bubbly liquid into two glasses then handed Audrina one as she sat down next to him.
He raised his glass, "To being completely alone."
Audrina chuckled, "Well there are two of us here, but I see what you mean."
They clinked their glasses together and sipped silently.
"This is good," Nikolai commented, enjoying the taste of the champagne. He rarely drank the stuff; he always stuck to either wine or liquor.
"It should be," she chuckled as she served them both a second glass. "The director of one of my shows gave it to me at my last performance… He said it was expensive champagne from Europe I guess."
"Your last show?" Nikolai asked. "You do not dance anymore?"
Audrina set her glass down on the table. She hated talking about why she left burlesque dancing. It was one of the best jobs in the world to her, but when she met Michael, it all changed. He always complained that he wished she would quit and how only one 'lucky' man should get to see his woman perform like that. It even put a strain on their relationship because all his friends would see her perform and he threatened to break up with her if she didn't quit. She was madly in love with him, so she decided to just leave the business.
"Well, I guess you could say that I retired early," Audrina replied, not wanting to tell Nikolai the truth.
Nikolai stayed quiet for a minute while he put two and two together.
"Michael made you quit?"
Audrina nodded her head slowly, "How did you know?"
Nikolai shrugged, "You just told me."
She didn't really know Nikolai that well, but he already could read her like an open book. It was unnerving yet exciting to her.
"Why are you with him?" Nikolai asked Audrina. It was a serious question that only made his prominent features stand out more as he gazed at her awaiting her answer.
A deep frown set on her beautiful face. She didn't know why but she had to think about the question. Yes, she loved Michael even though he was an asshole sometimes and yes she wanted to marry him but she didn't know why. She guessed that because Michael was so possessive of her it meant that he really did love her… She had never been in love or for that matter, experienced any type of love until she met Michael. Maybe that's what love is.
"I love him," Audrina finally replied. "That's why I guess."
Audrina was looking down at her lap making it hard for him to see her face. He knew if he saw her face he could decipher her true feelings.
"You don't sound so sure," Nikolai said sitting up straight.
"And how would you know!" Audrina raised her voice, meeting the hard blue eyes of Nikolai. "Have you ever been in love? Huh?"
She waited for his answer but he just stayed quiet, looking straight ahead. He had never been in love. Love was the last thing on his mind. Work was always a priority to him. He was always a playboy, dating many women, never committing. The only true feelings he had were for Audrina and he felt weird about that considering he had only slept with her the one night. Yet she consumed his every thought in the last year and even more now that he had seen her again.
"Sorry," she apologized. She stood and made her way over to the balcony once again, over looking the city. She didn't know what to feel but she tried hard to make sense of her feelings for Michael.
She remembered her first love vividly. David Lockwood. He was tall, dark, handsome and the son of her foster parents. They were both sixteen and proclaimed their love for one another after six months of her living with them. She thought she was madly in love but after she lost her virginity to him and his parents found out, they kicked her out.
She was heartbroken and when she looked for him a few months later, the family had packed up and moved away. The memory of it now made her chuckle for her foolishness but she always regarded him as her first love. But her love for Michael was different. She was older now and she believed the way he showed her love -the jealousy and aggression- meant he really loved her.
It was wrong, she knew this but she could not part from Michael. He came into her life when she had just given up on love and made her feel like she had a chance at her own family. He promised her all this and more and she told herself it was love. She had to keep believing.
"Don't be," Nikolai said walking up behind her and placing his hands on her waist.
His touch was a welcome comfort. She sighed and leaned against his hard chest. It didn’t feel weird to her that she was practically in the arms of another man. All thoughts of Michael had vanished and she felt at peace in that present moment.
"You're too good at reading people," she commented.
He chuckled, "That's part of my job."
They stayed quiet for a few minutes, just admiring the view of half of Deep Falls. Buildings and lights glittered the city in a warm glow as the sun began to set. They were both lost in the moment of silence while the city beneath them went about.
"The view is beautiful," Nikolai stated lowly in her ear while he held her close. His cool breath tickled her cheek sending tingles throughout her body.
