Chapter 5

5

NIKOLAI

I can still taste her. Her sweet sexy moans play on a loop in my mind. The sound of the music is pumping through the club, not quieting them. I run my hand down my face. What the fuck am I going to do now?

There is no fucking way I'll be able to stay away from her. The only way I managed before was by not being around. That's not something I can keep up forever. Not to mention if she ever started dating. I'd have to see those fucks. There would be no way I could handle that. The very thought has me clenching my fists. They'd all end up dead.

"Hey." Abby knocks on the bar, trying to get my attention. She points up toward Matteo's office. "Boss man wants to see you."

I knew that was coming. I slipped out of the condo like a fucking coward. I didn't have much of a choice. It took everything in me not to chase after Riley when she half ran from my bedroom. I wanted to drag her back to it and tie her to my bed.

That's part of the problem. My thoughts when it comes to sweet, innocent Riley are far from fucking innocent. I really considered tying her to my bed and a million other things that are far from vanilla. She's not ready for any of that, though.

"You gonna make him wait?" Abby asks, breaking me from my thoughts. "You all right? You seem more distracted than usual. Something on your mind?"

Usually I would shoot the shit with Abby a bit, but I can't settle my mind tonight. It keeps drifting to Riley. This is exactly why I tried to stay away from her.

I swig back the rest of my drink and place the empty glass on the bar. I know I need to go to Matteo before he comes to me. It's the ultimate sign of disrespect if he calls for you and you don't go. And that man is deserving of every bit of respect.

"Nothing I want to talk about," I say before I make my way up to Matteo's office. Not that that's really a choice. Matteo isn't going to let me not talk about it. I knock but don't open the door. Normally, I'd knock and enter, but not now that he has Mona. Before her, I didn't have to worry about walking in on his ass naked or, worse, his wife naked. He'd likely carve my eyes out. I get it. If someone saw Riley's perfect little pussy, I'd be inclined to do the same.

Matteo opens the door. "I didn't think I'd see you here tonight." I enter his office. Matteo doesn't hang around his clubs at night anymore. He'll come in early and handle anything he needs to. The only time he does come here at night is if he needs to do some kind of clean-up, which is handled in the basement.

"Nikolai."

"Fuck, I know." I run my fingers through my hair, giving it a small tug. Matteo's brows lift.

"I don't like when my wife gets upset."

"She knows?"

"No." Matteo leans up against his desk. "I'm not going to worry her if I don't need to." He pauses. The silence in the room is deafening.

I know he's waiting for some sort of explanation from me. If it were anyone else, I'd tell them to mind their own fucking business. But not Matteo. I know he's not trying to be nosy. He's concerned on many different levels.

"There is nothing to worry about. I'll stay away from her." The second the words leave me, I know they're bullshit.

"Right." Matteo barks out a surprised laugh.

"I don't know what you want me to say." I drop down into one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I want you to say you're not going to toy with her."

"It's not a game," I grit out. "The last thing I want to do is hurt Riley." I've never uttered truer words than those.

"Is that why you're an asshole to her then?" I flinch because he's not wrong. I am a dick to her. I do it to protect her from me.

"That shit's for her own good. So she'll stay away from me."

"It appears to me that you don't stay away from her. Riley very much keeps to herself." I drop my head. I have never had to deal with anything like this before. It kills me that I can't get a handle on it. I'd never say this out loud, but it scares me. The way that I lose control of myself and my actions when I'm around her.

"She's not going to be a quick fuck."

I snap my head up. "I wouldn't?—"

Matteo holds his hand up, signaling for me to shut the fuck up. "That's all I want to make clear. The rest is for you to work through."

"Work through?" What the hell does that mean?

"We all got our shit." Matteo's hand comes down on my shoulder, giving me a squeeze. "Even Riley." I nod. "Now." He claps his hands together. "I have a few things I need to handle here, but you should know Mona and Riley are in one of the VIP sections."

"What?" I spring to my feet. "Why are they here?" I don't like that. Not one fucking bit. I'm sure a swarm of men are eyeing Riley right now. Her innocence can't be missed. It's not only alluring, it's addictive.

"My wife wanted to come with me, and she wasn't going to let her sister hang around alone at home on a Friday night." I walk over to the glass window, which looks out over the entire club. It only takes me two seconds to spot Riley. Of course, Sal is lingering close to her.

That bastard. I'm going to end up killing his ass by the end of the night. It's long overdue.