Page 27

After a few hours, the shock began to wear off, and I started to see that it was a little bit crazy to want to go back to the restaurant so soon after a violent attempt on my life that nearly killed my guard. It was only when the current guard outside the room stuck his head in to tersely tell me that Vlad would be okay that I realized I was still in full fight mode.

Once I was able to stop pacing and could breathe a sigh of relief that Vlad wouldn’t die because of me, it honestly seemed silly that I had gone off so hard on Nik. Of course, he wanted to find Arkadi as quickly as possible, so he wouldn’t do any more harm while he was clearly on some kind of rampage against the Fokins. It might have started with the attack on me, but who knew how he planned on ending it.

So when Nik came back much later that night, I was more in the mood to forgive and hoped that he forgot my screamed threat to never speak to him again. I even looked up at him with a very slight smile when he came into our room. I was eager for answers and hopeful for good news.

Well, I didn’t get either.

“You’re done at the restaurant,” he said with no preamble.

Fight mode was back in a blink. “You can’t be serious. Why?” I backed away from him, crossing my arms over my chest with my hands balled into fists. Yes, I was so mad I was ready to swing.

“Arkadi is in Moscow, but that was his right-hand man who tried to make a grab for you this afternoon. I still don’t know if it was on Arkadi’s orders or not, but either way, there’s no argument here, Emerson. You’re fired.”

Wait, what? Fired? I hadn’t had many jobs before, but I’d always left them with a glowing reference. They’d even thrown me a party at the diner before I moved out here, and gave me a hundred dollars to help me seek my dream.

Now my dream was ripped out from under me and not because I’d screwed up in any way, but because Nik decreed it. He had a look on his face that dared me to cross him, but I was reeling from the blow.

Fired.

It was the crack in the wall I had been erecting against tears since I was a kid. The dam broke, and I sank onto the edge of the bed, face in my hands as I began to sob. Damn it all, now Nik would think I was being a baby, or worse, trying to manipulate him by crying. I hated it and angrily tried to stifle the flood.

“Why?” I asked, voice a wreck. “You already admitted that Arkadi’s in Moscow, and you took the other guy away. Is he even still alive to be a threat to me?” There was no answer, only a stony look that should have pissed me off enough to stop crying. Instead, it only added a grim finality to my defeat. “What’s the difference between being locked up by Arkadi or by you?” I spat, almost doubling over by the onslaught of fresh tears. “I’m a prisoner either way.”

In a flash, he was at my side. Pulling my hands away from my face, he looked into my eyes, his blazing blue fire.

“There’s a huge difference,” he said, swiping at my tears. Behind the clear anger in his eyes, there was something else. Fear. Fear for my well-being. “I can’t let you get hurt,” he said roughly. “And I won’t lose you.”

I only stared at him in despair, but he didn’t waver. He’d almost lost one of his most trusted employees, maybe even a friend, because of me, and he still hadn’t thrown me to the wolves. For a long moment, we were both silent, save for my hiccuping sobs.

His shoulders finally lowered, and he let his fingertip run down the side of my face, tracing the unstoppable tears.

“I can’t stand to see you so unhappy, either,” he admitted.

It was then that I realized it wasn’t the fact I was being hidden away for my safety that was drilling a hole into my heart. It was the fact he had so easily fired me. Gone forever from my haven, easily replaced. Who was I, anyway, to even think I deserved to be in Khoroshiy’s kitchen?

“How could I have ever believed Torrance wanted an interview with me in the first place?” I blurted, holding onto my middle to contain the pain that threatened to split me in two. “I don’t know why you even hired me.”

“What the hell, Emerson?” Nik asked, completely confused. “Who gives a damn about some food critic.”

“I do,” I wailed. “It meant I was good at something for once.”

“The repeat customers don’t tell you that? The glowing reviews on the internet? The reservations going into next year?” He tipped my chin up when I shook my head. “Look at me, and listen carefully. I will never lie to you.” He only continued when I finally nodded. “When you first walked into my office, I knew immediately that you would work for me. I’d create a position for you if I had to. I had never seen someone so beautiful or so determined before. You were already mine.”

“Not helping,” I sniffled. He was outright admitting he only hired me because he wanted me. If I hadn’t been so downtrodden, it might have been mildly flattering; now, it just reinforced my feelings of inadequacy.

