Page 50 of Poisoned Vows

“You don’t?” I gesture to the pool and the view beyond, and I can see that she doesn’t have an argument for that. It’s truly stunning, and I see her gaze flick out to the snowy landscape past the windows.

I don’t bother with a towel when I get out to fetch our drinks, and I can feel her eyes on me as I uncork and pour the wine, entirely naked. My cock has softened, but it’s still thicker and longer than most men, even when I’m not aroused, and I know she enjoys looking at the rest of me, too. I’ve seen the way she’s looked at me when she thinks she has enough time that I won’t notice—or when she just can’t help herself.

I like to think I’m not a particularly arrogant man, but I’ve always enjoyed women’s attention. Something about Lilliana being unable tonotlook at me feels better, though. Like something I’ve won, if she can’t stop herself from ogling.

This girl is really getting under your fucking skin, Vasilev.

I bring her the wine, wondering idly if she might smash the glass and stab me with it. I’d almost be impressed if she tried, but she just takes it from me as I sit on the edge of the pool nude, sipping my whisky as she takes a slow drink of the wine.

“I’ll make a wine connoisseur out of you yet,” I tell her, slipping back into the water and setting my glass on the edge.

“I think it would be wasted on me.” She takes another drink. “I doubt they’d taste all that different.”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” I watch her as I say it, and her expression doesn’t change. I don’t know why I feel the urge to introduce her to new things, show her how this life she’s now a part of doesn’t have to be the prison she thinks it is. No matter how I try to not care, it feels as if she keeps working her way back in.

I finish my whiskey, and then I motion to the floor-to-ceiling window. “Let’s go outside.”

Lilliana looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “It’s freezing out there.Belowfreezing.”

“It feels nice when you’re in the hot water. Trust me.”

As soon as I see the look on her face, I realize what a ridiculous statement that was. Of course, she doesn’t trust me. I can see the moment that she considers whether or not to argue, and then shrugs.

“Fine. But if I feel like I’m freezing my tits off, I’m coming back inside immediately.Andgoing up to bed.”

“Such crude language.” I let my gaze sweep over her bare chest, letting her see just how much I enjoy looking at her when she’s naked for me like this. “You have a deal,krolik. But if you go up to bed, I’ll be coming with you. So just remember that.”

She doesn’t argue with me again about it. She follows me out through the cut-glass opening that leads to the outdoor part of the pool, the steam rising up off of the water, and I can see a light prickle of gooseflesh over her arms and upper shoulders. I almost want her to beg off, saying it’s too cold, so I can take her back to bed.

I see her gaze flick around the view, and I want to see her reaction. It’s beautiful out here—the ground misted with snow, the trees rising as a backdrop, the dark sky studded with stars. I have the sudden urge to tell her how much I love coming out here, how relaxing I find it, away from my father and the responsibilities of our family. How often I like to come here alone when I can—and how having her here has made it…

Made it what, exactly?I can’t say more pleasant—Lilliana is not a pleasant companion right now, at least not conversationally.Interesting?I don’t think she’d take that as a compliment. And she already knows how much I enjoy fucking her.

“It’s beautiful,” she says softly, and it might be one of the first sincere things I’ve heard her say that isn’t tinged with sarcasm or a biting comment. I think she realizes as soon as the words come out of her mouth what she’s said, because she looks away, wrapping her arms around herself. “And cold,” she adds, as if she’s remembered that she’s not supposed to enjoy any of this.

I move through the water towards her, reaching for her waist as I pull her back against me, and I lean down, brushing my lips over her shoulder where the skin is prickled. “You do look a little cold,” I murmur. “Should we go upstairs and warm up?”

She tenses instantly. “It’s not that bad.”

“You’d rather freeze than have me fuck you again? It’s notthatbad, Lilliana. I’ve made you come more times than you have in your entire life. After all, you did say you’ve never even touched yourself.”

I wait for her to admit that she did the first night in the mansion. I have no idea how many more times she made herself come in the two weeks between that night and our wedding—and it drove me insane to imagine it—but I know she did that night, after I touched her in the study. Whether or not she’ll tell me remains to be seen.

“You’re full of yourself,” she says tightly, her arms still wrapped around herself. “Maybe I faked it.”

“I know the difference. But if you don’t—” I let one of my hands slide over her stomach, down lower, just above where I imagine I might find her hot and wet if I touched her there. “I could help remind you. And don’t worry,” I add, my fingers stroking over the smooth, bare flesh at the top of her pussy and feeling her shiver. “Soon enough, you’ll be full of me.”

She wrenches away from me, gliding through the water until several arms’ lengths are between us. “Do these lines normally work on women?” she demands, the words thrown over her shoulder at me as she turns away to try to keep me from looking at her bare breasts. “Because they’re not working on me, Nikolai.”

“Sometimes.” I follow her, and I feel a flicker of heated excitement. It’s a low-effort chase, but it’s a chase nonetheless, and out here in the dark silence, with nothing but the snowy woods beyond, I feel as if she’s my prey. A pretty little rabbit, waiting for me to catch her and gobble her up.

She tries to move away from me, but I grab her by her waist, pulling her back against me, letting her feel that I’m hard all over again as I press my cock against her ass. “Maybe it is time to go upstairs,” I murmur into her ear, and I feel the faintest twitch of her hips, her ass moving against me involuntarily at the sensation of my cock before she catches herself.

Lilliana can pretend she doesn’t want me at all, but little by little, she’s giving herself away.

I lead her back inside, giving her a towel as I gather up our clothes. She balks as we start to walk towards the stairs, and I look at her, shaking my head.

“I can carry you upstairs, Lilliana, but you’re not going to like it nearly as much when we get up there if you make me do that.”

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