Page 15 of The Monster

I take a sip of my wine and smile. “At least I’m happy with my marriage.” I straighten in my seat and look at each of them slowly, letting my gaze linger on their faces. “I wonder when was the last time your husbands looked at all of you like the sun shone out of your asses, because mine does every single day.”

As the words leave my mouth, the air freezes around us. I push my chair back and stand. They stare at me, their expressions a mix of disbelief and shock. The smirks and condescending smiles vanish, and I don’t wait for them to recover.

I head for the entrance, but Eleanor has to have the last word. “That’s not going to last. He’s going to get tired of you and find someone else.”

I can’t stop the laughter bubbling within me, and I shoot her a sideways look. “Aw, El. Nikolai isn’t like your husband. He buys me things because he wants to and not because he cheated on me with my hairstylist.”

A wave of relief washes over me. Each step I take makes me feel lighter, as if I’m shedding layers of fear, self-doubt, and low confidence. Years and years of suffering, and I’m free. Finally.

The cool breeze hits my face as I walk toward the car, and I inhale deeply, savoring the crisp air filling my lungs.

I’m so damned proud of myself for standing up to them after all these years. They can’t touch me anymore. I won’t let them.

And now, I’m going home to my husband.

12

NIKOLAI

I’m so focused on answering my emails that I don’t notice Nina’s arrival. I’m deep into my work, fingers flying over the keyboard and eyes glued to the screen.

A knock on the door breaks through my mental fog, and I blink, momentarily disoriented. Without waiting for an answer, the door creaks open, and my wife peeks in, eyes scanning the room before settling on me.

A huge smile creeps on her face. “Am I interrupting something?”

I stop hunching over the laptop and lean back. “Never, Nina. Come in. I could use the break.”

She walks toward me and leans against my desk, her thigh brushing my arm. “I’m hungry.”

“Didn’t you have lunch with your sisters?”

Her smile disappears, and she rolls her eyes. “I didn’t eat.”

I gently rest a hand on her waist and turn her to me. “What happened?”

Nina sighs and runs a finger along my arm. “Just the usual. They joined forces to make fun of me, and while I normally ate my lunch in silence, letting them step all over me, I didn’t do it this time.” Her gaze hardens as she looks away. “I gave them a piece of my mind and walked away.”

I steer her to me and settle her on my lap, brushing a strand of hair sticking to her temple. “Tell me. What did they do? Do you want me to threaten their husbands?”

“You’d do that?”

“Of course. Anything for you, little wife.”

The side of her mouth lifts, and she rests her head on my chest. “They talked shit about you. I didn’t let it fly, so I told them their husbands had nothing on you.”

Warmth and amusement flicker in my chest, and I chuckle. “Do you really think that?”

“Of course.”

“But now you’re hungry.”

She groans. “I came to see you first, but I’ll go to the kitchen and find Dario.”

Nina wiggles on my lap, and the simple movement has my cock roaring to attention. With the thin fabric of her skirt, she quickly becomes aware of my body responding to her. She raises a brow at me. “You know what, on second thought, I might be hungry for something else.”

“Nina…”

She slides her lacy underwear down, kicking it away with her shoes. Her skirt follows, and she stands before me in nothing buther thin top. With a wicked smile, she straddles me and pins my forearms to the armrests. “No moving, husband, or I stop. I’m going to ride you until you come.”

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