Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“This, yes?” She points at the machines, and I nod, thanking her. Returning to my room, I gather all my clothes and bring them down. Lyudmila is gone by then, so I begin loading the washers. In a half hour, I’ll come down again to move the clothes over to the dryers, and by dinnertime, everything will be clean.
Things really are looking up, the situation with my boss notwithstanding.
My heart rate speeds up at the thought, the butterflies in my stomach roaring back to life. Slava and Pavel provided a much-needed distraction, but now that I’m away from them, I can’t help thinking about what happened. My mind cycles through everything, over and over, until the butterflies turn into wasps.
I felt Nikolai’s erection against me.
He looked like he was about to kiss me.
He didn’t let go of me when his sister was there.
It’s that last part that freaks me out the most, because it means I was wrong. He does intend to act on this attraction. If Alina hadn’t insisted he take the call, he would’ve kissed me, and maybe more. Maybe at this very moment, we’d be in bed together, with his powerful body driving into me as—
I stop the fantasy before it can progress any further. Already, I feel overly warm, my breasts full and tight, my sex pulsing with a coiling ache. It must be some weird aftermath of my impromptu masturbation session last night; that’s the only explanation for why I’ve suddenly acquired the libido of a teenage boy.
Taking slow, deep breaths to calm myself, I finish loading the laundry. The situation is undoubtedly tricky. An affair with my employer would be unwise on many levels, yet I’m less than certain of my ability to resist him. If I go up in flames merely thinking about him, what would it be like if he touched me? Kissed me?
Would my self-control evaporate like water on a frying pan?
There’s only one solution I can see, only one thing I can do to prevent this disaster.
I have to avoid him—or at least, being alone with him—for the next six days.
Thus resolved, I set the washers to run, and turn around—only to freeze in place.
Standing in the doorway, golden eyes gleaming and mouth curved in a devastating smile, is the very devil who occupies my thoughts.
“There you are,” he says softly, and as I watch, paralyzed in shock, he steps deeper into the room and shuts the door.
16
Chloe
“I was looking for you,” Nikolai continues, approaching with a panther-soft stride. “Pavel said you were upstairs with Slava.”
I swallow hard as he stops in front of me. “Yes, I just came down here for a moment to throw in some laundry. I hope that’s okay.” Despite my best efforts, my voice wavers, and it’s all I can do not to step back in an effort to put more space between us. Not that he’s overly close—at least three feet separate us—but now that I know the smell of his cologne, I can pick up the subtle cedar and bergamot notes in the air, and my memory fills in the rest, from the heat coming off his skin to the hard contours of his body pressing against me. And that big, thick bulge… My knees wobble, and I almost sway toward him but catch myself at the last moment, stiffening my legs and spine.
A dark heat invades his gaze, and I know he’s noticed my reaction. My cheeks burn and my heart hammers faster, icy-hot prickles running over my skin.
Why is he here?
Why was he looking for me?
Why did he shut that door?
“Yes, of course, that’s not a problem.” His voice is soft and deep, that unsettling heat still in his eyes. “You’re living here now, so think of this as your home.”
“I will, thank you.” Dammit, now I sound all husky and breathless. Pulling myself together with effort, I give him my best model-employee smile. “I was actually going to ask you something. Do I have a work schedule? That is, are there any specific times you’d like me to work with Slava? Ideally, I’d like to teach him throughout the day, as opposed to having formal lessons, but if you prefer otherwise, I’m flexible.”
There, that’s better. I actually managed to steady my voice and sound semi-professional. Hopefully, that’ll remind him I’m here to teach his son, not melt at his smoldering stare like—well, probably like every straight woman he’s ever met.
Another wickedly sensual smile touches his lips. “It’s up to you, zaychik. Your pupil, your methods. All I’m after are the results. The only thing I ask is that you join our family for mealtimes, so Pavel and Lyudmila don’t need to cook and clean extra.”
“Yes, of course. What time are breakfast and lunch?” Now I feel bad that I made Lyudmila give me those crepes; as late as I woke up, I could’ve waited until the next scheduled meal.