Текст книги "Touch Me Not"

Автор книги: Apryl Baker

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

Chapter Six

“So, where to?” Nikoli asked as they pulled away from the dorm.

“Doesn’t matter,” she said, distracted, her fingers caressing the interior of the car.

Nikoli grinned. She was too busy examining the car to be nervous with him. If she only knew what watching her fondle his car was doing to him, she’d put her hands under her rump and sit still for the rest of the ride.

“Joe’s okay?” he asked her.

“Sure,” she said. “They’ve got the best Reubens in town, and I’m starved.”

“Didn’t get to eat?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I had too much to do, speaking of which…”

Nikoli glanced over at her and grew slightly alarmed at the pissed off look on her face. “What?” he asked cautiously.

“You made one of my girls cry today.”

Nikoli groaned inwardly. He’d only had sex with one girl today, the lusty blonde from check-in. She was in Lily’s dorm? Damn.

“Lily, we’ve already been over this,” he warned. “Every girl I have sex with knows up front what to expect. I already told you this.”

“Oh, I know.” She nodded. “Stephanie knew it too, but she assumed she could make you feel differently.”

“Her mistake,” he put in quickly. “Not mine.”

“Agreed,” Lily said. “What I’m talking about is the fact you had someone, I’m presuming Luther, throw her out instead of having the decency to do it yourself. Do you even realize how used that makes a woman feel? Especially a nineteen year old girl?”

Well, hell. Who knew the blonde was going to land him in a morality lecture from Ms. Sweet and Innocent herself? Lily needed to stop trying to think of him as a decent guy. He wasn’t, and he knew it. He was a selfish bastard on the best of days.

“What’s your point, Lily?” he asked. “She knew what she was in for when she came back to my place. I was done and needed a shower. I figured she had the good sense to get gone. Not my fault Luther had to kick her out.”

“You really don’t care how your actions affect the women you sleep with, do you?” Lily asked, appalled.

“First, there’s no sleeping involved,” he grinned wolfishly at her, “and second, no, I don’t care. We both get mutual pleasure out of the deal. Why should I care about anything else?”

Lily opened her mouth, but he interrupted her. “Look, we could argue about this forever and we’d never agree, so let’s drop it, okay? We’re here, and I actually want to eat. I didn’t get lunch either.”

He’d brought her to Joe’s because he thought it would be the one place he wouldn’t run into many people she knew. Joe’s was a little hole-in-the-wall that specialized in Cuban cuisine, and most of the BU students specialized in pizza, burgers, and beer. Nikoli had been surprised Lily knew it. She kept surprising him the longer he was around her.

“Nik!” Joe boomed when they walked in the door. He found himself tucked into a huge bear hug. Joe owned the place and treated the regulars like family. Nikoli loved it here. He’d sat here for hours programming a new game before, and Joe supplied him with food and beer for as long as necessary. Most people did coffee shops; Nikoli did Joe’s.

“Hey, man.” Nikoli grinned when he got loose. “Got a free table?”

“Always for you, my friend.” Joe smiled, and then looked past Nikoli to where Lily stood watching, amused. “And who is this?”

“Joe, this is Lily Holmes.”

Joe frowned, and then he brightened. “Original Reuben?”

Lily smiled and nodded, causing Nikoli to frown.

“I do a lot of takeout from here,” she explained. “Mikey and I found the place last year, and I fell in love with the food. Mikey eats here too.”

“It is good to put a face to the name.” Joe smiled at Lily. “A beautiful face for a beautiful name.”

Lily blushed and Nikoli laughed. Leave it to Joe to try to schmooze his date. “Down, Casanova, she’s here with me.”

“You’ve never brought a girl in before.” Joe winked at him. “She must be very special.”

Lily laughed, but refrained from saying anything, much to Nikoli’s astonishment. He assumed she’d make some wisecrack about their date, but she didn’t. Much to his chagrin, he was glad she didn’t. He sighed and ushered her into the dining room.

