by Susan Harris
“Let me.”
I’d never before considered the sound of a dress being unzipped as erotic, but as Nickolai’s fingers barely brushed the back of my dress as he pulled the zipper down, I closed my eyes and shivered. His lips kissed the side of my neck, the top of my shoulders, and then they trailed down my spine as he slowly, agonizingly undressed me.
As I stepped out of the dress, his lips found my throat again, and as I felt the graze of his fangs against my skin, I spun and dragged his head down so I could kiss him. I pressed my lips to his, carefully at first, then ran my tongue against the flesh, and he opened for me with a purr that had me laughing.
My hands reached down and pulled the shirt from his pants, unashamed that my fingers trembled as I fumbled with the buttons. Then I shoved the shirt off him and pressed my lips to his muscled chest. Hands snaked into my hair, pulling the chopsticks free, and as Nickolai tossed them on the floor, we paused, our gazes clashing.
Then we collided, our lips devouring one another as I lost all rational thought. Nickolai growled as he backed me against the door, slid his hands down my body, and cupped my ass before lifting me off the ground. I wrapped my legs around his waist and tore my lips from his as I leaned into his neck and ran my tongue along the curve.
Nickolai cursed as I pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his throat and bit down gently. When he shuddered, I kissed him again, the world around us falling apart as I lost myself to sensation. When Nickolai’s lips pressed against the flesh at the top of my right breast, I moaned and immediately clamped my hand over my mouth.
I was rewarded with a brilliant, lopsided smile that took my breath away. “I like the sounds you make, Ryan Callan. I can’t wait until you make them in my bed.”
Nickolai walked us backward until the backs of his knees struck the bed, and he sank down, with me straddling his lap. I had a very good idea from the hardness pressed against me that Nickolai wanted me just as badly as I did him, and I reached down to unbutton his pants.
His hand stopped me, and as I lifted my gaze to his, I sucked in a breath at the sight of those gorgeous eyes so full of want for me.
“I have waited an eternity for this, Ryan. I’m planning on savoring every moment of it. I’ve had plenty of time to imagine what I would do with you, and I plan on working through every single dirty thought I’ve had.”
I searched for a witty comeback, a snarky remark to help defuse the crackling, electric atmosphere that wrapped around us like a lightning storm. Instead, I rocked against him, biting his bottom lip just hard enough to draw blood. As I licked the blood, taking a little piece of Nickolai inside me, I petted him as he purred at me, the promise of payback in those cerulean blues I adored so much.
Nickolai flipped us so I lay on my back, watching as he pulled off his pants. I had a moment of doubt, a flash of thought as he stripped before me that I might be in over my head. I’d gone from never-been-kissed to nearly naked in a heartbeat, and I was terrified I wouldn’t be enough for Nickolai.
Thumbs edged down the lace panties as Nickolai kissed his way down from my throat to my stomach, and I ran my hands through his hair, my nails scraping over his scalp as I watched him watch me with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
Then, Nicky lowered his head and did something with his tongue that shattered my world, and I forgot to think.
22
I woke on my stomach to the feel of lips on my spine and for a minute I froze, terrified that last night hadn’t happened and I was trapped in another of Dresden’s twisted dreams. Then I felt my hair being brushed from my neck and warm lips pressing to my throat, and I inhaled his scent. It wrapped around me like a safety net. My body was sore, and I felt exhausted but content.
Turning over in bed, I rolled my eyes as a very smug, satisfied Nickolai kissed me softly on the lips.
“Evening.”
“You don’t have to look so smug you know.”
“Of course, I do. Ryan Callan is naked in my bed, I can still taste her on my lips, and the sound of her moaning my name should be my ringtone.”
I smacked him hard on the shoulder as my cheeks heated with embarrassment. I pulled the duvet over my head, but Nickolai pulled it down, his fingers dancing on my stomach before he pulled me flush against him. His eyes watched me as I smiled at him.
“Marry me.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Marry me, Ryan. It doesn’t have to be today; it doesn’t have to be next week. It could be ten years down the road, but I know that I am yours and yours alone.”
