This is brilliant and so very, very hot I am close to combusting. I love every word of it, love the feel of mystery hanging around Nikolai and Merrick's inability to figure Nikolai out.

There were few words between them; Luzhin grunted unintelligible phrases in Russian as he twined his fingers in Merrick’s hair and pulled as if he were curbing a recalcitrant horse. *fans herself*

Great, thank you for sharing.