Page 114 of Bound By Revenge

Eventually, Nik sighs.

“I swear, woman—I had every intention of slowly making love to you this morning,” he grumbles, his tone mockexasperation. “But no, you justhadto push my buttons, didn’t you? It’s like you aren’t happy unless you’ve got me in some kind of maddened frenzy.”

I lift my head to glare at him, but the corners of my lips betray me, twitching into a smile. “Oh, so it’smyfault? Typical.”

His brown eyes glitter with undisguised amusement, his own lips quirking. “All I’m saying is, you bring out the worst in me.”

I snort. “I beg to differ. I think I bring out thebestin you. Take this morning, for example. Exhibit fucking A.”

His laugh rumbles low and warm in his chest, but before I can press my point, he leans in and nips playfully at my earlobe, making me squeal.

“Well,” he murmurs with a theatrical sigh, “there’s always tomorrow, I guess.”

“Tomorrow?” I repeat, my voice dripping with feigned horror. “What abouttonight?”

His grin turns wolfish, his eyes glinting with a mixture of challenge and promise. If I weren’t already sprawled flat on my stomach against him, my knees would’ve turned to jelly.

“God have mercy on me,” he mutters against my lips before capturing them in a tender, lingering kiss.

The mood is abruptly ruined when my stomach growls loudly, demanding a different kind of attention.

Still chuckling, Nik shakes his head. “Shame on me. Here I am, practically devouring you while you’re starving. What do you feel like eating? I’ll have it brought to you.”

“Well, one thing comes to mind,” I murmur against his lips, my tone dripping with suggestion.

His delighted laughter crinkles the corners of his eyes, sending a pang straight to my chest. Sweet, gorgeous man.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he says with a grin. “Later.”

I sigh dramatically. “Later? You’re no fun.”

He smirks. “You know very well that’s not true. But how am I supposed to live with myself if you starve to death under my watch?” He mock-shudders, pulling me out of bed.

I roll my eyes. “Fine. Feed me, then. I’ll take some freshly baked croissants. And orange juice. Please and thank you. And for dessert—” I smile slowly, letting my eyes drop suggestively.

Groaning and laughing at the same time, he leans in to kiss me. “Kiska. Mercy, please.”

“Very well. Since youasked me nicely.”

His gaze darkens, but just as he pulls me into his arms, the sharp ring of my phone slices through the moment.

Cyndi Lauper’s“Girls Just Want to Have Fun”blares through the room, breaking the tension like a cold splash of water.

Nik glances over my shoulder, his lips twitching with amusement. “I think that’s for you,” he says, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I sigh, frustrated, and walk over to the nightstand. “It’s A.J.,” I say after glancing at the screen.

“You should take it. I’ll handle breakfast,” he says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head before starting to get dressed.

I watch him as I answer the call, mesmerized by the way his sweater clings to his shoulders, the way his jeans hang perfectly on his hips.

“Thank God you picked up. I’ve been out of my mind with worry,” A.J. says, sighing dramatically.

I laugh, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Hi, A.J.! Hello to you, too.”

“Oh, yeah, hi,” she says dryly. “I’ve been thinking about you all night. Is it true that Patrick McGuire and your Russian are at war?”

I exhale wearily. “Yes.”

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