He’s slick from his own arousal, and when I bring my finger to my lips and suck the taste of him from my skin, he lets out a groan and tightens his grip on me, digging his fingers into my skin hard enough to leave bruises. And that’s all I’ll have of him tomorrow, I remind myself, a line of fingertip-sized bruises and the memory of how damn good his thigh had felt between my legs. I take a breath and prepare myself for what’s about to happen, hiding everything I’m feeling behind a wicked grin.
When he brings a hand up to cup the back of my neck and pull me in for a kiss, I pull back just out of reach and shake my head no.
“Sorry, Nikolai, you don’t fuck rival business owners, remember?”
He looks at me like he can’t believe what I’ve just said. His gorgeous face turns from pure lust to disbelief and finally to the angry scowl that I knew was coming and thought I had prepared myself for. I’m not. It cuts me to the quick, but I push on, running my fingers down his magnificent cock one last time before standing up and grabbing my towel.
“Thanks for the thigh job, Nik,” I say, giving him a wink before tossing my towel over my shoulder and walking out of the sauna without so much as a backward glance, ignoring the long stream of angry Russian that echoes behind me.
I hurry up and pull on a shirt and pair of sweatpants that are buried at the bottom of my gym bag and toss in all my other shit before hurrying the hell out of there. I thought I would enjoy teasing Nikolai more, but instead I just feel lousy, and even though he just gave me the best orgasms of my life, I still want more. I don’t even let myself think about how amazing it would be to have a man like Nikolai be my first. That’s all he would be, though, and that’s what hurts the most. Guys like him don’t settle down with twenty-one-year-old, penniless women who are better at throwing a punch than putting on nail polish.
Clutching my bag to my chest to hide the fact that I didn’t bother with my sweaty sports bra, I go through the door Dmitri pointed out earlier and give a nod to the unfamiliar bouncer right outside the door before weaving my way through the crowd and out the front door. As soon as I walk around the corner, I run for my car. Nikolai is still parked next to me, and I wonder if he’s still sitting in the sauna cursing my name or if he’s already made plans to fuck the first woman he sees in the Arctic Fox.
The more I think about it, the more I realize how much ass my plan sucked. Brilliant, Moira, get him all hot and bothered and then just bolt the hell out of there. Of course a man that gorgeous is just going to find another warm body to fuck. There’s no way in hell I can go back in there and say, “Yeah, about leaving you with a massive hard-on, I was just kidding. So, do you wanna fuck?”
I yank my door open with a groan and toss my bag in the back. The drive back to my club is a lonely one. How in the hell am I ever going to face him again? Gina said that drinks on Friday were going to be strictly just for the ladies, so I’m assuming the guys have been told to stay out of the club. With any luck, I’ll be able to avoid him. If I wasn’t so excited about hanging out with Gina and meeting Jamie, I’d just cancel the whole thing and keep my ass out of sight, but the truth is I really want to go. I may not have a future with Nikolai, but it’s possible I could make some damn good friends for the first time in my life. I’m not willing to risk losing out on something like that.
I’m so depressed by how the night ended that I end up making two small pizzas instead of one, and I throw in some cookies for dessert. I fall asleep watching an historical romance on my iPad while trying not to think about the hurt look on Nikolai’s face or how damn good he’d felt pressed up against me.
After a grueling Thursday spent working on the floors of the club, I spend Friday afternoon painting the baseboards. The place is finally starting to come together, but it still has a long way to go. I haven’t let myself think about how much it’s going to cost to buy everything I need. The boxing ring is in decent enough shape, and most of the weightlifting equipment is still good. I need new heavy bags, though, and a few other supplies. I plan on spending Saturday figuring out how much everything will cost and then seeing if I can stretch my savings into covering it. I didn’t get much when I sold my dad’s house, but hopefully it’ll be enough to get this place up and running.
