Page 109 of Nikolai (Kansas City Reapers)

“So no princess, just Maddy…” I reiterated, understanding his words and his intention finally.

“Exactly.” With a heavy sigh, the corners of his lips turned up into a smile. “Please?”

That word, combined with the openness and vulnerability that shone in his eyes, softened any fear thathad gripped me. The fact that he stood here, opening up to me without a shred of protection for his heart, spoke more than any words could manage.

“I think I can handle that.” I leaned into his touch as his hand reached out, cupping my cheek, and I let go of my anger once and for all. This was a new path forward, and we both knew it.

“Good.” Leaning down, he kissed me, slow and deep. The kiss grew from something somewhat chaste and sweet into the fiery passion we both knew so well. Strong hands wrapped around my back, holding me to him as he took a step forward, walking me back until I hit the wall once again with a thud and a gasp.

“Now, where were we?” He growled against my lips, his hands sliding down my body to grip just under my thighs, pulling me up into his arms until my legs wrapped around his trim waist.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I reveled in the feel of his hands running back up my body, tickling along the ridges of my ribcage and further still, until my arms were both above my head, held against the wall in his strong grip. Fuck, this position made my clit throb.

“God, you feel good like this,” he groaned against my lips. “I could just pivot my hips and slide right inside that wet, tight little cunt of yours.”

“If we were naked,” I gently reminded him with a smirk.

“Good point.” Instantly, he dropped my hands again, pulling me away from the wall and carrying me to the bed. Setting me down on the edge of the mattress, heknelt below me, his hands finding the waistband of my snug jeans.

I helped him as he slid the jeans down my legs, tugging and pulling as he went. I lifted my hips to assist in his efforts

“Do you have to wear such tight jeans?” he teased as he pulled them off my ankles and tossed them into a heap beside the bed.

“Are you really complaining?” I leveled him with a look, one eyebrow arched as I smirked, spreading my legs for his viewing pleasure.

He paused for a moment, pondering my words, and my body, before he nodded.

“You make a valid point, love. Arms up.” Tugging at the bottom hem of my tank top, he pulled the shirt from my body, reaching around to unhook my bra deftly with one hand — just like they did in the movies.

I didn’t miss the way he smirked, the smug bastard.

“Pleased with yourself?”

“You have no idea. It took me months to learn that as a teenager. It’s quite sexy, I assure you. Ask all the ladies.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” I replied with vast amounts of sarcasm, punctuated by a dramatic eye roll.

Sitting back on his heels, his eyes roved over my body slowly, taking me in as though I were a priceless work of art. Under his gaze, I truly felt like one, possibly for the first time in my entire life. There was not an ounce of anxious worry or shame regarding my body. I wasn’t prone to self-consciousness, finding myself reasonably attractive in most situations, but being stark naked and emotionally vulnerable in front of a man like Niko shouldhave sent me into a tailspin of self-loathing-filled distress. But not now. Not with him. Not with where we were now.

He leaned down, kissing the top of my thigh with a reverence that stole my breath.

I needed a bit of humor, something to break the tension between us. The sweet emotions that connect us threatened to bring tears to my eyes.

“Never thought I’d see the day when the Dom kneels for the sub.” I teased him softly, pressing my luck. A moment of levity, allowing our bratting to come through, was just what this moment needed. His eyes lifted to mine, shooting me a look that told me to watch it, one brow arched high on his head. Immediately, I clamped my lips shut tightly, mischievous embarrassment heating my cheeks into a full-on blush.

With that look still plastered on his face, he stood back up, lifting his shirt up and over his head, revealing the small, scattered cut marks from the fight earlier. Pain and regret panged in my chest. It took every ounce of effort I had — along with a few deep breaths — for me to tamp it down and focus on the here and now.

He finished removing all of his clothes, then looked down at me, leaning close as he pressed a hand to my chest, urging me to lie back for him.

Just as my head was about to hit the pillow, I stopped, my hand covering his as I sat back up. Confusion etched over his face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, confused as he sat up, allowing me space to do the same. I could see the gears turning in his head, worry etched across his handsomeface. My hand touched his cheek, drawing his eyes to me.

“If you don’t want Sir and princess tonight…if what you’re wanting is Maddy and Niko, then this is going to work a little differently.”

“Oh, really?” A smirk played at the corners of his mouth, his dominance clear in every ounce of his tone. But I wasn’t about to let him thwart my efforts. He wanted this to be different. Hell, I wanted this to be different. And if both those things were true, this had to be different from all the other times we had come together — pun intended.

“What did you have in mind?”

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