After what felt like days and but had only been hours, Harper sighed in relief as they entered the safe house on the other side of the state border. Far enough away to stop and gather themselves before they moved on, yet close enough that she still felt a little wired from everything that had happened.
A part of her realized she was probably in shock, and that she hadn’t fully acknowledged what she’d just been through. And maybe, for now, it was a good thing. Dirty and sticky from the paint and other stuff they’d to used to fake their own deaths, all Harper wanted was a hot shower.
And Nik.
She could still hardly believe the man was right by her side. He had chosen her. Harper knew the only reason he had been allowed to leave with her was because her uncle had let his guilt make the decision. She was under no illusion that given normal circumstances Nik wouldn’t have been given a choice. But he was. And it was her.
Holy shit.
Harper turned to him the moment he stepped through the door. They were clumsy at first, which made him chuckle.
Harper pulled back, an eyebrow raised. “Something funny, hotshot?”
“Just our movements. All hands and mouths.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I’m fairly certain we are usually more graceful.”
“You were. I have a tendency to trip over myself when you distract me,” she groaned, her fingers twining behind his neck to bring him forward. “Besides, aren’t you the one who said you were in charge?”
Her words, though somewhat in jest because of his outburst earlier, struck a chord in him. Possession. Raw and gritty. This woman had the ability to render him completely senseless. To turn him into nothing more than an animal with a need to take her and make her his. The very idea would concern him more if he weren’t so fucking turned on all the time because of her.
“God, woman. You twist me up in knots,” he admitted, staring her straight in the eyes.
Harper barely hid her smile. “That makes two of us.”
Nikolai cleared his throat. “You know things are never going to be the same, right? New name, and a new identity for you. Can you live with that?”
“I don’t really have a choice.” He winced at her honesty, but she continued. “But I think what you really want to ask me is, can I live with you and not resent you for all of this. Right?”
Nikolai shrugged. Right now, he’d give her that.
“I can’t expect you to stay with me, Harper.” No matter how much he wanted her to.
“That’s what you don’t get, Nik. You’ve lied, you’ve done some pretty bad things,” She shook her head when he started to object. “No, I’m not done. You need to listen for once. I get it. All of it. It couldn’t have been easy, and I won’t pretend to understand it all. And there is a hell of a lot I still don’t know about you. What I do know is that when it counted you risked everything for me. You didn’t even hesitate. No second guessing. It was me, and that’s all that mattered. There aren’t a lot of women out there who can say the same about their other halves. I had nothing before I met you, Nik. No family, barely any friends and they turned out to be fake anyway.”
His gut clenched at the obvious pain in her words. Her hurt slicing him deep. “Harp–”
“Nope, still not done,” she said, silencing him with a fingertip pressed to his lips. “Now you’re giving me everything I could have asked for, and sure it sounds as sappy as hell, and I’m saying words that make part of me want to gag, but they’re the facts. Take it or leave it. You’re stuck with me.”
He smirked behind her finger. “I think I can live with that.”
“You sure?” Doubt warred with hope in her expression. “Because I’m asking for a lot.”
“And I’m asking you to forgive me.” He peered at her, shaking his head sadly. “And I think that’s asking more than anything you could come up with.”
“I know the real you, Nik. I see you, who you really are. Behind the lies, the cover. You are stubborn, pigheaded, and opinionated.” Harper took a calming breath. “You are also kind and selfless.”
He raised a brow, and she snorted. “Yeah, yeah. You’re also a big tough lug who can take out a dozen guys single handedly. Go you.”
Slightly affronted by her blasé attitude, he scoffed. “You know, most women would find that impressive.”
“I’m not most women,” she said softly, closing the few inches that remained between them.
“Thank God for that,” he whispered.
“You always try to do the right thing…but sometimes…sometimes you’re wrong.” Harper stood on her tippy toes and planted a kiss on his lips, skipping the formalities. Nikolai had never known her to be so demanding, but neither he nor the bulge in his pants seemed to mind the newfound trait in the little spitfire. With one hand laced behind his neck to give her leverage, Harper deepened it, seeking out his tongue and not giving up until she had it entwined with hers. She tugged on the band that held his hair pinned back. This kiss was rough, raw, and passionate. Nikolai met her match for match, upping the ante with each lick and nip. When his hands roamed under the hem of her shirt and wandered north, Harper stopped. “Wait.”