“We’re starving, Joe,” Nikoli said. “Where’s the table?”

Joe led them to the back of the small eatery where an empty booth sat. Lily slid in, and Nikoli debated about sitting down beside her. Remembering her earlier reaction, he opted for sitting in the opposite seat. As much as he would have really liked to trap her, he would give her some space for now. The small sigh of relief she let out told him he made the right decision.

“The usual for you both?” Joe asked, and hurried off when they both agreed.

“Pigtails?” Nikoli smirked. “Going for the cute schoolgirl look?”

“Nope,” she said. “I was going for comfortable. Your jeans and t-shirt make me glad I didn’t go all out for a dress and heels.”

“I figured you’d pull something like this,” Nikoli admitted. “I came prepared for war.”

“War?” She laughed. “It’s just a fast dinner so we can go our separate ways and not have to think about each other again.”

Nikoli frowned. Fast was not going to cut it. He needed to get her talking again. “So, your dad was Martin Holmes?”

She nodded, her expression sad. She must miss him a lot.

“What was that like, growing up on the racetrack?”

“Awesome. There is nothing like being in the pit on race day. My dad had a special headset made for me so the noise wouldn’t hurt my ears. I lived for those days. We’d always get there early and talk to some of the other drivers. Dad liked to go over his car himself before the start of the race, and we’d run through the checklist together. Then I’d get to watch the race from the pit. Seeing them fly by lap after lap, it’s the most amazing rush.”

“You were allowed in the pit?” Nikoli quirked an eyebrow. He and Luther had tried to sneak into the pit at one of the smaller tracks once, and security had escorted them right back to the stands.

“My dad was Martin Holmes. What do you think? I lived in that pit thanks to my dad’s crew. They always snuck me in. Being there, feeling the rumble of the ground beneath my feet as the cars sped by, the rush of the trail of wind they left behind them…there is no other feeling in the world like it.”

She sounded like him, Nikoli realized. That was exactly how he felt every time he got behind the wheel for a race. The adrenaline rush was almost better than sex. Almost.

“You never thought about driving yourself?” he asked, curious.

“No. I was there the day my dad crashed. I saw them have to cut him out of the car. I haven’t been behind the wheel of an actual race car since that day.”

“I get that.” He nodded. “Do you still like racing, though?”

“Sure, I grew up on it. I’m still a huge NASCAR fan. My dad loved rally racing too. He used to build cars just for those races. He never took me to any of them, but it was his passion.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl who knew so much about cars.” Nikoli shook his head. “It’s new for me.”

“Well, that might not be true.” Lily smirked. “You admit yourself that you don’t talk to the girls you sleep with, so how do you know they didn’t know cars?”

“Well, I’ve never had a girl completely ignore me to lust after my car, either.” He laughed. “I’m guessing that’s a dead giveaway.”

Lily blushed. “I think lust is a strong word.”

He grinned. “You were caressing the car like a lover, Lily Bells. I know lust when I see it.”

“You are going to let me drive her, aren’t you?” Her eyes lit up with excitement.

“That car is my baby, Lily.” He frowned. “You said yourself, you haven’t driven a racer…”

“She’s a racer?” Lily burst out. “I didn’t see any mods.”

Nikoli stopped breathing for a second. Before him now sat the sexiest woman he’d ever known, even dressed like a high school teeny bopper. She knew cars, she knew racers, and her eyes lit up like Christmas when she talked about them.

“I removed them last year. She’s street legal now, but there are still a few modifications that aren’t noticeable at first glance. She’ll run faster than the average ’Cuda.”

“Maybe not drive, then,” Lily hedged. “Could you take me for a ride, show me flat out how fast she runs?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” He grinned, his own excitement shining through. He loved to drive fast, and he sensed a kindred spirit across from him. For the first time all night, the thought of being just friends crossed his mind. Then she shifted and her breasts bounced slightly, and the thought flew out the window. Nope, sex, and then maybe just friends. Or friends who have sex a lot? He’d never done the friends with benefits thing before. Hell, he’d never done the female friend thing in his entire life.

