Nikolai
Her apartment is exactlyhow I imagined it would be. Extremely organized, neat, and minimal. Other than a few family photographs on the end table in the living room, there is little decor. It’s not something I normally would notice. I hire people for that sort of thing, but it mirrors her personality. The bare minimum for herself, but the store downstairs is different. I can tell she gives all of herself to the business.
“I’ll just pack a few things for the weekend,” she says as she pulls a carryon suitcase out of the hall closet. She carries it to the single bedroom at the end of the hall, and I open the closet and grab the larger suitcase.
“Pack enough for the month.” I toss the black hard-shell suitcase onto the bed.
She eyes me, her lips curled together in a straight line.
“Whatever.” She shrugs and opens her closet door. As she slides the hangers over, looking through her clothing, I see jeans, t-shirts, a few skirts. Nothing that will work for the places we’ll be going while she’s with me.
In the end, she folds up her jeans and shirts and puts them in the larger suitcase then grabs fistfuls of panties and bras from the three-drawer chest. I watch with my shoulder pressed against the doorframe as she grabs things from the bathroom and tosses them in as well, and then she picks up a leather-bound notebook from the nightstand. She carries it pressed close to her chest then buries it beneath the clothing in the suitcase.
Now I have to know what’s in it.
“How long have you lived here?” I ask, not because I care but because it’s too quiet and she might forget I’m here. And I won’t have her doing that.
She tenses at my question. Yep, she was pushing me out of her mind.
“For a few years. My parents had leased the place when they first opened, but my dad was finally able to purchase the store and this apartment about six years ago. When the previous owner died, the family didn’t want to deal with the leasing anymore, so they sold it to him.”
“A building like this, that was a good investment.”
“Not the whole building. Just downstairs and up here. Each storefront is separate.” She pulls the zipper around the suitcase, sealing it.
“That’s unusual.”
She nods. “Yeah, I thought so too. A few companies have tried buying the stores, but since they’ve already been split up it’s hard for them to get everyone to sell.”
“Because they’d have to pay rent then. Right now, they own.”
“Right.” She pulls the suitcase from the bed and stares at me. “I guess I’m ready.”
“For your execution?” I ask, pushing off the doorframe. She’s tense and stressed and I can see her mind reeling a thousand miles a minute.
“What?”
“You look like I’m about to have you killed.” I step up to her and reach behind her, unclasping the hair clip holding up all that hair of hers. The chestnut locks fall around her shoulders, instantly softening her look.
“That is something you could do,” she points out, but the tint of pink on her cheeks tells me she didn’t mean to say it out loud.
“It is, yes.” I rest my hands on her hips. “Have you stolen from me? Killed a member of my family? Hurt someone close to me? Lied to me?” I ask when her eyes finally travel from my chest up to my face.
“No,” she says softly. “You’d kill me for lying?” she asks as an afterthought.
I move my hands to the buttons of her jeans. “No. But I will whip your ass with my belt if you do.”
“Is that your answer to everything?”
“No.” I work the button open and move to the zipper. “But I like to be upfront. If you behave badly, I’ll punish you.” I slide my hand into her pants, under her cotton panties. “And when you’re good, like you’re being right now, I’ll reward you.” My fingers glide through the short curls she keeps and then further down I find the sweet button. She gasps the moment I press down on her clit.
“Seems a little… simplistic.” She’s trying to keep her composure while I swirl my finger around her clit.
“Simplistic?” I try not to laugh. Nothing about my life is simple. “Like I said, I like to be upfront.” I lean down, kissing her cheek. “You’re so wet already for me,” I whisper in her ear then trail my tongue over the outer shell.
“It’s not my fault.”
Since she can’t see my face, I grin.