He shot Yuri a look that would have frozen most men in place. "It wasn't easy for me either."
Yuri's expression turned kinder. "The things we do for love rarely are."
"So I've learned."
Joking again, Yuri asked, "How big of a donation did the priest wrangle out of you?"
"That's between me, the priest and God," Nikolai evaded. He didn't tell Yuri that Father Semyon had reminded him that no man was beyond God's grace. The priest's words still unsettled him. There were many miracles Nikolai believed possible but saving his soul wasn't among them.
The deacon gave a warning knock before entering the small chamber where they waited. "It's nearly time, Nikolai."
Nikolai nodded but remained silent. His heartbeat ticked up a few notches now that the moment was upon him.
"Oh! I almost forgot." The deacon reached under his vestments and retrieved some folded papers. "I was supposed to return these official documents to you at your last premarital counseling session."
Nikolai accepted the papers from the absentminded deacon. Before he could say thank you, the man turned and left. Yuri's bemused expression said it all. "Interesting guy."
"You don't know the half of it," Nikolai grumbled, thinking of the excruciating counseling sessions he'd attended with Vivian. They'd had surprisingly few disagreements when it came to the topics covered but the long-winded deacon made the sessions feel like torture. He'd rather sit in that cold metal chair in Kostya's storage locker than listen to another droning lecture from the deacon.
"What did he give you?"
Nikolai flicked through the papers in question. "Vivian's birth certificate, her baptismal certificate…" His voice faded to nothing as a document he hadn't provided to the priest came into view.
"What's wrong?" Yuri moved closer for a better look. He scanned the document in question. "Is that your birth certificate? Where the hell did you find this?"
"I didn't."
"How did the priest get it?"
Nikolai shook his head. "He sent off for my church records. Ivan gave him the contact information for the priest back home. The priest there must have had a copy."
"Kolya." Yuri's panicked voice and tapping finger drew his gaze back down to the certificate in question. "Is that—?"
Nikolai had to read the name listed as his biological father's four times. "That's not possible."
"Apparently it is."
Mind reeling, Nikolai wished he'd never seen his birth certificate. He fought the urge to rip it to shreds. Instead he folded everything carefully and slipped it into the pocket hidden along the inside of his jacket.
Later, when he had time, he'd think about the implications of what he'd read. Today was all about Vivian. He wasn't going to let this shocking and rather unwanted news to ruin their day.
"Are you all right?" Concern darkened Yuri's face. "It would be a shock any day but to learn this on your wedding day?"
"I’m fine." Nikolai shrugged off Yuri's concern. He wasn't fine. The fist twisting his guts proved that. "Let's leave it."
"Okay." Yuri didn't push the issue. "Then it's time to go marry the woman you love."
Nikolai refused to go into his wedding ceremony with anything less than a clear mind and clean heart. The hurt feelings of betrayal and anger surging within him were hard to muscle down but he managed it finally. He refused to be bound to Vivian with such ugly thoughts in his head.
Out in the small hallway with Yuri, Nikolai swept the space for a glimpse of her. At first, the priest and the deacon and Sveta blocked his view. When they stepped aside, everything and everyone else faded into the background. Their gazes met, hers a reflection of the hope he held for their life together.
In that moment, only the two of them existed. She had never looked more beautiful to him. The dress, the veil, her bright eyes—he could spend the rest of his life gazing upon her and never tire of it.
The bells began to ring, signaling the ceremony was only minutes away from starting. She smiled up at Eric who placed a chaste kiss against the top of her veil before releasing her. She held out her hand, silently asking him to join her on their first steps toward matrimony. His second-thoughts on making her his wife vanished. Whatever happened, he would be a better man by having her at his side.
Taking her hand, he denied himself the kiss he craved so badly. Hands clasped and arms looped, they faced the priest. It was time to begin their new life together.
Chapter Eighteen
Breathless and giggling, I finally managed to extricate myself from the crush of dancing bodies on the packed dance floor at Faze. I desperately needed a drink and a rest. Fanning myself, I skirted the edge of the dancing throng and ran right into Ivan.
