Page 7 of His Forbidden Obsession

“It doesn’t matter what I want.”

“Yes, it does. Everyone deserves to treat themselves.”

Even you? Even after what you did? I pushed that voice away. I was here; this was happening. Now that I’d touched Nikolai, I wasn’t walking away until I had more.

“My father will kill you if he finds me here.”

I snorted. “He can try.”

“You don’t understand. I can’t do this. I’m… My marriage contract…” How could I tell him I had to be a virgin. The whole situation was fucked-up as hell.

“That cold motherfucker doesn’t deserve you.” I knew he meant Ivanov, but I pretended not to.

“She’s not cold. She’s very passionate, actually.”

He glared at me. “You know I mean Ivanov. I probably know more than you about his disgusting preferences.”

Nikolai frowned. “But aren’t you… You kissed me. How can you say he’s disgusting for liking men?”

I chuckled as I let go of one of Niko’s hands so I could brush the backs of my fingers over his cheek.

“I like men, and I don’t hide that. I’m talking about his need for all his men to be young—in fact, you’re many years older than the boys he usually goes for.”

Nikolai shivered.

“He hurts them, and rumor says they never come back sane if they come back at all. You deserve more than that.”

I realized in that moment that I was going to do whatever was necessary to keep him out of Ivanov’s hands. I’d talk to Remington, and we’d make a plan to stop this marriage. I was supposed to be getting revenge by having Nikolai myself, but how much better would it be if Ivanov never got to have him at all.

I almost convinced myself that my need to rescue Nikolai had nothing to do with the soft way he looked at me or the way he made fire race through my body with no more than a kiss.

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “It doesn’t matter what I deserve. My father will never let me go.”

Rescue him now. Get him the fuck out of here.

No, that was crazy. I’d start a war if I did that. I’d put my family at risk. I came upstairs to fuck Nikolai, to hear him beg for more, to know I’d had him when no one else had. This was about lust, about what my dick wanted. I couldn’t turn sentimental now. There was no quicker way to get killed in this business.

“No one will know what happens here tonight,” I said. “Think of it like it’s your bachelor party. Things get wild at those, right?”

He shook his head. “No, I can’t.”

“Would you rather celebrate with cocaine and strippers? I could give you that, but⁠—”

“No. I… I’m not… I don’t like all that.”

“Drugs? Hot men?”

Color rose in his cheeks. “Men are… I like men. But I like being home, doing quiet things. I’m not… I shouldn’t be…”

Damn, he really was the sweet boy I’d imagined him to be when he’d met years ago. I couldn’t believe someone could grow up with Dimitri for a father and turn out like that, but he had.

Ivanov would ruin all of that. Anger burned inside me. I was going to make this the best night of Nikolai’s life, and then I was going to tell Remington that Dimitri and Ivanov needed to fucking die. “I’m going to kiss you again.”

His eyes widened. “You are?”

“Yes, and you’re going to relax and enjoy it.”

“Why are you doing this? I know I’m not your type. Is this just because of my father?”