Page 114 of Cruel Promise

I want to be loved by him. That’s the truth I’m afraid to speak because to speak it means I’ll be putting my heart out there and honestly, I’m not sure what Nik would do with that.

But none of that matters right now.

What matters is how his lips feel on mine, and they feel magical.

He wraps his arms around my hips and lifts me up. I gasp and cling to him. Our lips only part for a moment before we kiss again.

Nikolai walks me into my room and lays me down on the bed, his body following, covering mine. We’ve never been thisphysically close before. Chest to chest. My body tingles at the knowledge of that.

He kisses me harder as his hands squeeze my waist, sending a flush of arousal through me. I can already feel a wetness pooling between my legs. I can even smell my own scent.

Nikolai kisses down my throat, his lips firm like he’s claiming me as his own. He wants everyone to know I’m his.

I grip his shoulders and let my eyes flutter shut, just feeling in this moment. I lift my knees so they’re framing his hips. I can feel Nikolai’s entire body on me, including the hardness forming between his legs.

His lips move down to my upper chest. My body reacts on instinct, and I arch my back to get closer to him. His touch is a fire I never knew I needed to feel.

Nikolai draws his hand from my waist up to my breast, where he cups it and gently squeezes. I gasp. A flash of arousal hits me.

He lifts his gaze to mine. “I’ve wanted to touch you for so fucking long.”

“I want you to,” I admit.

His eyes burn with desire. My entire body tingles once more. “I want all of you.”

I know what he’s saying. He wants me to give him my virginity. I haven’t been holding onto it for any special reason. I was just so afraid to have sex or any relationship because of my father.

But my father can’t bother me now. Not when I have Nikolai Petrov as a husband.

His power bothered me when we first met. Nik was like an unmovable object. But now, his power turns me on. It makes me feel powerful, too.

So, I say the words I know will bind me to Nikolai forever.

“You can have me.”

He sucks in a breath right before kissing me so deeply that I almost can’t breathe.

My hands grip the back of his shoulders, steadying myself, as Nik runs his hands up and down the sides of my body. I could let him touch me like this forever.

His fingers touch the buttons on the front of my dress. I know the moment this piece of fabric comes off me that there’s no going back.

He sits up and slowly unbuttons my dress, one button at a time, until he undoes it all and slips the dress off my body. He pulls it down and tosses it to the floor without a care. He only has eyes for me.

My breath is shaky. Nik doesn’t comment on it as he unclasps my bra and tosses it to the floor with my dress. His lips capture one of my nipples. He’s not holding back.

So, I decide to not hold back either.

I arch my spine to get closer to him. My body is so sensitive, including my nipples, and the way he kisses over my breasts makes me feel like I might lose my mind in the best way possible.

“Oh,” I gasp, pressing my legs together as he gives my breast a gentle bite. His strong hands grip my hips, so close to the top of my underwear. Once he takes those off me, there really won’t be any turning back.

He sits back up and gazes down at me. “Fuck, Ava.”

I take this moment to gaze over his bare chest. So full of scars but not any less beautiful. I run my hand down his chest, making him let out slow breath. I love hearing and seeing the effect I have on him. It shows me he really is only human at the end of the day.

My fingers reach the top of his pants, and I stop. We both know what this means. Once we get naked, I will give him my body completely, and our marriage will forever be changed.

Without taking his eyes off me, he stands up and slips his pants down. Through his underwear, I can see his erection pressing against the fabric. Knowing he wants me turns me on even more.

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