Page 50 of Nikolai

"I'm okay, Leah. Especially now."

"Really?" I raise a brow.

"Yeah. I gained some perspective while I was away. When shit goes down, and the evil polluting this earth gets too close for comfort, you realize the life you have can be taken away from you in a blink of an eye. I have decided I don't want to live a life full of regrets, and I don't want to live another day of my life without you. That's why I came back. I need you, Leah, and I'm ready to start our life together. No more waiting. Because not making you mine is a regret I refuse to live with."

My breath gets caught in my throat. "What are you saying?"

Nikolai softly kisses me. "I'm saying I love you, Malyshka, and I want you to be mine."

"I love you too, Nikolai," I croak as tears start to spill from my eyes. "And I am yours."

He shakes his head. "I want you to be mine completely." Reaching into his pocket, Nikolai pulls out a little black box, and I gasp when he opens it revealing an emerald cut, yellow sapphire, and diamond ring.

Nikolai takes the hand covering my mouth and slips the ring on my finger, his eyes never leaving mine. "Leah Winters, will you do the honor of becoming my wife?"

My head bobs frantically. "Yes. Yes, thousands of times, yes." I throw my arms around his neck and cry. "This doesn't seem real. It feels like a dream."

Nikolai kisses up my neck. "Not a dream, Malyshka."

I hum when he bites the space below my ear and I tip my head back, giving him better access. He takes advantage, nipping, and licking his way along my jaw toward my mouth. The heat from Nikolai's palm sends tingles between my thighs as he slips his hand inside my shirt and palms my breast. "Please, Nikolai," I beg, not knowing what I'm asking for.

"What do you need, Leah?"

"You. I need you to touch me."

In two seconds flat, the fallboard of the piano slams shut, and my backside is planted firmly on top. In one fell swoop, he tugs my shirt off over my head. Nikolai places himself between my spread legs, and without warning, his mouth covers one of my nipples. "Oh, God," I cry out, gripping the edge of the piano. When he releases one breast, he switches to the other, giving it equal attention, causing my center to ache. Too soon, I lose his mouth, and a whimper escapes my mouth.

"Lay back for me, Leah. I'm going to taste you now."

Oh, sweet Jesus.

Doing as I'm told, I lay back on the cold surface of the piano. Lifting my hips slightly, Nikolai takes his time as he slowly drags my sleep shorts over my thighs and down my legs. For the first time in my life, I am completely bare in front of a man. For the briefest moment, I wonder if Nikolai likes what he sees. But the moment doesn't last long.

"There is nothing more beautiful than the sight of you wearing nothing but my ring on your finger. You're a fucking vision, Malyshka." Nikolai's heated gaze travels over every exposed inch of my body. His hands start at my ankles, going up my calves and across my generous hips. Nikolai's fingertips leave a trail of tingles in their wake, before moving on to my belly. "This," his large inked hands span across my middle, "is a body made for pleasure."

My breaths are coming out in pants, and the ache between my thighs increases.

"Are you ready for my mouth, Leah?"

"Yes. So ready," I say, squeezing my eyes shut, my voice not sounding like my own.

"Open your eyes, Malyshka. Watch your man take his first taste."

Nikolai sits back on the bench as I peer down at him through my lashes, my body trembling with need and anticipation. There is something vulnerable about being naked while Nikolai is fully-clothed, but there is something beautiful about it too. It's because he makes me feel beautiful. With his words, his look and his touch.

Without making me wait for another second, Nikolai grabs my knees, pulls me to the edge of the piano, bringing my center inches away from his face, his beard tickling the inside of my thighs as he drapes my legs over his shoulders. His eyes capture mine, and I don't dare break our connection. Leaning into me, Nikolai's tongue licks me from bottom to top. A noise trembles from my lips.

At his first swipe, a wild noise escapes his mouth. "Sweeter than I imagined."

"Nikolai," I pant, trying to reach for something to grab hold of.

"Grab my hair, Malyshka, and hold on."

As soon as the words rumble past his lips, his mouth is back on me, and I have no choice but to do as he says. I buck my hips, searching for the release my body desperately needs. Two powerful arms capture my thighs, holding me still as his greedy mouth claims me. Soon the pleasure Nikolai's mouth delivers wracks my entire body, and I am no longer able to hold back the intense pleasure that surges through me.

"Let go, Malyshka," he growls just before sucking my clit into his mouth.

"Nikolai," I whimper.

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