Lily was gentle and shy at a deep level, and an enigma. She had the courage to stand up to him, but blushed and looked down at the smallest compliment. Her innate tendencies were calling to all sorts of his own dominant ones, including some serious protective ones. Very few women had ever struck that cord in him, and Lily was the only one he’d ever contemplated keeping. He frowned. When had he started to think about keeping her?

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out. Luther wanted to know how the date was going. He made a face at the phone, well aware his friend couldn’t see it, but it made Lily chuckle.

“So you race cars?” Lily surprised him by asking.

He nodded. “Yeah. Luther and I got into when we were seventeen. Been racing since. We do a lot of rally races, as well as a few underground ones.”

“Underground? Can’t you get into a lot of trouble for that if you get caught?”

Nikoli grinned. “That’s the point, Lily Bells. It’s all about the risk you take.”

“You do seem like a risk taker,” she said, her smile infectious.

“You have no idea.” He winked at her and leaned back, letting his leg touch hers. She immediately scooted over. He frowned at her, and she glanced away and then looked relieved.

“Food’s here,” Lily murmured as Joe and a server came trudging over.

“Here we go.” Joe beamed at them as he set Lily’s plate down. Nikoli laughed at Joe’s obvious attempt to impress Lily. He never brought food out himself.

“Thank you.” Lily smiled shyly up at him. “It looks wonderful.”

“Only the best for Nikoli and his lady.” Joe grinned. “You let me know if you need anything at all, beautiful lady.”

“Go on back to the kitchen.” Nikoli laughed. “You’ll end up stealing her before I even have a chance.”

Joe turned to look at him, and the censure in his eyes made Nikoli very uncomfortable. Joe was well aware of his one night stands, as well as his other peculiarities when it came to sex. The two of them ran in the same circles. It’s how he’d met Joe.

“Be careful with her,” Joe warned. “Slow, my friend, and you’ll keep her. She’s worth keeping.”

Nikoli nodded his understanding, aware Lily took an entirely different meaning from that statement. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“If you don’t, I might,” Joe warned him.

Nikoli bristled and actually stood up.

“Just warning you, friend to friend.” Joe may have said it with a smile, but the warning was clear in his voice. The man was only twenty-six and handsome. If he wanted to charm Lily, he could, Nikoli realized. He didn’t like the thought of Joe with Lily, not one little bit.

“Stay the hell away from her, Joe,” he growled. A wave of rage he didn’t quite understand hit him hard. “She’s mine.”

“Uh, girl sitting right here,” Lily piped up, “and I don’t belong to anyone except myself.”

“Things change, Lily.” Nikoli’s voice had gone cold, and Joe finally got the message. He backed off and left them alone. Nikoli refused to let Joe anywhere near her, especially knowing what he did about him. If that meant Nikoli letting Joe believe Lily belonged to him, then that’s what he’d do.

“Care to explain that?” Lily asked once Joe had left.

“Joe is worse than I am,” he said after a minute. “I just wanted to make sure he left you alone.”

“So, protecting me from the wolves, huh?” she asked mildly. “Pot, kettle, black?”

Nikoli laughed, aware of the irony. “I’m the only wolf getting into your bed tonight.”

“You wish.” She grinned at him. “I’m remaining chaste tonight.”

“That remains to be seen,” he told her, his eyes full of the promise.

Lily picked up her sandwich and took a bite. A look of utter joy crossed her face. “Ohmygodthisisgood.” The words came out all strung together between mouthfuls of food.

“You are hungry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone shovel food like that.”

“You don’t know our Lily then.”

Nikoli watched Lily stiffen up and then turn to see Adam glaring down at her, Sue beside him. How the hell had he found out where they were? Anger and frustration played a tug-of-war inside him. He knew Adam was Lily’s best friend, so he had to be careful here, or she’d get mad and leave.

“What are you doing here?” Lily demanded, obviously pissed. Maybe he wouldn’t have to do anything. Nikoli forced his face to remain calm as he watched the two of them.

