Eric tried. He really did. Even bit the inside of his cheek.
Nikolett sighed. “Go ahead. Get it out, you horrible man.”
Eric roared with laughter, bending over as he struggled to get in enough air.
“Asshole,” she muttered.
That only made him laugh harder.
Head braced on her shoulder, hands planted on the counter on either side of her, he let the laughter release not only his amusement but the tension from before.
When he finally calmed down enough to clear his throat, he raised his head.
Nikolett crossed her arms.
“Tell me all of it,” he pleaded.
“You have to promise not to laugh.”
“Nope. I’m only going to make promises to you that I know I can keep.”
She visibly softened.
He wanted to kiss her. Wanted to take her back to bed and this time go slow. He hadn’t spent nearly enough time on her breasts. Wanted to roll her onto her stomach and stroke her bare back and ass so every part of her became familiar with his touch.
But they needed to finish this conversation. His own masochistic streak needed to know about the only other man who could make his Nikki “feel something.”
“Will you tell me about Cookie Guy?”
“His name is Angus McAngus. We met in Budapest, at a coffee shop.”
“That’s when he gave you a cookie.”
“It was only half a cookie and I couldn’t even take it. This was right after the bear trap attack. I’d been locked up in my house for weeks, and I was losing my mind. I insisted on going out, even if it was just for a cup of coffee.”
She looked worried, then grimaced. “Irresponsible of me, I know. I used too many of my territory’s resources to go out for a single cup of coffee.”
“Nikki, if you, the most responsible person I know, insisted on going out, it means you really needed that.”
The defensive tension in her shoulders softened. “We stayed so long that it was lunch time and there were no seats and this guy asked if he could share my table.
“We talked a bit and because all I’d had was coffee, my stomach was grumbling.” She winced with embarrassment. “He heard it and offered me half of his cookie that he hadn’t yet eaten. Grigoris came over to make sure I didn’t take food from a stranger.”
“Fun when your security treats you like you’re an incompetent toddler.”
“It is frustrating. Though in your case, you usually are behaving like an incompetent toddler.” She smirked at him.
Eric leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. “Looking for a spanking?”
Nikolett’s breath caught, but Eric refused to be sidetracked. He pulled back.
“How did you get from half a cookie Grigoris wouldn’t let you eat in Budapest to dinner in Paris?”
“We were texting, and at some point, he mentioned meeting up again. I didn’t respond until you locked me in Triskelion Castle.”
Eric grimaced. “Would you believe me if I apologized?”
“Are you sorry?”
