by Amy Deason
“Nikolas, why can’t you be honest with me?”
Turning his face back to the ceiling, he frowned at the low-slung beams overhead.
“Honesty is the surest way to get killed.”
“I thought honesty was the best policy,” she mocked.
He looked at her then, the frown deepening into a grimace. “Do you want to die, Cadence?”
“No I don’t. But I don’t want to be in the dark either.”
“Here, let me fix that for you then.”
He switched on the lamp between the two beds, illuminating the room. Even with her clothes and hair all rumpled from sleep, she was still a beautiful sight. He felt his heart lurch accordingly.
“Not funny,” she said. “You know what I mean.”
Giving up the hope of peace and quiet, Nikolas sat up and put his feet on the floor. “Yes, I know what you mean but I can’t give you what you want.”
“You don’t know what I want,” she replied stubbornly.
“Yes I do. You want to know who I am, what I am, who I work for. You want to know everything. But you don’t understand. If I tell you those things, you are as good as dead. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but dead all the same.”
“Not if you protect me.”
~ ~ ~
Not if you protect me.
Seriously? Cadence inwardly shook her head. What was she thinking? She didn’t want him to protect her. She didn’t want him anywhere near her. As soon as Henry came, she would be gone and Nikolas Kozlov would be nothing more than a dim memory, one she could eventually erase completely.
Stop lying!
There was no way she could forget Nikolas. Besides saving her life time and time again, he’d been her first lover. How could she ever forget that? It just wasn’t possible. So what exactly was she asking for?
She didn’t know. She didn’t know anything. Except that her parents were dead, Henry was on his way to get her, and she was in love with Nikolas Kozlov.
Oh no . . .
No way. Not him.
Maybe it was just the complex people talked about. What was it? Stockholm Syndrome? The one where the victim fell in love with her kidnapper?
There was only one problem with that idea. Nikolas was not a kidnapper. Maybe at first it had so but in time she’d realized that while he was a lot of things, he was not her captor. He was her savior, her guardian angel, and she loved him.
He was definitely not the type she thought she would fall for. Handsome, absolutely. Cold, reserved, deadly, no. He knew more about the world than she could possibly hope to. But it seemed he knew only the bad things, the hard things. She could show him the other side of life. If only he would let her in.
He wouldn’t though. She’d tried.
Did I? Did I really?
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Nikolas breathed, interrupting her train of thought.
His eyes widened in alarm as though the very idea of him staying near her appalled him.
But was it really appalling, or was it fear? But why would he be afraid of her? She couldn’t hurt him. Could she?
An idea suddenly occurred to her. A bold, crazy idea. Before she could talk herself out of it, she acted. Rising from the bed, she stepped on his lap, straddling his legs with hers.
“Cadence, what are you doing?”
The alarm was thick in his voice now, mixed with an emotion she couldn’t readily identify. Whatever it was, it sent a bolt of power through her, making her far bolder than she had ever been in her life.
She had no idea what she was doing. This was crazy. Insane. She was no temptress, so wanton siren. But here she was, straddling the lap of a man.
Her self-doubt tried to kick in. Tried to tell her she wasn’t good enough, she wasn’t what he wanted. He could have anyone. Why would he want her? After all, one sexual episode did not make her an expert and he’d already told her he wanted someone with experience.
Reminders of him pushing her away began to surface but she shoved them away. She had never done anything like this in her entire life but she was doing it now. She was unsure of what to do or how to do it. But all she knew was she had to do it. It felt right.
Not saying a word, she leaned in and placed her mouth on his. The feel of his lips against hers sent a shockwave coursing through her from head to toe and she scooted closer to him, her knees pressing into the edge of the mattress. For a moment, he resisted and she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Perhaps she’d read him all wrong. But she was not giving up so easily.
Running her tongue over his lips, she raised her hands, sliding her fingers along his stubbled jawline. The coarse bristles felt delicious against her palms but she didn’t stop there. She eased her hands up, her fingers caressing the lobes of his ears before continuing their exploratory trail, finally plunging themselves into his thick strands of hair. Knotting her fingers, she tugged gently.
He groaned against her lips and then there was no more resistance.
She felt his hands on her back, slipping underneath her shirt, kneading her skin. His fingertips caressed her skin, leaving tiny points of fire in their wake. Every nerve ending was on high alert now and when he opened his mouth, his tongue finding hers, her entire body came alive in an instant.
Issuing her own groan, she ran her hands behind his neck, feeling the sensitive skin just beneath the collar of his shirt. Trailing her fingernails over him, she kissed him harder, longer, the heat between them growing by leaps and bounds.
Now his hands were in her hair, pulling her closer to him, demolishing any space between them. And his mouth was so hungry. Hungry for her.
Oh yes, this is what she wanted. This. Him.
“Cadence,” he gasped, pulling away, “I can’t do this to you.”
