“You…did?”
“A couple of weeks back, yeah. You’re not my dirty secret, and for the record, I was never ashamed of you.”
I was and still am ashamed of myself.
“Baby, you need to stop saying things like that because I’m really never going to let you go now.”
“Who says you have to?”
“Does this mean…we can be in a relationship?”
“I thought we already were?”
“We were?”
“It was a secret, but it wasn’t only physical, either, right?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely. You really pissed me off when you said that earlier. I love spending time with you whether we’re fucking or not.”
“Me, too.”
“So we’re going public now? Actually, no question mark, we’re definitely going public. I need everyone to know you’re fucking mine.”
I nod, even though my airway gets constricted. I swallow past it and refuse to let nausea rule my emotions anymore.
“You are mine, Niko.” I tug on his hair. “I thought we’d established that, hmm?”
“Jesus fucking Christ. I love it when you go all possessive on me. I want to eat you the fuck up.”
“Go to sleep and I might let you.”
“You’re kidding, right?” He wedges his legs between mine and presses his erection against my thighs. “There’s no way in fuck I’ll be able to sleep before I devour you, my lotus flower.”
“I thought you were worried about my dad?” I smile against his lips and hiss when his thigh brushes against my hardening dick.
“We can lock the door. I really can’t keep my hands off you, baby. You drive me fucking crazy. Besides, Kolya hates me and has been acting like a literal dick ever since I deprived him of you.”
I burst out laughing and he has this intense look in his eyes before he dips in and bites my lower lip into his mouth. I groan when he sinks his teeth in the sensitive flesh and then swipes his tongue along the mark he left.
His mouth pulls away before I can feast on him, and I try not to look disappointed as I throw a questioning glance his way.
“Mind if I use your shower? I need to get the flight’s grime off me.”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” I point to the far right. “It’s over there. I’ll try to find you some of my loose-fitting clothes.”
“Be right back.” I think he’ll kiss me again, but he grabs my face and brushes his lips on my forehead in a soft, intimate kiss. “I missed you so fucking much, baby.”
I stand rooted in place long after he disappears in the bathroom. My face is so hot, I’m surprised I don’t burst into flames.
Fuck.
Unable to remain standing, I fall against the wall and press a palm to where my heart’s about to jump out of my chest.
Bloody hell.
I’m so irrevocably doomed.
Screw this.
I tug my shirt off and strip out of my sweats and boxers on my way to the bathroom. I don’t even care that I’ve thrown them on the ground a la Nikolai.
My feet pad along the wooden flooring and I slip inside through the ajar door, because Nikolai has never closed the bathroom door. Not once.
Unlike me, he has nothing to hide.
Unlike me, he owns everything about himself, faults and mental issues included.
And for once, I want to rip a page from his book and be as open as he is. As forward as he is. Even if it’s only this time.
Steam swirls around the bathroom and I’m thankful for the fog that covers the mirror as I turn in the direction of the shower.
Nikolai’s clothes are all over the floor as usual, but I don’t give a fuck about that.
My breath hitches when I see him standing beneath the showerhead, facing the wall as water cascades in rivulets down the intricate ink on his back, sliding to the dips in his arse and over his muscular tattooed thighs.
He tilts his head back to rinse away the shampoo and his black hair gets glued to his neck, reaching the blades of his rippling shoulders.
My lips part as I watch his closed eyes beneath the stream, the sharp line of his jaw, and the dark shadow of his stubble.
He’s, hands down, the hottest man that ever walked the earth. I just can’t keep my eyes or hands off him.
I’m walking on air as I reach the glass door and pull it open.
He doesn’t seem to notice as he grabs the shower gel bottle and smiles a little when he sniffs it.
I stand behind him, getting soaked in a second, slide my arms on either side of him, and grab the bottle—or start to.