The gleam in his eye told me I was about to get grabbed and ransomed back to Nikolai again. It seemed Nikolai's friends had gotten together and decided to pay tribute to an old Russian wedding tradition by snatching me various times during the wild reception and making him perform certain tasks to get me back.
Dimitri had been the first to take me, but he'd done it so sweetly and gently. Instead of stealing and running off with me, he'd sat down next to me, had a slice of cake and then asked me if it would be all right to hide me away in the coat check area. No doubt they were all worried about upsetting me after what had happened in December. In truth, I was so glad to have everyone treating me like a normal girl again and without the kid gloves.
Ivan held out his hand. I doubted he was going to just walk me away from the dance floor. My suspicions proved correct when I grasped his hand. The big bear of a man swung me up onto his shoulder as if I weighed nothing and hustled me away from the dance floor and upstairs to one of the VIP sections. I couldn't help myself. I laughed the entire way.
"Are you all right?" he asked after carefully setting me down.
"Yes." I still had a smile on my face as I moved to the railing overlooking the main floor. "How long do you think it will take Nikolai to realize I'm missing?"
"He already knows. He's been watching you like a hawk." Ivan extended a glass of ice water. "You've been dancing for hours. You need to stay hydrated."
"Thank you." I happily accepted the glass of water and took a long drink. Down below, I caught sight of Nikolai crossing the dance floor to retrieve me. He began to encounter obstacles every few steps. They made him drink and answer riddles and even pay.
Certain he would be busy for a few minutes, I took advantage of my high perch to survey our reception guests. The wedding ceremony had been smaller and more intimate but hundreds of our friends and acquaintances had poured into the elegantly decorated Faze for the celebration. Russians had a certain reputation for their parties and tonight was no exception.
"It looks like Santos has finally found a reason to celebrate." Ivan gestured to Eric who now danced between two bombshell blondes.
Agog at the sight of my straight-laced cousin gyrating between those women, I asked, "How much has he had to drink?"
"It's not a party until someone ends up dancing naked on a table."
I cringed. "Promise me you'll make sure he gets home safely. There's no way he can drive like that."
"I'll make sure he gets a cab." Ivan tilted his head and smirked. "Although I have a feeling, he won't need my help getting home."
My jaw dropped as one of the women grabbed Eric's backside. Feeling uncomfortable watching my cousin groping and grinding, I quickly glanced away from the trio.
"I see that Sergei is still on Nikolai's shit list," Ivan remarked with a laugh.
I spotted Sergei standing guard over the gift tables. The unhappy expression on his face wasn't directed toward his current position but the sight of Bianca dancing closely with her date. She'd chosen a doctor as her plus-one and I could tell it was grating on Sergei.
Not wanting to delve into Sergei's unrequited attraction toward Bianca, I said, "I can't believe Nikolai is making him babysit those gifts."
"Considering the gifts being dropped on those ta
bles, it's an important job."
Judging by the sizes of those stacks, I was going to be writing thank you notes for a month. The sight of envelopes piled in baskets made feel uncomfortable. Nikolai wasn't as wealthy as Yuri but he was doing very well. The going rate for my artwork would likely increase over the next few years so we definitely didn't need the money we'd been given by our guests.
"It's about respect."
I glanced at Ivan. "You can read minds now?"
"I can read people very well. I can see it in your face when you look at the gifts. You're thinking that you don't need the money, but that's not why people gave it to you. They gave it to you because they want to show Nikolai they respect him."
"I don't like it."
Ivan shrugged and sipped his beer. "These are the rules of Nikolai's world." He eyed me carefully. "They're the rules of your new world. You have to learn how to play by them before you can change them."
As Ivan's advice rattled round and round in my head, Nikolai finally made it upstairs to retrieve me. Ivan crossed his arms and blocked the way. I saw him hold out his hand. Nikolai made a production out of withdrawing his wallet and slapping some cash against Ivan's palm.
The ransom paid, Nikolai triumphantly retrieved me. The catcalls began and Nikolai grinned down at me. He slid his arms around my waist and claimed my mouth in a passionate kiss that left me trembling with excitement. Our guests whooped and hollered and clapped.
