Team Niklas (The Saints Team #3) (20 page)

Chapter 26

A text message woke me the next morning and then
another. Nik’s phone started about the same time.

“What the...?” I rolled over but
Nik stopped me.

“Kiss me first,” he said, reaching
for me. “Last time we got all those text messages it wasn’t good news. I want
to kiss you first in case you throw me out again.”

I smiled at the gorgeous man lying
beside me. God it was good to have him back in my bed. I know nothing had
really changed—he might still be having this baby with another woman but we
weren’t good handling it apart, best we handle it together. Besides, I’ve read
lots of fairy tales, so I guess I could be a good ugly stepmother.

Nik’s hands ran over me and then held
me tight before he placed a soft morning kiss on my lips.

“Thank God you are back with me Sarsh,”
he mumbled.

“It was great sex last night,” I
agreed, with a smile and he gave my butt a tap.

“Smartass, but you have a cute one,”
he said. We looked at each and then taking a deep breath, I reached for my phone.
Nik did the same.

I sat up quickly—this was good,
great, fucking brilliant news. Nik gasped beside me, put the phone down and
slid down, back into bed. He didn’t move, I think the relief was just washing
over him.

She had been caught out. There was
a huge story on her in the paper—a basketball player from San Francisco had
come out and said she tried the same thing on him. He was married and had a
fling with her. She had faked being pregnant to extort money from him; he paid
her off to keep quiet. His marriage had since ended so now the truth was coming
out. She had done very well out of him and there never was a baby. Now she was
trying it on Nik. Maybe after she saw the photo of Nik and me she thought he
would pay her off to be quiet. She hadn’t counted on him asking for a paternity
test or wanting to do the right thing by her—I suspect she had a few problems. But
most importantly, she admitted it wasn’t Nik’s child, and she wasn’t even
pregnant. She was going to be charged on several accounts for extortion,
forgery and for false statements.

I put my phone down and turned to
Nik; I snuggled next to him and laid my head on his chest, resting my arm
across him. He was scarily silent... I wished I had a telepathic link to Ethan
and he could tell me what to say.

Eventually he spoke. “James said
he and the Saints’ lawyer got suspicious when she refused the paternity test.
They got a hot shot investigator on to it and when they did some digging look
what came up.”

“I’m sorry this happened to you
Nik and to us,” I said. I regretted my actions but I did what I had to do at
the time.

“It’s just us again now,
Süsse,” he said, breathing out.

“Yes.
Where were we?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Wasn’t
I licking you?” he teased and suddenly rolled me over, his tongue tickling me
as I laughed and tried to beat him off.

*****

Alice and Kay were both so happy for me when I got to
the office that it was ridiculous. The relief was palpable; it’s the only way I
can think to describe it. I heard the coffee van pull up and Alice and I
grabbed Kay and Jim’s orders and raced outside.

“For fuck’s sake Russian, how did
you beat me here today?” I looked at him two places ahead of me in the queue.

“Well Sasha,” he said, in a slow
drawl. “I just happened to be getting out of my car at the time when I saw the
coffee van enter through the gates.” He pointed to them as if they were
evidence.

“Whatever,” I said, and rolled my
eyes. “I give up!”

“Really?” he asked. “How’s the
Kaiser?”

“Fine.”

“No really, how is he?” The
Russian pushed.

“Well he hasn’t been home since
reuniting with Sasha if that tells you anything,” Alice piped up.

“That tells me a lot, thank you
Alice,” he said, looking fondly at her.

I would have said ‘whatever’ again
but two in a row might have been overkill. “Consider him satisfied,” I said to The
Russian knowing that would annoy him given he was currently single and probably
didn’t get any action last night. Surprisingly he was happy with the news.

“Sasha, I’m going to spot you a
coffee today,” The Russian said magnanimously.

“Really?” I said, surprised and
delighted.

“Really. What was that? A fat
cappuccino?” he asked.

I smirked at him. “A skinny
latte.”

“Oh right, I’d get yours too Alice
but I’m guessing you have other orders there and I’m not made of money...”

“Sadly true,” Alice said.

“You’re a tight ass Russian,” I
said. “Your contract earns you more than all of us in this queue and you’ve got
the security business as well. You should treat us all this morning just to be
nice and because I helped the club out!”

“Fine then,” he said.

The queue line of eight staff
cheered.