“We came to grab something to eat,” Adam said carefully. “We saw you and decided to come check on you.”

“You wanted to come check on her,” Sue said petulantly. “I wanted to go get pizza.”

Nikoli frowned at Sue. He’d never liked the woman. What Adam saw in her was beyond him. It was obvious she despised Lily from the death glare Sue leveled at her.

“Adam, you hate Cuban food.” Lily’s voice was velvety soft, and Nikoli realized just how mad she was. “So why are you here? I didn’t think you even knew about Joe’s.”

“Luther mentioned that Nik loved this place, and I knew you loved Cuban food, so…”

“So you decided to stop by and what, exactly? Demand I go home? I’m not your sister or your girlfriend, Adam. You can’t tell me what to do. You don’t have that right.”

“Lily, you’re my best friend, I have every right…”

“You know what? I’m not going to ruin my date by arguing with you. I was having fun before you showed up. Why don’t you go and find a table and shovel food into your own mouth before you put your foot in it…again!”

Adam looked like he wanted to say more, but his very angry fiancée hauled him away. Nikoli studied Lily as she glared at their departing backs. It wasn’t until she looked back at him that the truth of it hit him. He’d seen it in her eyes before she could conceal it.

Well, hell.

“You’re in love with him!”

Chapter Seven

Lily gaped at Nikoli. How had he figured that out? “Awesome skills there, Sherlock, but you couldn’t be more wrong.”

“I saw how you looked at him.”

“Does it really matter?” She sighed.

“Of course it matters,” Nikoli said. “Does he know?”

“What do you think?” She focused her attention on the people walking along the sidewalk outside. “He’s getting married in four months.”

Nikoli stared at her, and it made her squirm. She couldn’t quite read his expression, and it made her nervous. As long as they’d been talking about cars, she’d been fine. She adored cars as much as some women freaked out over shoes. To her surprise, she’d been having fun before Adam showed up. There weren’t many people she could sit down and talk shop with. He’d surprised her.

“Why don’t you tell him?” Nikoli asked her after a long moment.

“Because he thinks of me as his little sister,” she admitted bitterly. “He’s never seen me that way.”

“Oh, I think you might be surprised there.” Nikoli gaze swept to Adam and Sue’s table. “The way he’s glaring at me right now smacks of jealousy.”

Lily forced herself to refrain from looking in Adam’s direction.

“Again, you’re wrong,” she told him. “He’s only looking out for me. I am¸ after all, going to dinner with Boston U’s very own manwhore.”

Beer spewed, and Lily laughed out loud. Nikoli looked at her, aghast.

“What did you just call me?” he demanded, his eyes smoldering.

“A manwhore,” she replied sweetly.

“I am not a manwhore!” he denied hotly, which only made Lily laugh harder. He looked so shocked.

“Yes, yes, you are,” she wheezed. “You sleep with a different woman every night, sometimes several a day. You define the word whore. It’s your nickname with most of the girls.”

“I am a connoisseur of women,” he growled. “Yes, I enjoy sex, but that doesn’t make me a whore!”

Lily giggled, thinking about her earlier conversation with Janet about him hooking on the corner. She wondered what he’d say to that, but he looked so upset she decided to hold that little tidbit for later.

“I’m not sure I want to sleep with you anymore,” he told her petulantly.

She only laughed harder. Gods, she hadn’t laughed like this in ages. Her sides ached from it. She caught Adam staring at her from the corner of her eye. He looked bewildered and alarmed. It was almost as comical as the outraged look on Nikoli’s face.

“This is a situation I’ve never been in before.” Nikoli leaned back. “The girl I want to sleep with is in love with her best friend, who’s getting married.”

“It’s not your average quandary,” Lily agreed, trying to stop laughing.

Nikoli stared at her, his look calculating, and it made her nervous, drying up her laughter. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m thinking, here, Lily Bells,” he said softly, his eyes measuring.

