Chapter 28 #2
“Stop,” I demand as I drink some of the vodka and look away from him, but he reaches out and turns my chin back.
“You’ve had your fun and taught me a lesson, and now it’s time to come home,” Faiz persuades.
“Back to me and our life. You can even keep him on the side if you want. I don’t care as long as I have you.
I can forgive and forget anything, just come back to me.
Let’s do this together like we planned. A house. A family. An empire.”
Once, it was all I wanted to hear from him, but not anymore.
“No.” I frown, tugging my chin from his grip.
“That is not what I want any more, and I don’t need you to build that.
I can do it alone. You speak of partners, but you were never there to be one.
It was always on me alone. I have never felt as alone as I did in our relationship.
Your apology means nothing, Faiz. It’s too little, too late, and the fact that you said I could keep sleeping with other people means you don’t know me at all.
I would never, ever do that to somebody.
I would never hurt them in that way. I know how that feels.
I know how it rips you to pieces. Cheating isn’t just a mistake, Faiz.
It destroys your partner, and I have spent months rebuilding myself from the wreckage you left me in.
I will never go back to that, so please stop coming around.
You aren’t what I want anymore, and you are definitely not what I need.
The him you speak of makes me happy. He makes me laugh.
He never makes me worry. He tells me I’m beautiful every day and holds me every night.
He makes me feel safe, loved, and seen, which is something you would never understand.
He might never get this world, but he doesn’t need to because he gets me. ”
“He can never know you as well as I do, baby. We grew up together. We’ve seen everything together.
Who was there when your mother died? Who was there when your first crush rejected you?
When you lost that contract? When you had that accident?
Me. It has always been me, and it will always be me.
We just got a little lost.” He shifts closer, and my eyes widen.
“Let me remind you how good we are.” I try to pull away, but he presses me against the back of the booth as his lips move toward mine.
Suddenly, something hard appears between us, and Faiz’s lips crash into it before he recoils, letting me go, and I turn my head. Standing by the table, holding a black menu he used to block Faiz’s kiss, is Nikko.
He looks furious, his muscles bulging in his leather jacket as he glares at Faiz.
“Do not touch what isn’t yours.” He looks at me.
“We had a deal. No one else. You just broke that.” Reaching over as I sputter, he lifts me from the booth like I weigh nothing and flings me over his shoulder.
I try to get down, but he slaps his hand across my ass.
I could get away if I wanted to, but I don’t want to hurt him, so I hold my hand up to my guards, knowing they will have drawn their guns.
“Do not fucking move right now or you’ll make it worse for yourself. ” I rise, seeing Faiz on his feet.
“Put him down. I heard he doesn’t want you anymore. He’s my fiancé—”
“He was. You fucked it up by being an idiot, but I’m not you.
I’m not stupid. I know his worth, and I have no intention of letting him go.
Listen closely because I will only say this once—Zia is mine.
If you try this shit again, I’ll show you why I’m about to be a champion.
” He turns and stomps down the stairs before making his way through the club.
I can see my guards heading my way, but they know better than to touch Nikko, so they hesitate.
I shake my head, calling them off as Nikko stalks down a corridor that leads to the bathroom, kicks open the door, and lowers me to my feet before he locks the door.
“What the hell are you doing?” I shout, but my words cut off in a gasp as his lips press against mine.
My back hits the sink as my mouth opens. My heart soars, and my body comes back to life under his touch.
This is what I have been missing.
I lose myself in him for a moment as his tongue tangles with mine before I jerk my head away, breathing heavily, and press my hands against his chest to push him away, but he doesn’t move. He’s like a rock, and I swing my gaze up to his. His eyes are dark and hungry.
“Nikko, you shouldn’t be here,” I remind him. My voice is breathless, so I clear my throat and try again. “We’re over. Didn’t you get that when I blocked you?”
“Oh, I got the message, but I’m choosing to ignore it. I never said this was over, only you did.”
I blink for a moment. “Right, well, you need to leave. I mean it, stay away from me—”
“Never.” His vehement response makes me recoil.
“I’ve had one week, seven days, without your brand of crazy, and I hated it.
I hated the silence, hated the routine. I’m never staying away from you again.
Punish me. Block me. Do whatever you want, but I’ll keep coming back.
” He presses against me, and my eyes drop to his lips.
Desire courses through me despite it all. I should stop him, but I’m weak.
I want him so badly. I want him to remind me that I’m his. I want to feel his arms around me again. I want the safety and happiness he offers. I can’t have him, but it doesn’t stop me from hesitating, and that gives him the opening he needs.
His brutal hands tear my pants and boxers down, and he kicks my legs apart as he turns me and bends me over the sink.
“Nikko, stop, this isn’t—” His hand covers my mouth as my cry erupts when he presses into me with one swift, brutal thrust, burying himself in my ass without any help.
