Page 17 of Twisted Desire

And then another.

And another.

I lose count somewhere around ten.

Nik’s eyes are glassy; I’m sure mine are, too. There’s a sloppy grin on his lips, making the crow’s feet around his eyes more visible. Immortal doesn’t mean unwrinkled or unblemished, just impossible to kill—for the most part.

Giddy laughter bubbles in my chest when Joe brings over a plate of mozzarella sticks.

“I love you,” I declare, leaning over the counter to smack a kiss against his cheek.

Nikolai glances away, and that subtle movement makes the liquor in my stomach turn sour.

I lean over and poke Nikolai’s cheek until he turns his attention to me. “Hi,” I say.

His grin returns as if that weird moment didn’t happen. “Hey.”

I lift a mozzarella stick to his mouth and wait for him to take a bite before shoving the rest of it into my mouth. I continue to stuff my face with the deep-fried cheese sticks and enjoy every damn mouthful.

“What are we going to do?” I say out of nowhere, my voice low, unsure.

Nikolai’s brow raise. “About?”

I sigh heavily. “Everything.”

He opens his mouth to respond, then, as if he thinks better of it, he closes it and shrugs. “If you’d be so kind as to elaborate, I might be able to offer you an answer.”

My eyes narrow. “What if... what if we can’t stop them?”

He frowns and reaches over, resting his hand on my leg. “You can’t think like that. You have to keep fighting the nagging voice that’s telling you there’s a possibility we won’t win this. We have to. Keep telling yourself until you believe it.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

His thumb moves in slow circles against my leg. “I’ll remind you. As often as you need.”

My breath catches when our eyes meet. “You promise?” I hate how weak my voice is.

“I promise,” he vows, smiling at me. “I won’t let you down, Sky.”

The discomfort in my chest eases some. “Okay.”

“And once it’s all over,” he adds, “you and I get to do the best part.”

“Victory sex?” I offer.

He bursts out laughing. “Sure, that, and we also get to bring our friends home.”

I pause, biting my lip. “I should probably feel bad that wasn’t my first thought, but hey, the sex is good.”

He stares at me. “Good?”

My lips twist into a grin. “Yeah,” I say flippantly because it’ll drive him nuts.

He leans in, brushing his lips against my ear. “How about I take you upstairs and show you just howgoodit is?”

Goosebumps flare across my skin, and I close my eyes, licking my lips. “What are we still doing here?” I whisper back. We both could use the excuse to blow off some steam. A no-strings-attached roll in the sheets is the perfect remedy.

He chuckles and kisses my cheek before pulling back. “We’re being responsible.”

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