“Fuck no,” I told her. Maybe I should have used a more delicate way to answer her but that wasn’t me. I wanted her to tell me she fucking wanted me, all of me... the way I wanted all of her. “If you want it, I want to give it to you. Anything and everything.”

She blushed hard, and damn it, if it wasn’t a turn on.

“Okay, no regrets then.” She cleared her throat slightly uncomfortable. My malysh wasn’t accustomed to discussing things so directly. “About your question in regards to Tasha’s school. I’d be happy to help,” she replied softly, stirring the subject back to our previous topic. “It was very generous of you to let me stay here while… well, while things at home get figured out.”

I hid a sense of triumph, pleased with her admission of no regrets.

You are mine, Olivia.When it came to this redheaded beauty in front of me, all my possessiveness came to the front lines.

Tasha walked in at that moment, her big smile on her face as she ran to me and I hugged her.

“Hi there,” I greeted my little niece warmly.

“Hello Uncle,” Tasha was growing like a weed. Only a week and she must have grown at least two inches. She turned to Olivia. “You are still staying Olivia, right?”

Olivia met my eyes for half a second and then looked at my niece.

“Yes,” she responded softly, which was followed by Tasha’s loud squeals of happiness. “Your uncle asked us to go look at some schools for you. How do you feel about that?”

Tasha took her seat next to Olivia. “If you stay, then yes. Otherwise, I don’t want to go to school.”

I had to wince to hide my smile. She couldn’t have responded better if I asked her.

“Ok,” I jumped in. “That’s settled then. We’ll go look at some tomorrow.”

I’d need my secretary to jump on that stat.

“How do you ladies feel about going on a boat ride today?”

I knew exactly how Tasha would feel. I intended to keep them both close, and when she wore out, I’d have another make out session with Olivia. I wanted to feel her soft skin under my fingers. I wanted her to tell me what she liked; explore it all with her.

Fuck, just thinking about her soft skin made my cock hard. Stay focused, Nikolai!

I had never felt like this about anyone, and if she got a drift of my thoughts, I’d lose her before I had a chance to show her how good we are together. She experienced it last night but she seemed to be determined not to fall into my arms. So unlike any other woman!

Chapter Twenty

Olivia

Ishouldn’t have told Nikolai I’d visit schools with him nor go for a boat ride with the two of them. Nikolai could figure out by himself what school would work best for Tasha. I needed to get my thoughts together, and these feelings that fluttered in my belly every time I saw him. My reason and desire had an ongoing battle when it came to Nikolai. And last night, Nikolai unlocked the part of me that I thought was forever dead after what I had endured under Malcome.

Last night!God, last night was amazing. A revelation.

Now here we were, sitting at a cozy, charming restaurant by the river. The beaming rays of sunshine only made the day all the brighter. We had stopped for lunch at a restaurant just off the river, sitting on the deck with a view overlooking St. Petersburg. In the moments I was actually able to concentrate on it, it was breathtaking.

The sight of the Winter Palace on the Neva river stretched in the distance was like a picture-perfect postcard. Knowing, hundreds of years ago, royalty walked down this same river made it for a magical experience. The palace was a magnificent view.

But none of it compared to the man that sat opposite of me. Yesterday was… a discovery of the best kind: shocking, unexpected, amazing. I would have said it was the best orgasm ever, but since it was my first, there wasn’t much to go on. But deep down, I knew it was incomparable. I still couldn’t understand how it happened. Scratch that, I knew how it happened, but what possessed me to let it happen?

He gave me a choice to accept him or reject him. And God, I really wanted him. It was uniquely this man who put my safety and needs above his. Every moment with him was focused on my pleasure. And it was bewildering, staggering! Every moment with him, every look, touch and heartbeat, helped me reclaim the sensual side of me that I thought was gone forever. I wanted him to show me more.

There was nobody else that would do it for me, except Nikolai. I meant what I told him this morning; I didn’t regret it. Not a single minute of it. It was thrilling and scary at the same time.

Yes, I was completely unprepared to run into him in the pool, especially in that way. He was gorgeous, all male. Just thinking about it made shivers run through my body. But the most appealing part for me was that Nikolai gave me choices and control, his entire focus was on my pleasure rather than his own. And God, did he give it to me!

I thought Malcome killed any potential for ever feeling desire. Since my father pretty much sold me to him, I hadn’t felt anything but disgust when touched - by anyone. I didn’t even touch myself.

Cold shivers ran down my spine with the thought of my ex-fiancé. I had to take a deep breath to calm my panicky, racing heart. I worried whether those ghosts would haunt me forever.