“And you tried. It’s ok. I don’t blame you.”
Nico brings me over to his car and places me in the passenger seat. I don’t put up a fight. Even if Natalya and I have had our differences over the years, she’s still my family and I love her and I will fight to make sure she’s not hurt.
“How sweet,” Nico mocks as he gets into the car. “The sisterly bond.”
I watch Natalya get smaller and smaller as Nico drives me away from her. The moment she’s out of sight, I smack him on the arm. “What was that? You can’t honestly tell me you were about tokillmy own sister?”
“She belongs to Mikhail now. She’s no longer your sister. She’s the enemy.”
“My sister will never be my enemy. And all those strange feelings I was having for you? Yeah, they’re gone now. You just reminded me of why I hate you.”
Nico slams on the breaks, sending me crashing forward. If it weren’t for my seatbelt, I would have gone through the window. “You just tried to leave me. You don’t get to act superior.”
“You threatened to kill my sister. Yes, I do get to act better than you.”
“I wasn’t actually going to hurt her. It was just a threat. A reminder that I’m not to be messed with. Your sister will returnto Mikhail and tell him what I did. Mikhail will know that I have more power than him and it will hurt his little, pathetic feelings.”
“I will not stand back and let you hurt my sister in your quest to get to Mikhail. I just won’t. If you want me on your side, Nico, you will never threaten to hurt my sister again. She may be married to Mikhail and I may be married to you but that doesn’t mean my sister and I are enemies. We never will be.”
He restarts the car and drives us back home. Without a word, he gets out and pulls me from my seat, throwing me over his shoulder again.
“Let me down,” I demand, but he just ignores me.
He takes me upstairs to our new bedroom and tosses me onto the bed. Before I can get up, he rolls me onto my stomach and brings his hand right down onto my ass. I yelp and try to crawl away but Nico only spanks me harder.
“You don’t get to leave me,” he growls.
“She just wanted to protect me.”
“I’ve proven that I will protect you. Are you honestly worried I’d hurt you at this point?”
“You say that as you’re spanking me,” I grit out.
He stills his hand right on my backside. I can’t deny the warmth that spreads through my body from his touch.
“Answer me,” he says, his voice hoarse. “Why do you want to get away from me so much?”
“You’re dangerous.”
“So is Mikhail. So is Denis. So was your father.”
I slump on the bed as all the fight leaves me. “I don’t hate you, Nico. I wish I did but I don’t. It’s not that I wanted to leave you per se but more that I wanted to reconnect with my sister. She was just trying to protect me from you. She doesn’t know you… the way I do.”
He rolls me onto my back and gazes down into my eyes. My breath hitches. His eyes are a powerful, intense thing.
“I won’t kill any of your sisters,” he promises. “Not even Natalya. But you have to promise to stop running from me. Try to make this work.”
I have no words for him. Instead, I reach up and grab his face and bring him down to me. There’s a breath between us before Nico slams his lips into mine. I moan as I let myself sink into him. His kiss could cure anything in this world, I swear. It’s addicting. Intoxicating. Overwhelming.
And freeing.
Despite what just happened between him and Natalya, I don’t hate Nico. He could have easily killed her and he chose not to… for me. He wants me to choose him and I find that I can’t hold back any longer. I’m tired of fighting how I feel for him, even though it’s complicated and messy.
I want to get lost in Nico. For a moment, I don’t want to worry about my family. I just want to enjoy myself.
I pull back from the kiss, breathing heavy, and say the words that will change me forever. “Take me. I want you to take me. All of me.”
His eyes darken and there’s no hesitation on his part as he wraps his arms around me and brings our lips back together. Nico doesn’t need to be asked twice. I’m giving him permission and he’s not going to stop this time.
