Page 2 of Touch Me Not

“That was rude,” she told him in an attempt to regain a bit of her composure.

“I thought you needed rescuing, Lily Bells.”

“That’s not my name,” she seethed. The nerve of him.

“I know who you are.”

Lily knew exactly who he was too, and what his reputation was, but damn, why was his voice like silk with his sexy Russian accent? She had no intention of ending up on his list of one-nighters, though.

“And I know who you are, Nikoli Kincaid, so you can just march yourself back to wherever you came from. I’m not interested.”

“Aw, now, Lily Bells, don’t get your panties all in a twist. I never once asked you out.”

Lily narrowed her eyes. She could see Adam and Mikey staring at them, a frown on both their faces. “I’m just saving you the trouble.”

He smiled, which caused things south of the border to clench, and Lily gasped slightly. The sensation was one she’d never experienced, and it surprised her.

“What if all I wanted was a tutoring session?”

“Your GPA is as high as mine.”

He reached up and traced the outline of her lips with a finger, and she flinched. She didnotlike to be touched.

“That’s enough,” she told him a little more forcefully than she’d intended. “I’m going back to my friends now. And even if you did just want a tutoring session, the answer is still no.”

His words stopped her retreat.

“I don’t give up that easy, Lily, and I always get what I want.”

“Then get used to disappointment.”

Nikoli watched her stomp back over to her friends and leaned against the tree, dumbfounded. No one ever said no to him. It was disconcerting yet fascinating.

Lily Holmes was a novelty.

He should probably turn his attention to the women eyeballing him, but the thought of a chase was too good to pass up. Lily presented a challenge, one he’d not faced yet, but one he’d definitely win.

She had no idea what was about to happen to her.

He grinned wickedly and walked away.

CHAPTER TWO

Lily was fuming by the time she returned to her friends. The nerve of the cheeky bastard. She was angry with herself too. Nikoli’s touch had not inspired the same type of fear everyone else’s did. The fear was still there, just lessened by something she didn’t understand. Something that made her stomach clench deliciously. He wouldn’t know that, though. Lily had no intention of becoming one of his girls.

“What was that about?” Adam frowned toward Nikoli, where he still leaned against the tree where she’d left him.

“Nothing,” she said dismissively. “So, how was your summer, Mikey?”

Mike laughed at her obvious attempt to change the subject. “You need us to go explain a few things to old Nik?”

“No, there’s nothing to explain. He needed a tutor, and I told him I didn’t have time to take on anyone else.”

“Tutor, my ass,” Adam grumbled. “Lily, you…”

“I know exactly who he is, Adam,” she interrupted. “I already told him no.”

Adam’s frown deepened. Sue, who up until now hadn’t said anything one way or the other to Lily, reached out and tugged Adam to her, reminding him she was there. He gave Sue his one-hundred-watt smile. Lily died a little inside at the sight, but she kept her bland expression firmly in place. Wouldn’t do to give Sue any more ammunition against her.

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