His dark eyes lock on mine in the mirror as he leans down, looking furious and oh so fucking cruel and beautiful.
“I told you I would punish you. You let him touch you, and you almost let him kiss you, so I’m going to remind you.” Pulling out, he slams back in.
It hurts so much, tears squeeze from my eyes, yet I push back, wanting more. I need him to remind me that I’m his. I need him to take away all the responsibility, games, and blades aimed at me.
His palm slaps into the mirror as he bites my neck, the pain making me cry out as he hammers into my unprepared ass.
Nikko’s tongue soothes over his bite mark. “I want you to feel me when you walk so you never try to leave again. Did he touch anywhere else?”
I push back into him, needing more.
“Answer me,” he demands, cuffing my neck and squeezing, jealousy dripping from every word.
“No,” I whisper, and he reaches down, lifting one of my legs and pressing my knee to the sink, opening me up for him as he fucks me.
“If you ever let anyone touch you again, I’ll break their fucking hands,” he seethes, his eyes on mine as he hammers into me.
Pleasure slams through me despite the pain, overtaking it until I meet him halfway.
“Do you know how angry I was when I saw him leaning into you? I was going to kill him, baby. I was going to fucking kill him.”
“Nikko,” I rasp, my head falling forward as his grip tightens. His grunt fills the air as he speeds up. My pleasure keeps growing, and I can’t hold back.
“I’m close,” I tell him. “Please, Nikko.”
He snarls and plows into me before he stills and pulls from my ass.
I gawk as I feel his cum spray across my cheeks, his hand pumping his dick, and then he runs his fingers through the mess before reaching around and running it over my lips as he meets my gaze in the mirror, my tongue darting out to taste him.
“In case you try to let anyone else taste you again, they’ll taste me instead. ”
“I need to come,” I rasp, my orbs blown wide as I meet his dark gaze in the reflection.
“Then you’ll come back to my apartment. Until then, I won’t let you.
” He buckles his jeans and steps away as I gape in shock.
Is he seriously going to leave me like this?
I see the answer in his eyes. Yes. It’s part of his punishment, and a sick, twisted part of me loves it.
Faiz never got jealous or possessive, but this makes me feel owned and wanted.
Panting, I slump into the sink. Nikko turns me, hoisting me up so my aching ass presses against the cool tile, then he grips my throat and tilts my head up so I’m looking at him. “Try to leave me again, I dare you.”
“It’s for the best,” I whisper, trying to remember why.
“I don’t give a fuck.”
“Nikko . . .” I sigh, part of my reasoning skills coming back as my desire lessens. “Being with me could get you killed. You should go back to your life—”
“My life is not worth living without you,” he snaps. “Can’t you see that? I would rather die at your side than live another moment without you. You’re so used to nobody coming to save you that you think you have to save yourself, but you’re wrong. I will always come for you.”
“It’s just sex,” I protest. “We are just fuck buddies.”
“Buddies do not kiss the way we do. Look me in the eye and lie to me. Look at me and tell me this was never anything more. Look at me and tell me you don’t feel this too.
” He kisses me, and my eyelids flutter shut.
“Tell me that meant nothing, that it was just for pleasure.” When I remain silent, he smiles against my lips.
“You can’t because you know it’s not true.
We might have started as just sex, Zia, but we are so much more, and you can’t deny that.
I want you in my life. I want my bathroom messy with your skincare stuff.
I want that stool in my kitchen to be yours.
I want my arms to be your home. I want your crazy.
I want you in a way I’ve never wanted anything before, not even that championship.
If you asked me to walk away from it all, I would.
Maybe that should scare me, but it doesn’t.
The only true fear I know is what I felt when I woke up and you were gone. ”
His words pierce my heart. “I can’t.” He flinches like I landed a blow no one else has ever managed.
“Not yet. I need to deal with this, Nikko. I need to handle this my way, and I can’t be worried about you while I do it.
You’re my weakness, and they know it. It’s why they targeted you.
I can’t afford to be weak. Not right now.
” Cupping his cheeks, I stare into his devastating eyes.
“It’s selfish, but I can’t let you go either. I know I should—”
“Don’t,” he begs.
“Wait for me,” I blurt, and he blinks. “I shouldn’t ask you to. I don’t even know what I can give you, but I want you to wait for me. Wait for me to end this.”
He nods slowly, pressing his lips to mine.
“Then do it and come home. Come back to me. I’ll be waiting.
I’ll wait as long as it takes. I’ll wait forever if I have to.
Just . . . come back.” He kisses me again before he pushes away, his gaze full of pain—a pain that echoes what I’m feeling—before he turns and leaves.
It hurts so much more than walking away.
It’s not over, but I have this horrible feeling it could be the last time I see him.
I know I did the right thing, but it hurts so much.