Page 105 of The Viper's Wife

“I did.” I glare at him through the mirror.

Nico laughs. He kisses the side of my neck, and I swallow a gasp at the sensation.

“Don’t lie to me,” he whispers.

I try to face him, but his arms wrap around me, the muscle hard as steel. “Why would I lie to you?”

His gaze is hard in the mirror. “Your dad or brother. Salvatore. Giovanni. It doesn’t matter really. Just know however much they pay you,I’mthe one that owns you.”

I go to stomp on his foot with the point of my heel, but he shifts out of the way and lifts me into the air, carrying me to the couch where he flings me onto the cushions.

I bounce, my teeth rattling, and then he’s on me again, pinning my wrists against the couch.

“Nico!” I scream, but my shout is muffled by his mouth.

His body—familiar and strange now—presses against mine, his thigh thrusting a heavy weight between my legs.

He pulls away just as quickly, his pupils blown and his chest heaving. “Why would you try to leave?”

He kisses me again, and there’s so many conflicting sensations that my brain can’t make sense of it all.

“We had a deal,” he murmurs against my lips before licking into my mouth and swallowing my shouts.

When he pulls away, I’ve had it.

I knee into his balls—his pained groan turns into a dark chuckle.

“Enough, Nico, if you fucking kiss me again, Iwillleave.”

It’s like I’ve broken through a trance. His grip on my wrists loosens. The tension drives out of his whole body.

“So, it’s true,” he asks in an ominous tone.

“I still havenoidea what you’re talking about, but I promise if you touch me again, I’ll make sure your worst fear becomes reality.”

Desperation crosses his face. “Who gave you the money?”

“What money?—”

I freeze underneath him, and he glowers.

He found my duffel bag of cash.

“I can explain.”

He drops close. “I don’t care, Val. I just want to know who.” He shoves his face into the nape of my neck, and I can’t fight the roll of arousal at being trapped under his muscular body.

“Tell me, pretty girl,” he says and sucks at my neck.

“No one,” I gasp.

“Don’t lie to me.”

He sucks hard—I know he’s leaving a mark there—but I’m powerless to stop him when it feels so good. Without thinking, I roll my hips against his thigh.

“I’m not lying.” This is so fucking wrong. He keeps ruining everything, poisoning any happiness I feel toward him with his shitty behavior, and now he’s making it worse by making me feel sogood.

Nico raises his head, passing his mouth over mine—but not kissing me—and drops his face to the other side of my neck and sucks there too.