“Shit. Harper. You’re killing me.” Nikolai took a step backward, inwardly groaning at the pain in his groin from his unrelenting zipper. He started to walk away to cool off, and adjust certain parts that would no longer be in working order when she stepped into his path.
“Where are you going? I didn’t mean stop. I just needed to breath. Now get your sexy ass back over here and help me get these buttons unfastened.”
Her dangerously seductive smile left no room for argument. One button…two buttons…three buttons...all the way down until his torso was bare.
“Hmmm. Why don’t we go take a shower?”
Nikolai tilted his head curiously, certain he had heard her wrong. Shower? Right now? Things were just getting good.
Harper smiled at his stunned expression. “Come on. We’ve both had a hell of a night, and it will do us some good. Uncle Collin and the others are working up a plan as we speak, and we can find them later to learn the plan of attack.”
Nikolai frowned. “How do you know what they’re doing?”
Harper’s face grew more concerned. “Nikolai, they were discussing it right before they dropped us off.”
“They were?” Nikolai racked his brain, trying to remember the conversation.
“Yes,” she said softly. “I think, maybe you’re in a little shock as well. Please come and take a shower with me. I really shouldn’t have to beg.” She smirked.
That penetrated the fog.
“I think I like the idea of you begging.” He leered at her.
Harper laughed. “Come on, Holter.”
Nikolai obeyed, loving the sound of his real name on her lips, and was right on her heel as she walked to the bathroom. His eyes tracked her movements as she lowered the zipper of her dress, and it fell to the floor. The only thing left were her panties, and they were quick to go as well.
Nikolai stopped in the doorway, his eyes taking in the room. This wasn’t a bathroom; it was a small apartment.
However, though huge, the bathroom could be described as somewhat dilapidated. The formica peeled from the vanities and the enamel was chipped in the sink. Water leaked from the base of the faucet when it was in use. But it was scrupulously clean, the old tarnished mirror sparkled against the LED light he had switched on and both the bath and shower, though also chipped, were as brilliant white as any in a showroom. A few towels sat carefully folded on a thrift-store chair in the corner.
Harper made her way over to the enormous looking shower, pulled it open and stepped inside. The thing had to be big enough for three people. Whoever had originally owned this place before the FBI clearly hadn’t given a damn about the rest of the home, but had made sure the shower had been built for comfort.
He heard the water running before Harper poked her head out and smiled, crooking her finger for him to follow.
Damn, she was beautiful.
“Well, are you going to come in here or not?” Harper purred, stepping under the water. “You don’t want me to get lonely, do you?”
Nikolai watched, transfixed when she grabbed the soap and rubbed it over her body. His heart skipped a beat when she grinned at him.
“I could use some help, you know, reaching all those hard to get places. That paint really got everywhere.”
“When you put it that way…” He chuckled, removed the rest of his clothing quickly and stepped behind her under the stream of the showerheads. He slid his hands around, and pulled her against him and nipped at her neck. “Harper,” Nikolai breathed against her skin.
Leaning into the embrace, Harper closed her eyes and shivered. “Nikolai. I can’t believe we’re standing here right now,” she admitted before turning in his arms and looking up at him. “For a while, I had some serious doubts.”
“I love you,” he murmured against her lips, kissing them softly. “I would never let anything happen to you.”
“I know,” she said simply, stepping back to soap herself up. “We’re going to be okay, right?”
He followed the movement of her hands, greedily wanting to trade places with the soap as it ran its way over her body. Trying to focus, he answered her question. “Yeah. We will. I’ll make sure of it. Are you okay? I’ve got to say, you’re dealing with this better than I thought you would.”
“Oh, I’m not dealing with this it all,” she said absently. “I know what you’re saying, but I’m not thinking too deeply at the moment. I think I’ll save my freak out for when I’m clean and tucked into a warm bed you and there are five armed men positioned around the house.”
Nikolai smiled. Harper was handling it the way she always did. She gathered all the information, didn’t focus too long on any one thing, and then went through it piece by piece until she came to a conclusion.
“I know I still have a lot to make up for…”
“Hush. No more of that right now. Now is for good, happy feelings,” she said with a smile, turning in his arms. “And I have a few ideas.” She reached between them and wrapped her fingers around him. “We’re together now, and that’s all I want to focus on.”
