Chapter 20
Twenty
L AYANA
In the cellar’s oppressive darkness, Niko yanked his mouth away from mine with a force that had me gasping for breath.
His eyes deepened like smoldering coals, revealing an almost predatory hunger.
He reached out and grasped a fistful of my hair, yanking my head. “Layana, do you know what you do to me?”
The raw emotion sent a flood of arousal through my core.
“Niko, I—” I started, but he silenced any protest with another searing kiss that was both fierce and quick, igniting a whirlwind of need and uncertainty within me.
I found myself adrift in a torrent of confusion, caught between the terrors of fatal violence and the irresistible pull of lust. Amid this swirling ambiguity, a powerful surge of desire emanated from deep within me, leaving me fervently hoping that his intentions were nothing short of carnal delight.
“You,” he hissed, his head swaying, eyes wild and dilated. “Watching you today made me as hard as a rock.”
With possessive urgency, he seized my hand and pressed it against his tense groin, the undeniable firmness, and instinctively, I curved my fingers to cup him.
“That’s what you do to me, Laya! You drive me fucking crazy with the heat of your presence, with the burning lust in your gaze, with an insatiable hunger that I can’t contain!”
His eyes searched mine for a heartbeat, the silent exchange brimming with a fierce, unspoken promise, before he claimed my mouth again.
He spread my lips open like unveiling a hidden treasure, thrusting his tongue inside in a collision of desperate need and reciprocal desire. I responded to his fervor with a moan of surrender, my body arching into his embrace as I pressed my breasts against his chest.
Then, as abruptly as before, he tore his mouth away, leaving behind an aching need only he could quench.
“All I could think about, Laya,” he declared, his rumbling confession, “was fucking you, from the moment you stormed through that door and pinned that bastard down with the point of your gun, as if you ruled the damn world with fearless fury. If it weren’t for your family being there, I would have claimed you on that table. ”
“I am fearless,” I spat back, lifting my chin defiantly against the whirlwind of passion and power swirling around us.
A wry smirk played on his lips as his eyes danced with dark amusement and raw desire. “My darling, you are the most enticing, breathtakingly sexy woman I have ever laid eyes on.”
In that charged moment, I squeezed his rigid shaft, marveling at the low, rumbling growl that vibrated deep within him, while the pulse of desire sent spasms of ecstasy coursing through me.
Niko was a force of feral passion, a blend of dark, unrelenting, violent yearning, and ruthless power.
And beneath all that ferocity lay a core of unyielding loyalty.
Today, he had deliberately taken a step back, allowing Avra and me to navigate the perilous situation on our own without a single disapproving utterance escaping his lips.
As the realization slowly dawned on me, it became clear that his silence was not a sign of doubt. Instead, it was a deliberate effort to shield me, as Vik had hinted before, until I was ready to uncover the truth.
Once Avra and I had stepped into chaos, he trusted us to take control. That unwavering loyalty, unique among traits I had encountered, only heightened my desire for him, binding us in a moment that was as terrifying as it was intoxicating.
I was already captivated by Niko. In truth, my affection for him had grown deeply. There was much to admire about him.
It wasn’t just his name, rich with legacy, his wealth symbolizing power and influence, or his expansive estate showcasing his achievements. What truly caught my eye during our first encounter was his commanding presence and that incredible body.
He truly captured my soul when he offered his unwavering support. He stood by me when I needed him most, displaying the utmost confidence in the Vitalis family as it existed today. Supporting me didn’t make him weak. It simply showed he trusted my judgment and regarded me as a partner.
His wife .
Those words resonated with thrilling clarity. While my courage excited him, his loyalty to me had an equally strong effect.
This time, I ripped my mouth from his and reached up, cupping his chiseled cheek, and gazed up at him.
“Thank you for standing by me and not intervening today.” My gratitude overflowed. “I can’t express how much that means to me.”
“I trust you completely,” he said. “You’re smart, Laya. You are fearlessly intuitive, and I do not doubt that together, we will make an unstoppable team, no matter our goals.”
“Thank you for saying that,” I replied, my heart swelling with emotion.
“I’m sorry for not telling you about the meeting; I was only?—”
“—trying to protect me, I know,” I interjected.
“Yes,” he admitted, like a tender confession.