I cupped his cheek as he kissed the palm of my hand. “Nicky, that’s insane. I’m not going to say yes just because we had sex. I know you love me and that you think it’s just as easy as you say. We could get engaged, but we’d still have all these obstacles in our way. I have no desire to be queen, and you will be king. I think I need more than good sex to convince me to give up everything I am.”
Nickolai growled and kissed me, his body determined to convince me that it was more than good sex. Afterward, we lay panting side by side as Nickolai swept my hair from my face.
“It’s not about the great sex, Ryan.” Then he smirked. “It’s not only about the mind-blowing sex. I wasn’t lying when I said there’s no one else for me. I want it all, Ry, and I want it with you.”
I wasn’t just going to say yes to him. I couldn’t.
“Are you open to negotiating?” I asked.
Nickolai kissed my jaw. “Perhaps.”
“Then I offer this compromise. I agree to go public with our relationship even though I really don’t care what everyone thinks and would prefer to keep it to ourselves. We see how things go, and when Maxim is defeated and we save our species, we can revisit the talk of marriage.”
Flopping over to his stomach, Nickolai grinned at me. “I’m listening.”
Running my fingers through his hair, I ignored his grin as I continued, my voice very businesslike. “In the meantime, we have time to discuss things that matter. Like my wish to remain a guard even if I do, in the future, decide to accept your proposal.”
Nickolai twirled a strand of my hair between his fingers. “You know I’m going to agree to anything that keeps a naked Ryan in my bed every day.”
Snorting, I dragged myself into a sitting position, pulled my knees to my chest, and wrapped the duvet up over my body. “I’m serious, Nickolai. Us being official doesn’t stop me from being a guard. It’s not going to stop me charging into danger. It’s who I am.”
“I know who you are, Ryan, and I know that stopping you from being the badass warrior you are would kill parts of you that I love. I might need reminding every now and then, but there’s no better woman to hand me my ass when I act like a possessive male vampire.”
I kissed him quickly. “Thank you.”
“So, that’s not a definite no to my proposal?”
“Nicky!”
Nickolai chuckled, turning in the bed so he could hold me close, and we lay like that, not saying a word, as night beckoned and Nickolai held my hand in his. Then my stomach rumbled, and Nickolai slipped out of bed, gloriously naked as he shot off a text on his phone.
Glancing over his shoulder, his brow quirked. “What?” he asked in amusement.
“Nothing.” There was a smirk on my face I couldn’t shake. “Can’t a girl check out her boyfriend’s ass without all the questions?”
“Boyfriend?”
I shrugged. “Just trying it out to see how it sounds.”
“Fiancé sounds better.”
Nickolai ducked as I chucked a pillow at him at the same time a knock sounded at the door. For a moment, he watched me in amusement as I shrieked and ducked under the covers to hide. Then he peeled back the covers and looked me. “I thought we weren’t going to hide this.”
“We’re not, but I’m naked and covered in your scent. If that’s your mother, she’ll be waiting in my room with copies of Vampire Bride and a list of dates before morning.”
Nicko
lai was watching me as if he thought I was going to revert to my usual self, so I slid out of bed and headed for the door until a hand grabbed my wrist.
“What are you doing?”
“Showing you that I don’t care who knows about us. Proving that despite saying ‘not yes’ to your post-sex proposal, I’m all in.”
Nickolai let go of my hand to throw on a pair of shorts and toss me a tee. “You really were going to open the door naked, weren’t you?”
“All-in here, Nicky.”
Nickolai motioned for me to put the T-shirt on, and then I went to sit on one of the chairs by the window. I curled my knees up so the tee completely covered my skin and opened a window to let some air into the room.
Nickolai opened the door and held it open for the person to come inside. Farrah Nasir strode into the room with her back to me and began to speak.
“My liege, I went to Ryan’s room and gathered up some clothing. I didn’t want to go through her drawers with her not there, so I got some clean clothes that were on a chair. I’ve also rescheduled your meeting from tonight to tomorrow night and arranged for food to be brought to the room.”