“I asked you to listen,” he said sternly. “Then you started cooking. You rose to every challenge I gave you. You’re unflappable in the kitchen, and you’re a damn good chef. Based on that, I gave you a shot, fully expecting that you wouldn’t be able to run the crew, but you whipped them into shape just like you smacked the hell out of that woman today.”

I looked down at my hands, a slight smile curling my lips as a bit of pride snuck back in to finally stanch the flow of tears. “I can’t believe I felt bad about that for a second,” I said.

“Never feel bad for defending yourself.” Now, he took my hands and tugged me closer to him. “Khoroshiy is one of the most important things in my life. I’d never entrust it to someone who wouldn’t make it shine. Do you understand that? If you weren’t worthy, you would have been in another job within three days.”

His words felt sincere. He was more passionate about the restaurant than I was, and I loved that damn place like it was my own child. And yet… “You still fired me,” I said.

“For your safety, not because you’re not good enough.”

“I get it,” I sighed. “It still hurts, though.”

He looked at me, eyes narrowing, then let out a long breath. “Maybe we can work something out with more plainclothes guards, but only as long as Arkadi is in Moscow. The instant I get word he’s on a plane back here, you’re out of there. Got it?”

I didn’t imagine he would change his mind and had given up, at least comforted by his words. This was like my birthday and Christmas packed together. The greatest gift I’d ever been given. I grabbed his shirt and agreed with whatever I had to do to get back into my kitchen. Even if half the tables were his guards in disguise, I’d still get to cook.

“Don’t ever think you’re not good enough again,” he told me gruffly. “It pisses me off.”

I threw my arms around his neck. His honest words about my abilities were a bonus gift, healing a bit of my past and erasing my parents’ constant belittling. One day, maybe I could build up my confidence enough to blot out their voices altogether. In the meantime, I had Nik to speak out louder than those memories.

With my arms wrapped around his neck, I looked down, feeling an embarrassed blush rising up my face. “Uh, thanks for saving me today. I guess I should have told you that already.”

With a chuckle, he wiped away the last of my tears and kissed me gently on the lips. “You should never have any doubt about that.”

Relief and gratitude washed over me, and when he leaned down to kiss me again, I didn’t let it be just another comforting peck. I tightened my grip and pulled myself onto his lap, finally feeling safe. No longer a prisoner.

And very, very content when he gripped my waist and lifted me so that I straddled his lap. I locked my legs around him and let myself melt into his hard body as he kissed me senseless.

My head tipped back, and I sucked in a shaky breath. His mouth slid down my jaw to tease the sensitive spot by my ear that he knew drove me wild, and his hair fell forward to tickle my neck. I raised my hands to run my fingers through the soft strands, turning as he licked a path down my throat.

Soon, I was lost in sensation, letting my hands roam lazily from his hair down his broad shoulders, as hard as boulders under the crisp fabric of his shirt. The shirt being there at all was highly offensive, and I turned my attention to the buttons, slowly revealing his muscular chest.

Our eyes met, and I placed my hands on his pecs. He covered my right hand and moved it over so I could feel his thumping heart beneath my palm. After a meaningful look, he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck to pull me close, claiming my mouth. At the feel of his tongue sweeping against my lips, I moaned and arched against him.

He returned the soft sound and swept me onto my back, tugging my pajama pants down in a quick, smooth motion. He grinned to see that was all I was wearing and pressed my knees apart.

Gripping the covers, I closed my eyes in anticipation, writhing with impatience, when he started kissing up the inside of my thighs instead of diving right in.

“You know how much I love the taste of you,” he murmured, kissing and licking his way ever closer.

“That’s fine, I’ll just make you pay when it’s my turn to do the tasting.”

He chuckled, his breath hot on my tender skin. “We’ll see about that.”

All plans of sweet revenge flew out of my mind when he reached his destination. The first swipe of his tongue against my slick core had me squealing and raising my hips. He clamped a hand on either side of me and pinned me to the bed so he could torment me in peace.

I wriggled and grabbed at his hair, gasping as he effortlessly brought me to a fever pitch. The masterful strokes of his tongue against my clit were exactly what I craved.

