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Her face registered the shock of being touched in that way, but she didn t pull away from him. In fact,
she moved fractionally closer and breathed in an excited breath.
For the briefest of seconds, he seriously considered saying fuck it to the rules he had put in
place to protect them both. In his mind s eye, he could see himself capturing that sweet mouth of hers
and darting his tongue between her lips. Vee would grip his shirt and hold on for dear life as he
kissed her with the all the pent-up passion and need that had been shoved down deep and locked
away within him. His love for her would ignite something primal and real between them&
And then what?
He cast aside the foolish fantasy that tempted him so cruelly. There was no way to have her and
keep her safe. He refused to drag her any deeper into the terrible world she had escaped when she
had survived being shot as a juvenile delinquent. Everything that was wild and innocent within her
deserved a chance to blossom. The darkness that haunted him would snuff all that out like a bloom
caught in an early frost.
Dragging away his hand, he stepped back and cleared his throat. I should go. I m sure Kostya
has plans.
She smiled at him and handed him the two halves of the gift box before moving to her coat and
taking out the keys to her new car. Take these with you.
Vee, he said warningly.
Nikolai, she returned just as haughtily. With a daring look, she slipped the keys into the front
pocket on his wool coat. It was all he could do to stifle the groan that threatened to erupt from his
throat as her small hand brushed against his body. A little more to the left and she might have gotten
quite an education.
He frowned down at her. I m not taking the car back. It s yours. It s staying out there until you
come to your senses.
Be reasonable.
You be reasonable. You need a vehicle. I gave you a vehicle. It s that simple.
It s anything but simple. The cost
It s my money to spend however I choose, Vee. It pleases me to give you nice things.
Why?
Boxed into a corner, he chose his words carefully. Because you are the most important person
in the world to me.
Me?
You.
She narrowed her eyes. Not Ivan or Yuri or Dimitri or Kostya?
They re grown men. They re quite capable of caring for themselves.
I m a grown woman. I m quite capable of taking care of myself.
Yes, you are, he agreed. You ve accomplished so much despite everything that the world
has thrown at you. This is my way of rewarding you for working so hard and achieving so much.
She opened her mouth to argue with him, but he shook his head and wagged his finger. No
more arguing tonight. We ll table this discussion for a few days. After the New Year, we ll talk.
You mean you ll talk at me, she groused knowingly.
His lips slanted with amusement. Oh, something tells me that you ll have plenty to say back to
me.
Not even his closest friends dared to tell him off as often as she did. Of course, she did it with a
smile and always with gentle words so it was hard to get upset with her. He had a sneaking suspicion
that Vee cursing him out would probably only arouse him. That fiery side of her that he sometimes
glimpsed always made him hot. He liked that she wasn t afraid of telling him what he needed to hear
instead of what he wanted to hear as most people did.
She walked him to the door but stopped him before he could leave. Grasping his hand, she gave
it a squeeze. The car is beautiful, and I m touched by the thought you put into it.
I want you to have the very best, Vee.
I know you do. Her gaze flicked toward the ceiling, and he spotted the sprig of mistletoe
tacked above them. His breath caught in his throat as she rose on tiptoes. Certain they were playing
with fire, he started to turn away from her, but every fiber of his being screamed for him to hold still
and to let her have this moment.
Her soft lips brushed his cheek. It was the simplest, most innocent of kisses but it branded his
skin like a searing hot iron. His eyelids briefly touched as the sweetness of her gesture raced through
him, setting his body alight with need and love.
Holding himself in check, Nikolai returned the favor with a peck to the crown of her head.
Sladkih snov.
She smiled up at him upon hearing the tender wish for sweet dreams. Good night, Kolya.
Out in the cold night, he waited to hear her lock the deadbolt and doorknob and slide the chain
into place. He let the rush of frigid air blow across him and chase away the agonizingly hot need
burning through him. He wanted to knock on her door, tangle his fingers in her dark hair and kiss her
until they were both breathless and panting. Allowing some of that weakness to win, he touched his
forehead to the freezing cold door between him and the one thing he wanted more than anything in the
world.
When the moment of weakness fled, he straightened up and strode out to the idling SUV. Kostya
gave him a look as he placed the box on the dashboard but he didn t say anything. His confidante and
right-hand man had long ago learned to read him. Kostya didn t offer unwanted opinions. It was one
of the reasons Nikolai liked him so much.
They were barreling down the interstate when Kostya finally spoke. Besian has a nice game
starting in half an hour. You want to come?
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