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thundered, nearly painfully. His throat grew dry as he sought moisture. His muscles tensed, and the strain had him locking his legs.
    Patience, he told himself. The alpha being that had played a big part in him being the warrior he’d been roared in anger and frustration. It wasn’t used to being patient, more acclimated to taking what it wanted, when it wanted it.
    She stood there, hands in the pockets of her black leather coat. I need to get her a warmer coat or she’s going to get too cold. Her thick black hair wasn’t stuffed under her jacket, and he could see it fell past her shoulder blades and shone with health. The way her jeans cupped her ass made him want to drop to his knees and thank the gods. He was glad he wore a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants, the way his cock was behaving.
    He remained in place and kept his gaze upon her as she continued to take her time and absorb the information before her. The urge to grab her up into his arms wouldn’t stop nagging at him. Taking a deep breath, he licked his lips and began to walk toward her.
    She was so in tune to the exhibit before her, she never turned from the images before her eyes. He halted behind her and inhaled deeply. Nik locked his knees as the amazing aroma she wore flowed over him. He could identify a perfect blend of pear, cool mint, orange, Siberian fir, lavender, patchouli, cedar, and small hint of vanilla. He wanted to lick her and see how she tasted. His body roared its approval, and he bit back a groan as he tamped his craving down.
    Her head came to about his shoulder, and his mind flashed to them lying in bed together. They would fit just right with one another. He could see the glint of silver earrings through her hair.
    “You are interested in the Russo-Japanese War?” he asked, mentally cursing himself for saying something so stupid.
    “Everything about Russian history intrigues me,” she said in response without turning around. Her voice was husky and grabbed him, stroking him to a harder state.
    Inside his pockets, his gloved hands clenched as he fought to remain in control. It was like all his training and restraint was merely holding on by a thread. A rapidly fraying one.
    “What brings you to our fair city?” He truly was curious, for most people went to Moscow and Saint Petersburg, tending to overlook the rich history of Novgorod.
    “I was on my way to Saint Petersburg, but got on the wrong bus. So, instead of being on the one that continued to Saint Petersburg, my ride ended here.”
    Her chuckle shot up his temperature another few degrees. It skyrocketed when she finally looked away from a photograph of the war and faced him.
    His mouth and throat grew dry as her eyes met his. They were rich brown, the color of the fertile, sweet-smelling soil that sustained life. He knew she hadn’t been expecting him to be behind her from the way they widened slightly before she took a step back. He allowed her the small retreat, knowing it wouldn’t last long.
    Nikolas bit back his arrogant smirk as her gaze traveled up and down his body, filling with admiration. Patiently, he waited for her eyes to meet his, again. His fortitude wavered as he saw the tip of her tongue sneak out to wet her lips. For a moment, they regarded each other, taking stock of what each one saw. He waited for her to say something else.

Chapter Four
    Cleo wanted to sink beneath the marbled tiles of the museum floor. It was none other than the gorgeous blond hunk from the bakery. Jesus, he’s huge. There wasn’t anything small on him, and she looked. Up and down. Even wearing the charcoal wool coat, she knew his bigness was all muscle, not fat. It was obvious he commanded respect wherever he went.
    Imagine what his arms around you would feel like, her mind taunted.
    Biting back a groan, she moved back up to his eyes, which waited for her. She’d been right; they were a very dark brown. Not a tender, comforting brown, not really. They reminded her of the wild.