Touch Me Not (Manwhore, #1)(22)

Lily frowned. He had a point. She’d seen the number of people staring when Janet left and had no doubt they’d be over here as soon as Nikoli departed. Dammit. She just wanted to curl up and cry in peace and quiet.

“Fine,” she said. “But no funny business, deal doesn’t start until tomorrow.”

He gave her that sly smile she was coming to actually like, despite her better judgement. “Scout’s honor.”

“You grew up in Russia,” she reminded him. “Do they even have Boy Scouts in Russia?”

“No, but I like the American saying. It makes people trust you.”

“I trust you about as much as I would a scorpion, Kincaid.”

He grinned wider. “Let’s go, Lily Bells.”

Lily grabbed her keys and followed Nikoli out the door, stopping only to lock it. She stared straight ahead, catching curious faces staring at her out of the corner of her eye. She rubbed her forehead to try and ease the throbbing headache as she walked, knowing she was going to be the talk of the campus after this. So not what she had planned for tonight.

She waved at Jamie, the security guard. He took one look at her and stalked over to them. “What the hell did he do to you?” Then he turned his fury on Nikoli. “I told you if you upset her you’d be banned from this building…”

“Jamie, wait,” Lily interrupted him. “Nikoli didn’t upset me. He came to check on me.”

“But you’ve been crying.” Jamie frowned.

Lily stared at Nikoli’s somewhat pained expression and shook her head, frustrated. “Has this been going on all day?” she asked Nikoli.

He nodded. “Yeah, it’s a little hard to get near you without someone trying to get in my face about it.”

“Adam.” Lily sighed. She should have known he’d pull something like this, which only infuriated her more.

“Oh, no, Lily Bells.” Nikoli laughed. “It’s not just Adam. I don’t think you realize how many people care about you. My phone has been blowing up since lunch.”

Her eyes widened. People were warning Nikoli away from her? Why? “Jamie, I’m fine. If you want to blame anyone for making me cry, blame Adam. Nikoli is just being a good friend.”

Jamie’s eyes widened and he stared at her, nonplussed. Lily headed out, Nikoli right behind her, before Jamie could say anything else. She’d had no idea. Maybe that was another reason Nikoli seemed intent on gaining her as a conquest—because everyone told him he couldn’t have her. People needed to mind their own business.

Nikoli didn’t try to talk as they drove. Lily was grateful for that. She was afraid she’d burst into tears again. She was angry too. What Adam had said to her…that hurt. He’d used her phobia against her, to make her feel pathetic and worthless. He’d said it deliberately. Adam had never been cruel to her before. How could he do that?

Lily expected Nikoli to take the next turn, but he continued, driving deeper into the heart of the city. This was not the route to his apartment. She’d been with Mikey when they’d dropped Luther off before, so she knew they were not going there. About twenty minutes later, they pulled into the parking deck of a very expensive apartment high-rise.

“Where are we?” she asked when he opened her door for her.

“My place.” He motioned her to follow him to the elevator. She frowned when he inserted a key and then punched the button for the top floor.

“But…”

“Luther and I share an apartment close to campus, Lily, but this place is mine. I’ll answer all your questions when we get upstairs, okay?”

The ride up the elevator seemed to take forever. Nikoli stared straight ahead, and it made Lily even more nervous than she already was. She shouldn’t have come. Why did she let him talk her into this?

When the elevator opened, Nikoli ushered her out into what looked like a foyer or entrance hall. She couldn’t see any other apartment doors, so this had to be a penthouse apartment. The floor was black marble and the walls a stark white, with expensive art hanging strategically here and there. Her mouth went a little dry. She knew he and Luther had money, but she hadn’t imagined this. Lily was a gamer and read the gaming magazines. She knew who Nikoli was, but she hadn’t mentioned it because he hadn’t. She liked her own privacy, and therefore respected everyone else’s.

The inside of the apartment was huge. It had an open concept look, with the living room flowing into the kitchen and dining room. The furniture was done in earthy shades, with splashes of red to provide a stark contrast to the browns and taupes. It was very masculine. Her mind kept going back to their earlier conversation at the restaraunt. He said she needed a safe word, and her eyes widened at the thoughts of what he did here with other women. She didn’t trust him, so why did she let him bring her here? Panic set in, and she glanced back at the door, wondering how fast she could make an escape if need be.

Nikoli kicked off his shoes and walked to the kitchen, where he grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge before coming back into the main room. He sat down on the couch and motioned for Lily to join him.

Lily stared at him, and Nikoli waited. He had to let her make the decision to come to him. It had to be her decision. This was the first step toward her learning to trust him. Without trust, they’d get nowhere fast. The different emotions that ran through her eyes fascinated him. There was fear, hesitation, and curiosity. He was betting on curiosity being the driving factor here.