(Jenna's POV)

Things have gotten much better after Nik and I apologized to each other.

Now, we both try to be more understanding of the other, which is always a good thing.

He said that he has a special evening planned for us tonight...though he says that just about every night, and it is...always special.

I have no complaints.

I'm just hoping that tonight we will finally be...intimate.

While I may not know the experience of sex yet, I yearn for it now in ways that I never had before...that nearly drive me crazy with such want and need.

And I blame it all on Nik.

Just as I put the finishing touches on my hair, I hear a knock on my door and smile, knowing that it's him.

I open the door and there he stands with a gorgeous bouquet in his hands, looking downright sinful...making me blush.

"My lady...you look positively ravishing," he says as he leans down and kisses my cheek before handing me the flowers.

"So do you," I say as I feel heat rush to my face again.

"Why thank you," he says gallantly with a slight bow and then chuckles. "Ready?" he asks as he holds his arm out for me to take.

"Yes," I answer...more than he could ever know.

After a scrumptious meal, filled with flirty banter, he tells me that he has a gift for me.

"Gift?" I ask a bit stunned.

"Yes...just a moment," he holds his finger up and smiles as he stands and retrieves a large white box with a black bow, which knowing him, is silk.

"For you," he says, wearing a large grin before placing it in my hands.

I scoot my chair back a bit, so that I can set it in my lap and open it.

I unravel the bow before pulling the lid up and gasp, seeing what looks like a beautiful fur coat.

"Whoa...Nik...I –" I begin, but don't know what to say as I run my hands over the soft, supple fur. 

What I do know, is that fur coats, especially real ones, as this appears to be, are awfully expensive, which makes me a bit uncomfortable.

As if he can sense the root of my unease, he says, "I hunted the lynx myself, and had the coat fashioned at the mill." He reaches in and parts the thick lapel. "It's also lined with silk from me...I mean my mill," he clears his throat before continuing. "As I've told you before, winters here can be very brutal, so I wanted you to have something that would keep you warm," he smiles. "It's my way of saying sorry, and...I love you," he looks at me hopefully, wanting forgiveness...wanting my love.

He already has both.

"I...you hunted lynx?" I ask quickly, not wanting to tell him that I love him too...not yet. I want to wait for that special moment.

I know I'm probably cliché, but it's what feels right.

"Yes," he answers proudly, and I swear he puffs his chest out a bit, causing me to bite my lip to keep from laughing. 

"When?" I ask confused, knowing that he's been with me every day since I arrived here.

"The night of our first and only movie," he answers softly. "I never intended for things to go the way that they did," he adds remorsefully.

"You mean...you went out into the woods that night and hunted?" I ask frightened, just thinking of being out in that enormous, dense, dark forest alone, and with such potentially deadly wild animals. 

"Of course," he answers incredulously, as if it's the most normal thing in the world.

"That sounds...dangerous," I frown, hating that he put himself in harm's way, just to make me a coat.

"Jenna...I do it all of the time," he assures me as he places his hand softly over mine. "Where do you think a lot of our meat comes from?" he asks with a bit of a cocky grin.

"Really?" I ask wide eyed. I know he'd mentioned something about the meat when I first arrived, but I had no idea it was to this extent. "But...I've never heard any gunshots or anything," I say with doubt lacing my words.

Not to mention that he's always up early every morning, dressed to the nines. If he spends all night out hunting, where does he get his energy from? 

It's not that I don't believe him, but rather that it's all so unbelievable. 

"I have no need, for such primitive weapons," he responds with a hint of arrogance, waving his free hand. "I prefer to...snare my prey," he continues, cocking his head to the side before smirking roguishly.

Okay...

"It's beautiful," I tell him, not wanting to talk about hunting any more. "Thank you," I say gratefully as I smile at him.

And thank you to the poor lynx that had to die to make this coat...

"You are most welcome, my love," he smiles in return as he stands and offers to take the box from me. "I'm just thrilled that you like it, and that you'll be warm this winter."

God...he's so damn sweet.

"I'm feeling a bit warm now," I comment as I pluck at my blouse, my face and body blushing from the wonder that is Nik...and the humidity in the room. 

"Let us step out onto the terrace then, and take a bit of fresh air," he offers as he places the box down in one of the chairs and then holds his arm out for me to take as always.   

"Maybe we'll see a few stars," I comment as I look up at him, though he's the only star I'm interested in...so darkly bright and beautiful.

"Not this night, I'm afraid," he warns regretfully.

We step outside into the crisp night air, and just as Nik said...there's not a star in sight.

Not that I cared much about stargazing tonight anyway...

I'd much rather be doing other things...

"I knew the clouds would be unforgiving tonight," Nik muses while looking skyward.

"Oh?" I ask amused. "Are you a meteorologist now, in addition to owning silk mills?" I giggle.

"I guess you could say that I have...a sense about things like that," he smirks cutely.

"Really?" I ask dubiously, though with Nik, it wouldn't surprise me. "Wanna make a bet?"

"Sure," he smiles confidently. "What is your wager?"

"If it rains tonight...I'll give you a...massage," I tell him, hoping I lose and that it'll lead to more...though I certainly wouldn't mind rubbing his body.

