“So he followed you to Boston?” Nikoli’s gaze became more calculated by the second.

“Yeah, but not for the reasons you’re thinking,” Lily put in quickly. “He only wanted to make sure I was okay, that I could handle it.”

“Why wouldn’t you be able to handle it?”

That was not something she wanted to get into with him. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Does it have something to do with why you don’t like to be touched?” he asked softly.

Her nostrils flared defiantly. Why was he getting so personal?

“You realize if you want to stand any chance of winning him away from the blonde model, you’re going to have to let him touch you.”

“Adam is aware of my sensitivity to people touching me,” Lily hissed. “Why are we even talking about this?”

“Look over at Boy Wonder, see how he’s holding her hand? Would you let him do that? Could you let him touch you like that?”

Lily peeked over at Adam’s table. Sure enough, he was holding Sue’s hand, his thumb idly brushing the back of her palm. Lily wanted to be able to let him do that, but the thought alone sent her into panic mode.

“You don’t stand a shot at winning him if you can’t let him touch you, Lily Bells,” Nikoli whispered so only she could hear. “You need to be able to tolerate it if you want Adam. He needs someone he can touch, caress, kiss, and make love to. Right now, that’s not you.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Lily seethed. “I have wondered so many times how different things might have been if I could let him touch me.”

“Then let me help you.”

“How exactly can you help me?” Lily asked suspiciously.

“For starters, you said he only looks at you like a sister, but the looks I’ve been getting since he got here say something else entirely. He’s jealous, and it’s working the blonde up into a full on rage. You need someone to show real interest in you, to spend time with, someone he can’t stand.”

“Let me guess, that someone would be you?” Sarcasm dripped from each word.

He gave her a devilish smile. “Of course. Who better to get his attention than Boston U’s very own manwhore?”

Lily smiled when he threw her words back at her. He sounded much less cranky now. What was he up to?

“Everyone knows you don’t date, Nikoli,” Lily pointed out.

Nikoli’s grin turned wolfish. He knew he had her attention. She wanted Adam, he wanted her, and he’d found a way to get them both what they wanted. Hopefully. It all hinged on her acceptance of his help. He had to be careful here.

“As you pointed out, everyone thinks of me as a manwhore.” He couldn’t help but cringe at that. He was not a whore. Usually. “So, you’re going to help me buff up my image.”

“And how exactly am I going to do that?”

“By dating me, and making me remain celibate.”

Her mouth dropped open. Just the right response. He was slowly reeling her in. Now the tricky part.

“No one is going to believe that,” she said after a minute. “Can you even go a day without sex?”

“Of course I can,” he snapped. “That’s not the point, anyway. I’m not going to need to go have sex with random women. I’m going to have you.”

“Uh, no, you’re not,” Lily told him hotly. “There is no way I am going to sleep with you just to get Adam’s attention.”

“Oh, baby, there is so much more to it than that,” he said, his voice low and deep. He knew exactly how his voice affected women, and Lily was no different. Her eyes glazed a bit and her cheeks warmed. Despite what she said, he affected her. He hadn’t lost his mojo just yet. “You can’t just spend time with me. You have to let me touch you.”

Her eyes went wide and her nostrils flared. He saw sheer panic in her eyes. “Lily, if you want Adam, you have to be able to let him touch you. I can help you with that. You just need some structure, rules. I promise I won’t do anything to scare you, and if I do, I’ll stop right away. All you have to do is safe word.”

“Safe word?” She frowned and then she glared, getting ready to go all outraged female on him.

Damn those books. Was there a person left on the planet who hadn’t read them? “Don’t go and get all outraged, Lily Bells, it’s not what you think. I don’t do pain. I have no urge to inflict pain on you. I’m all about pleasure. The panic in your eyes right now make me believe you’d be more comfortable with a safe word, is all. I don’t do BDSM in the sense that you know it.”

“What exactly are you proposing then, Nikoli?” she asked softly.

Tricky, tricky. How to do this?

“I’m not going to lie to you, Lily. I want you, very badly. But I don’t stand a chance if I can’t touch you. I want you in my bed, and I’m willing to be patient and teach you to trust me, to let me touch you, for a price.”

“And what exactly do I get out of this deal of yours?”

“You get Adam,” he told her bluntly. “You get to drive him crazy and make him see you for the beautiful, intelligent, and desirable woman you are.”

“What’s your price?” She sounded belligerent, outraged, and suspicious all at once.

“You, of course, Lily Bells. The chance to seduce you into my bed, to be more exact. I’m not a gentleman, Lily. I will get you naked, and then I’ll use every trick I have to get you to say yes. That’s my price.”

She was staring at him like he’d lost his mind. Nikoli needed her to think about this seriously. He could help her, and he’d get to touch that beautiful body whenever he wanted to. Once she felt safe enough with him, he’d be able to seduce her. First he needed to understand where her fear came from, but that was going to be a conversation for another day. He’d shocked her enough for one day.

“Don’t give me an answer right now. Go home, think about it, and then if you are willing to do what it takes to steal Adam from the blonde, call me. It won’t be easy, and you’re going to have to be honest with me, but I will help you.” He signaled the waitress for their check. “Can I see your phone?”

“Why?”

“So I can put my number in it. You need to know it so you can call,” he explained patiently. She was wary, and he expected that. He just needed to be patient and wait her out. Patience, however, was not a virtue he possessed. He was a child of the times. He grew up with the ‘I want it now, now, now’ generation. It was going to be a test of his own willpower to do this, but he had a feeling she’d be worth it.

She begrudgingly handed her phone to him. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. That was new. He’d never been nervous about a girl before, but he’d been afraid she’d just say no and walk away.

First he dialed his own number so he’d have hers and then he stored his number in her phone. “Come on, Lily Bells, let’s get you home.”

Tonight certainly hadn’t gone like he’d planned. He’d taken Lily out with the simple task of seducing her, and instead found a woman who held his attention for more than five minutes, one he actually wanted to get to know. He wanted to help her, to see her succeed. As much as he wanted all that, he was slightly terrified. He didn’t do the whole girlfriend scene, and that’s exactly the position he’d put himself in.

How the hell had he gotten so far off track?

Chapter Eight

After dropping a shell-shocked Lily off at her dorm, Nikoli drove back to his apartment. The lights were on, so he assumed Luther had already come home. He sighed, gearing up for the ribbing he was in for. He’d gone to dinner expecting to have Lily for dessert, and now he had to face Luther’s laughter. Not that he was in the mood to listen to Luther crow. He couldn’t really put his finger on how he felt at the moment. Lily had thrown him from the minute he met her, and she continued to keep him off balance with every moment spent with her.