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That’s her.
I look doubtfully at Niko, but he finally sighs. “Rose? Please? Do you mind leaving us alone?”
I’m not sure what I’m more shocked about: him asking me, or him not swearing.
I stand and look at her. “Fine, but I want to know who she is. Exactly.”
“Jealous, isn’t she? It’s cute.” The other woman looks at me and smiles. “Adelaide Brighton. FBI.”
Chapter7
Nikolai
Idrag Rose into the bedroom before she says a word. The shock’s enough.
Her eyes narrow as she looks up at me, and I run my nose and mouth along her throat and up to her ear. “Hold tight, Rose.”
“I’m not going to ruin this,” she assures me.
She isn’t. “You’ve been perfect, but I need to do this, and you not being in there right now…”
“Helps.” Her hand cups my cheek, and if it were anyone but her, I’d cut them down. “Am I gonna be bait?”
The way she asks kills me. It’s not reticence or fear or anger, or even the tone of giving up. It’s like she’s taking it in stride, thinking what she has to do because this is what I expect of her.
I take her hand from my cheek and bring her palm to my lips. “Rose, no. You— Not anymore.”
The expression in her blue eyes tells me everything. The poker game, even just then… Not bait exactly, but I used her.
“You can’t promise that,” she whispers. “It isn’t how this world works, and we know it. I’m in this, with you.”
I take a breath. Big, bad Nikolai fucking Wilder, hesitant and soft because of a damn girl. Pathetic. Dangerous. That softness and hesitancy could hurt not just her, but Rush. In my need to protect, I might bring everything down, make it so much worse.
I’ve fucking turned her into a weapon I use, one I sometimes need, a weapon she’s happy to be.
Monster doesn’t begin to cover who I am.
In one way, hustling her out isn’t because of Adelaide’s request—though it’s the best way forward—but because using Rose is something I do, like getting her to be the vacuous princess.
It kills, it really fucking does. I can’t change the past, and I don’t know how to undo Rose being willing to sacrifice herself on whatever level I ask. This isn’t sacrifice, but it slams into my knees and tries to knock me off balance, how she’s willing like this, how she’s so fucking Rose.
I don’t know what to do with any of it. Love isn’t a skill of mine. Hate, revenge, violence, cruelty, death, I’m a master of those, but this soft love thing? It fucking unnerves me.
“I know,” I mutter, “and I fucking wish you weren’t.”
She just stares as I turn, opening the door to step back out, before she grabs me and kisses me. It’s the Rose kiss I crave, all darkness and light, caramel dark, innocence and carnality. Home. Excitement.
That’s Rose.
I need to find a way to push her away.
A decent man would, but I’m not going to.
Fuck decency.
Rose smiles and whispers, “Hurry back.” Then she slips her hand down, brushing briefly over my cock.
Just like that, she flips the script. Her smile sweetens, like a brat, or demon. “Hurry back, and I’ll take care of unfinished business…” She sways into me, and she’s not whispering. Her voice is low, but loud enough for anyone else in the suite to hear, if they’re paying attention. “Your cock, my mouth, Niko.”
