Free Mafia Boss's Fearless Lover (The Karzhov Crime Family series Book 1) by Leslie North Page A

sure the kitchen was well stocked before they arrived.
    She and her husband operated the bait shop at the entrance to the lake and made sure the lake house was kept in good repair and stocked with food whenever Nikolai needed to get away. Only his most trusted men knew the location of the retreat, and he was relieved that Danil had never been on the receiving end of the information. It had never been necessary, and Nikolai had never felt a burning need to share everything with the man. It would seem his intuition had been helping him all along.
    Picking up the two glasses, he pushed the thoughts of Danil, the organization, and how the situation would be dealt with from his mind. Giving his banked desire free rein to pulse through his bloodstream, his body hardened at the thought of what was to come.
    He pushed the door to the bathroom open, stepped into the slightly steamy room, and stopped to watch the woman who was quickly weaving herself a place in his heart and life.
     
                                                                                        ***
     
    Katya had her eyes closed as she relaxed in the warm water. The simmering desire Nikolai had stoked was just barely contained and she let her mind wander to the night before. She’d made a conscious decision to push away the worry over Danil and her place in this new world. There was nothing she could do about anything tonight; therefore, there was no reason to let the worry eat away at her heart and mind.
    She let her hands trail across her abdomen under the water’s surface, remembering a much stronger touch. She let her fingertips trace an intricate pattern on her stomach, mentally tracing the curls of ink that adorned Nikolai’s strong arms.
    I wonder how long it would take to trace each black line with my lips?
    She envisioned Nikolai spread out before her, lying on his stomach, his arms spread out to the side. She would start with her fingertips, tracing a single line up the back of his arm, across his broad shoulders, and then down the other side. Soon, she would use both hands to follow the inky paths, pressing into the muscles as he groaned in pleasure.
    Katya was so lost in her daydream, she didn’t hear Nikolai set the glasses down on the counter, nor did she hear him slowly remove his clothing.
    Nikolai watched her undulate under the water, seeing her hands drawing circular patterns on her stomach and wondering what daydream had put that siren’s smile on her lips. Deciding to find out, he carried the glasses closer, before leaning down to gently kiss those lips.
    Katya’s eyes flew open, startled from the luscious dream, but settling once she saw the object of her desire bending over her, naked as the day he was born.
    God, he’s so gorgeous.
    Without conscious thought, her hands lifted from the water, aligning her fingertips with the farthest ends of each tattoo and began to follow the lines up his arms.
    “What were you thinking about?” Nikolai asked, nipping along her jaw even as his body hardened with her touch.
    “You. These,” she whispered, moving her head back to give him access to the pulse point beneath her ear. “That feels good,” she murmured.
    “Good. Scoot forward a bit.”
    When she complied, he stepped into the large tub, settling his frame into the water behind her, his thighs bracketing her slim hips, one on either side. “Lean back,” he whispered into her ear, cradling her shoulders in his palms as she did so.
    Katya could feel the hard muscles of his hairless chest against her back, and then lower, the evidence of his arousal pressing into the crease of her butt. When his hands dropped over her shoulders, claiming possession of her breasts, she let her head drop back on a sigh of pleasure.
    She is so responsive to my touch… Nikolai had never had a woman respond to him so easily. Katya totally gave of herself when they were together,