The next few days passed uneventfully as I tried like hell to be nicer to Nick. He still had the propensity to utter orders at me with that deep voice, which bothered me on two levels.
One: he needed to learn that I didn’t take orders.
Two: his voice was sexy as hell.
For number one, I’d become adept at gently reminding him toaskme instead of demanding. He would usually look contrite and nod, and I understood that he was genuinely trying.
The second issue was tougher to combat though. Something about that grumble in his voice did all sorts of things to my insides. Even if I wouldn’t admit it, I think a part of mewantedhim to use that voice to command things of me...ifwe were in the right circumstances.
And surprisingly, in my secret visions, those circumstances involved him looming over me in bed as he softly demanded my submission...
With my limited sexual experience and feisty personality, I hadn’t pegged myself as someone who was into submission, but...with Nick? Well, let’s just say I coulddefinitelygeton board.
“Daydreaming again?” Nick asked, stepping into the kitchen from the cold. It was late October, and the days had turned crisper as they’d grown shorter.
“Yeah, about being sandwiched between Shane and Ilya from Heated Rivalry,” I said, joking to cover the fact I’d been fantasizing abouthim.
“What’s that?” he asked, placing his coat on the island chair before striding over and sitting beside me.
“Sexy gay hockey show,” I said, pulling up the security feed from the last twenty-four hours on my laptop. “You wouldn’t get it.”
“Definitely not,” he droned, arching an eyebrow. Leaning forward, he studied the screen. “Anything suspicious?”
“Nothing so far.” I scrolled through the footage at 3X speed, thankful the street surrounding the house was quiet. “How long are we going to have to stay here? Is Michael making progress?”
“Several of your father’s lower-ranked men have joined Michael’s operation, but the higher-ranking ones aren’t budging. Still, it’s a good sign.”
I gnawed my lip as I pondered. “John and Simon are stubborn sons of bitches, and creepy as fuck too. John used to stare at me when he was at the house, and it made me cringe. He’s not a good guy. I honestly don’t know if Michael should take him into his organization.”
Nick’s fist clenched as a muscle in his jaw ticked. “Did he ever touch you? Because I’ll fucking kill him for laying a finger on you.”
Smiling, I patted his bicep. “My own personal bodyguard. No, he didn’t. But thanks for having my back.”
Nick’s dark eyes swam with anger as he studied me. “Michael wants to make a good faith gesture to allow anyone to pledge their allegiance to him. But the time will come soon when that door will close.”
I shivered, thinking of the imminent turf war ahead. “This is going to get worse, isn’t it?”
Nick’s chest expanded as he inhaled a deep breath. “Probably, princess. I wish it wouldn’t, but we need to be realistic.”
I grinned as realization crossed his face.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “It’s a fucking habit now.”
“I kind of like it,” I said softly. “A nickname just between us. I guess it’s going to stick, so let’s just roll with it.”
His full lips curved slightly as he gazed at me, and I wondered what secrets hid behind those dark eyes. He was extremely handsome, with his angular nose and thick hair, and I wondered if he’d ever been in love.
“Do you have...anyone else besides Michael?” I asked, returning to scrolling on the laptop so he didn’t see the burning curiosity in my expression.
“No,” he said, leaning forward and watching the screen as the footage rolled. “My parents died when I was twelve and he took me in. I’d already had a hard time at school, and he was a stabilizing force who believed in me. It was...” He rubbed his palms together as he searched for the words, “nice for a kid like me to have someone who thought I was worth something.”
My heart constricted as I imagined how devastating losing both parents would be for someone so young. “Why did you have a tough time in school?”
His gaze met mine, and I had the feeling he was deciding how much to confide in me.
“I mean, I already told you I was a bit of an outcast. I was always a weird, quirky, kind of difficult girl who was more comfortable with a computer than a boyfriend.”
“How many boyfriends?” he asked, his voicehusky.
