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“What are—” I began to ask, but before I could form another word, his hand shot up to grasp the column of my neck.

He pressed me firmly against the heavy wooden door, and in that charged moment, before any protest could slip from my lips, his own captured mine.

The kiss burst into a fiery, passionate blaze that stole every breath and thought, leaving me dizzy and yearning for more.

Twenty

LAYANA

In the cellar’s oppressive darkness, Niko yanked his mouth away from mine with a force that had me gasping for breath.

His eyes deepened like smoldering coals, revealing an almost predatory hunger.

He reached out and grasped a fistful of my hair, yanking my head. “Layana, do you know what you do to me?”

The raw emotion sent a flood of arousal through my core.

“Niko, I—” I started, but he silenced any protest with another searing kiss that was both fierce and quick, igniting a whirlwind of need and uncertainty within me.

I found myself adrift in a torrent of confusion, caught between the terrors of fatal violence and the irresistible pull of lust. Amid this swirling ambiguity, a powerful surge of desire emanated from deep within me, leaving me fervently hoping that his intentions were nothing short of carnal delight.

“You,” he hissed, his head swaying, eyes wild and dilated. “Watching you today made me as hard as a rock.”

With possessive urgency, he seized my hand and pressed it against his tense groin, the undeniable firmness, and instinctively, I curved my fingers to cup him.

“That’s what you do to me, Laya! You drive me fucking crazy with the heat of your presence, with the burning lust in your gaze, with an insatiable hunger that I can’t contain!”

His eyes searched mine for a heartbeat, the silent exchange brimming with a fierce, unspoken promise, before he claimed my mouth again.

He spread my lips open like unveiling a hidden treasure, thrusting his tongue inside in a collision of desperate need and reciprocal desire. I responded to his fervor with a moan of surrender, my body arching into his embrace as I pressed my breasts against his chest.

Then, as abruptly as before, he tore his mouth away, leaving behind an aching need only he could quench.

“All I could think about, Laya,” he declared, his rumbling confession, “was fucking you, from the moment you stormed through that door and pinned that bastard down with the point of your gun, as if you ruled the damn world with fearless fury. If it weren’t for your family being there, I would have claimed you on that table.”

“I am fearless,” I spat back, lifting my chin defiantly against the whirlwind of passion and power swirling around us.

A wry smirk played on his lips as his eyes danced with dark amusement and raw desire. “My darling, you are the most enticing, breathtakingly sexy woman I have ever laid eyes on.”

In that charged moment, I squeezed his rigid shaft, marveling at the low, rumbling growl that vibrated deep within him, while the pulse of desire sent spasms of ecstasy coursing through me.

Niko was a force of feral passion, a blend of dark, unrelenting, violent yearning, and ruthless power. And beneathall that ferocity lay a core of unyielding loyalty. Today, he had deliberately taken a step back, allowing Avra and me to navigate the perilous situation on our own without a single disapproving utterance escaping his lips.

As the realization slowly dawned on me, it became clear that his silence was not a sign of doubt. Instead, it was a deliberate effort to shield me, as Vik had hinted before, until I was ready to uncover the truth.

Once Avra and I had stepped into chaos, he trusted us to take control. That unwavering loyalty, unique among traits I had encountered, only heightened my desire for him, binding us in a moment that was as terrifying as it was intoxicating.

I was already captivated by Niko. In truth, my affection for him had grown deeply. There was much to admire about him.

It wasn’t just his name, rich with legacy, his wealth symbolizing power and influence, or his expansive estate showcasing his achievements. What truly caught my eye during our first encounter was his commanding presence and that incredible body.

He truly captured my soul when he offered his unwavering support. He stood by me when I needed him most, displaying the utmost confidence in the Vitalis family as it existed today. Supporting me didn’t make him weak. It simply showed he trusted my judgment and regarded me as a partner.

His wife.

Those words resonated with thrilling clarity. While my courage excited him, his loyalty to me had an equally strong effect.

This time, I ripped my mouth from his and reached up, cupping his chiseled cheek, and gazed up at him.