Not hard enough to hurt, but carrying an absolute warning and irresistible control.
"Mmph!" My lips puckered involuntarily as I stared wide-eyed at that cold, handsome face inches away.
"Aren't you asking for a bit too much, kitten?" He lowered his head slightly, dangerous playful fire dancing in those dark gray eyes, voice low as if scraping my eardrums. "I can satisfy all your demands. So what can you give me in return, my 'fiancée'?"
My heart skipped a huge beat. The heat on my cheeks shot up where his fingers touched. That leg-weakening atmosphere spread through the luxurious room again.
"Mmm... o-okay." I mumbled incoherently and backed away half a step, escaping his control.
Fine. Mary was right. He could communicate, but you couldn't actually yank the tiger's whiskers.
"Get settled in." Nikolai withdrew his hand, gave me one lastcareless glance, and turned toward the door. "Someone will fetch you for dinner. Don't go wandering my hallways."
With that, he strode out on his long legs.
Click. The heavy wooden door shut in front of me.
The room fell completely silent.
Like a rubber band stretched to its limit, I finally relaxed completely. I kicked off my heels and launched myself like a cannonball onto that absurdly huge, cloud-soft super bed, dignity be damned.
"Aaaaaahhhhh!"
I buried my face deep in the high-end down pillow that smelled faintly of sunshine and let out a prairie-dog-level internal scream.
Dear God! This was a palace! This kind of top-tier mansion that only exists in Hollywood movies and sappy TV dramas was now my free dorm for the next year! And I didn't even have to pay rent!
I rolled on the bed like a giant silkworm cocoon twice, then flipped onto my back.
I fished out my crumpled Moleskine notebook from my bag. I opened to a fresh page and looked at today's frantic, cramped notes—the cold mob boss, the mysterious study, absolute privilege, and that dangerous man who'd just pinched my cheek and made my heart race.
Every word was golden material for my next bestseller.
I looked and looked, and my mouth couldn't help curving up wildly. A feeling of unprecedented excitement mixed with adventure and thrill flowed through my blood.
Derek was a blind idiot. Gary was a worthless pig.
And I, Vivienne Cole, was about to embark on the craziest journey of my life in this Volkov estate full of blood, lies, and lethal temptation.
I closed my notebook, thinking happily: This life-or-death deal was absolutely worth it.
The next year was going to be very, very interesting.
Chapter Nine
Nikolai
I pushed through the heavy black walnut double doors of my study and hung my coat on the rack by the entrance.
Afternoon sunlight poured through the tall stained glass windows in the hallway, scattering patches of color across the floor. From last night until now, dealing with my impulsively acquired "wife," I'd barely slept.
I rubbed my throbbing temples, walked to the bar, and poured myself a finger of chilled vodka. The liquor slid down my throat with that familiar burning sensation, finally jolting me awake from a night of tedious meetings and endless profit calculations.
Glass in hand, I settled behind my desk. My fingers drummed the surface before landing on the specially encrypted military-grade laptop.
Boot up. Password.
I didn't pull up Sasha's latest report on the South District cleanup. Instead, something made me type in a different command sequence. Six live feeds popped up on screen, casting a cold glow. Five showed standard security footage from around the estate.
