Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Silence falls between us, until I get the balls to ask, “Do you love me? You said the words once, but do you still mean them?”
Lyriope approaches me, her steps measured. Stopping before me, her hand comes to my face, cupping my stubbled cheek. “It doesn’t matter if I do or not. It doesn’t change the way things are. You said it yourself. You are not a man to love. And I have a past to face, and a future to find. Right now. This very minute, you’re clouding the view of both.”
“Bullshit!” I snap. “You’re scared. I see it. I smell it. I feel it.”
“Yes, I’m scared,” she finally admits. “I’m terrified. I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me. This has become dangerous. I don’t want you to fall in the crossfires.”
I look up at her, our gazes joined. “But I will die trying if I have to if it means us.”
Lyriope shakes her head. “Don’t do this, Nick,” she begs me. “I can’t stand by and watch this battle any longer. Admit defeat.”
My hand goes to the back of her head, my fingers lacing in her hair. “Whatever happened between us is worth fighting for,” I remind her. “It’s a battle I want to fight. You are worth everything.”
Lyriope doesn’t say a word.
Leaning into her, my lips lightly caress. Breaking our embrace, my face mere inches from hers, our foreheads rested against each other, my stare joined to hers. I watch as the tears continue to fall down her cheeks, and my heart once made of hard steel, crumbles.
Tenderly, I lick the salty tears away from her cheek, enjoying the taste of her skin beneath.
“I want you again,” I all but growl. “I want to make you mine. I want to live the rest of my life giving you pleasure, protecting you, and giving you everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Lyriope exhales a heavy breath. “Nick…” She struggles through her tears.
“Tell me you feel the same. Say the words.”
She shakes her head. “We can’t.”
I kiss her lightly again, my lips savoring the taste of hers. “Tell me, Lyriope…” I demand.
“You told me not to love you. Those were your rules, remember?”
“I want to hear them.”
“You know how I feel, but I won’t say them again and not have them returned.”
The words are barely more than a whisper, but more powerful than if she had screamed them.
Holding her stare, I study her, searching for the courage to confess my true feelings. But I need her help to find them. “Tell me again.”
Lyriope shakes her head. “Don’t do this… please… I want to do what’s right.”
I kiss her again, demanding her submission.
Lyriope tries to withstand my affections, her hands on my shoulders trying to push me away from her. I don’t weaken, and soon she is returning my kiss with an unrestrained passion.
Suddenly from the other side of the door a man’s voice echoes through the office. “Wrap it up in there.”
It is like a dash of cold water on our sexual heat. Pushing away from me, Lyriope frantically adjusts her dress, running her fingers through her hair.
“You have to go.”
“You aren’t going anywhere tonight with anyone but me,” I declare, my breathing still ragged from our heated and hungry kiss.
“I have no choice.”
“I will win the fucking auction and end this,” I insist, reaching out to her. “This ends tonight.”
Lyriope shakes her head, frantically wiping at her tears. “I won’t risk your life.”
“Fuck that,” I curse at her. “You let me worry about that.”
Lyriope wipes away the last of her tears. “This is the way it is. This is reality. Not a fairy tale where we can rush off into the sunset.”
There’s another knock on the door and a voice demanding I leave.
With that, Lyriope quickly flees from my arms and opens the door of the office.
“It ends tonight,” I reassure. “Trust me on that. It’ll end.”
She nods softly. “It’ll end tonight.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nick
We all walk in the waiting room with our men flanking each side. The show of force is almost comical to me. Ironic that we all have security to keep us safe, and yet there is nothing safe about this scene. If we all started firing, there’s not a single one of us that would survive. A bloodbath all over a woman. If you would have asked me if I’d be standing here a few months ago, I would have laughed in your face.
And yet… here I am. Ready to lose it all for Lyriope.
The Sidorovs are in their office, waiting for us to negotiate. They sent word that this would be a civil auction. The girl goes to the highest bidder. We are to enter their office, offer our amount, and they will hand over the girl to the lucky winner. The rules are simple, the stakes are high, but only one winner in this card game.