Nikolai dragged me away from the balcony to a more private area. He brushed his knuckles across my cheek. "You're blushing."
"You just kissed me in front of hundreds of people."
He traced my still buzzing lower lip. "I'm your husband. I get to do so much more than kiss you now."
I gulped and tried to ignore the throbbing heat between my thighs. "Nikolai…"
He silenced my protest with another sensual kiss, nibbling my lower lip and sucking gently on the very tip of my tongue. "One more dance," he said, "and then I'm taking you home."
Hand in hand, we made our way downstairs to the dance floor. The live band Erin had arranged started a slower song that allowed us to sway together. It felt so good to be held so closely in his arms and to feel his body heat radiating through me. Sometime during the night he'd lost his jacket and tie. Now his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, displaying the many tattoos curling around his muscular forearms.
Nikolai's fingers sifted through my hair as we danced. I pressed my cheek to his chest and reveled in his strength. As we moved around the dance floor, I noticed our friends all around us. Ivan held Erin close while Dimitri kept his hand on Benny's noticeable bump. Lena sat on Yuri's lap and giggled while he whispered in her ear.
It was amazing to me how things had changed so much since that day Erin had bravely walked into Ivan's gym in a desperate bid to find her sister. Now Erin was engaged to Ivan. Benny and Dimitri were married and expecting their first child. Lena and Yuri were madly in love—and I was a married woman.
When the song ended, Lena popped off Yuri's lap. Seconds later, he swooped in to grab me right out Nikolai's arms. With Lena, Benny, Bianca and Erin flanking him, he carted me off to the restroom. My friends dragged me inside and Yuri blocked the door. Once inside, Lena unfurled the white napkin she'd been clutching in her hand. "Kisses, girls!"
I giggled as my friends pressed their lipstick covered pouts to the linen. My lips were last. Lena opened the door just enough to give the napkin to Yuri and point out which pair of lipstick lips were mine. Apparently picking out my lips would be the last riddle Nikolai would have to solve.
With the door firmly closed, Lena leaned back against it and smiled. "So—we thought you might want some pointers before you rush off to knock those married boots of yours together."
My jaw dropped with shock. "Are you serious? Guys—come on!"
Erin hopped up onto the counter. "Look, my sister might be a hot mess but she gave me some really good advice before my first time."
I had a hard time believing that but didn't tell Erin. "And what was that?"
"She told me to keep my expectations low."
Benny whacked Erin's arm. "Don't say that! How totally unromantic! It's her wedding night."
Erin poked Benny's side. "It's good advice. Believe me. If I'd been expecting my first time to blow my mind, I probably never would have had sex again."
"Oh, right," Lena said knowingly. "Mr. Two Strokes, right?"
"Oh, yeah. He barely had that condom on before he was chanting to Jesus."
"Okay," Bianca interjected loudly. "Forget about low expectations. Baby girl, listen, just relax. Let your man take the lead."
"I'm with Bianca on this one," Lena agreed. "Relax. Let Nikolai run the show the first time. I'm sure he has plenty of experience."
"Lena!" Benny's eyes were wide.
"What?" Lena replied with confusion.
"You basically just called Nikolai a man whore—in front of his new wife."
"I did not!"
"Yeah," Erin said with a giggle. "You kinda did."
"Wow." I shook my head and tried not to laugh. "Maybe next time you guys can get together first and come up with a game plan."
Benny snorted. "Told you."
Lena rolled her eyes. "Okay. So maybe we didn't think this through but it's the thought that counts, right?"
"I guess," I replied, unconvinced. "I appreciate what you're doing. Really. And don't worry. I don't have any crazy romance novel ideas of how it will be."
"It might be amazing," Bianca hurriedly said. "You never know. My first time was pretty damn hot."
"Mine was really nice, too," Benny added. "Like very sweet and tender. It was a nice introduction to lovemaking."
"Do you want any pointers?" Lena grinned mischievously. "Because there's a certain spot on a man's—"
"Okay." I held up my hands as my face flooded with the heat of embarrassment. "We're done here."
