Page 47 of Darkest Desire

“Easy there,” Nico says, grabbing the glass from me. “You’ve had enough.”

I want to snap at him but a sudden feeling of happiness overwhelms me. It’s pure bliss. Pure pleasure.

“You didn’t answer Jonathan’s question,” Antonio says.

Nico snaps his eyes at him. “You want to know if my wife was a virgin or not. Well, she claims she’s not. But I think otherwise.”

“You haven’t claimed her yet?” Adrien asks, a glint in his eyes I don’t like.

“When the time is right, I will make Sasha fully mine. But I’m not an animal. I’m not going to rape my wife. I kill men who try to rape my wife.” The threat is clear: don’t come near me or Nico will hurt you.

The warmth of the alcohol spreads through my body. I never knew that one glass of wine could do this to a person. I start to giggle to myself as my hands skim along the table. The wood feels so powerful and strong and hard and warm. That thought makes me laugh harder.

Nico frowns. “Sasha?”

“Touch this,” I whisper, grabbing his hand and slamming it onto the table. “Feel how soft it is. How warm.”

“Is she all right?” Adrien’s date asks.

“A real sacrificial lamb,” Antonio comments, eyeing me over. I stare at him for a moment before I burst out laughing even harder. He flinches, then frowns. “You can tell us, girl, if you’re a virgin or not.”

“Don’t ask my wife that,” Nico growls. “Only I get to talk to her like that. I’m your boss, Antonio. Show some fucking respect.”

He averts his eyes from me. “Of course.” But then I feel his hand on my thigh and it makes me startle. I have to admit… it feels good. Even softer than the table. Warmer too.

I sigh as I lean back in my seat. Why do I feel sogoodall of a sudden? Everything looks brighter. Everything feels softer. Everything makes me feel alive.

I’ve never felt this way before. If I had known wine would make me feel this way, I would have started drinking the moment I showed up here.

“You have your hand on my thigh,” I giggle.

Nico shoots to his feet and grabs my chair, scooting it back with me in it. I almost fall right out of it but I grip the sides, steadying myself. Antonio removes his hand but not fast enough.

Nico sees it happen.

“Why the fuck are you trying to touch my wife?” he demands.

“You’re my boss. I respect you.”

“Oh, you do, do you?”

“You haven’t claimed her yet,” he objects. “It’s not my fault I wanted a little slice of innocence.”

“I’m not innocent,” I giggle. “Or maybe I am.” Why is everything so funny to me right now? Does wine really do this to a person? I don’t remember my mom ever acting this way.

Nico stares down at me for a long moment before he picks up my wine glass and sniffs it. “Is there something in her drink?” He sticks his finger to the bottom and when he pulls it back out, there’s a tiny bit of something powdery on his skin. “Did youdrugmy wife?”

Antonio raises his hands in surrender while everyone at the table looks at him in shock. Well everyone except Adrien. He’s smirking at me like he has a secret.

“No, I swear,” Antonio says.

Nico slams the glass down onto the table. “Did you drug my wife, Antonio? You touched her thigh. Why the fuck do you think you could do that at my own party?”

“Because you fucked me over!” he shouts, jumping to his feet. “You were supposed to pay me for the job I did for you in Sicily and never paid me. You fucked me over, Nico. So fine. I wanted to have a little fun with your wife. Everyone has been talking about her. About how innocent she is. I wanted a little taste. See if it was real. I also heard she was high strung so I might have given her something to loosen her up.”

“You drugged her,” he says flatly.

“It’s for your own benefit. You were telling Adrien that you haven’t fucked her yet. I thought I was doing you a favor by speeding it along.”