19. Kat

19

"I'm sure you will punish me, as you have so far—repeatedly and in so many ways," Nik whispers against my skin.

He laughs softly, and there is a flutter in my stomach as his chest vibrates against my back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"Shh. You're getting tense again. I can feel it on your shoulders. Just relax. Forget I said anything," he whispers in my ear. I shiver in response to the proximity of his mouth.

"Nik—"

"Just relax and watch the footage, Kat. Look, there's Connor sneaking away. See?"

I glance at the screen as the man he pointed out as Patrick McGuire's enforcer leaves the museum's gardens.

"McGuire's whereabouts are conveniently accounted for throughout the entire evening. But Connor comes and goes a handful of times through the night," Nik says. "I don't know where he goes for sure since the museum's internal footage is missing, but I'd put good money he was off doing McGuire's dirty work for him."

I try to focus on the video before me, striving not to let myself get carried away by his touch again. But it's a losing battle. It's just so difficult to resist his allure.

Nik's strong hands firmly knead my knotted shoulders. When his thumbs trace the length of my neck, I feel like I can barely breathe.

It gets even worse once I notice myself in the video footage. More specifically, I spot myself in Nik's arms on the dance floor. I observe our back-and-forth as I try to leave the party, and he convinces me to stay. As I watch us on the screen, Nik's firm hands never stop rubbing my shoulders and neck.

His soft laughter tickles the back of my neck. "Ah, there you are, Kat."

Nik's warm breath grazes the hair at the back of my head as we watch our past selves sneak away to the empty room where we had sex. He laughs before nuzzling my neck. His lips flutter against my skin as he says, "Still can't keep my hands off of you…"

"Nik—" I say, unsure of what might come out of my lips next. Will I ask him to stop? Or will I beg him to go on?

"There's your friend Dmitri," Nik says, teasingly emphasizing the word.

It's easy to spot Dmitri on the screen. A blonde with a gorgeous body is excitedly talking to him as he glances around the place, markedly uncomfortable. He pulls his cell phone out of his pocket and excuses himself. He wastes no time bringing it to his ear before hastily stepping out of frame.

"I thought blondes were supposed to have more fun," I joke. It isn't clear in the footage, but it seemed like Dmitri faked the phone call to avoid the poor girl.

"I guess brunettes are more his type if today is any indication," Nik says under his breath.

"Can you blame him?"

I shimmy my hips back so I sit closer to Nik's body.

"Can't say that I do. Dmitri's respect for authority leaves much to be desired, but his taste in women is impeccable."

I can't help but laugh.

"Earlier today at breakfast, he was just messing around to try to get a rise out of you, you know."

"I know. He loves to do that. I'm not concerned about Dmitri, Kat. He knows better than to cross the line."

I peer over my shoulder to look at Nik. "And what line is that?"

"Daring to try to take what's mine," he says without hesitation, not breaking eye contact even for a second.

I scoff, turning back to face the TV. "I'm not yours if that's what you're implying."

"You could've fooled me. From where I'm sitting, it sure looks like you are."

"Once again, you're delusional. Just because I'm working for you, it doesn't mean you own me."

"You keep telling yourself that, milaya."

"Is that Russian for babe or something like that? Because I can't stand men calling me babe."

"Maybe it's Russian for mine," he says against my ear, nipping at it.

I shoot him an unamused look over my shoulder.

"How you do you say in your fucking dreams in Russian?"

Nik laughs.

"You're not entirely wrong. I've dreamed about you being mine. Often. Tell me, Kat. Have you done the same?"

I glare at him. "Nikolai, we're keeping things professional, remember?"

"That wasn't a no."

He smirks, completely incorrigible.

"It wasn't a yes, either."

"Now, who's delusional, Kat? If you want me to stop touching you, just say the word, and I will."

It's a dare. I open my mouth to tell him just that, but his hands feel so amazingly rough on my skin, and I love the comforting heat of his body enveloping mine—from his torso against my back to his thighs around my own.

Nik waits for a long moment. When I say nothing, he smiles in triumph.

"That's what I thought."

He chuckles.

I want to wipe that infuriatingly smug expression off his face.

I'm sick and tired of being at Nik's mercy. Apparently, it's not enough that the man controls my fate. He also gets to bend my body and mind completely to his whims.

