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Valentina hadn’t realized just how long it had been since she last swam until she stepped into the lake. As soon as her feet hit the cool, smooth surface, she felt the water’s embrac e? refreshing and comfortin g? curling around her body like a well-deserved hug.

The coolness seeped into her skin, chasing away the heat that had built up from fruitlessly trying to run away from the cabin, and for a moment, she could almost forget everything. The ambush, the fact that she would probably not be alive right now if Ilya hadn’t intervened, and then everything else that happened with him after tha t? everything felt distant as the water swirled around her.

She sank deeper, relishing the sensation of the lake wrapping around her, its depth offering both serendipity and anonymity. The silence of the woods, broken only by the gentle lapping of water against the shore, allowed her to breathe deeply, collecting her thoughts, even if only for a brief, fleeting moment.

She had only discovered this serene haven after her failed escape attempt from the lodge, and it quickly became her refug e? a temporary relief from the chaos that seemed to follow her every step.

For a moment, she allowed herself to forget about Ilya, the cage he’d built around her, and the anger that simmered just beneath her skin. In that stillness, she felt free. It was as though the world beyond the lake didn’t exist, and only the cool depths of the water mattered.

But that peace shattered the moment she heard the rustle of leaves behind her. Her breath hitched, and she froze, sensing his presence even before she saw him. She knew it was Ilya. There was a way he looked at her that was peculiar to him alon e? she could always feel the weight of his gaze on her, sharp and focused, as if every inch of her body was under scrutiny to be studied.

The thought made her skin pickle, her stomach knotting. She was completely naked in the water, and though he couldn’t see all of her, she could feel the intensity of his stare as if it cut through the water itself.

Trying to mask just how much his gaze affected her, Valentina spoke with as much venom as she could muster. “What the hell do you want now?” She kept her gaze directly locked on his. “You really need to find a new hobby, you know. Spying on a woman while she’s trying to get some peace and quiet is a pretty pathetic one. Not to mention how creepy it is.”

Her words were meant to sting, to make him back off. But her heart skipped a beat as she watched him pulling his shirt over his head and unbuckling his belt.

Her eyes widened in shock as she turned quickly, trying to shield herself from what she knew was coming. She could hear the rustle of fabric, followed by the sound of boots hitting the shore.

“ Are you insane? ” she screeched, but it was too late. As if to prove just how little he cared for her protests, Ilya stepped into the lake with a casual confidence. The cold water didn’t seem to faze him at all as he waded deeper, fully exposing his naked torso.

She could feel him swimming towards her, and she wanted nothing more than for some kind of black hole to appear in the water and swallow her whole. She didn’t know how to act around him, not when they were both butt naked in the same water. Imagining him naked was one thing. Skinny dipping with him, on the other hand, was a whole different ball game.

Effortlessly, he emerged in front of her, his gaze as intense as ever. The muscles in his chest and arms rippled with each movement, his bare skin glistening in the sunlight filtering through the trees. His eyes locked onto hers, and for a brief moment, she almost forgot how to breathe.

She quickly snapped back to reality, her anger flaring as her self-consciousness heightened. “You’re crazy,” she said, her voice now shaking with a mix of disbelief and fury as she tried to find a way to reclaim the little bit of dignity she had left. “What is wrong with you?”

“You’re the one who’s in my territory, remember?” he said, his voice low but teasing. In this angle, the sun struck his dark blue eyes in a way that made them appear almost otherworldl y? intense and striking, like the calm before a storm.

The light danced across the water, reflecting in his eyes and giving them a piercing, almost hypnotic quality that entranced Valentina. There was something raw and predatory about the way he looked at her, as if he were studying every reaction, every flicker of emotion that crossed her face.

It unnerved her in a way she couldn’t explain, yet she couldn’t look away.

“I love watching you try and fail to escape me, Valentina. You think I’ll let you run away so easily?”

They trod the water in slow circles, the lake rippling around them like a cage neither of them could escape. Valentina’s cheeks flushed in mild embarrassment as his words registered, and she glared at him sharply. But his smirk was sharper, his eyes glinting with amusement as he studied her.

“Got to say,” he continued, his voice low and teasing, “not your finest moment, Kisa .”

A muscle in Val’s jaw ticked as she refused to surrender to his whims.

“You barely made it halfway before giving up. Honestly, I expected more from you.”

Val scoffed as she clenched her fists under the water. “Not everyone can navigate a forest like some goddamn lunatic with nothing better to do.”

“Ah, but see, that’s the difference between us, moya printsessa ,” Ilya drawled, his voice maddeningly calm as he moved closer, the water rippling softly around him. “I do have better things to do. And yet, here I am, chasing after you like some hapless babysitter.”