With an hour to go until I’m supposed to meet Gina at the club, I take a quick shower and even go through the trouble of putting on a light dusting of eyeshadow, some mascara, and my favorite cherry-flavored lip balm. I give my hair a quick blow dry and throw on a pair of jeans and a green sweater that brings out the color of my eyes. I take a look in the mirror and tell myself that none of this is on the off-chance that Nikolai shows up. I almost believe it as I grab my keys and lock up the building.
Gina texted me earlier, telling me to go ahead and park on the side like I had the other night so I can avoid the hassle of trying to find a spot in the parking garage. She also told me that Anton would be at the front door and that he’s expecting me so I can skip the long line that’s curving around the building and out of sight. I park between two sleek cars, noticing that neither one is Nikolai’s and make my way to the club’s entrance. I recognize the bouncer as the same guy who I ran past when I’d left the sauna and realize this must be Anton. He looks older than the others and not nearly as fit. He’s a burly man with an accent so thick I can barely understand him.
“Go in,” he says, waving me by. “They are waiting at bar.”
“Thanks,” I say, walking past. He’s already taking someone’s ID and not giving me a second glance. I’m guessing he’s not much for chitchat or maybe it’s just because he doesn’t speak much English. Either way, I’ve been dismissed, so I go in and make my way to the bar.
The place is even more packed than the last time I was here. I weave through the crowd of bodies, finally spotting Gina at the bar. She’s standing next to a tall blonde and talking to Natalya. They’re all three laughing about something, and when Gina spots me, she lets out a happy squeal and wraps me in a hug that completely takes me off guard.
I laugh and hug her back, having to bend down so I’m not squishing her in an awkward hug with her face pressed against my boobs. When she lets me go, I smile at Natalya and then at the beautiful woman next to me.
“Hi, I’m Moira. You must be Jamie.”
“Yep. It’s nice to finally meet you.” She gives me a big smile, and I immediately like her. Her brown eyes are warm, and even though she looks like she just stepped off the damn runway, I can tell that she’s a no-nonsense kind of gal. What you see is what you get with these two, and I’m thrilled to have met them. The last thing I need in my life is more drama or petty bullshit.
“What do you want to drink?” Natalya shouts over the music. “The same as last time?”
I shake my head yes, and she quickly pours my drink and sets it on the counter before turning to help a large, rowdy group that just walked up. Jamie and Gina are already holding drinks, so when Gina points at the other end of the room, indicating that I should follow them, I grab my drink and try to keep up.
Loud voices compete with the thumping of the music, and it’s so damn crowded that I don’t even get a chance to really scan the crowd for the handsome, brooding face that’s never far from my mind. I’m relieved when Gina leads us to the roped-off VIP section. She says something to the bouncer in Russian, making him laugh before he opens it up and lets us through.
“You speak Russian?” I ask her when we’re sitting down at a table in the back. I’m relieved to see it’s not quite as loud back here and I can actually here her when she answers.
“We’re both learning,” she says, pointing at Jamie. “It’s hard as hell but actually a lot of fun to speak. I’m still a beginner, but it’s coming along.”
“You’re with Aleksei, right?” I ask, looking at Jamie. “I think I know which one he is. Tall, blonde, incredibly good looking?”
She laughs, but I see the way her eyes light up. “Yep, that’s him.”
“How did you guys meet?”
Jamie turns her brown eyes on Gina and hits shoulders with her. “Gina and I have been friends since we were kids, and ever since she saw a leaked video of Dima kicking some guy’s ass, she was obsessed with him.”
Gina laughs but doesn’t deny it.
“Good friend that I am,” Jamie says with an exaggerated eye roll that makes me laugh, “I came to this club one night to try to figure out how I could get the two of them together. That’s when I met Aleksei. It was kind of love at first sight, which I know sounds corny, but it’s the truth. I had a hell of a time convincing him that I wasn’t interested in Dima or just using him for information. He can be damn stubborn when he wants to be.”