"A massage..." he swallows hard. "And...if it doesn't rain?" he asks; his eyes boring into mine.

"Then you're all mine tonight, to do with as I wish," I grin devilishly, enjoying how nervous this is making the normally composed Nik, as his hand tightens around mine.

"I am...amenable to those...terms," he says as he swallows hard once more as his gaze upon me begins to smolder. "But I fear that you've already lost," he adds assuredly.

"Have I?" I cock my head. "Well we'll just see about that," I chuckle as we walk out into the courtyard, hand in hand.

"You're going to get...wet," he warns with double entendre.

"I hope so..." I whisper as I turn to face him.

Just then, thunder begins to rumble as Nik lifts me into his arms and crashes his lips into mine in a searing kiss.

I'm clawing at him, feeling as if I can't get close enough as our tongues tangle in an exotic, heat filled dance.

It begins to rain...no, pour, soaking us almost instantly.

Nik was right...I'm wet...in more ways than one...

I reluctantly break from our kiss. "Take me inside...and...take me," I say breathlessly as rain cascades down our bodies.

Nik looks heatedly at me. "Are you...sure?" he asks wantonly as steam forms around his words before swallowing nervously.

"More than sure," I assure fervently as I tug gently on his hair. I want this man more than he could ever know.

Not another word is said as Nik carries me inside and up to his room, almost inhumanly fast, but I'm certainly not going to complain.

As soon as we enter his room, our lips, which seemed to fuse together on the trip up, part momentarily.

"Let me...let me start a fire first," Nik rasps reluctantly as he touches his forehead to mine, closing his eyes. "I wouldn't want you to become chilled," he adds as we stand there, dripping water onto his wooden floors.

"Okay," I reply a bit sullenly, causing Nik to chuckle as he sets me down onto my feet. I'd rather have him warm me up...

"And then...I'll need to get you out of those wet clothes," he turns and says devilishly with his brow arched as he ignites the logs in his fireplace.

Yes! Now we're talking...

I nod almost excitedly with a smile as I stand there shifting my weight from wet foot to wet foot, making an awkward squishing sound.

Damn...I liked these shoes...

Once he's finished with the fire, he turns and walks slowly, but calculatingly towards me, like a predator would his prey. Just the thought of that sends an unexpected thrill through my body.

Or maybe I'm just getting cold, since I feel my nipples harden...

No...it's Nik...and that look he's giving me, like he could eat me alive...

"What do we have here?" he asks in a sultry voice as he stands before me now, and then gently circles my nipple with his thumb through my wet blouse.

"Ungh..." I reply inarticulately before my teeth begin to slightly chatter.

"Let's take these offending garments off, shall we?" he asks with a smirk as he begins to slowly undress me.

I close my eyes and hold my breath, never having been nude in front of a man before...glad that the only light in here is from the now roaring fireplace.

He lovingly caresses my skin with his warm hands as he pulls each piece from my body, one by one...relaxing me...reassuring me.

"Your skin looks so delectable," he grits out as he runs his nose over my bare shoulder. "Almost luminescent, with the way that the rain is clinging to your form..." he trails off as he places a hot, open-mouthed kiss on my shoulder before sliding my bra off. "I am now jealous...of the rain," he says as he looks up at me through his long, dark lashes as he kneels.

He then begins to pull my skirt off, but not before burying his nose in my bellybutton and sliding down...breathing in deeply. 

"You're positively soaked," he says in a low, sultry tone as he runs his hand up my now bare leg. "Drenched..." he adds as his hand slightly cups my mound through my panties.

"Am...am I?" I splutter out with my face and body feeling as if they are on fire. I certainly don't feel any chill in here right now.

"Yes," he answers. "But...I think I can do better than Mother Nature," he fiendishly smirks up at me before placing another hot, open-mouthed kiss upon my mound, the warm wetness from his mouth penetrating through my already unnaturally wet panties.

He then uses his thumbs to slide my panties off and lifts them up to his nose and inhales deeply once more as his eyes slightly flutter.

"Your smell..." he growls out. "Was made for me," he finishes before tossing them aside.

"You were made for me," he adds fervently, searing me with his magnetic gaze, heating my body more than any fire ever could.

"Yes," I agree breathlessly, reaching for him...wanting him.

"I...owe you a...massage..." I trail off nervously though, uncertain how to proceed with all of this.

He shakes his head no. "I'd rather just have you," he replies heatedly before taking me into his arms.

My body erupts with goosebumps as soon as my heated bare skin makes contact with his wet, cold clothes.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly and backs away before leveling me with an intense stare that causes more goosebumps to spread over my body, followed by another wave of heat. 

However, as his gaze continues, I feel a moment of self-consciousness and cross my arms over my bare chest, but he reaches out and gently pulls my arms away.

"Do not hide such beauty from me," he says heatedly before he begins to undress...

A/N : Whoo...*fans self*. ☺️ Who else here thinks Nik is doing a good job at seduction, so far? Lol How do you think the rest of the evening will go? Will Nik let his inner spider out? 🕷 Let me hear from you! ❤️

PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT!!!