Page 57 of Darkest Desire

He leans in close to my ear. “You enjoyed our kiss last night. You wanted me then.”

“It was the drug talking.”

“Was it? Was it only the drug talking, Sasha? Or is there a part of you that wants to be with me? That wants to know what it’s like?”

Damn it. I hate him with everything inside of me because… because he’s right. The deep, dark part of me is curious to know what Nico is like in the bedroom. What it would be like to be fully taken by him.

Now that we’ve truly kissed, I want to do it again and that’s no longer the drug talking. I’m fully sober this morning. Have been for the past two days.

And I still want to kiss him again.

But how can I want to be with a man like him? A man who gives in to every whim and desire he has? Who isn’t afraid to commit murder? Who wants me to do it with him?

“I think you want it, Sasha.” He stands behind me, pressing his chest into my back. His power is intoxicating. It makes me want to sink right into him. “If you want it, then you have to take it. You have to give in to me and that means no longer trying to run from me. You need to kill Alek and end this. End the part of your life that is tied to your annoying older sister who keeps trying to get you back.”

Some of his words sound nice but at the mention of Natalya, I snap back to reality.

“No.” I step away from him. “I can’t just forget Natalya. I can’t just forget my other sisters. I have to protect them from Denis. I have to protect them fromyou.” I point the knife at him.

Nico smirks. “Are you really going to use that on me? If you can’t kill Alek, a man you barely know, can you actually kill me?”

“I could stab this right through your heart.”

“You could but then how are you going to get out of here covered in my blood? My guards will kill you on sight for killing me.”

“Death would be better than being tied to you forever,” I hiss.

Nico pouts and in a mocking fashion, places his hands over his heart. “That hurts.”

“I’m going to do it. This way I can escape and get back to my family. I can save them.”

He opens his arms wide with a savage grin. “Then do it. Kill me right now.”

My hand shakes as I hold the knife. God, I wish I was strong. I wish I had an ounce of the power Nico possesses to do whatever the hell I want.

I hate my husband and yet… I also desire him. I’ve started to like his charming smiles and our banter. It’s never boring, I’ll give him that. And his touch… I haven’t been able to stop thinking of our kiss.

Can I truly kill him? End all of this just to save my family?

What if staying with Nico is the one thing I can do to save my sisters? He’ll have to bring me back to New York at some point and being Nico Bernardi’s wife gives me power. Power enough to stop my uncle and save my sisters?

The only way I’ll find out is if Nico is alive.

I lower my hand and the knife with it.

Nico eyes me over with wariness before he slowly approaches me and takes the knife from my hand. “Why didn’t you do it? That was your chance.”

“Would you really have held still as I killed you?”

“Probably not but I wanted to see how far you were willing to go. Not far enough, it seems.”

“I’m not a killer like you are,” I snap.

“I can see that. And while I’m touched you didn’t kill me, your dear friend still needs to die and you’re still going to do it.” He grabs my arms and plants me right next to Alek’s chest.

Alek looks up at me with tired eyes. “I’m sorry, Sasha. I really did try to save you.”

“Mikhail won’t even know you’re dead,” I say.