“You don’t even know me.”
“I know you’re such a gentleman and you love running at the same time every day. I also know you’re different from your psycho twin brother and have a good relationship with everyone. Except for Clara, because she’s finally out of the fucking picture, but here’s the most important part.” He smirks. “I also know you love kissing me.”
“I do not.”
“Wanna prove it?”
“Don’t…” I slam a hand to his mouth and he kisses my palm, then licks my fingers, thrusting his tongue between them.
I jerk my arm away. “Why the hell would you lick me? Are you a dog?”
“Woof.” He grins and I can’t even muster the emotions to be mad at him.
Bloody wanker is mental.
“Is there a way I can get rid of you?” I ask, my shoulders hunching.
“If I die, maybe. Scratch that, I’ll haunt the fuck out of you until you join me, my Prince Charming. Then we can have a fuck fest in ghost land.”
“You need help.”
“Then help me, baby.”
I release a groan of frustration, but I can hear my walls cracking and a door opens despite my attempts to slam it shut.
All this time, I’ve refused the very notion that I’m attracted to him. But last night proved me terribly wrong.
I could blame the alcohol or him, but that only worked the first time. Barely.
Pushing him away is futile since he’s a fucking elastic band that keeps snapping back twice as hard.
If I want to remain in control, I need to absorb him into my system. Take things into my own hands. Get bored. Toss him aside.
The end.
A grunt leaves me and he watches me closely as if he’s attempting to read my mind.
I can’t believe I’m doing this.
“If this happens, and it’s only an if.” I meet his gaze. “No one knows.”
“Not even Jeremy?”
“No.”
“Not even your sister? She’s all cozy with Kill and we get along.”
“No one.”
His lips push in a pout. “Okay.”
“We’ll only meet in a place no one else knows about.”
“My penthouse. I bought it recently and still haven’t told anyone else about it.”
“Except for Clara.”
“You still jealous about that?”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Whatever floats your boat, my lotus flower.”
“Nikolai.”
“Yes, baby?”
“Don’t call me any of those nicknames in front of anyone else. Don’t act like you know me in public.”
“But why? I want to hang out with you.”
“I don’t. We’re not friends and this is only physical.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“What?”
“What?” he repeats, pretending to be oblivious. “I want to see you all day.”
“Don’t you have school?”
“Not important.”
“Your silly club shenanigans?”
“Not a priority.”
“Have you forgotten that my brother’s club is at odds with yours?”
“What do you have to do with your asshole brother?”
“He’s my twin.”
“Still can’t see why you have to be lumped with him.”
I stare at him for a beat. Nikolai doesn’t hide his disregard for Lan, but he’s also not subtle about his obsession with me. Does he not see that we’re identical twins?
“We’re strangers in public, Nikolai. I mean it.”
“Fiiiine. Any other dictatorial conditions?”
“That’s it for now. I’ll let you know if I come up with anything else.”
“Since we’re done with that stupidity. It’s time for my condition.” He wraps his fingers around my neck. “Don’t run away from me again. If you do, I’ll flip the world upside down to find you. You’re mine now, baby.”
15
NIKOLAI
Today is the perfect recipe for violence.
It started with Jer and me riding our bikes into the wind and beating up a few Serpents, doing some old-fashioned house cleaning on the island and teaching them a few valuable lessons. Naturally, that included drawing blood and breaking bones.
While I felt a rush at the time, and Jeremy had to stop me from beating a fuckwit to death, the intoxication disappeared as soon as we got back to the mansion.
I slept in the pool—sorry, I mean meditated—but that didn’t stop me from spiraling down that chaos-driven hole.