Audrina turned to look up at his face. God he’s amazing looking, she thought. Nikolai smiled down at her and placed a small kiss on her nose then on her mouth. She pulled back a little, not sure if she should kiss him back or not. When he kissed her back in the restaurant, she liked it. His kisses just felt… right, she thought. She kissed Nikolai back just to s
ee what she felt…
The way he kissed her made her weak all over. So much passion and he really knew how to work his tongue in her mouth. He ran his hands up and down her body in a way only a lover would. His hands soon found their way up her black, pencil skirt, moving her thong to one side and groaning when he massaged her soft, wet flesh with two fingers. She moaned and could feel the slight erection through his pants press into her back.
That was her undoing.
She lightly pushed Nikolai off of her and pinned him against the red brick railing. Nikolai was surprised by this move; he stood still and watched her as she got down on her knees. She unbuckled his belt and zipped down his slacks, pulling out his long, thick, throbbing member. She had forgotten just how big he was. It was like a pole in her hand. Nikolai gasped when she took him into her mouth and moaned. She bobbed her head up and down continuously and would stop just to suck and flick at the tip.
When Nikolai was on the verge of coming, she stopped and giggled when she saw the confused look on his face. She stood up and pulled off her white tank top and slipped out of her skirt, leaving only her red stilettos on. Nikolai cupped one of her full breasts, sucking on the nipple as she helped him button down his white dress shirt.
"Fuck me right here," she whispered once they were both completely naked.
Without a second thought, he pushed her up against the wall and wrapped one of her legs around his waist. He crouched down and entered her slowly. Audrina moaned and threw her head back when she felt him completely in her, taking a few long thrusts. She couldn't help but gasp and moan as pain and pleasure mixed within her. He grabbed her by the butt and hoisted her up so both her legs were wrapped around him completely. As he started to pick up the pace, pleasure set in her completely and she could feel the pressure in her rising.
"Harder," Audrina moaned, wrapping her arms around his perspiring neck. Nikolai laughed lightly against her collarbone as he thrusted in her harder and faster, their moans and groans becoming more frantic.
The pressure that had been building up in Audrina had finally released and she moaned loudly as she climaxed. Nikolai griped her even tighter as he continued to thrust into her, his breathing coming out in fast pants. She groaned when she felt the familiar pressure arising in her again.
Nikolai pressed her body harshly against the wall so the brick material cut into her back deliciously. He was so intense that Audrina had to grab onto the edge of the brick wall for support just to deal with his thrusting. Nikolai buried his head into her neck, panting, and Audrina moaned loudly as they both reached climax together.
Audrina could barley stand straight as Nikolai sighed and pulled out of her. He pressed his lips to hers one last time as she wrapped her arms around his neck to support her wobbly legs from giving out beneath her. She buried her head into his chest and felt the rapid beat of his heart and eventually his arms wrap around her.
He picked her up again in his arms seeing that she was tired and took her to her bedroom. He laid her down and pulled the white duvet around her. He climbed in right after and she turned to him, nestling in the crook of his arm, inhaling his intoxicating manly scent.
She looked up at him with a curious gaze. “How did you get that scar?” she whispered, trailing her finger lightly over the faint scar from his temple to his cheekbone.
He reached up to where her fingers slowly caressed him. “Oh that. I forget it’s there at times.”
“Where did it come from?”
Nikolai frowned, “A fight.”
She looked him in the eyes beckoning him to go on although he did not really want to get into it.
“I was fifteen. I was walking home alone one night and a few guys thought it wise to attack me,” he stated lowly looking off behind her shoulder. “I was just as tall as I am now and I towered over everyone so they attacked me with bats and blades.”
Audrina let out a shaky gasp. She could not imagine anyone hurting him. She stroked his cheek tenderly making him smile.
“They didn’t hurt me too bad. I remember only being hit twice with the bat before I grabbed it and fought back.”
“But how did your face get cut?”
“Well out of the three of them, only one stayed behind, the biggest one, and as I was punching him on the floor, he got the knife and cut me.”
Nikolai dared not tell her the end result of what had happened to the boy afterwards. It was best for him not to show her that part of himself. But he remembered all too well that was the first time in his life that he had blood on his hands.
She brought her lips up and kissed his scar. “I like it… I think it makes you look tough…”
He laughed at her childlike comment and kissed her forehead. “I’m glad you do, although it hurt for a long time.”
“I have a scar too but I got it when I was working as a waitress,” she said showing him the collection of different sized scars marking her forearm. “Not nearly a fascinating story as yours.”
