The Monster (Steamy Shorts #13)

Chapter 6

6

NIKOLAI

N ina wants to eat dinner with me, and I don’t even have to force her to.

The day was long, and I came home mentally preparing for the next, barely aware of my surroundings. Her voice cut through my thoughts, and I was sure I was either imagining her or hallucinating from hunger.

When she took a step toward me, the world tilted on its axis.

God, I missed my wife, but after nearly scaring her the other night, I did what I could to make her comfortable, even if that meant sneaking into my own house.

Now, she wants my company, and the exhaustion of the day melts away.

Elsa and Wilma, her personal maids, stand to the side, not bothering to hide how they’re enjoying this exchange, especially my reaction.

“You’ve not eaten yet?” I ask Nina, checking the time on my watch and frowning when I see it is almost eight in the evening.

“No. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Warmth spreads through my chest, tripling my heart rate, making my palms sweat. “Oh, are you bored here?”

She ignores the question. “Nikolai, do you want me to join you for dinner, or do you prefer to eat alone?”

What is even that question? How can she ask that when she dominates my thoughts 24/7? She’s always in the perimeters of my mind even while I’m neck-deep in meetings. Why does she?—

“Yes, Nina. He would love it if you joined him for dinner,” Elsa says, grinning from ear to ear.

Have I been too lenient with them? Is it high time to start acting like an asshole boss?

“Well?” Nina smiles again, stopping my heart, the yearning making blood roar in my ears. “Let’s go. We don’t want the food getting cold.”

We make our way to the dining room, Nina walking beside me. I pull out a chair for her, catching a whiff of her clean scent as she sits. I settle into the chair at the head of the long mahogany table, and this cold room suddenly feels cozy and intimate.

The cook, Dario, carries a tray laden with steaming dishes. He moves with practiced grace, setting down platters of roasted vegetables, beef stroganoff, beetroot soup, and dumplings. It’s too much for both of us, but Dario cooks meals for all the staff members, not just me and Nina.

“What’s your favorite food?” Nina asks.

I fork a piece of ground meat dumpling and think. “Chicken pot pie.”

“Dessert?”

“I’m not really a dessert person.”

“Not even ice cream?”

“Ice cream is disgusting.”

Nina slowly puts her cutleries down and scowls at me. “You did not just say that.”

I lift one shoulder. “It’s just milk with flavor. That’s disgusting.”

Nina crosses her arms over her chest, and I don’t miss the fact that she’s not wearing a bra. Sure, she has a big shirt on, but I can pinpoint where her nipples are, especially with the way she unknowingly squishes her tits together. “Wow. Only a monster would say that.”

Instead of feeling offended, the humor in her tone makes me chuckle.

Nina rests both palms on the table and leans forward, and I try to ignore the way her soft tits press against it. What a lucky, lucky table. “How do you like your foods, then, if you find ice cream disgusting? Cooked with blood from your enemies?”

I raise an eyebrow at her and wipe my mouth. “Do you think I’m a savage?” I fork another dumpling. “No. I sprinkle shaved liver on the side.”

Her mouth forms an ‘O’. “And what about the kidney? The heart? Surely, a non-savage man like yourself wouldn’t waste anything.”

“Dario, what can you do with the kidney and heart?”

Dario perks up, eyes flicking from me to Nina. He tries to keep a straight face, but the side of his mouth twitches. “We can saute them and add onions and mushrooms.”

“Oh my God. What is this household?” Nina buries her face in her hands, but her shoulders shake. “Please tell me this is actually beef stroganoff.”

Dario shrugs. “It’s for me to know and for you to find out.”

He leaves with a flourish, and Nina bursts out laughing. “Dario jokes! He always looks so serious with me.”

“Maybe you were serious with him too. He takes a feel with people, and he will only lighten up if you lighten up.”

Nina smiles and goes back to eating, and I don’t have an appetite anymore. All I want to do is watch her, trace her with my eyes, and be grateful for her presence. I don’t remember enjoying a meal like this.

She swallows her food and picks a grilled carrot. “You have an amazing household.”

“Really? Are you sure? Because you can tell the truth about Elsa and Wilma, and I’ll have them pack tonight.”

“We heard that, Nikolai. Did you know cyanide is colorless, and you won’t suspect anything if I pour some on your coffee?” Elsa calls out from the kitchen.

“Carbon monoxide is also a thing. Remember, you have a fireplace in your bedroom,” Wilma chimes in.

I shake my head while Nina grins and gives the two women behind her a thumbs-up. What is going on here? Did I step inside a different house? How the hell are they ganging up on me?

“Can you please pass me the dumpling?” Nina asks.

I hand her the small bowl, and as she takes it, her fingers brush my hand. It’s innocent, yet it’s not. It ignites the pulse of excitement in my veins, my skin burning hot through my shirt. But it’s not just me.

Nina’s pupils widen, flush crawling up her neck, eyes going a little hazy. It happens in a few seconds, but the front of my dress pants becomes uncomfortably tight, forcing me to adjust my position in my seat.

If I stand, Nina will know. The entire household will know. Even the fucking chandelier will know.

I can’t have that, so I steer our conversation in a different direction and chastise myself for acting like a hormonal teenager. “So, Biology, huh? What do you plan on doing with the degree?”

Nina relaxes and exhales a long, slow breath. “I want to be a doctor someday.” She starts to say something else, but she closes her mouth briefly and opens it again. “My father says men don’t like career-driven women.”

“I do.”

“Really?”

“I like my woman to follow whatever it is she wants.” Fucking slip of the tongue. I just referred to her as mine. Good thing it goes over her head.

“So let me get this straight. I’m allowed to have a career as a doctor?”

I put my fork down and lean back, intertwining my fingers over my stomach. “Allowed? Nina, you are my wife. I don’t know what kind of marriage you thought this was, but you and I are equals. I will not tell you what to do and not do, but you can do that to me.”

“I thought we’re equals?”

I smirk. “Maybe I like being ordered around. It’s boring being the boss 24/7.”

Nina cracks up, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she points the fork at me. “You are so going to regret that. I have never bossed anyone in my life, so yes, I will take you up on that offer.”

“Okay.”

“First order of business.” Nina folds her arms and rests them on the table. “You and I have dinner every night.”

“What time?”

“You have to be home at seven.”

“Done. What else?”

“I’ll think about them as I go. That’s it for now.”

“You hear that, Dario?” I don’t even have to raise my voice because I know those little shits are listening. “Dinner at seven every night with my wife. No ice cream.”

“Someday, I’m going to convince you to try them, and you’re going to love it.”

Little does she know she has the power to make me do whatever she wants.