Page 42 of Broken

Nova's face contorted into a frown and Val chuckled. Sometimes I really couldn't stand him, and I wondered if he knew. Either way, it was time for him to go elsewhere. Nova and I needed to be alone if for no other reason but for me to find a new way to torture her. I jerked my head at him to let him know he was dismissed.

He finished off the rest of the vodka and set the glass down quietly. "Nova, good night. Should you need me, I'll be in the guest house. I live out back.

"Thanks Val." Nova gave him a smile that twisted my inside up.

"Good night, cousin." Val smirked.

"Night," I mumbled, reaching for the vodka.

I poured more than two fingers of liquid into my glass, the sound of it filling the quiet space between Nova and I. Tipping the glass back, the slow warm feeling entered my belly. There was nothing more Russian than vodka. My father had told me that my mother had drank vodka to push herself into labor because I was refusing to come out.

It worked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nova wince as she shifted the weight on her foot. "Are you hurt, Nova?"

"Think I twisted my ankle earlier. I'll be fine," she hissed in pain.

Making her sit on the bar stool, I grabbed frozen peas out of the freezer. Taking off her left shoe, I gently applied the frozen bag.

"Why are you being nice?" she asked.

I slowly rubbed her ankle trying to ease some of the pain out, but her question stopped me. "Who said I was being nice."

"You have three strangers staying in your house...and one of them stole from you." she shrugged her shoulders, looking down at me.

"Because you have something I want," I replied and stood.

"I already told you, that's never going to happen."

Leaning into her, I went to brush her face but landed on the bottle of vodka first and handed it to her. "Drink, it will help with the pain."

She snatched the bottle from me and took a long pull from it. "Does it piss you off to know I'd never give it up to you?"

Buttons.

She was finding buttons with me that I didn't know I had. I didn't let people take up residence within my mind. I was too busy finding their weaknesses first. Always out thinking everyone else.

"Nova...playing a dangerous game..."

She poked me in my chest.

"Answer the question." she laughed at my reaction and took another swig.

Snatching the bottle, I drank right behind her, the vodka shooting straight into my belly like liquid fire. I was beginning to grow hard. Nova was poking a beast, quite literally. Edging forward, I placed the vodka bottle back on the counter. "Do you honestly think, Nova...that I won't take it from you without your consent."

She stared up at me then and bit her bottom lip. I flexed my hips forward and rubbed my erection against her leg.

"Answer the question, Nova," I mocked her.

She flinched. "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I think you're capable of forcing me against my will."

My hand went to the nape of her neck, biting into her flesh and she pulled me in close. Our mouths dancing as close as they could without actually kissing. "Did I get you wet the other night, Nova? Did watching someone else suck me off turn you on. Admit it Nova....you wanted to join in."

For a few long moments we simply stared at each other and then she uttered the words I wanted to hear, "Yes."