Page 89 of Cruel Promise

He sighs. “Ava, I had to put a stop to … whatever happened between us that night. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend time with you.”

“Well, I don’t want to spend time with you. In fact, you’re getting in the way of my swim.”

“You know, you’re the only person who can speak to me like that.”

“Like what?”

“With attitude?”

“Then why don’t you punish me for it?”

His gaze intensifies. “I don’t want to punish you, Ava.”

I consider his words as I swim around slowly. “Why do you let me talk to you this way?”

“Because you’re my wife.”

“Is that really the reason? You seem like the kind of man who doesn’t care if the person is a man or a woman. You don’t like disrespect.”

“You’re right. I don’t.” He pauses. “But I don’t mind it with you.”

I stop swimming. “Why? You need to give me something, Nik.” There it is again.Nik.

His eyes flash with something. At least it means hefeelssomething. “I know what I said the other day. But it’s for your own benefit.”

“My own benefit?”

“You don’t want to know me, Ava. I’ll only end up breaking your heart.”

“That’s presumptuous. You don’t have my heart.” I can tell my words sting by how he looks away from me. Good. I want him to hurt like he hurt me.

I’m so angry I allowed myself to feel anything for him in the first place.

“It’s for your own protection,” he says. “Trust me on that.”

As tears sting my eyes, I blink them back. I refuse to cry in front of him. “I’m done.” I get out on the other end of the pool as far away from him as I can get.

When I look at him, I see how he’s looking at me. Dark eyes. Desire.

I shiver, both from the cold water on my skin and how he makes me feel. Stupid. I shouldn’t allow Nikolai to make me feel anything.

But it’s there anyway.

The water drips from my body. My swimsuit clings to my skin.

Nikolai slowly walks over to me, his steps loud on the tiles in the echo-y room. Each step matches the beat of my heart.

He only stops once he reaches me. “You’re so beautiful.”

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to say that.”

“But it’s true.”

“Why do you make me feel this way?”

“What way?” he asks, his voice sounding raw.

“Like this.” I wave a hand between us. “I can’t control it. I don’t even understand it.”

---