Masterpiece (The Masters of The Order Book 1) by Jillian Verne Read Free Book Online Page A

and the mingling smell of three bodies choked off his air.
    “I, I…” Nicolai flattened his palms against his temples and stepped back. “ Putain ! I can’t do this anymore.”
     

4
    Playing with Fire
    It was a faux pas . A huge faux pas .
    Julianne tapped on the frosted glass. Piercing blue eyes shot to hers. The look practically knocked her off her feet and a forbidden thrill raced through her. Nicolai stalked to the door and yanked it open without speaking.
    She wasn’t really interrupting him. She would never do that. The glass may be frosted, but not enough that she couldn’t see he was finished for the day. He would have ignored her anyway if he wasn’t.
    Game on. “Sir, I have a question.”
    “Come with me,” Nicolai barked and proceeded to stomp toward the stairs.
    Julianne snuck a peek at the perfect backside going up in front of her. Not very ladylike, but C her Dieu, only divine talent could create that statuesque ass .
    Nicolai stopped in front of the walls of books in his office. “You,” he ran his finger along her jawbone, “are going to remove these and dust the shelves underneath.”
    The simple touch did things to her. Warm, wonderful, wicked things.
    Julianne lowered her head and the vixen rolled her eyes up at him. “Why, sir,” she said with a pout, knowing the reason full well and trying to put that spark in Nicolai's eyes.
    “You know why, naughty girl.” He slid the ladder next to her and handed her a handkerchief. A hint of a smile lifted the corners of his mouth.
    Bonne fête . Nicolai definitely wanted to play. The small piece of fabric wouldn’t do much, but of course, cleaning wasn’t the point and the spark in Nicolai's eyes said so.
    These little extracurriculars began innocently enough. Two weeks ago, Nicolai caught her staring instead of painting. As their eyes met, he moved toward her with purpose and a hint of menace. She’d always been fascinated by the authority he exuded with nothing more than a glance or a subtle movement, but that day, it was intentional.
    When his face was mere inches from hers, he whispered, “If you stared at your canvas as intently as you stare at the air, mademoiselle , perhaps your art would be worthy of you.” The tone of voice alone almost brought her to her knees.
    She spent the next hour standing between the glass doors, hands locked behind her back, legs spread, eyes on the floor. The symbolism of her positioning was not lost on her. It wasn’t exactly what she’d seen at the Dungeon, but it was deliciously close. With each passing minute, her awareness of Nicolai increased. Every movement. Every breath. Every look. As if invisible hands roamed her whole body, building a begging ache that sent her spinning.
    When Nicolai touched her arms, she tensed and tried to pull away. His palms slid to her shoulders to hold her in place. “You are a delight, Julianne."
    She basked in the praise as his fingertips trailed up and down her arms in sensual appreciation, but her frame remained stiff. As much as she wanted his hands on her, she couldn't let it happen.
    Then he added, “But our relationship must remain professional. It can never be more than this.”
    But she could let it happen like this.
    She loosened beneath his hands as they continued their soft, slow progress over her shoulders and down her back. Before he allowed her to move away, he whispered, “You understand.”
    She did.
    It was an unspoken game. An excuse to interact on the fringe of their teacher/student roles without expressly crossing the line. There would never be anything overtly sexual between them, but the undercurrent when they played out these little lessons…sizzling.
    As Julianne stepped onto the ladder, she gave Nicolai a perfect plaintive sigh.
    Swat! His hand smacked her bottom.
    She swallowed the giggle.
    Easing back, Nicolai sank into his Eames lounger and locked his hands behind his head. A front row seat to the coming performance. He never left her