Page 44 of Savage Reign

A flush creeps up my neck when I turn around and see the ripples trailing his broad frame. He’s heading my way, and I instinctively back up, trying to create distance.

His eyes narrow. “Are you running from me?”

“I’m not running… I-I’m swimming.”

I just happen to be swimming in the opposite direction of him. But I don’t make it very far. The second my back brushes against the pool’s wall, he’s in front of me. His grip tightens around my waist, pulling me against him. His bare chest is slick and warm, and I’m keenly aware of how close his naked body is to mine.

He catches my wrist, holding it firmly as he stares at the tattoo. “You know you weren’t supposed to get your tattoo wet until it’s healed.”

“As you can see, I covered it with a waterproof bandage. For the record, I only did it because I don’t want an infection.”

He tilts his head. “Is this the first time you’ve gone swimming here?”

I hesitate before answering, my palms lightly pressed against his shoulders to create space between us. “Yeah,” I admit. “I was getting restless.”

His brow arches. “What do you normally do at home to keep busy?”

“I’ve been a student for the last four years. All I’ve done is dance. I had no time for anything else.”

“You can dance here, too. There’s plenty of room in my house. But what else would you like to do?” He studies me closely. “What have you dreamed of doing that you haven’t had time for?”

His question takes me by surprise. I’m not used to thinking about what I want, what I’d do if I had the freedom to choose. My entire focus has been on dance and school for so long that everything else feels like a blank slate.

“I don’t know,” I say slowly, the honesty of it making me feel exposed. “I’ve been so focused on one goal for so long that I haven’t thought about anything else but graduating and moving to Berlin.”

“Maybe it’s time to start thinking about it.”

I scoff, trying to conceal the vulnerability creeping in. “What, you’re my life coach now?”

He chuckles, his hand still secure at my waist. “No one would ever accuse me of being that.”

I roll my eyes. “And what do you suggest, oh wise one?"

He tilts his head. “Cooking. Painting. Horseback riding. Hell, even skydiving, if you want to mix it up. Either way, I’m not stopping you from dancing.”

“I don’t only want to dance. I want to perform. I want to dance onstage and live my life on my terms.”

He’s quiet for a moment. The cool water licks at my shoulders, a sharp contrast to the heat radiating off Nikolai. With his wet hair slicked back and the shadows on his face more pronounced in the dark, my heart skips a beat. He’s overwhelmingly, undeniably all man.

“Why Berlin? Why did you want to go there?”

“I thought I could start fresh in a new city. It has a vibrant arts scene, and it’s far enough from Moscow that nobody would know my ties to the Syndicate. I could finally live without the weight of all this baggage.” I release a bitter laugh. “I was even going to try to convince Liza and Roman that I don’t need to take a bodyguard with me. I guess that’ll never happen.”

His thumb shifts, a subtle movement against the exposed skin of my belly. “You’ve been so focused on one thing you’ve forgotten how to just live. Maybe you should figure out what you enjoy when you’re not chasing a goal,” he says, his lips hovering inches from mine.

His words settle into a part of me I’ve tried to ignore. He might be right, and it frustrates me that he can see it so clearly. I try to push away from him, but he doesn’t let me go. “Says the man holding me captive.”

“I’m not any man. I’m your husband.”

I glare up at Nikolai, my throat tightening. “I never asked for a husband.”

His expression remains infuriatingly calm. “Yet here we are,” he replies. “Life doesn’t care about what we ask for.”

“It’s easy for you to tell me not to be so ambitious when you’re prepared to go up against the Syndicate, for what? Money?”

His lips press into a thin line, but he doesn’t hesitate. “Power,” he says bluntly. “That’s all that matters. After rebuilding from nothing, I know what it takes to survive.”

I shake my head. “I’ve always wondered something. Why did you help Roman all those years ago? After you killed Sergey, you had no reason to risk your life to save me and my sister.”

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