As the girls laughed, Nikolai knocked on the door. "Yelena, may I collect my wife now?"
Lena cracked the door and peeked outside. "One more minute."
Benny was the first to hug me. "Congratulations, sweetheart. It was a beautiful wedding."
Erin grabbed me next. She had tears in her eyes as she squeezed the air right out of my lungs. "I'm so happy for you. Good luck."
"You were hands-down the prettiest bride I've had since I took over the boutique." Bianca patted my back as she hugged me. "Have fun tonight."
Lena was misty-eyed as she pulled me into a tight embrace. "You call me if you need anything. I'll have my phone with me all night. Anything."
Visions of me holed up in the master bathroom and calling Lena for moral support flashed before me. "I might have to take you up on that."
"It'll be fine." She smiled encouragingly. "Don't overthink it. Just let it happen."
A ball of nerves wiggled in my belly. Before I was ready, Lena pulled open the door. With his hand resting on the door frame, Nikolai loomed over me. He'd put on his coat and tie but had that disheveled, sexy thing going for him. Lips twitching with amusement, he pinned me in place with a look that made my thighs clench together. He lifted his hand and crooked one finger in a come-hither motion. Powerless to deny him, I joined him in the doorway.
Nikolai slid his arm around my waist and tugged me close for a kiss. "Let's get out here before these three friends of mine bankrupt me with these ransoms."
My eyes closed briefly as his mouth brushed mine. Peering into his dark gaze, I whispered, "I'm ready."
Nikolai grasped my hand and led me back onto the dance floor where our guests waited to see us off. Lena brought me my bouquet while dozens of our single friends crammed into a small space for the chance to catch it. One of the weekend waitresses from Samovar launched herself above the shoving crowd to triumphantly snatch the bouquet.
In a whirlwind of hugs and kisses and well wishes, we were ushered out of Faze and into a waiting limousine. Not surprisingly, I spotted Sergei and Kosty
a climbing into two idling SUVs surrounding the limo. The sight of them guarding us reminded me how much my life had changed since that fateful December night.
Though he'd been playful during the reception, Nikolai seemed to tense up as we pulled away from the club. I stroked his hand but didn't question him. I sensed he was concerned about our safety. If anyone wanted to make a move on him, this would be the night to do it.
Nikolai brought my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. I appreciated his reassuring smile but his worried eyes kept me on edge. As if wanting to put me at ease, he leaned over and kissed me tenderly. His fingertips grazed my cheek as he gazed down at me with such love burning in his eyes. "Was it everything you wanted?"
"Yes." I touched his jaw. "Thank you. It was a perfect wedding." Feeling a bit guilty, I added, "I can only imagine what it cost to do all of that on such short notice."
"I'd pay it again in a heartbeat to see you smile the way you have all day." His sweet reply made me grin. Touching my chin, he whispered, "Just like that."
Emboldened by the wedding band now resting on my right hand, I dragged Nikolai down for a seeking kiss. He made a happy sound and wrapped his arms around me. Feeling braver than ever, I flicked my tongue against the seam of his lips. He let loose a needy growl before granting me access.
As our tongues started to duel, I lost control of the kiss. Nikolai's masterful hands roamed my back and cupped my neck. His ravenous attack left me dizzy. I clutched at the lapels of his jacket as the passion burning between us raged like a wildfire. When he palmed my breast, I nearly fainted. It was the first time he'd ever dared to touch me in that way—and I wanted more.
I slid my hands under his jacket and held tight to his powerful body. Turned as far as I could manage with my safety belt in place, I arched into his punishing kisses. His hand skimmed my back and finally settled right on my bottom. When he squeezed my plump flesh, I gasped against his mouth.
If it hadn't been for our seatbelts and his constant concern for my safety, I felt sure he would have pushed me onto my back and hiked up my skirt to take me right there. His heavy breathing proved his legendary control was about to snap. As if desperate to maintain the tenuous hold on his raging lust, Nikolai inhaled deeply and put a little space between us.