I rolled my eyes. I had managed to
make him an accidental hero.
Whatever!

The Russian stayed and paid for
everyone’s orders, bless him, and I waited with him, it was the least I could
do and I wanted my coffee to be fresh and hot. As we spoke, I saw Lucas’s
Lamborghini coming through the gates. I knew the ‘Captain onboard’ alert would
be going through the girl wires in the office. He smiled at me and gave Russian
a wave as he entered the office. Fantastic scenery. Then my guy’s car entered
the grounds—we were both on a high this morning and could hardly tear ourselves
away from each other. I grinned on seeing his car; I was pathetic really...
such a pushover.

He got out of his VW and came
over—what a vision he was in his white t-shirt and surf shorts, his board in
the back. I could just lick that dried salt water right off him. Where was I?
Oh yeah, he came over and gave me a kiss in front of everyone and I didn’t
care. Can you believe it? Me either! But then again, I always was a bit of an
idiot when it came to love, just check out my ex-husband. The Russian offered
his hand and Nik shook it.

“Glad you’re with us Kaiser, you
would have upset me if you’d left,” The Russian said quietly as Nik’s absence
without leave wasn’t public knowledge. It was so weird when The Russian was
sincere, it always threw me.

“Sah-sha told me you motivated the
lot of them into action, thanks Russian,” Nik said. “Got to see Shayne but I
need to see Sah-sha first,” he said, and waved a letter at me.

“Want a coffee? My treat today,”
The Russian said.

“Yeah breakfast, thanks,” Nik
said, and ordered a cappuccino. He pulled me aside.

“You’re not serious? Don’t tell me
you haven’t had breakfast yet,” I scolded him. Then I remembered the letter he
was waving at me.

“What is it?” I looked up at him,
concerned.

“Smile, it’s good stuff,” he said,
and I instantly relaxed. “I sent that letter... the one to my father…” He said
the words awkwardly. “He wrote back.”

I felt my face light with
excitement even though I tried to play it cool. “And? What did he write back?”

Nik was smiling. “He said he would
love to meet me.”

I squealed and gave him a hug. The
Russian called out from the coffee van. “Cut that out you two or get in the car
at least.”

I grimaced at him. “I’ve never
been a car girl, Russian,” I called back.

He raised an eyebrow. I turned
back to Nik. “This is wonderful, Nik, wonderful. Tell me what he said.”

“I’ll tell you tonight, but it’s
promising,” he said, his eyes alive.

“Coffee’s up,” The Russian called
again. He was determined to annoy us and he hated not to be the center of
attention. We gave each other a look that said so many things and returned to
collect our coffees from him.

Chapter 27

That night, after work and after Nik finished
training, he came around again. I wasn’t ready to send him back to his room at
Alice’s place just yet—we were still overcoming our pain and rediscovering
ourselves, together.

I opened the door to him and
breathed him in. He had showered at training and smelled fresh and divine. We
kissed and held each other, drawing from each other and filling any remaining
areas of doubt and pain. He saw the chair at the end of the catwalk and raised
an eyebrow in my direction. I made him a coffee and led him to it.

“I’m hard just thinking about what
this might be,” he growled in my ear.

“Behave and sit,” I ordered him
with a smile. I ducked behind the screen I had set up at the end of the catwalk
and sneaked a peek of him sitting there, sipping his coffee and waiting with
anticipation. I put on my new Victoria’s Secret underwear that he had bought
for me and hadn’t seen as yet—a faint pink satin, low cut bra and cheeky
panties cut high on the butt cheek and framed with white lace. I slipped on two
large, white feathered angel’s wings I had made—I bought the frame and when Nik
was at training, I worked like crazy to get them finished. Then I put on my
favorite jazz song—Cole Porter’s
I've Got You Under My Skin
sung by
Neneh Cherry—magic.

Nik looked up and smiled, loving
it. He put his finished coffee cup down and waited, not taking his eyes off the
catwalk. I turned the music up and appeared. He grinned and sat back, taking a
deep breath and absorbing the scene as I walked down the catwalk as sassily as
I could, turning occasionally, my wings in full flight, teasing him. He looked stoked
as he leaned forwards, he hands clenched between his legs, a grin on his very
handsome face.

After coming close a few times,
then turning around, I finally came to the end of the catwalk and he stood up
and he picked me up, wings and all and whirled me around in a passionate kiss
and embrace, landing me back on the catwalk.

