The next two weeks flew by for Lily. Her classes this year were harder, and she found herself struggling to find time for much of anything outside of studying. When she wasn’t in class or tutoring, she was with Nikoli. Which still felt a little odd, only because she found she liked spending time with him. The manwhore was interesting, funny, and she found herself becoming as comfortable with him as she was with Adam and Mike. Nikoli said she would, and she was getting there. He never pushed her too far, gave her breathing room when she panicked, and they talked shop for hours. Cars were her thing, and he was the first guy who got how much she adored them. Nikoli was as big a car junkie as she was.
Not that she’d ever admit anything to Nikoli. Give him an inch and he’d take a hundred miles. No need to inflate his already oversized ego. He wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d pegged him for, though. He had a very sweet and caring side he didn’t show to everyone else. Said it was bad for his reputation. Lily was constantly reevaluating her opinion of him. It irked her too. She preferred him the slutty manwhore who only cared about himself. Nikoli wasn’t as selfish as she’d thought. He was almost a great guy when he wasn’t around other people. Almost. His ego kept getting in the way.
She was just glad she had some time to hang out with her friends. Mike had asked her to come help him and Adam with a bit of a situation online. They were all huge gamers, Halo being a specialty of theirs. It seemed that a team of guys had been destroying Mike and Adam when they played online, especially in the tournaments. Lily was a better shot than either of them, and Mike had begged her to come play today so they could get some payback. Luther was there too. He’d been a victim of the bullies as well. Seriously, a group of eleven guys teaming up against one or two people was not all fair.
The guys had moved the coffee table out of the way and set up shop in the main room. She and Mike had sat down in front of the couch, on a blanket she’d brought, while Luther sat on Lily’s left. Adam sat in the chair that flanked the couch next to Mike. Lily was still barely talking to him, but Adam had learned if he kept his mouth shut, she wouldn’t leave. He’d kept trying to explain himself, and Lily didn’t want to hear it. He’d hurt her a lot, and he knew it. She needed time, and he’d finally realized that. The episode at Nikoli’s apartment had shown him that more than anything.
They’d spent the first hour running around like lunatics so she could get a feel for how the other team played. They went out and just killed. Sheer brute force in numbers. Lily smiled as she watched from her hidey hole. The first one was coming into her line of fire. She let him pass, though. She wanted to see how many traveled in the smaller packs. Three more brought up his flank. She’d been tracking their movements for the last twenty minutes. She was in her favorite spot, completely hidden. Before they even realized what hit them, she’d have half of them taken out.
Nikoli grabbed a beer out of the fridge and went looking for everyone. Luther had texted him earlier to say he was at Boy Wonder’s frat house with Lily. They were doing some kind of online tournament. He’d known she was a gamer, but had no idea she was a tournament player. He should know by now not to be shocked by anything when it came to Lily Bells. She constantly surprised him. It was refreshing, and it scared the hell out of him. She mattered to him without even trying. He couldn’t let this go on for much longer or he was going to be a situation that would cause them both a lot of pain. The thought of losing her, though, it made his stomach hurt. What the hell was he going to do?
He couldn’t stop the smile from flashing across his face when he spotted her sitting on the floor, eyes on the screen, barking orders at Mike and Luther. She was so focused on the game, she wasn’t paying attention to anything else, and it gave him a minute to watch her. He found he loved watching her. Her face was one of the most expressive he’d ever seen. She never hid anything. It wasn’t who she was. What you saw with Lily was what you got. She didn’t pretend, and she didn’t play games with people. Again, something Nikoli wasn’t used to, and he found it fascinating.
She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, and Nikoli glanced at the TV screen. Three guys were going past where she was hiding, and he watched as she took them out one by one with single shots. His eyebrows shot up when three more came running, and she took them down as soon as they appeared. He laughed. She was a sneaky little thing. Luther and Mikey cheered, which earned them each a glare, and they both quieted back down and started hunting.