“What happened?” he frowned inspecting the various scars that covered from her wrist to above her elbow. It was the only thing marring her beautiful, flawless skin.
“Someone pushed me during the lunch rush and I fell onto a broken glass,” she chuckled looking at the marks with a grin. “I had to get a few stiches on the deeper gashes.”
The idea of someone pushing her and hurting her pissed him off. If he could find the one responsible for hurting her, he would promise that they would receive a brutal punishment.
She laughed noticing his face taking a hard, narrowed stance. “It was funny now that I think about it. I was covered in food and crying on the floor for Nikki.”
That must have been the last hospital visit documented on her file, Nikolai thought. The one that costed her thousands of dollars to pay off which she finished paying off two years before. He took her arm and trailed kissed all over the scars. His eyes landed on one of the scars and the smiled.
“You have an ‘N’ for my name here,” he stated tracing one of the smaller scars.
She frowned as she brought her arm up for inspection. He pointed to the scar and she laughed. “Would you look at that! I do!”
Seeing her eyes come alive made his heart flutter. She was so beautiful. He wondered what such a beautiful woman was doing with the likes of him and Michael. Neither of them deserved her.
She yawned, “You tired me out.” She threw her arm over his waist and buried her face into the light dusting of hair on his chest.
Nikolai kissed her head and held her close. He ran his hand over her hair for a few moments and then her back, stroking her soft skin until she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Chapter Seven
Audrina awoke the next morning as the sun shone through the white translucent curtains. She opened her eyes and sat up in bed. Her whole body felt as if she had ran a marathon. Her legs were sore and every time she moved, she could still feel Nikolai inside of her. God could she still feel him. Every inch and cell in her body felt as if he possessed it. Strangely, she had never felt more alive.
She looked around the room for Nikolai, but she didn't see him anywhere. She figured he had gone home since she her apartment was quiet. She figured a long hot shower would do her tired limbs some good.
When she was done, she walked into the kitchen smelling a delicious, savory aroma. She smiled when she saw Nikolai on his phone, all freshened up in a new suit, making breakfast. When he noticed she entered the room, he quickly said something in Russian to the person on the other end and then hung up.
"Good morning," he smiled as he handed her a cup of coffee. “I made you some breakfast.”
"Good morning," she replied sitting on a white stool by the counter and taking a sip of the black coffee.
The small counter had two plates laden with an omelet, potatoes, sausage and toast. He didn’t really cook this, she thought to herself but when she glanced at the rack where her clean dishes were, she saw that he had washed the pans, bowls and utensils
he had used.
“You didn’t have to cook,” she chuckled when he placed her plate before her. The idea was sweet enough but the fact that he actually did, was too sweet for words.
“I like cooking,” he shrugged.
She wondered if he went out to buy everything. She even noticed her empty fruit bowl was filled with oranges, apples, and bananas.
“Sergei, my driver brought some food,” he explained her unspoken thought. “You should always have food here.”
“I hardly stay here,” she replied after a sip of coffee.
Nikolai gazed at her intently for a moment. She realized she was bare faced and immediately covered her eyes.
"Sorry if I have no makeup on and my hair is wet," she bit her lip.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. You are beautiful."
Audrina blushed as Nikolai complimented her. Michael had always expected her to be up, dressed, her hair and makeup done by a certain time and before she could leave their room. It’s nice to break from routine, she thought. She loved the laid back atmosphere Nikolai and her shared together.
He joined her at the counter, taking the stool beside her. He waited to eat until she took the first bite. The omelet was delicious and not too cheesy just like she liked and the potatoes were crispy and herby. She could not believe he actually cooked this.
“This is very good,” she commented. “Delicious. Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” he smiled.
She helped herself to a piece of toast and peeked through her lashes at Nikolai, who began to eat. It was weird to see him in her cozy little apartment. He overtook the whole room with his presence.
"How did you sleep?" he asked her.
"Good," Audrina blushed again. "How about you?"
"Really well actually… I am glad we both got some sleep," Nikolai smirked, referring to the sex they had several times after the balcony. He wanted to keep going and going until Audrina was spent and sated out of her mind. They didn’t sleep until the early hours of the morning and even then he woke her up hours later to have her again.