As if by magic, I heard the sound of a trolley rolling down the corridor, and then Farrah wheeled it into the room. I was absolutely ravenous, but I stayed where I was until Nickolai was done doing kingly things.
“I’ve also enrolled Edison in college, and he will start as soon as you and Ryan are ready to head back to the apartment. The queen has also spoken to me, and I am happy to go with you to help with anything you may need.”
“Thank you, Farrah.”
“Thank you, Farrah,” I called from my corner hideaway.
Nasir snapped her gaze in my direction, and her mouth opened, then shut, before she turned to Nickolai for instructions on what she should do next.
“My girlfriend thanks you for not snooping through her stuff. I don’t need anything else for now.”
“Pardon me, my liege, but Jack was looking for Ryan earlier. He seemed a little worried. Should I advise him that she is okay and tell him where she is, or should I simply say she is still at the compound?”
Nickolai looked to me to answer and I grinned. “Tell Jack I spent the day with my boyfriend, and that he should spend less time worrying where his niece is and more on his new husband.”
Farrah left the room to the sound of Nickolai’s laughter as he closed the door and wheeled the food in my direction. I was dying to tuck into the bacon and eggs, but I let Nickolai plate mine for me and hand it to me before digging in.
“Girlfriend?” I asked through a mouthful of bacon.
“Just trying it out to see how it sounds.”
I held my fork out to him, and Nickolai grinned. We ate together in relative silence, and when breakfast was over, Nickolai convinced me to have a shower with him… an exceptionally long shower that took totally longer than necessary yet was totally worth it.
We dressed side by side, me in leggings, a tee, and a cropped hooded top that was cozy. Nickolai looked almost normal in a pair of dark khaki combat pants and a black overhead sweatshirt.
As we headed for the door, Nickolai placed his hands on either side of my face and kissed me. “We could just hide in bed all night and hope no one realizes where we are.”
I held out my hand and Nickolai took it. “Afraid to face the masses?” I asked in a teasing tone, hoping to mask my own fear.
Nickolai kissed the back of my hand. “Waiting to see if you run.”
“I’m done running, Nicky. I told you I was all-in.”
Then we were walking down the hall and into the foyer. The staff all stopped what they were doing to gawk at us, snapping back to their work with a low growl from Nickolai. I leaned into him, more to reassure myself than him, and we strode down the hall together toward the gym where we could hear training going on.
Nickolai yanked open the door and dragged me inside. Jack was standing with members of the guard and stopped taking abruptly when he spotted my hand in Nickolai’s. Farrah rushed up to speak to him, and Nickolai ducked his head as if he meant to kiss me.
He stopped inches from my face, his eyebrows raised. He was giving me an out, a chance to walk away or declare ourselves an item in front of the guard, in front of my uncle. Nickolai was proving to me that we made the rules for us.
I went up on my toes and pressed my lips to his, patting his cheek as I broke the kiss. Slowly pulling my hand out of his, I strode to where Jack stood with his mouth open. Placing two fingers on his jaw, I closed his mouth.
“No, you’re not seeing things. Yes, we are trying things out, and no, it’s not as big of a deal as everyone is thinking.”
“Are you happy?” Jack asked as held my gaze with a steely expression.
“Yeah, Uncle Jack. I think I am.”
Jack hugged me to him and whispered in my ear, “Then fuck everyone else.”
I laughed as I hugged him back, squealing as I felt arms around my waist dragging me away from Jack.
“Hey old man, hands off my girlfriend.”
Rolling my eyes, I elbowed Nickolai and ducked out of his arms. “My boyfriend thinks himself a comedian.”
Jack glanced from me to Nickolai. “Girlfriend? Boyfriend?”
“We’re trying it out to see how it sounds,” we said in union, and then Jack looked at us like we were crazy. Nickolai took my hand and led me outside, pausing as Jack called him back.