Lily’s sense of self-preservation went on high alert, DEFCON two, to be exact. Her eyes narrowed. “There’s nothing to think about here, Nikoli. Adam’s getting married, I’m moving to New York when we graduate, and you’re not sleeping with me tonight.”

“No, I’m not sleeping with you tonight,” he agreed, shocking her. “I have other plans for you, Lily. Things we can’t really discuss here, though.”

“We can discuss anything you want right here out in the open.” No way was she going anywhere private with him. That might not bode so well for her.

“Let me ask you a question.” Nikoli leaned forward, shifting his legs so they were touching hers. He’d essentially trapped her, because she couldn’t scoot anywhere else. So she pulled her legs up underneath her. Nikoli raised his eyebrows. “Question answered.”

“What was the question?” She pushed her food around on her plate nervously. She had an idea of where he was going with this.

“You don’t like to be touched.” It came out more of a statement than a question. He’d answered it himself so she saw no point in denying it.

“No, I don’t, but that’s really none of your concern.”

“Oh, but it is, Lily Bells, especially if I’m going to help you.”

“Help me?” What was he talking about now? “If you think your sexual prowess is going to instantly cure me, you’re dead wrong.”

He smiled, but it was a smile full of danger. Lily shrank a little against the booth she sat in. That smile made all sorts of things inside of her clench in a not unpleasant way. She didn’t understand how a smile could do that to her, but she was beginning to see how so many different girls had succumbed to it.

“Do you want Adam?”

“That’s a moot point. He loves Sue and he’s getting married. Once we graduate, I can escape like I tried to before. He’ll go off with Sue, and I’ll go to New York and move on.”

“Escape?”

“I decided to come to Boston because Adam was going to LSU,” she admitted. “He changed his mind and came here instead.”

“So he followed you to Boston?” Nikoli’s gaze became more calculated by the second.

“Yeah, but not for the reasons you’re thinking,” Lily put in quickly. “He only wanted to make sure I was okay, that I could handle it.”

“Why wouldn’t you be able to handle it?”

That was not something she wanted to get into with him. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Does it have something to do with why you don’t like to be touched?” he asked softly.

Her nostrils flared defiantly. Why was he getting so personal?

“You realize if you want to stand any chance of winning him away from the blonde model, you’re going to have to let him touch you.”

“Adam is aware of my sensitivity to people touching me,” Lily hissed. “Why are we even talking about this?”

“Look over at Boy Wonder, see how he’s holding her hand? Would you let him do that? Could you let him touch you like that?”

Lily peeked over at Adam’s table. Sure enough, he was holding Sue’s hand, his thumb idly brushing the back of her palm. Lily wanted to be able to let him do that, but the thought alone sent her into panic mode.

“You don’t stand a shot at winning him if you can’t let him touch you, Lily Bells,” Nikoli whispered so only she could hear. “You need to be able to tolerate it if you want Adam. He needs someone he can touch, caress, kiss, and make love to. Right now, that’s not you.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Lily seethed. “I have wondered so many times how different things might have been if I could let him touch me.”

“Then let me help you.”

“How exactly can you help me?” Lily asked suspiciously.

“For starters, you said he only looks at you like a sister, but the looks I’ve been getting since he got here say something else entirely. He’s jealous, and it’s working the blonde up into a full on rage. You need someone to show real interest in you, to spend time with, someone he can’t stand.”

“Let me guess, that someone would be you?” Sarcasm dripped from each word.

He gave her a devilish smile. “Of course. Who better to get his attention than Boston U’s very own manwhore?”

Lily smiled when he threw her words back at her. He sounded much less cranky now. What was he up to?

“Everyone knows you don’t date, Nikoli,” Lily pointed out.

Nikoli’s grin turned wolfish. He knew he had her attention. She wanted Adam, he wanted her, and he’d found a way to get them both what they wanted. Hopefully. It all hinged on her acceptance of his help. He had to be careful here.