No, not again!
She would not be turned down. Not this time. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. She knew it. He knew it. It was time to prove it.
From somewhere deep inside, her inner vixen had been awakened and was taking over. The powerful entity would not allow her to be thrown aside, to back down, to give up. She wanted this. She wanted him.
“Then let me do it to you,” she murmured, her voice husky with the passion raging through her body.
Replacing her lips to his, she kissed him again, tasting the excitement on his tongue.
Chapter 26
Nikolas knew he should stop this. He was going to stop this. She didn’t know what she was saying.
Nikolas knew this but for the first time in forever that part of his brain, the part that could withstand anything, even sexual need, was beginning to shut down the longer Cadence kissed him.
Damn, she tastes so good.
He’d pushed her away once and tried to stop her just now but she wasn’t having it. If this is what she wanted, then who was he to resist? She would regret it later but for right now, she was doing her best to seduce him. And it was working. Working better than he’d thought possible.
Because it’s her . . .
It was because of her. He knew it. He’d always known it.
Groaning against her mouth, he pulled her closer, still not willing to completely give up the fight. But his hands had a mind of their own, slipping underneath the silky shirt she wore to find even silkier skin. Up and down, his fingers ran across her back, over her shoulder blades, down her spine. He felt her stiffen against him, her breasts pressing against his chest.
This was it. This was his last chance to turn back. To stop this before he went too far.
But then she moaned against his ear and he was done.
In one quick movement, he grabbed Cadence, spinning her until she was lying flat on her back on the mattress. Positioned over her, he captured her mouth again, feeling the heat continu
e to grow between them.
She was so hot. And she sought his mouth with reckless abandon.
Oh, the things he could teach her, the things he could show her . . .
The elicit thoughts ran through his mind in a whirlwind. One thing at a time.
Keeping his mouth on hers, he slipped his hand down to the waist band of her skirt and pulled, tearing it off in one expert movement.
Now he could explore her better. Sliding his hand up her thigh, he trailed his fingers over the satin thong she wore, not surprised to find it damp at the most sensitive juncture of her body. As he touched her through the thin material, she whimpered against his mouth, arching herself upward into his hand. It would be so easy to make her come this way. He’d done it once before in the car but it was not what she wanted. It was not what he wanted.
Abandoning that part of her for now, he ran his hand up past the flat surface of her belly, snaking his way underneath the blouse. Her skin was so warm against his palm. He wanted to taste it.
He removed his mouth from her and dropped his head to her stomach, pressing his lips against her skin. The sharp gasp she made caused him to smile.
This was going to be good.
One by one, he unhooked each button on her shirt, never taking his mouth from her skin as he did. Once the shirt was open, he removed it from her body, licking and nibbling every inch of available skin.
Running his tongue over her, he climbed steadily upward until he found the lacy cups of her bra. He was delighted to see the clasp holding the garment together was in the front, centered perfectly between her breasts. With a quick flick of his fingers, the clasp was undone and the material fell away, unleashing her. He dropped his mouth to her breasts, nipping at them, teasing her until she cried out. Music to his ears.
Her hands were on his back, pulling at his shirt, trying to yank it off.
He could help her. Sitting up, he grabbed the hem of it and removed it, tossing it to the floor.
Cadence ran her fingers down his shoulders and over his stomach, her nails scratching him as they went. The feeling was incredible and for a moment he closed his eyes, becoming lost in the sensation.
Now she was fumbling with the button on his slacks, trying like hell to get it undone. From above her, he watched her, growing harder by the second. The button came loose and she gave him such a look of victory, he had to smile.
She was just so darn cute. And sexy as hell.
But she wasn’t done yet. Hooking her fingers inside the waistband of his pants, she pushed them down as far as she could before they became hung up on his legs. A look of determination crossed her face and before he knew it, she had slipped out from underneath him and was on her knees in front of him.
Taking the cue, he turned, sitting with his back against the wall, and allowed her to remove his slacks, underwear, and socks. Now he lay before her completely nude and vulnerable.
He couldn’t wait to see what she would do next.
Poised in front of him, she bit her lip, looking uncertain and he felt a wave of disappointment. Was she really going to back out now?
“I . . . I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Ah, she wasn’t backing out. She just didn’t know what to do.
“Do whatever you want, princess,” he whispered, raising his hand to caress her delicate cheekbone, reassuring her.
Nibbling on her lip once more, she lowered her head and in one swift move, covered his cock with her mouth.
He’d known what she was going to do but the sensation was more than he’d expected and he gasped sharply, gripping the blanket underneath him in pure reflex.
“Der-mo!” he exclaimed through gritted teeth. Oh God, she was sucking at him, pulling him deeper into the dark recesses of her mouth. Groaning, he cupped her face, easing her into a gentle rhythm, showing her what to do. With each lick and suck, he could feel his pleasure growing and when her tongue swirled over him, it shot him to the edge of madness.