“You never cease to amaze, or surprise me,” he murmured as he moaned with pleasure. Leaning in, he kissed her as he pressed her back into the wall.
The cold tiled wall made her shudder. “Amaze? Surprise? No, I just know you a little better now.” She cocked an eyebrow and squeezed him tighter in her hands. His hips thrust forward as he groaned. “And you, sir, are so easy.”
A fierce, deep growl tore from his chest as he caught her hands and pressed them to the wall over her head. “Only for you.” Nipping at her lips, breathing her in slowly and pressing closer, he whispered, “Sei fatto apposta per le mie mani.”
“Ero fatto per te,” she replied softly, grinning at his shock. “What? You thought I never picked up any Italian. Give me some credit.”
God, his look was so primal, so savage as he stared at her. How had she managed to survive this long without him? Her body ached to submit to him, her mind longed to understand everything about the real him, and her heart yearned to claim his.
“I need you, Nikolai,” she begged.
He nibbled down her neck lightly. “You have me.”
Harper gasped when he abruptly dropped to his knees. Spreading her legs, he cupped her ass and pulled her to his mouth, his tongue flicking out to find the tight, swollen bud between her folds.
She wrapped her fingers tightly in his dark hair, moaning as he devoured her. “Please,” she begged. “Oh God, Nikolai. Yessss.”
Spreading her so he could thrust his tongue into her wet heat, he groaned. “You taste so damn good,” he told her.
“Please, Nikolai. More. Please, I need to come. I want you inside of me,” she begged.
Thrusting a finger into her body, Nikolai sucked at her clit and groaned softly against her flesh. Pressing a second finger into her pussy, he pumped his fingers in and out of her hard and fast.
“Come for me,” he demanded against her damp folds.
Harper had no choice but to obey. She screamed, arching her back as pleasure raced through her. Her vision dimmed, and she sobbed his name, which echoed in the glass enclosure and through the marble room like a chorus of need.
Getting to his feet, he lifted her up and thrust into her. Harper felt him shudder as she squeezed him tight. Grabbing her hands, he held them above her head as he forced his cock deeper into her heat. Rocking hard and fast, he took her, pushing and pulling in and out.
Harper cried out, and her legs tightened around him. She might not be able to have her arms around him, but she could hold him with her legs. She planned to hold on and never let go. Arching against him, she moved harder against him with the help of the shower wall. “I love you, Nikolai.” Harper mewled and whimpered, she was again ready to come.
Nikolai leaned forward, nuzzling her neck, the feel of his teeth and hot breath on her skin took her over the edge she had been balancing on.
“Nikolai!” The sound of her own heart beating drowned out anything else. She felt the splash of heat deep inside her as Nikolai found his peak, and Harper shuddered uncontrollably in his arms.
The soft whisper of Nikolai’s voice dragged Harper out of her haze, and she blinked in surprise when the ceiling of her bedroom came into focus.
Huh?
“Hey. There you are,” Nikolai murmured, pressing his lips to her forehead. “You had me worried for a second.”
Harper could hear the concern in his voice and wondered how long she had been out of it. Certainly long enough for him to get them out of the shower and dry her off. “What…what the hell happened?”
Nikolai smirked. “What can I say? I’m just that good.”
She slapped him on the chest but laughed. He really had been that good. Harper opened her mouth to make a snide comment when the light shining through the blinds caught her attention. Was that sunlight? “How long was I out, Nikolai?”
“Not long.” He kissed her again as though he couldn’t get enough. “I’m going outside and check in with the agents and get an update. Will you be okay here?”
She smiled lazily. “I think I’ll manage. Just outside, right?”
He nodded. “Just outside, no further. Hell, I won’t even leave the doorway. Promise.”
“Okay,” she whispered, feeling sleep pull her under once more.
Later, Harper woke in total darkness with the bed dipping beside her. Having lived alone for so long it startled her, making her jump up into a sitting position while yanking the covers over her nakedness.
“Easy, love. It's me.” Nikolai crawled in beside her, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her sweetly and tucked them in good and tight. All her worry drained out of her, and Harper relaxed with her back against his bare chest, feeling safer than she ever had. No more lies between them, and a clear future ahead. The comfort of his embrace had her falling fast asleep.