Chuckling at their obvious scolding, Nikoli looked around for a seat. Lily and Mike were sprawled in front of the couch. Luther sat on Lily’s right and Boy Wonder was across from Mike. No place to sit…an idea began to form. Oh, Lily Bells was gonna hurt him later, but it would be worth it. She’d gotten so much better at letting him touch her. She didn’t flinch anymore and had gotten in the habit of touching him as well. Granted, she wasn’t anywhere near where he wanted her, but he was thrilled with her progress.
He kicked off his shoes and then climbed over the back of the couch, his legs coming to rest on either side of Lily. She was so focused on her game, she didn’t even notice. Slowly, he brought his legs in so they were resting against her, and to his delight, she leaned back against the couch, resting against him as she took two more opponents down. Mike and Adam stared, shocked. He simply stared back. After a minute, Mike nodded to him and turned back to the game, but Adam’s stare turned into something like hate. Nikoli grinned at Boy Wonder, which only pissed Adam off more. Small pleasures in life.
“How many are left?” Mike asked, his shot missing his target. He had to dive for cover, and Luther backed him up, taking the guy out. “Thanks, man.”
“Four,” Lily answered absently as she inched along a covered ravine. “Don’t bunch up. You’re giving them two for the price of one.”
Mike obediently split from Luther. Lily crouched and waited. “Mikey, pull them this way. I have a shot from here.”
“What? Why me?”
“It’s your turn to be bait,” Adam said, his voice low and rough, causing Lily to glance up at him. His glare was hot enough to melt icebergs. Frowning, she started to turn to look toward Nikoli.
Nikoli was aware the moment she realized she was trapped between his legs. She went completely still. He didn’t let her retreat. Instead, he pressed his legs against her arms and leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head. Softly, so only she could hear, he said, “Easy, Milaya, you’re fine.”
Lily let out a long breath and he could feel her entire body relax. It took her a moment, but she did it, and he couldn’t have been more proud of her. “Good girl,” he whispered and nuzzled his nose in her hair. She always smelled so good, like strawberries and vanilla.
“Mike, you’ve got one coming up on your six,” she said, her voice a little breathy. “If you don’t move, you’re gonna get shot, and then I’ll have to beat you.”
Nikoli laughed and settled back to watch the game. Lily was good, more than good. She impressed the hell out of him as she took down two more from angles she shouldn’t have been able to make. He might let her play their current zombie project. He needed a beta tester for the weapons. His thought process froze. Did he actually just consider telling her about his gaming business? He’d never told any woman about his business. It invited trouble. He’d learned that lesson a long time ago.
“Man, your girlfriend is a badass,” Luther said, watching Lily. It was only a second before he realized what he’d said and turned wide eyes to Nikoli. Luther looked horrified and regretful all at once. Nik knew Luther adored Lily and was afraid Nik would say something to hurt her. Nor had he meant to put Nikoli on the spot.
Lily wasn’t paying attention. Her sole focus was on the game, but everyone else in the room, including the other guys who had come in to watch, were all staring at him. Everyone knew Nikoli wasn’t a girlfriend kind of guy, and while he and Lily had spent the last several weeks together, he’d never specifically called her his girlfriend. He glanced down at the top of her head and found he couldn’t say she wasn’t. It was odd, really. He tried to say the words, but they just wouldn’t roll off his tongue. Dammit. He was in so much fucking trouble.
“She is,” he agreed and leaned back against the couch. He heard the shock of their indrawn breaths and saw it on the faces around him. The horror on Boy Wonder’s face made him smirk. Adam didn’t like Lily being with him one bit. Too damn bad. Boy Wonder didn’t deserve Lily. No one did. She was too good for all these assholes, including him. His own thoughts stopped his thought process. Shocked didn’t even begin to describe what he felt right now. He wanted to frown at his own self, but he kept his face neutral and amused. He liked calling her his girlfriend, liked that she belonged to him. Something inside of him cracked open and pleasure leaked out. He didn’t like it, not one bit.
