Touch Me Not(19)

“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?





Chapter Eight





After dropping a shell-shocked Lily off at her dorm, Nikoli drove back to his apartment. The lights were on, so he assumed Luther had already come home. He sighed, gearing up for the ribbing he was in for. He’d gone to dinner expecting to have Lily for dessert, and now he had to face Luther’s laughter. Not that he was in the mood to listen to Luther crow. He couldn’t really put his finger on how he felt at the moment. Lily had thrown him from the minute he met her, and she continued to keep him off balance with every moment spent with her.

He regretted his offer to help her now, in hindsight. He didn’t know if he had the patience to do what needed to be done. The problem was he wanted to help her. Those blue eyes of hers haunted him when he remembered the terror and the panic in them. Something bad had happened to her, and it scarred her to the point she couldn’t bear to be touched by anyone. Someone as beautiful and innocent as Lily shouldn’t be afraid. People loved her, which told him she was special and had a huge heart. His mother would adore her. Which only served to terrify him more.#p#分页标题#e#

Manwhore. He shook his head. He’d had no idea that’s what people thought of him. Sure, he’d slept with a lot of women, but not nearly as many as everyone thought. He’d heard girls bragging about sleeping with him who he’d never touched and had no plans of ever getting naked with. He’d just never bothered to correct the tall tales and rumors. It only enhanced his reputation. Or so he’d thought. Instead, it made him appear like the male slut of Boston University.

There were reasons he didn’t attach himself to anyone. He and Luther worked hard to make sure no one knew they were millionaires. There were several who did know, but they were the ones who read the gaming magazines or the magazines like People or Time who had interviewed them before. Most of the BU population read the magazines specializing in celebrity lives. Nikoli didn’t want a woman clinging to him for his money. When he decided to settle down with one woman, he’d damn well make sure it was for him and not the millions sitting in his bank account. He was paranoid about it, and so refused to go past a single encounter with anyone.