He could take no more. Pulling her mouth from him, he turned her so that she lay underneath him again with nothing separating them but the thin scrap of thong she still wore. He ran his hands over her, from thigh to stomach to breast, relishing in her velvety skin. She trembled under his touch. He wondered if she could feel his body shaking as well.
“Cadence, God how I want you,” he murmured.
“Then you shall have me,” she replied, a measure of confidence filling her voice.
Sliding his hands over her hips, he tore the thin straps of the thong she wore and tossed it aside. Her arousal was evident. Wet, throbbing heat pressed against him but he made no move to enter her although it took everything he had to hold back. She had to be the one to make the final move.
Cadence placed her hands on his back and lifted her hips, taking him inside of her slowly. Gently she began to move against him, grinding flesh against flesh and he could not hold back any longer.
Gripping her hips, he yanked her closer, filling her completely, rejoicing as she cried out. He set an easy pace until she was able to match him and when he felt the first tiny orgasm hit her, he held her in place until she caught her breath before beginning again.
Wide blue eyes, deep as the lagoons of Belize, stared back at him. Into him. Like she was seeing him, the real him. He faltered as his tongue turned to sandpaper in his mouth.
She sees me!
For a moment, he felt pinned by her gaze, unable to move, unable to breathe.
Beneath him, Cadence bucked wildly, the movement sending electricity through him and forcing him back into action. Forgetting everything but the feel of himself inside of her, he began to move again, each stroke long and hard. Grasping her hips, he lifted himself slowly before easing back inside the silken heat. Over and over, he raised and dropped himself, going deeper each time.
Her moans and cries came faster each time she climaxed but he couldn’t stop. Not yet. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders but he barely felt them. There was nothing but a building pleasure so powerful he was sure he would explode any minute but still she cried out for more, more. The friction of their sweaty bodies was becoming too much and he wasn’t sure he could hold back much longer.
~ ~ ~
Underneath Nikolas, Cadence whimpered, taking everything he could give her and begging for more.
Oh God, how could she have not known how wonderful this could be?
The friction between them was becoming more than she could handle but she never wanted it to stop. Bordering on pain, she continued to come over and over again but it was never enough. She began to mewl as the next climax hit her.
How many times could her body possibly come?
The powerful sensations ran through her, an electric current turning every nerve ending into a live wire.
This was incredible . . .
Without warning, Nikolas shifted, drawing her on top of him, causing her to gasp sharply. But it wasn’t the sudden movement that stole her breath. Now, straddling him, with her hands splayed across his broad chest, he was shoved even deeper inside of her than ever before.
Oh, oh, oh. This was too much. Too much . . .
Her whimper became a cheated cry as he lifted her.
No, no, she wasn’t done. She wanted more. She needed more . . .
A chuckle resounded in his chest, passing through the palms of her hands, traveling up her arms.
“More?” he asked, his voice low and husky and sexy beyond belief.
“Yes, oh yes, please,” she pleaded, her arms trembling with the effort to hold herself up.
The smile crossing his lips drove another dagger of need through her. Slowly, he dropped her down onto him, sliding thickly into her.
“Oh God,” she moaned, the very breath leaving her body. This was exquisite. This was ecst
asy. This was . . .
Oh, he was lifting and dropping her again. And again. And again.
“Nikolas,” she whispered through gritted teeth. This was so much more than she’d ever expected, so much more than she had ever hoped for. It was unbelievable. For a moment all she could do was enjoy the lifting and falling, the feel of Nikolas’s fingers digging into her backside, and her own ragged breathing.
His movements became harder, deeper, and they developed a rhythm she was more than happy to pick up. Working with him, she shifted her hands to his forearms, clenching the muscles between her fingers, and lifted herself up with her knees.
Biting her lip, she lowered herself, sliding down his length with devastating slowness, savoring the feel of him pushing into her inch by precious inch.
“Awwwww,” he moaned, his eyes closing.
Through a blur of arousal, Cadence gazed down at him, a look of ecstasy painted clearly on his handsome face and ground herself further against him. His resounding growl was raw and feral and it echoed in her ears, giving her a boost of entitlement.
She was making him feel like this.
Me. Cadence Montgomery.
She was causing this look of erotic agony, this animalistic moaning. The knowledge filled her with a sudden rush of unbelievable power and with it, renewed energy.
Exhaustion forgotten, she raised herself up, taking complete control of their lovemaking, drawing nearly as much pleasure from the gasps and groans he made as the titillating sensations flooding through her system.
Each time she lowered herself, she went down further until he was entirely buried within her. Pausing for a moment, she relished in the feel of him inside her. He filled her up completely, occupying every inch of empty space. She felt so full, so complete, so . . . good.