He lifted his eyes and saw his buddy Craig in the corner not paying attention to anything but the girl all up in his business. Cute blonde, big boobs, and Craig’s hands were full of her ass. Just the sight made him start to get hard. He let out a slow breath and looked down at Lily nestled between his legs, her head only inches from his cock. He got harder thinking about her mouth wrapped around him, her nails digging into his ass as he pushed deeper into her mouth, making her take all of him. Fuck, he needed to get laid.
But he couldn’t. Dammit. It had been weeks since he’d had sex, all because of the woman sitting in front of him. He needed to alleviate the pressure. He wrapped her hair around his hand and marveled at how soft it was. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he pulled the heavy mass of black hair back and started to braid it, an idea forming in his head. They would go back to the penthouse in the city when she was done here and he would push her, push her the way he’d wanted to for weeks. He was going to touch her, kiss her, to show her that his touch brought only warmth and desire. Plans began to form, and his smile was slow and full of the promise of naughty thoughts.
So caught up in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed the last two opponents taken out and the group around them disperse. All that was left were Mike and Adam. Even Luther had gotten up and headed somewhere. Lily sat peacefully, letting him braid her hair. He’d done it several times over the last three weeks, so she was used to it. Adam and Mike were just staring, their faces masks of shock and disbelief. He sighed. Why had none of them ever pushed her? They were supposed to care about her, yet they had let this go on. In two months he’d made more progress than either of them had in years.
“Lils?”
“Hmm?” she answered Mike, leaning her head against Nikoli’s knee, thoroughly relaxed. She loved when he braided her hair. Her mom used to do it when she was little, but it never felt like this. Nikoli made each movement feel like a caress, like a gentle touch she felt everywhere, even though he only held her hair.
“You got gems for sale?”
She perked up at the mention of the form of money used for their online social game. Mikey had been hinting for a week or so he might be doing some big spending. He always bought from her because she always had a lot of gems. She bought and sold gems at a discounted rate. It had made her a small fortune in the game and kept her bank account healthy.
“How many you need?” she asked, sitting up a little straighter.
“Five thousand at least, maybe more later in the week.”
“What the hell do you need five thousand gems for?” she asked, trying to calculate how much it would cost.
“Gems?” Nikoli asked, his voice a little sharp.
Lily ignored him and focused on Mike. “Well?”
“I bought Janet a ring,” he confessed sheepishly as he pulled a tiny black velvet box out of his pocket.
Lily squealed and jumped up, ignoring Nikoli’s grunt when he was forced to let her hair go. “Let me see,” she demanded and held out her hand. Mike laughed and put the box in her outstretched palm. Lily opened it and gasped with delight. Inside lay a simple diamond engagement ring. It wasn’t huge, but it was elegant, and so very Janet. She would adore this.
“It’s beautiful, Mikey,” she told him and handed it back to him. “You did good.”
“I hope Jan likes it.” He shoved the box back into his pocket. He sounded so nervous, and Lily couldn’t help but smile.
“She’ll love it,” Adam assured him. “Don’t worry so much, bro. It’s not about the ring anyway.”
“Adam’s right,” Lily agreed. “She loves you, so she’ll love the ring.”
“I guess.”
Lily and Adam both laughed at Mike’s nervousness. They knew how anxious he could get over things he really cared about.
“Now, why do you need so many gems?” she asked.
“Well, I thought I’d do a surprise wedding for her,” Mike said. “I want to plan it for the day after I propose to her. I thought it would be special for us to get married in-game to celebrate.”
“That is so sweet.” Lily smiled.
“Wait, hold up a sec,” Nikoli interrupted. “You’re talking about VSL? Virtual Social Life?”
“They are.” Adam laughed at Nikoli’s shocked expression.
“You play a sex game?” Nikoli demanded, and Lily cackled like a crone. He sounded outraged.
“It’s a little more than just a sex game,” Lily told him. “It’s an online world.”
“Essentially, Lily Bells, it’s a game to meet and fuck,” Nikoli disagreed.
“Maybe for you,” she said. “I have fun there going to clubs, exploring new places, and hanging out with my friends.”
“Do I know you there?”
“I don’t know,” she teased. “Do you?” Her grin only widened when his eyes narrowed. She was enjoying watching him struggle with this more than she should.
