Free Lion of Midnight by Aliyah Burke

meeting and holding her gaze.
    “Your home?”
    “I live just a bit outside of Novgorod. I promise you’ll be perfectly safe.”
    She chewed on her lower lip as she peeked at him. He could see the indecision roaring within her. While he was glad she was cautious, he would really hate for her to decide he wasn’t safe to be with. That would leave one option, taking her with him to his house against her will and letting her learn that they were meant to be together.
    “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
    Relief filled him. He truly wanted her to be a most willing participant in everything they did together. “Wonderful.” Holding out his arm to her, he asked, “Shall we?”
    She nodded, and together, they began to walk to the door. “ Dobroi nochi , Maxim,” he said to the guard who appeared to lock the door behind them.
    “ Dobroi nochi , Nikolas,” the guard responded. “Ma’am.”
    Nik’s heart was light when Cleo answered in near perfect Russian, “ Dobroi nochi .” With a smile to Maxim, Nikolas led Cleo out the door into the dark, snowy night. It didn’t take long before the thick snowflakes had given her black hair a mottled appearance in the parking lot lights.
    “You speak very good Russian,” he commented as he steered her away from the right side of his Defender to the left and unlocked the door for her.
    “Thank you. Oh, sorry. I’m so used to being a passenger on the right side.”
    “No problem,” he whispered in her ear, pleased with her sharp intake of breath. “You can drive if you wish.” Nikolas acknowledged to himself he’d never offered to let any other woman drive any of his cars.
    “No. I don’t know where you live, and I’d feel horrible if I wrecked your vehicle.”
    He lifted one shoulder lazily. “As you prefer.” Shutting the door, he walked quickly to the driver’s side and got in. Starting the engine, he made sure to buckle his seatbelt as they waited for the vehicle to warm up. Once he could see, he shifted into gear and began the drive through the snow-filled streets toward his home.

Chapter Six
    Cleo was nervous. She’d admit it. Going to a strange man’s house wasn’t something she did. But then, to be fair, this trip wasn’t something she’d normally do, either. Without conscious thought, she reached for her necklace and held the pendant in her gloved hand. Even through the leather, she felt the familiar comfort it brought her.
    Slanting her gaze to the right, she took stock of the man driving her through the darkness. The only lights visible were those from the dash and of the headlights as they splintered through the increasing fury of the falling snow. His newsboy cap was on backward, allowing her an unobstructed view of his face, and while he seemed totally focused on the road before him, she was totally confident he was well aware of her sitting there.
    She licked her lips as the memory of his taste made an appearance. Her belly flipped as she let her mind run wild for a moment and envision what a night with him would be like. The touch of his callused hands, his stubble abrading the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs, the heavy weight of his body pressing against hers as he slipped in and out. The whimper was barely contained as moisture flooded her. Tightening her legs together, she fought the urge to squirm.
    Focus on something else, Cleo, she admonished herself. She took in the interior of his vehicle. It fit him, rugged, not extravagant. “Nice SUV,” she commented.
    “Thank you.” His gaze didn’t leave the near non-existent road.
    When he turned off the main path, she gasped as her eyes landed upon a large house. Mansion, really. “Oh, my,” she said on a sigh. “That’s absolutely beautiful.”
    Before her stood a smaller version of the Livadia Palace. If she weren’t staring at it, there wouldn’t be any way she would begin to believe it.
    “Thank you,” he murmured as he pulled up along the circular drive and stopped before the main