Page 8 of Twisted Desire

His lips twitch. “That I’m right... that I’m awesome...” His grin widens. “That you need me by your side.” He shrugs. “Or, you know, all of the above.”

I bark out a laugh. “Right. Keep on wishing.”

He slides his hands up my legs, leans in closer as he grips my hips. “Trust me, Skylar, I do. Every damn day.”

I hold completely still. My pulse is ticking too fast; it needs to slow the fuck down. He can’t keep affecting me this way. I need to find a way to make it stop. Though the heat gathering between my legs—so close to where his hands currently rest—would disagree. A hell of a lot.

“We should go,” he comments in a deep voice. He’s close enough I feel his breath against my face. He must’ve just brushed his teeth because it smells minty, pleasant.Fuck.

“Yeah,” is all I manage to say, and god, I sound like an idiot.

“Can I kiss you before we go?”

I laugh at the request. Hell, we kiss all the time. “You’re asking permission,” I check, “to kiss me?”

He licks his lips, and I watch the movement too closely to feign disinterest. “Yeah.”

My chin drops, and I’m left staring at his chest, which is only a few inches away. “This isn’t some dramatic goodbye thing, is it?”

His hands leave my hips and cup my face. “Not a chance. I plan to kiss you a hell of a lot more during this little adventure we’re about to embark on. I just want one to start us off.”

I can’t help the laugh that filters through my lips. Every time I think I’ve got Nikolai figured out, he does—or says—something to throw me off.

“You’re really annoying,” I tell him.

His eyes sparkle, accompanying the smile on his lips. “Yeah, but you like it.”

I lick my lips and wrap my legs around his hips, pulling him closer until he’s pressed against me and the counter. “We’re not going to die,” I say in a low but firm voice, staring hard at his chest.

He tilts my face up. “I didn’t say we were.”

“I know. I’m just saying, we’re not going to die. It’s not allowed.”

His eyes bounce between mine, lit with amusement and... something else. “Glad to hear we’re on the same page,” he murmurs, lowering his face to mine. His lips are on my jaw, trailing kisses toward my temple. He brushes them across my forehead, pausing in the center to place a soft kiss against my nose. It’s the sweetest thing he’s ever done. My stomach feels light and fluttery—for a moment, at least.It can’t last.Those three words quickly overpower that pleasant feeling leaving a heavy weight in its place. The more Nikolai manages to mess with my head, the more dangerous this game between us becomes. When he does cute shit like this, it reinforces the idea that he’s hell-bent on closing the distance between us, and that ignites an urge inside me to get the hell away from him.

Nikolai lifts me off the counter, setting my feet on the floor. “Come on,” he says. “Let’s go kick some ass.”

The moment is over faster than it started when we meet the others outside. The sun is shining today, making the air noticeably warmer than the last few days. The desire to soak up the vitamin D is strong. I could spend hours bathing in the sun. Instead, I’m going to spend them stuck in a car.I already hate this.

The chirp of a car lock pulls me back to the moment, and Nikolai waves his hand at me, the keys to the rented Escalade dangling from his finger.

“You’re not driving,” I tell him, reaching for the keys.

With a grin, he holds them out of reach. “Pretty sure the rental is in my name, kitten.”

“Pretty sure I don’t give a shit,” I fire back.

“Pretty sure I don’t want to get in this car,” Allison grumbles. She snatches the keys from Nikolai while he’s busy trying to guard them from me. “Until the two of you play nice, neither of you is driving. You can sit in the back together and grow up. Until you do, I’ll drive.”

“Wait—” I start.

“Nope,” she cuts in. “You guys have been talking for months about teamwork, about how important it is that we work together. Clearly, you need to listen to your own advice.”

When the hell did she get so fiery?Color me impressed.

“Fine with me,” Nikolai says, backing down.

“Fine,” I finally mutter, crossing my arms over my chest so I’m not tempted to smack him.

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