As much as I hate it, I can't stop him from forcing me to join his dangerous pursuit of revenge for his friend's death. But I'm not ready to concede defeat and surrender to his control as far as the rest is concerned.

His reactions to me yesterday are undeniable signs that he can't control his body's response to mine any more than I can control mine to his.

I'm not too proud to use my body and his sexual attraction to me to regain some semblance of power over this situation. If seducing him is what it will take to bring this unthinkably powerful man to his knees, then so be it.

As Nik's hands massage my neck and shoulders, I scoot my hips closer to his—slowly but deliberately. I want him to know I'm intentionally making this choice.

I inch backward until I feel the firm pressure of his erection against me. Nik's hands' movements falter for a split second before he resumes kneading my sore muscles.

Eyes glued to the screen, I slowly rock my hips against him. Suddenly halting his languid massage, he hisses in a breath.

I pause, looking over my shoulder at his face. "Everything okay?"

Nik narrows his eyes at me.

"Can't complain."

With a smirk, he resumes his ministrations to my tense muscles.

I don't bother hiding my sigh of pleasure. I want him to know his touch affects me. Because I know that will affect him.

His guarded eyes study me as I watch the surveillance footage. I lean back against him, molding my back to his chest and abs. As my head rests against his shoulder, I rotate my hips against his erection.

Nik inhales sharply and his hands stop massaging my shoulders.

"Kat…" he says, a warning command resounding in his tone.

"You're sure you're okay?" I ask again, ignoring his feeble attempt to ward me off.

Nik raises an eyebrow, glaring at me. I'm starting to realize it is something he will do whenever he thinks I am being particularly challenging.

"I know what you're doing, Kat."

For a moment, I consider feigning ignorance but ultimately decide against it. "Good," I say, giving him a small smile.

My response catches him off guard.

"Are you toying with me again, Kat? I thought you had learned your lesson."

His expression is forbidding and menacing, but the intended effect is ruined when his member grows harder and larger against my flesh. I reward him by moving my ass up and down against it.

His hands slide down to my upper arms, holding me firmly in place. "Kat…" Nik exhales, utterly failing to sound even slightly put off.

"Hey, if you want me to stop touching you, just say the word, Nik."

He clutches my arms even tighter, narrowing his eyes at me again.

But his lips never voice a protest.

I don't bother hiding my grin, pleased at how the turntables have turned in my favor this time. "That's what I thought," I say with a chuckle, mimicking his words and tone from earlier.

"You're playing a very dangerous game," Nik says as his hands trail down my arms. Slowly, he places them on my hips.

"You're just salty that I'm better at it than you are."

My cockiness gets me a raised eyebrow again.

"Is that what you think?"

I smirk, lazily rubbing myself on his cock.

"It's what I know." The soft fabric of my skirt molds to my body with my movements, and his erection, hot and hard, presses against my soft flesh.

Nik's eyes never leave mine as he slides his hands down my hips—down my thighs—until he reaches the hem of my skirt. Without hesitation, he yanks it up, immediately touching me between my legs.

Still maintaining eye contact, he pulls my panties aside. I don't dare look away from his mesmerizing gaze, even when his fingers part me. A loud moan escapes my lips as he runs his fingers up and down. His movements aren't brusque, but he's not particularly gentle or tender either.

Nik raises his hand, and my underwear snaps back into place. I groan in frustration at the loss of his touch right where I need him the most. He glances at the fingers that were exploring my center before looking at me. A slow, sexy smirk takes over his face.

"You're so fucking wet, milaya," he says in a cocky tone. "It looks like I affect you just as much as you affect me."

"I never said you don't. I just pointed out I'm better at using your attraction to me to my advantage than you are. Give me half a chance, and I'll have you eating out of the palm of my hand."

I place a quick kiss on his neck. Nik barely stifles a groan.

"I don't need to use your attraction to me to have you under my control. I already got you right where I want you, Kat."

"We'll see about that, Nik," I say with a wink before delivering a languid, open-mouthed kiss to his neck.

A raspy breath escapes his lips, and he closes his eyes. Still, Nik resists me. In response, I move my ass up and down the length of his erection in a deliberate rhythm.

His breath catches in his throat, so I increase the urgency of my kiss against the skin of his neck. His scent is so mouthwateringly masculine and inebriating that it's hard to fight the distraction. It takes all my willpower to resist the urge to just mindlessly pleasure him and myself.