“Yes, more,” I urged, trapping him between my thighs and holding on until he was just about to tip me over the edge.

“As much as you want,” he promised.

Gliding one of the hands he had been holding me firmly to the bed with, he slid his fingers deep inside me. Easing them in and out, he kept licking me until my eyes crossed, and I let out a long, high moan. He kept going until I was panting and limp, my hands falling weakly to his shoulders. His self-satisfied chuckle reached my ears as I came back from that other world he sent me to, and I swatted his long hair out of his handsome face.

“I guess you deserve to look so smug,” I admitted. “That was criminally good.”

“And you thought marrying into the Bratva was a bad thing.”

I grumbled and found the strength to get my legs out from under his body, then scrambled to my knees to try and shove the mountain onto his back. “Your turn,” I said, licking my lips at the thought of having his huge cock in my mouth. Make his eyes roll back in his head as I had him under my control for a little while.

Nik’s eyes roamed my body, and he shook his head, reaching for my pajama top. “How is this still on when I love looking at your sexy tits so much?”

The top came over my head and flew across the room, and goosebumps rose all over me. His eyes grew even darker as he took me in. Reaching for my breasts, he tweaked my nipples to taut buds, then leaned over to suckle each one.

“You’re distracting me,” I whined, my hand sliding down to grip his thick shaft. “Let me suck this big thing already.”

He groaned, his own hands moving down my back to slide between my legs to cup my ass cheeks, spreading them to dip his fingers into me from behind.

“I love every part of your body so damn much,” he growled, wincing in pained ecstasy as I tightened my grasp on his cock. “And I need to be inside you right now. You’re going to have to wait until next time, little girl.”

I yelped out my frustration as he pulled me forward until I was on my hands and knees. Getting behind me, Nik yanked my ass right up to his stiff rod and reached around to find my clit as his warm breath tickled the back of my neck.

“You’ll get your chance soon enough,” he promised. “Right now, you’re going to see how much you like getting fucked from behind.” He smoothed his hand up to play with my breasts as his cock rubbed back and forth between my slick thighs. “And I’m going to love watching these little tits bounce while I ram you.”

“Hurry,” I moaned, completely forgetting what I thought I wanted a few seconds ago. Now, all I wanted was for him to do everything he said. “Hurry and ram me. Hard, Nik.”

I screamed as he thrust, his balls slapping against my ass as he buried himself deep inside me. I let my head fall forward as I pushed back against him, wanting every last inch stretching my aching pussy.

I need this, needed him. It had been a shitty day, but this was a fresh start. And oh my God, I wanted him so freaking much. It was like a fever that couldn’t be broken, until he made me scream again.

Instead of pounding me hard and fast, he slowed his movements, leaning over my body to run his hand over every inch of me until I was panting. I reared back against him, begging for his touch, his kisses, and to keep fucking me like both our lives depended on it.

Grabbing a fistful of my hair, he pulled my face close to his, pushing his tongue into my mouth as he quickened his pace.

Your mouth is perfect,” he said, almost as breathless as I was. “Your pussy is perfect. Your goddamn little pink asshole is perfect.” With a feral sound, he pounded hard and deep, and just exactly what I craved.

Within seconds of screaming out the next orgasm that sent pleasure coursing along every nerve ending in my body, he roared and slammed one last time, collapsing against my back and flattening me to the bed. I lay sweaty and spent and perfectly content beneath him as his heartbeat thudded against my back. After a long moment, he realized he was crushing me and rolled off, his arm flung across me and a sated smile on his face.

My own heartbeat beginning to even out, I studied him, as content and dreamy as I’d ever been. His lashes were inky black despite him being blond, and his face was still red from exertion. A few beads of sweat dampened the hair at his brow and his full lips were parted. I slid closer and kissed him gently, thinking he had already fallen asleep. I kissed him again, not only feeling satisfied, but downright smug.

His blue eyes blinked open and he smiled at me before they drifted shut again. “You’re perfect, Emerson. You’re mine.”

I loved hearing the first part and the second didn’t bother me much just then, either. I had everything I wanted, didn’t I? And the person who had given it to me was asleep at my side. I tucked myself close to his chest and breathed him in, salty and strong and comforting.

Within seconds, I was asleep, already dreaming about a fresh start.