The other night, he found me curled up on the couch at one of the balconies. He must’ve thought that I was asleep, but I was still half awake—aware of my surroundings. He took his jacket off, assumed that I was freezing, and draped the thick fabric over my body.
Reflexively, I adjusted on the couch, finding comfort in the warmth that enveloped me. The scent of his cologne was all on this jacket, teasing my senses.
But he didn’t stop there. No. This man carried me in his arms, took me back to my room, and laid me down on the bed. He took his jacket off me and then pulled the sheets over my body. His fingers brushed against my skin when he pushed back the hair that framed my face.
His touch was gentle, his presence offering a sense of safety. Nik lingered over me for a moment, and even though my eyes were closed, I could feel his gaze. He didn’t try anything stupid—didn’t attempt to take advantage of me in my sleep. Nothing of the sort.
Instead watched over me like a guardian angel. After a few minutes, he quietly walked out of the room and switched the light off. The moment the door closed with a soft click, I opened my eyes, a small smile playing on my lips.
Ever since that night, he’d been roaming my mind, and there was no feasible way to get him out. How could someone so ruthless be so gentle and loving at the same time? Nik always liked to get under my skin, pretending to find solace in my torment. However, it was clear that that wasn’t the case.
At this point, I wasn’t even sure what I believed anymore. I had no idea what my perception of him was because no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that he was evil, I couldn’t ignore the contradictions. He was a monster. Yes. But he was also my protector, my shield, and defender—he’d made that pretty clear.
It was unsettling that I could feel so much attraction toward a man like Nik—a man I was on a mission to bring down. I was angry at myself for harboring such emotions for a heartless criminal, but resenting myself wasn’t helping the situation at all.
This ‘criminal’ had snuck his way into my heart, occupied my thoughts, and left me in a state of utter confusion. Each time his skin grazed mine, it sparked a heat within me that I didn’t want but at the same time, didn’t know I needed.
Each glance at this ridiculously attractive man seemed to drag me deeper into something I tried so hard to resist. The more I fought this feeling, the more difficult it became to focus on anything. Countless times, he’d caught me watching me in unguarded moments. It was so embarrassing, honestly, especially because of my attitude toward him.
I loathed how much effect he had on me, and I was drawn to him like steel to a magnet.
“There you are,” his deep voice, smooth and enticing, cut through my thoughts.
“Jesus Christ!” I flinched, my hand flying to my chest. I gripped the balcony railing tightly as if anchoring myself to reality.
He let out a low laugh.
I turned around to look at him, a faint—almost playful scowl settling on my face. “It’s not funny! You don’t sneak up on people like that—Jesus!” The words tumbled out in a rush.
Shirtless, he leaned against the door frame, the moon’s ethereal glow silvering his thick skin and broad torso.
“I thought you didn’t scare easily,” he teased, a mocking smirk lining the corners of his lips.
I swallowed hard, trying not to be distracted by the hard panels of his stomach, each ridge catching the soft light.
“I don’t—” I cleared my throat, eyes dropping momentarily to the floor. “You just took me by surprise.”
“That’s the best excuse you can come up with?” He raised a brow, his gaze unwavering.
Ignoring the mockery in his tone, I asked, “What do you want, Nik?”
“Careful now. You might not like my answer.” His eyes roamed my body in a single sweep, a glint of lust flickering in their depths.
My breath hitched, and my pulse spiked in a heartbeat. But chose to play it cool, acting unfazed by his response. “I meant, why are you out there?”
He paused, watching me closely. “You’ve been avoiding me for days now. Why is that?”
My brows knitted together. “Uh…maybe I’m still recovering from the fact that you almost got me killed.”
“Really?” he asked, that deep husky voice sending tremors down my core. “Is that how you choose to see it—that I almost got you killed?”
“How else do you want me to see it?” came my response, swift and stern. “You offered to take me out, and I agreed. And of all the places in the city, you chose a nightclub—one where gunfire was basically part of the playlist.” I paused, letting the words sink in for a moment. “What if I was shot?”
“You weren’t.”
“But what if I was?”
Silence.