But this moment will set the tone for all our future interactions, so I try to stay focused. I must remain in control of myself to gain some control over him—the man who holds my life in his hands.

As I increase the tempo of my movements against him, Nik grows larger and even more rigid. He pants, the warmth of his breath grazing my ear and the skin of my neck. A shiver runs through me. Still, I resist the mindless lust.

I take his physical response—and the fact that he hasn't stopped this madness—as encouragement that I'm on the right path. I'm not sure what victory will look like in this scenario, but something tells me I'll recognize it when I see it.

I take his hand and place it on my breast while rubbing my ass against his length. "Touch me, Nik. Please."

With a pained groan, he does. His calloused hand palms my breast, almost roughly. My nipple hardens in return, and he responds by pinching it. I cry out, and it spurs him on. His other hand grabs the other side of my chest.

Nik's on the verge of succumbing to the passion I'm awakening in him, so I place my hands on my thighs, spreading them wide. I grab the hem of my skirt and pull it up to my waist. Just like he did earlier, I tug my underwear aside to finger myself, spreading my wetness around my center.

While caressing my breasts, Nik groans against my neck. I increase the rhythm of my movements up and down his straining cock, and he rewards me by biting down hard on the spot where my neck meets my shoulder.

He's close to breaking, on the brink of completely succumbing to the haze of his lust. His breaths come out in erratic pants as his fingertips mercilessly tease the tips of my breasts. There isn't much gentleness left in him as his hips begin to move in the same cadence as mine.

All I need to do is give Nik a little push, and he will tumble down. The hard part is preventing myself from falling before him.

As I finger myself, I reach up with my other arm to pull his mouth down to my neck. Nik doesn't fight me, showering me with forceful, open-mouthed caresses on the tender spot of flesh where he bit me. His maddening tongue touches it. The feeling is almost enough to drive me over the edge, but I don't let myself come.

I cry out his name in pleasure, and that almost does the trick. His caresses grow more urgent as his thrusting becomes more demanding.

Somehow, through the fog brought on by the pressing orgasm building in my center, I figure it out. I realize at last what his little reactions are telling me—the way to drive him over the edge is by letting him do the same for me.

"Nik," I pant. "I want to come for you." The sound of his breath catching in his throat—followed by a pained groan—is all the confirmation I need. "Please, Nik. Make me come."

"Milaya," he says with a sigh. "You don't ever have to beg me for what I'd kill to give you."

Nik's hands drop to my hips. He holds me so tightly I'll have a bruise tomorrow. His arm snakes around my waist, and his right hand slides down my stomach until it reaches my sex.

I try to pull my hand away, but he stops me, keeping my wet fingers right there. "No, Kat," he says against my ear, wrapping his big hand around mine. "We'll do this together. I'll make you come for me, but we're doing it my way, on my terms."

Frustrated, I groan. This isn't how it is supposed to go. We're supposed to do it my way, which involves him losing control and giving in to the erotic pull between us. Instead, the infuriating man has turned the moment into another display of his power over me.

Nik is truly the most maddening man I've ever met. But it doesn't matter. I always play through the whistle. The game isn't over until I say it's over. So, I reach behind me and fumble around the front of his pants, trying to unbutton them.

He lets go of my hips to grab my roaming hand. Easily restraining my wrist, he holds my arm flush against my back. "It's my way or no way, Kat," he says. "So, what's it going to be?"

As I consider my options, his hand, wrapped around mine between my legs, lazily runs our fingers over my wet sex. I can't help panting and squirming a little. I'm so close to the edge he could make me come with the slightest bit of pressure on my clitoris. Nik's undoubtedly fully aware of it, judging by how carefully he avoids the spot.

He runs his mouth down the column of my neck. "What's it going to be, Kat?" he asks again, lips vibrating against my skin.

I resist answering for as long as possible, but he's got me and he knows it. "Your way," I concede at last.

Nik showers my shoulders with kisses. "Good girl," he says, nipping at my ear. "Now, ask me again. Nicely."

I don't even need to inquire. I know exactly what he means. "Please, Nik," I ask, panting and shamelessly rubbing myself against his hard body. He waits. "Please, make me come."

With a barely restrained groan, he does.