Valentina stood her ground, her cheeks heating at the possessive way he called her his princess. She hated how it sent an unwanted shiver down her spine, even as her glare sharpened.

She scowled. “Oh, give me a break. You didn’t have to come after me.”

“Didn’t I?” he taunted, tilting his head, his wet hair glinting in the sun. “If I hadn’t come back this morning, where would you be now? Still wandering aimlessly or sitting by this little lake, sulking like a child?”

Her embarrassment flared into anger, and she cursed under her breath. “You shouldn’t have come back at all,” she spat, her voice shaking. “I would’ve preferred it if you’d just stayed gone.”

His smirk didn’t falter, but his eyes darkened slightly, the teasing edge in his tone turning sharper. “Careful, Valentina. You might hurt my feelings.”

Val lifted her brows in mock surprise. “Feelings? That’s surprising. I didn’t know a brick wall like you had those.”

“And here I thought you’d be thanking me for saving you from yourself.”

“Thank you?” she hissed, her voice incredulous. “You kidnapped me, Ilya. Dragged me out here like some helples s? ”

“You were in danger,” he interrupted, his voice sharp, cutting through her protests like a blade. It carried an edge, as if he was sick of repeating himself. He moved closer, the water parting around him with each step. “Whether you like it or not, I made sure you didn’t get hurt. Call it whatever you want, Val, but don’t pretend you don’t know why I did it.”

Her jaw clenched, a retort forming on her tongue, but it caught in her throat. She hated that he was righ t? despised how infuriatingly justified he sounded. But instead of giving him the satisfaction of admitting it, she narrowed her eyes and scoffed. “Oh, right. The selfless savior routine. Forgive me if I don’t throw a parade in your honor.”

Ilya smirked, the corner of his mouth tugging upward as he waded even closer, their bodies separated by mere inches. “You’re welcome to show your gratitude in other ways,” he murmured.

Her temper flared. “Gratitude?” she snapped, her voice rising. “You and my father ripped me out of my life without so much as a warning, and you expect me to be grateful ? I would’ve been fine without you playing the hero.”

“Would you?” he shot back, his low voice charged, his blue eyes locking onto hers with unsettling uncertainty. “Because from what I recall, it looked like you were one breath away from being dead.”

Her body trembled, a mix of fury and the undeniable heat of his proximity coursing through her. “You’re insufferable,” she hissed, her voice shaking despite her best effort to sound confident.

He didn’t stop advancing, and she instinctively leaned back, the movement making the water shift dangerously around her chest. She froze, every muscle tense as she fought not to squirm. If she moved too much, she knew the ripples would betray her and reveal more than she wanted. And at the same time, a part of her wanted it to happe n? wanted him to see .

“And yet here you are, arguing with me instead of walking away,” he countered smoothly.

They stared each other down, the space between them humming with tension. Her chest heaved with quickened breaths, her pulse pounding as his dark gaze flicked to her lips and lingered. The air grew heavier, charged with something far hotter than anger.

Her breath hitched when he leaned ever so slightly closer, their faces now mere inches apart. His eyes burned with a mix of challenge and something deeper, something that sent a wave of heat crashing through her. For a moment, she though t? no, kne w ? he was going to kiss her.

As the tension between them reached a boiling point, Ilya’s hand slid to her jaw, his grip firm yet deliberate. His thumb brushed her wet bottom lip, the pad of it warm against her skin, and before she could stop herself, her lips parted for him.

Slowly, almost lazily, he slipped his thumb into her mouth, coaxing it open further. “There we go,” he murmured, his voice low and dripping with mockery. His dark blue eyes gleamed with wicked glee, sharp and piercing, as if savoring every second of her flustered reaction. “Look at you. Such a pathetic little thing. All thirsty for my tongue, for my attention.”

Valentina’s breath hitched, a mix of anger and embarrassment heating her cheeks. But she couldn’t pull awa y? not when his gaze held her captive and not when his voice seemed to strip her bare in more ways than one.

She never saw herself as the type of woman to be turned on by a degrading kink, but there was something about the way Ilya spoke that made her desire his domination.

“I told you I’d make you beg, didn’t I?” he taunted, his thumb pressing lightly against her tongue as his lips curled into a smirk. The sheer audacity of his action sent a heat rushing through her. “And here you are, proving me right. I’ve barely touched you, and you’re already falling apart.”

Her breath stuttered, caught between indignation and something she didn’t dare name. A sound left he r? a whine, soft and breathless, barely audible but impossible to ignore. His smirk widened, dark and triumphant, as though her response was a victory he’d expected all along.