I rolled my eyes at Jack as Nickolai went back inside, then turned and continued to walk around the grounds, finding myself on the pathway leading to the driveway of the compound. I kicked at the gravel, leaving time for Nickolai to catch up, grinning as I heard footsteps behind me.
“I hope Jack didn’t actually have a talk with you about us because that would be so—”
My voice broke off as soon as I realized it was not Nickolai behind me. I clamped my mouth shut as Anatoly’s face, contorted with rage, loomed large.
“You stupid little bitch, always in the fucking way.”
I retreated a step at the venom in his voice, alarm bells ringing in my head. “My liege, please. I’m unsure as to what I’ve done to make you so angry, but maybe we should wait until Nickolai is here before we continue.”
Sweat broke out on the king’s face as his anger grew. He pointed his finger at me. “Just like your goddamn mother—always thinking you’re right and everyone else is wrong.”
“My mother is dead, Anatoly. I’d ask you not to insult her when she isn’t here to defend herself.”
Anatoly laughed, a bitter and resentful sound that that matched the expression on his face. “That expression right there is exactly how your mother looked at me. Imogen was an uppity bitch who looked down her nose at others. She thought herself better than me, better than those around her. She was a witch wearing a vampire’s face, and she bespelled people just like you worked a spell on my son.”
I growled, readying to say something when Anatoly smacked me with the back of his hand. I stumbled from the force of it, tasting blood in my mouth. I spat the blood on the ground and grinned, hoping my feral appearance might cool the king’s temper.
“Bitch, please. Was that supposed to hurt?”
He hit me again, and I let him. Then I shoved him back and made to walk away. Anatoly grabbed my hair and yanked me to him, his breath on my skin as he gave my hair another firm yank.
I tried to rein in my temper, remembering this was Nickolai’s father, my king, and I couldn’t harm him. He tossed me to the ground and then stood on my foot to stop me from moving.
“Imogen never liked me. She thought Katerina could do better than me. The truth is your mother didn’t want Katerina to love anyone but her. She toyed with Katerina until the damn fool was besotted, and then she turned her attention to Tristan. She despised me enough to ensure my wife never loved me, and my best friend abandoned me.”
“Are you out of your mind?” I yelled, pushing Anatoly’s foot off mine and getting to my feet. �
�Do you realize what a child you sound like? Oh waah-waah; my best friend fell in love and my wife doesn’t love me. You make up shit in your head because you can’t comprehend that you are the problem.”
Anatoly withdrew a small dagger with a snarl. “How dare you speak to me like that? You are nothing—a stupid fucking little girl who just won’t die. I suppose if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself.”
The king lunged for me, and I feigned right and went left instead. I elbowed his arm and sent the blade into the grass. Anatoly roared in frustration, and I waited to hear guards coming but the night was deathly quiet.
“I was meant to rule,” he growled. “I wanted to be king, and if your parents hadn’t interfered, then Katerina would have died quietly, and I would be king and everything would be different.”
Anatoly stalked me, circling, with a look of utter contempt. “I tried to free Tristan from Imogen’s spell. I suppose I should have checked my facts when I told Tristan that Jack had been sleeping with his wife. A normal vampire would have flown into a murderous rage. Tristian laughed at me, and now I know the twisted reason why.”
I stared in utter shock. “Why?” I asked. “Why would you do such a horrid thing?” I searched the king’s eyes for some semblance of humanity and found none. He could kill me now and not a single soul would know why.
“What have I ever done to you, Anatoly? We’ve barely spoken two words my entire life.”
“You fucking exist,” he snarled, his hands clenched into fists. “They were supposed to bring you to me so I could slit your goddamn throat and watch Imogen Callan break. They couldn’t find you, and by then it was far too late.”
By Eve, no…
My stomach sickened as I thought back to Maxim’s taunts, his promises to tell me who had killed my parents, that there was someone inside the court who was not what they seemed; Dresden’s final dreamscape, where Anatoly had uttered the same words as he did tonight; and then, by Eve, Dresden’s final words to me. “Ask the boy, ask Adam. He will tell you what you need to know. There is a traitor inside the court of vampires, and he knows who it be.”
