Page 18 of Captured By the Russian Wolf

But I wanted him.

It was a deep, aching need that I couldn't shake, no matter how hard I tried. My body betrayed me every time he was near. Every time he touched me, even the smallest brush of his hand against my skin, it was like electricity shooting through my veins. And after that kiss at the gala...

God, that kiss.

I couldn't stop thinking about it. The way his lips had crashed against mine, fierce and demanding, as if he couldn't control himself any longer. The way his hands had gripped my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. The heat, the intensity, the way he had made my heart race, my body tremble—it had been overwhelming. And now, no matter how much I tried to push the memory away, it was there, haunting me. Taunting me.

My body ached for him in a way that I couldn't explain, in a way that made me feel weak. It was a craving I didn't want to have, something primal, something I couldn't control. But the more I tried to ignore it, the stronger it became.

I wanted to keep hating him. I wanted to stay focused on my mission, on avenging Alexei's death. But my body had other plans. Every time I was near Nikita, the desire coiled inside me, twisting tighter and tighter until it was almost unbearable.

And now, alone in my room, with the memory of his kiss still lingering on my lips, I could feel that need growing again. The pulse between my legs, the warmth spreading through my body—it was too much. I could still feel the ghost of his hands on my skin, the way his touch had ignited something deep inside me that I hadn't felt in so long.

I traced the handprints he had left behind on my body earlier, starting with my breasts. I kneaded my chest hard, my back arching off the bed as memories of him flooded my mind. I thought about his hot mouth sucking my flesh and biting into me, like at the gala. That pushed my hands lower, racing toward my core, aching so sharply it almost hurt.

I'll break you in myself.

My fingers danced over my lips, seeking at first to tease, but I was far beyond that. I needed to touch myself directly. I slipped my hands into my panties, thinking only of Nikita's strong hands all over me, possessing me.

My fingers moved slowly at first, tentative, as I tried to suppress the shame bubbling inside me. But it wasn't long before the need overwhelmed everything else. I stroked my clit faster, more desperately, as I chased that release, that moment of escape.

I bit my lip, trying to stifle the sounds escaping my throat, trying to keep an awareness of the room. What if he suddenly opened my door? Then he would see how much I needed him.

Maybe I wanted him to see. Maybe I wanted him to watch me fuck myself, and only when I was done would he?—

The release came quickly, washing over me in waves, leaving me trembling and breathless, Nikita's name on the tip of my tongue. But as my body relaxed, the guilt settled in. I lay there in the darkness, my heart pounding, my skin still tingling with the aftershocks of pleasure, but my mind was a mess.

I couldn't deny it anymore. I wanted Nikita. Physically. Desperately. But what did that mean? What did it mean for my mission, for my loyalty to Alexei, for the revenge I had promised myself?

I didn't have answers. Only confusion. And an aching need that needed to be satisfied.

CHAPTER 7

Nikita

Lily was testing me.

After our talk in the sitting room, she didn't back down like I told her to. Instead, she started asking questions. Small, seemingly harmless inquiries about my business, the way things worked in my world. To anyone else, it might seem like normal curiosity. But I wasn't just anyone. I'd been raised in a world where every question, every shift in tone, had a purpose. And the more she asked, the more something inside me stirred, nagging at the back of my mind.

She interacted with my staff, smiled politely as they showed her around the estate, and even asked Mikhail about our operations under the guise of casual conversation.

On the surface, she seemed innocent enough—trying to learn more about the man she'd married. But it didn't sit right with me. I had always prided myself on my instincts, and right now, they were telling me to pay closer attention. To watch her more carefully.

It wasn't just suspicion that gnawed at me. There was something else. I found myself drawn to her, more than I cared to admit. Her presence had become a constant hum beneath my skin, a distraction I couldn't afford. But no matter how much I tried to keep my distance, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

And the night at the gala… I'd lost control then, and all I wanted to do was lose myself again in her. I wanted to hear her breathless moans in my ear.

I watched her from my office window as she walked around downstairs, heading toward the study where I knew she often went to read. I hadn't confronted her yet, hadn't asked her what she was truly after. Part of me didn't want to. Instead, I wanted to see how far she would go. Would she play her part, or would she reveal what she was hiding?

I needed to know. Something wasn't adding up.

There was something about her that kept me from going all in with my suspicion. Maybe it was the way she fit into my world, slipping into the role of my wife with an ease that almost seemed natural. Maybe it was the way she looked at me when she thought I wasn't paying attention, her expression torn between curiosity and something else I couldn't quite place.

But whatever it was, I needed to know the truth. So, instead of pressing her, I decided to test her.

We arrived at the restaurant in the early evening, the soft glow of the streetlights casting long shadows on the pavement. I chose this place deliberately—a high-end establishment frequented by people with clean hands. It was where I handled my legitimate business, away from the dark corners of my criminal empire. Tonight, I wanted to see how Lily would react when faced with this other side of me, the one I showed to investors and real estate partners.

When I had first saw Lily that evening, I had to quickly look away from her. I told her to dress to impress, and she did a damngood job. She chose a floor-length gown, its luxurious, silky satin hugging her body gracefully, accentuating her curves. It's V-shaped neckline tempted the eye, showing off the soft swell of her breasts without dipping too deeply. As she walked, the slit in her dress up the side gave a flash of her legs, and the deep blue made her eyes all the more darker, alluring.

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