His thumb slid deeper, caressing her tongue in a deliberate motion, teasing, testing her limits. Her chest rose and fell in quick succession, her nipples tight and aching to be touched. Every nerve in her body was alight with tension as the pad of his thumb edged closer to the back of her throat. She clenched her fists at her sides, trying desperately not to react, not to give him the satisfaction, even though the heat between her thighs said otherwise.

Her stomach churned with defiance and something far more dangerous. Summoning what was left of her composure, she bit down lightly on his thum b? not hard enough to hurt, but enough to send a clear message.

His eyes darkened, darting across her face like he found something interesting there. “You’ve got bite. But we both know how this ends, don’t we?”

His face was so close now, the water lapping softly around them, and for a moment, she thought he would give up the teasing and actually kiss her. Instead, he let his hand fall from her jaw and moved back with an air of smug satisfaction, leaving her breathless and furious in his wake.

And then, as if deciding he’d had enough fun, he turned around and began swimming toward the shore.

Valentina exhaled sharply, trying to gather her composure. His touch had left her brain all scrambled, her thoughts spiraling all over the place. She opened her mouth to fire back something, anything that wouldn’t let him leave with the last word, but the words died in her throat the moment he emerged from the water.

Ilya rose like some mythic figure, droplets cascading down his broad shoulders and muscled back, the sunlight catching on his skin. He turned around, meeting her gaze as he grabbed his shirt from the ground. And then her eyes drifted over his nude form, going lower ? far lowe r? past his well-defined abs and the faint trail of his V until her gaze caught on his arousal.

Her heart lurched in her throat as her cheeks burned hot. She turned away sharply, screwing her eyes shut like the image of his nudity would dissolve. But she knew it was impossible. The damage was done. The image was seared into her mind, and no amount of fury could erase it.

She was doomed to remember it now, to remember him, his perfect naked body and his painfully hard cock swaying between his legs.

The heated pulse between her legs increased her mortification. She found it ridiculous that she was turned on, especially knowing he had been messing with her throughout.

“I’ll see you back at the cabin,” he called out from the shore, but she refused to turn around, her heart hammering in her chest.

“Go to hell,” she shot back.

Valentina stayed in the water long after he’d left, scolding herself relentlessly. She replayed every second, every word, every humiliating reaction she’d had to his touch.

Even as she finally dragged herself out of the lake and pulled on her discarded clothes, she didn’t stop berating herself. Her teeth grounded together as she all but stomped back toward the cabin, wet hair plastered to her skin like a suffocating reminder of her shame.

How could she let him unravel her so easily? She hated how quickly her self-control shattered, how eagerly her body had surrendered to the press of his thumb, to the smug, taunting look in his eyes.

It was as though she’d been starving for his attention, for his touc h? and the bastard had known it. He’d been satisfied, triumphant, soaking in her every reaction like a victory he’d earned.

The thought made her cheeks burn hotter, fury and embarrassment twisting her insides as she reached the cabin and slammed the door shut behind her. She headed straight for the bedroom, intent on putting as much distance as possible between herself and the Nikolai devil.

Her steps faltered the moment she saw the bed. Supplies were neatly laid out, a variety of items she hadn’t expected to see, and the sight momentarily disarmed her. She rummaged through the pile, taking stock of everything.

Her breath hitched when her hands brushed over something sof t? black lace. She yanked it out, staring in disbelief at the lingerie set he’d clearly picked out for her.

“This asshole,” she muttered to herself, her cheeks in flames, as her embarrassment reached a new high. She didn’t know whether to be creeped out or turned on by the fact that everything he got was her accurate size. She tossed the lingerie back onto the bed as if it burned her.

Muttering under her breath, she turned on her heel and stormed toward the kitchen, determined to focus on anything but him. After putting together a quick sandwich, she found herself drawn to the kitchen window, her eyes betraying her resolve as they sought him out.

And there he was, outside behind the lodge, chopping wood with a practiced ease. His white wife beater clung to his body, damp with sweat, revealing the cut of his muscles with every swing of the axe. His black shorts hung low on his lips, and his skin glistened under the fading sunlight.

Val hated how her gaze lingered, how her traitorous mind traced every line of him. She told herself it was curiosity, irritation, anything but the magnetic pull she felt when it came to him.

Tearing her eyes away, she clenched her fists and leaned against the counter, determined to shake him from her thoughts.

“He’s just a man, Valentina,” she muttered to herself, biting into her sandwich with annoyance. “There’s nothing special about him.”

But no matter how hard she tried, the image of hi m? smirking, shirtless, utterly insufferabl e? was burned into her mind.