“What’s your username in-world?”
“Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “Not telling.”
“Dushka…”
“I asked you not to call me that.”
“Tell me your name, and I won’t ever call you dushka again.”
“Nope,” Lily said. She watched his expression harden and felt the first flutter of nerves. It wasn’t apprehension, it was more of anticipation nerves, thinking of how he was going to react. She loved the feeling, loved that it could push her fear away and let her just feel. Nikoli was accomplishing what everyone else hadn’t been able to. He was healing her. The thought brought a smile to her face until she saw his black eyes narrow further. Oh, this couldn’t be at all good.
Nikoli worked to get his expression under control. He hadn’t been able to suppress his surprise upon learning his sweet, innocent little Lily played a sex game. It was true, there were a lot of other things to do in VSL, but he had yet to meet a single player who didn’t have virtual sex. They did other things, sure, but sex was a big part of it too.
Why wouldn’t she tell him her name?
“Are we friends there?” he asked, his voice calm and even. Lily only smiled, not answering the question. He knew Mike played, and they’d hung out a few times, but Lily? Mind. Blown.
“Mikey?” Lily tilted her head to look at Mike, the question plain on her face.
He laughed. “Don’t worry, Lils, my friend list is hidden.”
“You know I am going to figure this out,” Nikoli promised, his smile feral. Lily’s eyes grew wider and even Mike looked a little alarmed. As well he should. Nikoli could make his life hell in that game, and Mike knew it.
“Don’t worry about the gems. I’ll take care of the wedding,” Lily said, sliding farther away from Nikoli. He snorted. As if that was going to save her.
“Weddings in VSL are expensive,” Mike protested.
“Couple people owe me some favors,” she said, waving his protest away. “Remember when Jan and I helped with the Sabotages’ wedding? Jan showed me exactly what she wants for her own wedding, right down to the dress and the cake design. I got it handled, Mikey.”
“What about the theme?” Adam piped in. “You can’t reserve the venue till you get the theme down.”
While the three of them discussed various in-world venues, Nikoli made up his mind. He’d been using kid gloves with Lily up until now, but he was going to push her today. They were going to the penthouse and she was going to get her first lesson in feeling his hands against her naked flesh. He felt his entire body tighten just thinking about running his hands over her.
“Lily Bells, you almost ready to go?” he asked, interrupting their conversation. He needed to get her moving. “I made a reservation at Mason’s, and you and I both still need to get cleaned up if we are going to make it.”
“I don’t know if I have anything to wear there!” Lily gasped.
“Don’t worry, I bought you something,” Nikoli assured her, “but we need to get going soon.”
Lily frowned and Nikoli ignored it. One thing he had discovered was Lily was very uncomfortable accepting gifts from him. She didn’t want him to spend money on her, another first for him. He’d only spent money on one other girl before, and only because she’d demanded it. The experience had soured him. Lily was different, though. She made him want to get her things, just to make her happy. It was cute when she’d frown and say he shouldn’t have. Another sign he was getting in too deep, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
“How did you swing reservations at Mason’s?” Mike gawked at him.
Nikoli shrugged. Mason’s was one of Boston’s most exclusive restaurants, and it usually took months to get a reservation, but Nikoli knew the owner. Mason’s teenage sons were fans of Nik’s games. They always got pre-release copies, and Nikoli got reservations when he needed them, no questions asked. An idea popped into his head, and he grinned a Cheshire cat grin.
“What are you up to?” Lily demanded.
Nikoli laughed. “Tell you what, Mike. You give me Lily Bell’s in-game name, and I’ll make sure you get a reservation at Mason’s for the night you pop the question. I’ll even pay the bill. You order whatever you want. It’s on me.”
Mike’s mouth dropped open, then slowly closed. He got all bug-eyed and he started to sweat. Nikoli wasn’t playing fair, and he knew it. Mike would want the very best for Janet on the night he proposed. Nikoli was betting his need to make the night special for her would win out against a simple name.
“Don’t do it, Mikey,” Lily said. “Stay strong.”
