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“Soon. In the meantime, you’ll have to fantasize about me. I have yet to teach you how to touch yourself.”
I bite my lip as everything else in my body heats up. “I imagine it still won’t be as good.”
“No. It won’t. I know firsthand as I jacked off to you when I arrived home.”
I gasp, the titillation growing as I imagine him stroking himself.
“You like that, don’t you?”
“Yes. I wish I could watch.”
There is a pause on his end. “Do you, now?”
Something is shifting here. The question hints at a change. Now, versus before. Willing partner versus captive. I feel it deep inside me, but I’m probably reading it wrong. After all, we’re talking about sex, not love or commitment.
There is a sound like someone has joined Niko wherever he is.
“I have to go. Dream of me, won’t you?”
I smile. “Good night.” I hang up the phone and go looking for Donovan. He’s in Niko’s office. “Thank you.” I set his phone on the desk.
“All made up?” He looks at it. “Just making sure you didn’t make any other calls.”
“No. I only did that once.”
Donovan laughs. “I swear, Princess, you have nine lives.” He studies me. “Makes me think there’s more going on between you and Niko.”
I can’t speak for Niko, but I doubt there’s more going on with him. “I’m just a valuable pawn.” Saying it out loud is a reminder of my reality, forcing me to dismiss the warm feelings I had earlier. I’m a means to an end. Niko is being nice as captors go, but it doesn’t mean anything. Eventually, he’ll be done with me. I can only hope and pray that when he is, I’ll be able to go to Italy with Lucia and not end up in a hole dug by Donovan in Niko’s mother’s garden.
22
NIKO
Surprise doesn’t begin to express my feelings about Elena’s call. Did I think she’d understand the potential ramifications of her actions? Yes. Did I believe she could regret them? Sure, insofar that she didn’t want to die. But in the call, I heard authenticity in her apology. She showed the respect I required. So why the fuck did it bother me when it sounded like all life had gone out from her voice when I told her she needed to control her fire?
As the call continued, the connection felt different, almost as if she were giving herself to me. Not just sexually, but emotionally. I wasn’t her captor and she wasn’t a woman holding up her end of a deal. We were two people connected by something else. I thought back to my efforts to encourage her to stay. How her choosing me would be the ultimate revenge against her father. My plan could be working… too well, maybe, because I thought less and less about her being my source of revenge and more and more about keeping her with me because I wanted her. It scared the shit out of me.
But I didn’t become as powerful as I am by being stupid. I had to consider that Elena had other motives for calling me.When I hang up with her, I wait several minutes and call Donovan.
“Hey, Boss. Nice chat with the princess?”
“Did you leave her alone like I asked?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to listen to your phone sex?—”
“Did you check the call log?”
He sighs, probably because I’m not joining in on his joke. “Yeah, yeah. She didn’t make any other calls. No texts. No emails. No morse code. Nothing.”
A wave of relief and emotion fills my chest. She really did just want to talk to me. “Okay. Thanks.”
“Sure thing. Anything new on the friend?”
“No. But I want you with me tomorrow. It’s time to end this thing.”
“I’ll leave first thing. I can leave Mikey here. I think he has a crush on the princess.”
“Tell him hands off.”
