A shiver raced over my skin. Why was I thinking about Max? I had to focus on maintaining my composure. The last thing I needed was to think about the scarred, damaged man who’d kidnapped and interrogated me in his basement.
I shoved him from my mind and focused on Nikolai. It wasn’t difficult; as he brushed against the edge of my personal space, his powerful, confident bearing practically pulsed over my flesh. His shockingly blue gaze swept my features, not dipping any lower than my modest sweetheart neckline. Despite the respectful appraisal, my skin tingled everywhere his eyes trailed over me.
I’d never enjoyed the attention of a man this beautiful, and my body was reacting strangely. My belly quivered, and something hot zinged down my spine to warm my insides.
“Nikolai, this is Allie.” Mikhail introduced us. “She’s Ron’s daughter. She’s a very impressive young woman, and I wanted you to meet.” His voice dropped deeper on the last, ringing with command.
Oh, god. He really did want to set us up.
My stomach did a funny flip.
Nikolai extended his hand, and I accepted it automatically. Long, warm fingers engulfed mine in a gentle handshake. I returned it firmly, like my father had taught me, and a dazzling smile illuminated his features. “It’s nice to meet you, Allie.”
“You too.” Was that my voice? It sounded far too breathless and weirdly husky.
“Allie is interning at the US Attorney’s office,” Mikhail continued. “Where do you attend college?” he asked me.
I realized I’d held on to Nikolai’s hand for a second too long, and I snatched mine away, my cheeks heating. I turned back to his father, willing my features to arrange in a polite smile. I barely managed it.
“NYU,” I supplied.
His thin lips quirked in a frown. “Not Ivy League?”
The slight disapproval in his tone helped wash away some of the weird jitteriness that’d fizzed through my veins. “No, I didn’t want to go Ivy,” I asserted evenly.
“It’s Ron’s alma mater,” Mike interjected, providing more help.
I shot him a grateful glance, and I could’ve sworn his lashes twitched in the hint of a wink.
“Oh, yes.” The furrow eased from Mikhail’s brow. “I’d forgotten.”
“My dad thinks Harvard is the only good university in the country,” Nikolai explained. “I’m sure your resume must be very impressive if you secured an internship at the U.S. Attorney’s office.”
I turned my grateful smile on him. As soon as my eyes met his stunning blue gaze, my cheeks flushed with a rush of heat. He was so brilliantly beautiful that I could barely stand to look him in the eye. How was I going to stand here and make small talk for another fifteen minutes?
“Thanks,” I managed to murmur, resisting the almost overwhelming urge to drop my gaze in shyness. “You went to Harvard?”
He shrugged, as though his prestigious degree meant little to him. “Yes, I just graduated. I’m thinking about getting my MBA next year, though. Maybe I’ll apply at NYU.” His grin hit me square in the chest.
“Don’t joke, Nikolai,” his father scolded, his voice heavy with disapproval. “You’re working for the family business now. No need to waste another year on your education.”
Nikolai’s smile twitched ever so slightly, faltering. With annoyance? He’d clearly been needling his father with the NYU comment, but he didn’t seem to like being censured in public.
I didn’t blame him. I’d want to sink into the floor if my dad rebuked me in front of people I barely knew.
“Excuse me,” a new, masculine voice cut into our conversation. “Could I get a photo, please?”
Oh, no. Now so wasn’t a good time for a photo op. I was way too off balance for this moment to be permanently captured and potentially posted on the internet.
Nikolai cocked his head at me, those glimmering eyes quickly studying every nuance of my expression. The intense attention was riveting, and I stared up at him in stunned silence for a second, utterly entranced.
The heavy click of a camera jolted through my body like a firecracker, and I jumped slightly. A warm hand brushed my elbow, steadying me. The camera clicked again as I looked up at Nikolai in surprise at the casual touch. Heat sank into my skin where we made the lightest contact, and warmth flooded my stomach when I found myself locked in the glow of his heart-stopping smile. He was close enough for me to smell his cologne: something expensive that was an intoxicating combination of spice and tobacco and man.
I’d been on a total of five dates with boys before, and I’d been close enough to kiss two of them. But Nikolai wasn’t a boy; he was an imposing man. No one had ever affected me this strongly, and he was barely touching me.
A memory of Max’s big hands engulfing my calves burst across my mind, and I felt the phantom heat of his massive body as he leaned in close.