Chapter Nine

Nik shook with the intensity of his desire. The stunning black woman sitting a few tables away portrayed herself as if she not only owned the very ground she walked on, but also the air she breathed. She was the queen of her domain, and yet, she didn’t seem to realize or care about her effect. It took every ounce of his control not to heave the small table to the side, stalk over there, and grab her into his arms in one whirlwind motion. Despite the tenseness in him, he smiled as he mused that, in another time, another place, it would have been so. She would already know she belongs to me.

Forcing his hand to relax, he uncurled his fingers from the handle of the fork. He watched her eyes as she opened them from her first taste of her cake. They looked like dark velvet and unfocused as she swallowed her bite. Then, as she realized he still watched her, they cooled considerably before she looked away from him and out the window.

Look at me. She ignored his mental command, opting instead to enjoy her snack. Nikolas couldn’t take his eyes off the way her teeth pulled the bites off the fork; it was as if she didn’t want her lips to touch the food nor her teeth to touch the prongs. Her teeth were straight and brilliant white against her dark skin. To calm down, he reached for his coffee, refusing to look away from her on the chance he may miss something.

Each bite, each suck on the fork went straight from her mouth to his groin. Every swipe of her tongue across her full kissable lips made him long to forget it wasn’t proper to carry her off over his shoulder. If cake put that look on her face, he wondered what a night of making love would do. He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to touch her, smell the scent of her skin, and more.

So much more.

A low growl erupted from him as a worker stopped beside her to talk. He couldn’t hear the conversation, but he could definitely see her smile. Even from across the room, her expression filled him with a feeling he’d never had before. Completion. Closing his eyes with a groan, he rubbed his temples. It was an innocent interaction, but he was filled with jealousy at the thought of her smile going to someone else, especially when he didn’t even know her name.

You’d think, after all this time, I’d have it all figured out on how to approach her. I’ve been waiting for her for so long. And, I’m sitting here like an untried warrior before his first battle.

What are you just sitting around for, Nikolas Andreyevich? A feminine voice broke into his thoughts, and it was familiar, even though it’d been centuries since he’d heard it. I thought you’d give anything for a love like Kit and Marcus shared. So, why are you sitting here? Perhaps you don’t want your woman. Shall I take back the gift I’ve given?

His eyes ripped open as a glower settled across his face. One that turned more severe when he noticed there was no beautiful woman eating cake in his line of sight. In fact, she wasn’t even in the building. Nikolas shoved back from the table and stood in a single motion as he searched desperately for any sign of her.

Amused laughter filled his head, and he rippled with anger and resentment. Pushing the voice to the bottom of his list of what’s important, Nik picked up his jacket and slipped it on, relaxing a bit as the familiar weight of the wool settled across his shoulders.

I will find you, again. I’ve found you, and I’ll be damned if I lose you, now.

“Sir? Mr. Andreyevich?” a male questioned from beside him.

Nikolas looked down into the blue eyes of the proprietor’s son. “Da, Yuri? What can I do for you?”

“She headed to the museum. I overheard her telling Pavel that was her next stop.”

Nik smiled. It was kismet, her going where he was ultimately ending up, as well. “Spasibo, Yuri. Tell your papa I said hello.”

With a wave as the young man picked up his dishes, Nikolas headed for the door and stepped out into the increasingly cold evening. Turning up the collar of his charcoal double-breasted, knee-length wool pea coat, he waited for the traffic to clear before he hurried across the street to the museum.

Before long, he was striding across the smooth tile floor, his heavy boots surprisingly quiet given they were wet from the snow. He nodded greetings to the museum staff, but nothing was going to deter him from finding and speaking to his woman. His demeanor must have given off the vibe of “leave me alone” for no one attempted to stop him.

His confident stride faltered as his gaze landed upon her. She stood by herself, contemplating intently at the Russo-Japanese War exhibit. He remained behind her, opting to descry and take in the sight she presented. As it had in the bakery, his body responded almost violently to seeing her. His palms sweated, and his heart thundered, nearly painfully. His throat grew dry as he sought moisture. His muscles tensed, and the strain had him locking his legs.

Patience, he told himself. The alpha being that had played a big part in him being the warrior he’d been roared in anger and frustration. It wasn’t used to being patient, more acclimated to taking what it wanted, when it wanted it.

She stood there, hands in the pockets of her black leather coat. I need to get her a warmer coat or she’s going to get too cold. Her thick black hair wasn’t stuffed under her jacket, and he could see it fell past her shoulder blades and shone with health. The way her jeans cupped her ass made him want to drop to his knees and thank the gods. He was glad he wore a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants, the way his cock was behaving.

He remained in place and kept his gaze upon her as she continued to take her time and absorb the information before her. The urge to grab her up into his arms wouldn’t stop nagging at him. Taking a deep breath, he licked his lips and began to walk toward her.

She was so in tune to the exhibit before her, she never turned from the images before her eyes. He halted behind her and inhaled deeply. Nik locked his knees as the amazing aroma she wore flowed over him. He could identify a perfect blend of pear, cool mint, orange, Siberian fir, lavender, patchouli, cedar, and small hint of vanilla. He wanted to lick her and see how she tasted. His body roared its approval, and he bit back a groan as he tamped his craving down.

Her head came to about his shoulder, and his mind flashed to them lying in bed together. They would fit just right with one another. He could see the glint of silver earrings through her hair.

“You are interested in the Russo-Japanese War?” he asked, mentally cursing himself for saying something so stupid.

“Everything about Russian history intrigues me,” she said in response without turning around. Her voice was husky and grabbed him, stroking him to a harder state.

Inside his pockets, his gloved hands clenched as he fought to remain in control. It was like all his training and restraint was merely holding on by a thread. A rapidly fraying one.

“What brings you to our fair city?” He truly was curious, for most people went to Moscow and Saint Petersburg, tending to overlook the rich history of Novgorod.

“I was on my way to Saint Petersburg, but got on the wrong bus. So, instead of being on the one that continued to Saint Petersburg, my ride ended here.”

Her chuckle shot up his temperature another few degrees. It skyrocketed when she finally looked away from a photograph of the war and faced him.

His mouth and throat grew dry as her eyes met his. They were rich brown, the color of the fertile, sweet-smelling soil that sustained life. He knew she hadn’t been expecting him to be behind her from the way they widened slightly before she took a step back. He allowed her the small retreat, knowing it wouldn’t last long.

Nikolas bit back his arrogant smirk as her gaze traveled up and down his body, filling with admiration. Patiently, he waited for her eyes to meet his, again. His fortitude wavered as he saw the tip of her tongue sneak out to wet her lips. For a moment, they regarded each other, taking stock of what each one saw. He waited for her to say something else.