“It’s Mason’s, Lils,” he pleaded. “Do you know how much that would mean to Janet?”
“I’ll even make sure they do something special for her, a desert or something no one else can order,” Nikoli threw in.
“Not fair,” Lily snarled, and Nikoli laughed. She’d gone from smug, to worried, to outright pissed off.
“Mike,” Adam interrupted them. “Think it through. Do you honestly think he can follow through on that promise? Seriously, unless he’s Mr. Money Bags, there’s no way he can do it.”
“If Nikoli says he can do it, then he can,” Lily defended. “He never makes promises he can’t keep.”
A burst of pleasure shot through Nikoli at her quick defense of him, but it also alarmed him. She was starting to mean more to him than she should. He had no clue how to stop it, aside from walking away here and now, but he couldn’t do that. He’d tried several times, but the thought always made him nauseated.
“Cassia,” Mike blurted out. “Her name is Cassia.” He shot Lily an apologetic look. “You can put him on iggy, Lils, but this is Mason’s we’re talking about. I had to.”
Cassia? Nikoli thought about everyone he knew in-game, and the name brought up a blank. He didn’t remember ever meeting a Cassia. “Do you have me on iggy?” he asked suspiciously. If she had him on ignore, she’d damn well take him off the list.
“No,” she said, her eyes shooting daggers at Mike. “We just don’t hang out with the same people.”
“Well, Miss Holmes, we are going to hang out together in-game,” he promised. “No running, no hiding, and no iggying me.”
“You’re a bigger manwhore in-game than you are in the real world. Why would I want to hang out with you there?”
His eyes narrowed and he started forward, his intent clear. Lily let out a small squeal and ran, laughing as she went. He caught her around the waist and swung her around, coming to a stop when her back rested against the wall. His hands braced on either side of her, palms flat against the wall. There was only an inch of space between them. He watched her pupils dilate, but not in fear. In anticipation. He stayed perfectly still so she could adjust to the situation.
“Care to call me that again?” he asked, his expression hard.
“You mean manwhore?” she whispered.
“Yes, dushka, I mean that.”
“Aren’t you a manwhore?” she asked, her expression innocent.
“No. I. Am. Not.” He closed the space between them, his body pressing against hers. He felt her tense, but he refused to move away. She needed to get used to the feel of his body against hers.
Adam growled behind them, but he paid Boy Wonder no mind. He knew Mike wouldn’t let him do anything stupid. Nikoli focused his attention on the woman in front of him.
“Nikoli,” she said softly, “I…”
“Shhh, Milaya.” He leaned in, touching her nose with his. “Relax, baby.”
Her breathing hitched up a notch and Nikoli let his own out, mingling with hers. She shuddered, and he closed his eyes, feeling it go through him. God, what he would do to bend her over something right now. He couldn’t, though. He took several deep breaths and pulled his head away from hers. Lily’s eyes were glazed and flared with lust. The almost sleepy look she gave him made him hard instantly. Fuck. He needed to get this under control, but hell, he didn’t want to.
He leaned in, letting his lips rest softly against her cheek, letting her feel the warmth against her skin. She whimpered, and he pressed his body harder against hers, his lips trailing butterfly kisses from her cheek over her jawline and up to her earlobe. His tongue swiped the soft flesh, and then he pulled it into his mouth, sucking on it gently. Lily let out a low moan, and he smiled. Yes, she was ready to be touched. He bit down softly, and a full body shudder went through her.
“Time to go, Milaya,” he told her and stepped away from her. He took her arm and pulled her against him, his arm wrapping around her. It was as much to keep her from falling as it was to show Boy Wonder over there who she belonged to. Mostly for Boy Wonder’s benefit, he admitted.
Lily didn’t say a word, just let him lead her out and into his car. The fact that she hadn’t flinched away from him in terror hadn’t been lost on either Mike or Adam. Mike had looked grateful, but Adam had been pissed off. Boy Wonder was starting to see what he had lost out on. It was what Lily wanted, but Nikoli found the thought of her with Adam made him want to punch something.
Yes, he had to get control of this, even if he didn’t want to.
Fast.