“You take my breath away, a dream
come true,” he said, undressing me with his eyes, and then he really began to
undress me. I stopped him and, standing on the catwalk where I could almost look
him in the eyes, I slowly removed his t-shirt, his track pants—allowing him to
grab a condom from the pocket—and his boxer briefs, until I had his beautiful,
toned form in front of me. He was lean, tanned and pure muscle.

He lifted me again and lowered me
down onto the catwalk, wings and all. Healing sex was so wonderful and we were
still experiencing it.

Nik kissed me slowly, moving from
my lips to my neck. His reactions, his expressions were more naked than his
body. “I can’t be without you, Sarsh, ever.”

“I love you,
my guy. We won’t let anyone separate us again.” I saw
the flicker of a smile on his lips and relief flooded his eyes.

He
slid my panties off and moved between my legs. He slid on the condom, and I
wrapped my legs around his hips.

“You
know, if it was you that was pregnant Sarsh, I would be so excited,” he said,
honestly and openly.

“Maybe,
one day.” I stroked his face.

“Definitely
one day,” he said, not taking his eyes off me.

He
moved faster, hungry, needing me and I loved it. I loved that he was not hiding
how he felt—we were way past that. Lying on the hard timber of the catwalk, I
felt him so deeply, he was so hard and my body clenched around him as if it
refused to let him go. He groaned and I tensed with tightness and satisfaction.

Nik
quickened his movements and we both panted heavily. I said his name once,
twice, several times and his grip on me tightened. I felt his fingers on my
clit at the same time and then back on my arms, on my nipples, everywhere and I
cried out with pleasure and relief and pain.

Then
we come in perfect unison, my back arching, Nik caving in to me, our breathing
erratic and his face beautiful and desperate. I grasped him, my arms held him
even though he was so much stronger, so much bigger, but I clung onto him
anyway, hoping he would absorb my strength as I breathed in his.

We
lay back, sated and satisfied and relieved. I looked into Nik’s eyes and he
watched me and we said volumes in the silence.

*****

“I’ve just fucked an angel,” he teased.

“I’m sure that’s a sin,” I told
him as he helped me remove my wings and we moved to shower behind the smoky
glass of my bathroom. Then, I fed him straight away—no nosebleeds or weight
loss on my shift. While we ate, I asked him to read highlight from his father’s
letter.

Nik unfolded it and translated
sentences for me.

“He said that he remembered my
mother and that he had been selfish, stupid and irresponsible at that time of
his life.”

I nodded.
Yep, men.

Nik read my reaction and smiled
knowingly. “He said he would be proud and honored to meet me and to have a son.”
He couldn’t help smiling as he said the words. “Can you believe it?”

“Yes,” I said, touching his face. “Yes
I can. I’m so glad you wrote,” I said, smiling at him.

“Me too. I wouldn’t have done it
if you hadn’t encouraged me,” he said.

 We finished our meal and moved to
the sofa. I tangled my legs in his and asked Nik to read the letter to me from
the top. He happily read it again. Nik’s father had been married twenty years now
and had four daughters. I laughed. “He does want a son!”

He read on: “he said they had
tried for a son.” Nik grinned. “And that his wife and his daughters would be
delighted to meet me when I’m next home.”

I can’t explain the look of
happiness on his face, or what it must be like to be accepted. I was just so
thrilled for him that tears welled in my eyes.

“I can’t go back without you,” he
said. “They need to meet us both.”

“I’ll be with you,” I assured him.

“Promise me?” he asked.

“I promise, I will be with you. In
fact…” I thought about it, “…you might end up with a bigger family than mine.”
I counted in my head. “With my triplet brothers, Saffron, my parents, their
budgerigar and Prada, it’s eight to beat.”

Nik did the calculations. “I might
be one short, but if I can count you... or I could get a dog or a cat.” Just as
he said it, Prada leapt from his lofty position onto Nik’s shoulder and down to
the ground, scratching him.

“Ouch, Prada.” Nik rubbed his
shoulder. “I wasn’t going to get a dog, I was just joking.” He hurriedly looked
at me. “Don’t say it.”

I grinned at him.

“We’re not jinxed, we’re special,”
he said.

“Special?”

“Yes, special,” he said, and with
that he pulled me onto his lap and began to kiss me just to prove it.

THE END