His lips found mine again, insistent and possessive. He kissed me with intense passion and urgency, and I mirrored his fervor. His hand wove through my hair again, his eyes wild and untamed as they locked onto mine.
He stepped closer, the space between us shrinking until I could feel the heat of his body radiating off him. His eyes locked onto mine, deep and hypnotic, capturing every ounce of my attention.
“Now that we’re alone, you’re mine, do you understand?” His quiet command wrapped around me and made my heart race.
His possessiveness fed the arousal burning inside me.
I tried to resist them, to deny the emotions they stirred in me. Yet, he was right—when we were alone, I belonged to him. In those private moments, I craved his touch, his control, to be marked as his and his alone.
“You’re no longer in charge, Laya,” he murmured, his lingering kisses tracing along the sensitive skin of my neck.
I leaned back, surrendering to his quiet command as his lips traced a fiery journey across my skin.
The heat of his mouth sent shivers through me, awakening every nerve.
Light kisses transformed into firm presses as he explored my collarbone, trailing lower and igniting a craving that consumed me and left me breathless.
His fingers traced the edge of my skirt, sliding beneath the fabric with a deft movement. Each inch he bared sent a thrill coursing through me, making the room seem to shrink and the air to thicken with an undeniable tension.
His breath coasted over my exposed skin, heightening every sensation as he explored.
“Again?” he asked, laden with yearning, authority, and oozing a delightful blend of dominance and raw lust. “You sexy little whore!”
His fingers, both searching and assured, found the slick desire between my thighs, plunging viciously into my aching pussy.
A sharp cry escaped me, equal parts plea for escape and command for more. My knees trembled under the intensity of his whispers and caresses.
“No,” he said abruptly, withdrawing his hand with a calculated gleam.
I whimpered in protest, my body desperate for the pleasure that only he could evoke.
He brought his lips close to my ear and vowed in a tone barely above a whisper yet laden with unyielding authority, “You aren’t going to come. You’re mine, remember? I say where. I say how. I say when.”
I gaped at him, filled with both apprehension and arousal, as his declarations etched themselves into my consciousness. I bit my lip in silent submission.
He reached up once more, grasping my hair and twisting it, his fingers tangling in the soft strands as he pulled me closer. His grip was firm and insistent.
He leaned closer, his eyes heated and radiating dominance. “Do you understand me?”
I nodded, my breath coming in quick, uneven gasps, the air thick with anticipation.
“Say it,” he commanded.
“Y—you say when,” I replied, my lips trembling.
My body hummed with unquenched arousal, and I was so ready to beg for relief.
“That’s right, good girl,” he praised, and I couldn’t help but shiver.
His approval and revealed desire served as a provocative seduction for my senses.
He rested his other hand on my shoulder, decisively guiding me downward. “Now, get on your knees, darling.”
I eased myself down onto the cool floor, feeling the chill seep into my skin. My eyes locked onto him, heart racing as a wave of anticipation surged within me, each breath heavy with need.
My heart pounded in an erratic rhythm, and goosebumps pricked my skin as his fingers moved to the belt of his trousers.
In an instant, his pants dropped, exposing his throbbing cock—heavy, magnificently thick, hard, and so fucking beautiful. Without a moment’s hesitation, he held my face, directing his swollen shaft toward my eager mouth.
“I want to feel those pretty lips wrap around my dick, Laya,” he whispered.
I pressed my back into the coolness of the wall, my head tilted back as if inviting his gaze. My heart raced, every nerve ending tingling as I met his eyes, vulnerability washing over me like a wave, unmanageable and overwhelming.
His dark eyes burned with desire. “Open up, Laya. Let me fuck your mouth.”
In that charged moment, I completely surrendered to his desires, a surge of longing igniting within me as I sensed his arousal.
Darting my tongue out, I licked up the bead of precum on his cockhead.
Niko released an animalistic groan, tightening his grip on my hair. The throbbing between my legs grew, and I followed his unspoken command and took him deep.
His hips moved with a slow, intentional rhythm, each thrust creating ripples of pleasure within me. My eager and nimble tongue danced along the firm, thick length of his velvety, engorged dick, exploring every ridge and contour.
“Yes,” he growled, deep and full of satisfaction. “That’s it, baby—keep doing that thing I enjoy.”