Page 46 of The Brigadier

I honestly knew little about the area other than it was packed with Russian people, originally immigrants who’d settled here, hoping for a better life. What little I’d seen showed me nothing. Sighing, I took my wine into other rooms, glancing at various art pieces and the movie collection Nikolay had, which was mostly kid’s movies. That made me smile.

When I walked by his open office door, I stopped short. I hadn’t been told I couldn’t go inside but this was obviously his private space, another work area when he was away from whatever posh office he had to be a part of.

I couldn’t keep myself from walking inside. Everything smelled like him. His aftershave. His testosterone. The man himself.

Powerful and the type who refused to take no for an answer.

While I’d seen only a few actual photographs in other rooms, one on his son’s nightstand of his mother, there were a few located on the shelves of one of several bookcases. They were mostly taken recently, which included pictures of Damien. The kid was rarely smiling, which was so sad to me.

I thought he’d smiled more for me in a few hours than he had in a little while. Maybe I’d been deemed trustworthy.

My curiosity about the man given I hadn’t seen or talked to him in years was strong, so much so I found myself touching the various pictures. There was one of him accepting an award somewhere, two men flanking his side.

And there was a single photograph from when he was much younger, standing on a beach with several young men, a football in his hand. I don’t know why in my mind he’d never been allowed to live a normal life. That was crazy.

I noticed a diploma on the wall and headed toward it. He’d actually gotten a degree in criminal justice from Columbia but had a master’s in business administration. Well, I guess he’d covered all the bases.

I was touching the diplomas when I felt a presence behind me. I stiffened as I turned around, catching an amused look on Nikolay’s face.

“Yes, I’m an educated man,” he said as he walked in, taking calculated steps. It was interesting how he never blinked, his eyes remaining locked on mine.

“I never asked you that before when I was… younger.”

“No. I’m certain it wasn’t something on your mind when you were six or eight.” He grinned, noticing the wine in my hand.

There was no reason for me to blush, but I couldn’t seem to help myself around him. He just had that effect on me.

“I’m glad you made yourself at home,” he said as he closed the distance to the bar, forced to brush past me.

I knew he’d done so on purpose, which left me full of tingles.

“Damien is asleep. He did some incredible artwork today. He’s quite talented.”

He chuckled and poured himself a scotch. “I certainly can’t say he takes after me at all. Did he eat lunch?”

“Every little bite.”

“No tantrums?”

“Not a one.”

He studied me for a few seconds as if debating something. “We need to talk.”

“I expected so.”

“I know you hoped to start a career in advertising but that just can’t happen for a little while. I was wondering if you’d consider taking the nanny position. Last minute, I know, but I’m in need of someone I can trust and someone he can tolerate. You make him happy. I mean you’re very good with him. He seems to adore you and I think you’ll be good for him.”

The trust he was providing made my heart sing.

“Yes, a resounding yes.” I couldn’t help myself, bounding toward him and wrapping an arm around his neck. The closeness was amazing, the feel of his heated body one of the most pleasurable things I’d felt in a long time.

Then there was the issue of his very hard cock pressing into my stomach. I had butterflies in my stomach, trying to keep from feeling the erotic sensations that seemed to plague both of us. It felt as if I was failing miserably, the longing for him expanding to the point I was breathless.

He hugged me at first then stiffened, even pushing me away a few seconds later. However, our lips were barely two inches apart.

I could tell I’d involuntarily licked mine, my mouth suddenly dry.

It was one of those awkward moments where I was certain he was going to kiss me. And God, I wanted him to almost more than anything in the world.