“As you pointed out, everyone thinks of me as a manwhore.” He couldn’t help but cringe at that. He was not a whore. Usually. “So, you’re going to help me buff up my image.”

“And how exactly am I going to do that?”

“By dating me, and making me remain celibate.”

Her mouth dropped open. Just the right response. He was slowly reeling her in. Now the tricky part.

“No one is going to believe that,” she said after a minute. “Can you even go a day without sex?”

“Of course I can,” he snapped. “That’s not the point, anyway. I’m not going to need to go have sex with random women. I’m going to have you.”

“Uh, no, you’re not,” Lily told him hotly. “There is no way I am going to sleep with you just to get Adam’s attention.”

“Oh, baby, there is so much more to it than that,” he said, his voice low and deep. He knew exactly how his voice affected women, and Lily was no different. Her eyes glazed a bit and her cheeks warmed. Despite what she said, he affected her. He hadn’t lost his mojo just yet. “You can’t just spend time with me. You have to let me touch you.”

Her eyes went wide and her nostrils flared. He saw sheer panic in her eyes. “Lily, if you want Adam, you have to be able to let him touch you. I can help you with that. You just need some structure, rules. I promise I won’t do anything to scare you, and if I do, I’ll stop right away. All you have to do is safe word.”

“Safe word?” She frowned and then she glared, getting ready to go all outraged female on him.

Damn those books. Was there a person left on the planet who hadn’t read them? “Don’t go and get all outraged, Lily Bells, it’s not what you think. I don’t do pain. I have no urge to inflict pain on you. I’m all about pleasure. The panic in your eyes right now make me believe you’d be more comfortable with a safe word, is all. I don’t do BDSM in the sense that you know it.”

“What exactly are you proposing then, Nikoli?” she asked softly.

Tricky, tricky. How to do this?

“I’m not going to lie to you, Lily. I want you, very badly. But I don’t stand a chance if I can’t touch you. I want you in my bed, and I’m willing to be patient and teach you to trust me, to let me touch you, for a price.”

“And what exactly do I get out of this deal of yours?”

“You get Adam,” he told her bluntly. “You get to drive him crazy and make him see you for the beautiful, intelligent, and desirable woman you are.”

“What’s your price?” She sounded belligerent, outraged, and suspicious all at once.

“You, of course, Lily Bells. The chance to seduce you into my bed, to be more exact. I’m not a gentleman, Lily. I will get you naked, and then I’ll use every trick I have to get you to say yes. That’s my price.”

She was staring at him like he’d lost his mind. Nikoli needed her to think about this seriously. He could help her, and he’d get to touch that beautiful body whenever he wanted to. Once she felt safe enough with him, he’d be able to seduce her. First he needed to understand where her fear came from, but that was going to be a conversation for another day. He’d shocked her enough for one day.

“Don’t give me an answer right now. Go home, think about it, and then if you are willing to do what it takes to steal Adam from the blonde, call me. It won’t be easy, and you’re going to have to be honest with me, but I will help you.” He signaled the waitress for their check. “Can I see your phone?”

“Why?”

“So I can put my number in it. You need to know it so you can call,” he explained patiently. She was wary, and he expected that. He just needed to be patient and wait her out. Patience, however, was not a virtue he possessed. He was a child of the times. He grew up with the ‘I want it now, now, now’ generation. It was going to be a test of his own willpower to do this, but he had a feeling she’d be worth it.

She begrudgingly handed her phone to him. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. That was new. He’d never been nervous about a girl before, but he’d been afraid she’d just say no and walk away.

First he dialed his own number so he’d have hers and then he stored his number in her phone. “Come on, Lily Bells, let’s get you home.”

Tonight certainly hadn’t gone like he’d planned. He’d taken Lily out with the simple task of seducing her, and instead found a woman who held his attention for more than five minutes, one he actually wanted to get to know. He wanted to help her, to see her succeed. As much as he wanted all that, he was slightly terrified. He didn’t do the whole girlfriend scene, and that’s exactly the position he’d put himself in.

How the hell had he gotten so far off track?