“I’m on the clock. Probably not the best thing for me to do.”
He glanced at her. “I’m the boss. I think it’ll be okay if you want one.”
“Okay then,” she said and tried to smile, but she was so damn on edge she knew it came out forced.
He poured them both a drink and walked up to her, handing her the glass. “Do you want to sit down? I have a feeling what you want to talk about isn’t in a professional capacity.”
She shook her head, and watching him go over to the couch, she took a drink. The liquor was a little harsh, but then again, she wasn’t much of a hard alcohol drinker. But she knew she’d need a little liquid courage to get through this, because no matter what the outcome was, this was totally new territory for her.
Moving next to him and sitting down, she focused on her glass, wondering how to proceed.
“You’ve thought about what I said, and want to talk about it?” Viktor asked, and she looked up, thankful he’d broken the silence.
She nodded, her throat tight and slightly burning from the alcohol, and her nerves making talking almost impossible. But she wouldn’t be a coward. She wanted to be honest with him, to tell him that she had feelings for him, ones she didn’t want to ignore.
Then say it.
“I’m afraid, I’ll admit that.” She held on to her glass tightly. “I don’t know if this is just a phase, like you’ll get sick of me.” She shrugged, being honest, even though it was humiliating. “I’m different from what you normally go for, and I guess that’s why I feel this way, why I think one day I’ll have given you my heart, and you’ll just discard me.”
“Oh, Karina, baby.” He set his glass down and pulled her closer. She let him, because it felt damn good to have Viktor hold her. “If this wasn’t what I wanted, wasn’t what I desired above everything else, I would have never said anything.”
It was strange to hear this softer side of him, to feel his emotions, his desire for her. It wasn’t just about sex, not for her, and he’d told her as much. This was about so much more, and she wanted to explore that.
“But you want me, too?” He spoke tenderly, and she couldn’t help but absorb that. She was so used to seeing the strong and always in control Viktor that having this gentle, sweet man hold her and tell her everything would work out was surreal.
“I do want you.”
“Look at me, Karina.”
She pulled back and looked into his eyes. He still appeared so powerful and strong, like he could crush anything that came close to him, that threatened what he held dear.
And he holds you dear.
“If I wasn’t sure, without a fucking doubt, that you were it for me, I wouldn’t have told you what I had.”
“It’s just happening so fast.”
He smiled and cupped her cheek. “It is, but doesn’t it feel incredible?”
She nodded. “It does.”
“Then let’s just go with it and see where this path takes us.”
Can it really be this easy?
14
Karina glanced to her side and couldn’t help the little flutter in her chest. Seeing Viktor in the driver’s seat, his hand on the gearshift and his focus on the road, made arousal rear its sweet, erotic head up violently in her.
They’d just gotten back from dinner, and although she would have no issues being with him right here and now, he was taking them back to his place for wine and classical music.
She’d never have taken Viktor for a classical kind of man, but then again, he was surprising her on all avenues. They drove through the city, the sun already having set, and the night full of life.
The traffic was starting to thicken the later it got, and her anxiety and arousal were climbing with each passing second.
“You’re nervous,” Viktor said without glancing at her, and sounding slightly amused.
“I’m not.”
He did look at her then. “You’re lying, baby, but I can read you as if I’m looking in the mirror.” He grinned and focused on the road again, weaving his way in and out of traffic and heading closer to his apartment. He descended into an underground garage, the lights coming on instantly.
There were plenty of below-ground garages in the city, but this one only held a few cars... a few very expensive cars.
Once he parked and cut the engine they sat there for a second, her hands in her lap, her heart not beating nearly as fast as she assumed it would be.
Although it wasn’t like they’d talked about why they were coming back to his house, she knew the end result.
They’d fuck, and it would be incredible.
“Why are you nervous?” he asked, looking fully at her now. “Is it because of everything and what you told me, or...”