Page 52 of Take What You Want

A gentle hand tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and he rubs the strands between his fingers before pulling away. He does that a lot; feeling my hair. I asked him about it once and he told me my hair felt like the most luxurious silk and he’s lucky to be able to run his hands through it whenever he wants.

My face heats as his eyes scan me, eyelashes fluttering against his high cheekbones. Want, need, and longing fill them and a tug pulls at my lower stomach.

I shift, the air stifling with not only the heat from the way he looks at me but also with the words left unsaid between us.

Gathering up my courage, I start, “Should we talk?—”

Nikolai jumps off the bed and pulls on my legs, dragging me to the edge. I let out a squeal as he pulls me to my feet and steadies me.

“I have a plan for tonight. Run home and change into something comfortable and meet me here in half an hour.”

“Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“Nope.” He’s already walking into his closet and pulling his shirt over his head. As his exposed chest and abs come into view, I stand there like an idiot, fixated on them as he flips through a rack of clothing.

He notices me staring and smirks, flexing his pecs. Next thing I know, a balled up T-shirt hits me square in the face. His laughter echoes as I glare at him while I pull the fabric away from my obstructed vision.

“Stop drooling over me and do what you’re told,” he teases.

I hate the breathy tone that comes out as I try to retort, “You can’t tell me what to do.”

He simply raises a cocky brow at me as he pulls a sweatshirt over his head that matches his eyes.

I stomp out of his room and as much as I’d like to defy him for the sake of it, I change quickly before going to his house, just like he told me to. Because at this point, Nikolai keeps pulling me further and further into the deep end with him.

“This is the perfect night.”

I don’t know how he pulled all this together so quickly, but he really outdid himself.

When I got back to his house, I immediately hopped in his car and we drove out to a field where Nikolai parked, hidden amongst trees and away from the road. He put the seats down his car and laid sleeping bags and mounds of blankets and pillows out, creating a cozy, makeshift bed. Then he pulled out his laptop and set it on the dash withLegally Blondequeued upand pulled out a few bags of snacks and a flask of his favorite vodka.

To combat the cold, we’ve snuggled together under the blankets and I’m curled into his side as the movie starts.

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to watch this,” I say, eyes glued to the screen of a movie I’ve seen more times than I could possibly count. If given the opportunity, I could likely recite it word for word.

“I feel like I have to at this point,” he says, squeezing my shoulder. “With the number of references you make to it. And your Halloween costume? It’s time I see what the obsession is about.”

I dressed as Elle Woods last Halloween and it’s my favorite costume I’ve worn.

“It’s not an obsession.”

I feel his eyes bore into the side of my face.

“Whatever. Just pay attention.”

As we watch the movie, he makes little jokes here and there, berating Warner every chance he can get for ruining things with Elle and I think this might be my favorite time watching this movie yet. I laugh at his commentary and add my own.

“So is this what made you want to go to law school?” he asks. Onscreen, Elle is taking over Brooke’s trial and it holds my rapt attention enough that Nikolai has to poke my side to get to me to answer his question.

“No,” I say, batting his hand away. “I mean, yes, it further solidified my decision and gave me someone to look up to. But I had already decided long before my mom and I ever watched this movie for the first time that I wanted to be a lawyer.”

“She was your role model growing up?” He points to Elle Woods.

Nodding, I beam. “In all of her pink and sparkly glory.”

He huffs and shakes his head. “Well, the color choice has clearly rubbed off on you. Is Harvard because of her, too?”

“No. Again, that was a decision made long before. You know my dad went to Harvard, right?”

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