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you waste your potential."
As if sealing a vow, he pressed his mouth to mine in a tender kiss. Mindful of his
injured shoulder, I let my hands fall to his upper arms. I didn't want the kiss to end but
since that night in the library when things had gotten so dangerously heated between us,
he'd been very careful with me.
Even last night, as we'd kissed to celebrate the start of a new year, he'd only allowed
the wicked mating of our mouths to progress to a certain point before easing off. He was
driving me crazy with these teasing kisses that promised so much more but I understood
that he was only giving me what I wanted.
Every time we touched, I started to doubt my decision to wait. I had discovered
newfound respect for the couples I'd known who had made it a year or two between
their first dates and marriage.
"Let's get inside." He unlatched my seatbelt and sneaked in one more playful kiss
before sliding out of his seat. By the time, he came around to open my door, Sergei and
another couple of men had arrived. Two of them stayed in the SUV but Sergei came in
with us, just in case we needed help moving around the bigger canvases. Though he
wouldn't ever admit it, Nikolai's shoulder and ribs weren't in good enough shape for him
to be dragging around heavy objects.
I shivered as we stepped inside the chilly interior of the studio. As usual, I scanned
the tables and walls to make sure everything was exactly as I'd left it. The memories of
the last time I'd been here and of that terrible fight I'd had with Nikolai flashed before
my eyes. My heart ached as I remembered the way he'd spoken to me and the way I'd
shoved him.
As if sharing that memory, Nikolai slid his arm around my waist and pressed a
gentle kiss to my temple. I glanced up at him and saw the regret etched into his face. I'm
sure he saw the same reflected in my eyes. I hated that we'd been so ugly with one
another, but in some ways, I was glad it had happened. That fight had been like a
thunderstorm. All those raging emotions we'd kept so tightly concealed had been forced
into the open. Each angry thunderclap between us had cleared the air.
Sergei started toward the back wall. "Which paintings are going in the truck?"
I slipped out of Nikolai's embrace and trailed Sergei. When I reached the rack of
canvases, I started pointing to the ones that would be going with Gustavo today. As I
started ticking them off, I realized I was one painting short.
My stomach clenched as I rushed to the rack and touched the empty space where
the painting of the night I'd been shot normally sat. The cover was missing as well.
"Kolya!"
He appeared next to me and reached out to touch the same empty spot. Our fingers
brushed together and our gazes clashed. I didn't want to think that he'd done something
to it but he had been so upset that night when I'd stormed out of the studio.
He must have been able to read the mistrust in my face because he winced. "I would
not do that you, Vee."
Feeling guilty for even thinking he'd do something so cruel, I placed my hand
against his chest. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head as if to indicate that he wasn't hurt by my silent insinuation, but I
could see it plain as day in his eyes. He turned his narrowed gaze toward Sergei and
quickly interrogated him. "Who came into the studio after we were attacked?"
Sergei shrugged. "I'm not sure, Boss. It got crazy. I was trying to keep you from
bleeding to death and Kostya was cleaning up the scene before the police arrived. We
had Alexei and Danny chasing after the SUV that had her."
Just then, we were interrupted by the rumbling sound of a moving truck arriving
outside. I began to despair about the upcoming show. There were only a few days to get
everything just right and now the main piece of the show was missing.
"I'll find your painting, Vee."
If any man could accomplish the seemingly impossible, it was Nikolai.
* * *
A few nights later, Nikolai cruised down a quiet street and turned into Kostya's
driveway. The modest ranch style house on a corner lot didn't look like the type of place
a mob cleaner would live but then Kostya had never embraced such stereotypes. As he
waited for his friend to answer the front door, Nikolai stared at the strange little garden
gnomes hidden among the pansies in the front flower beds. Kostya had the oddest sense
of humor&
The door opened and Kostya waved him inside. "It's back here."
When they had discovered Vivian's painting missing, Nikolai had instantly
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