CHAPTER 65: – KISS ME –

Nikolas didn’t answer her, nor did he stop until he pulled over to park in front of their home.

Viviana watched him with flickering eyes as he got out, rounded the car, and opened the door for her. He unbuckled her seatbelt, took her hand and led her out.

He didn’t let go, not even when they walked into the house.

"Nikolas." She was bewildered. "Nikolas, you–"

He slammed her against the wall, taking her mouth in his. Every word dropped right back down her throat, her air cut off.

Her hands flew to his shoulders, grabbing. But she wasn’t even sure if she was trying to shove him or pull him in. Both?

Nikolas broke the kiss for a moment.

He breathed breathlessly like he’d just ran a mile. "Weeks! Weeks, Viviana. I’ve had to wait for weeks! You do not know how hard I’ve had to control myself every time I look at you. Everytime I tasted the idea of your lips on mine. Fucking hell, you starved me!"

Viviana panted, her lips parted and wet. She didn’t know what to say or how to even respond to his blurted words.

Her head moved from side to side. "You can’t just..." she began. "You can’t just kiss me. That’s–"

"Oh, but you owe me, Viviana. Five good minutes. You, all mine." Nikolas moaned as he took her mouth again.

He bit her lip, and the second she hissed her mouth apart, his tongue slipped between her lips, parting them to his satisfaction. He tasted, withdrew, and tasted again.

The man acted hungry. Like he couldn’t have enough of her. As though he was running out of time. As if five minutes would not be enough to satisfy him.

One of his hands threaded into the back of her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss. The other dropped to her waist, possessively pulling her flush against him.

She gasped into his mouth and he swallowed the sound.

For a breath of time, he pulled back and as she drank in as much air as she could, she heard him murmur. "Mine." And then he slammed right back into her mouth.

He was devouring her. And suddenly, she realized that he was in no way joking when he made that statement to her at the event.

Viviana’s fingers dug into the material of his suit jacket, pulling him closer to her. His lips searched hers and she gave in to him, willingly without any resistance.

What man had ever kissed her like this? Possessed her like this? Owned her in this way? None! Nikolas was the first. He looked, breathed and spoke like he couldn’t ever survive a minute without her.

He made her burn, harder, hotter than she’d ever done before. And it was not like she’d ever burned for any man. Not like this.

Nikolas’s hand gripped her waist, his breathing ragged. But so was hers. Her lips were bruising and it felt good.

Her chest pounded.

When he finally broke away, she leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder, trying to recover.

"Niko... Nikolas... Y-you said five minutes," she managed to choke out, barely able to breathe.

"Well, how would we know now if it’s been five minutes?" His tongue ran over his teeth. "We didn’t set a timer. For all we know, we could be nowhere near five minutes."

"What?" Viviana’s body shook. "Y-you liar..." She tightened her grip on the material of his waistcoat. She refused to meet his eyes.

The man popped a finger under her chin and tilted her face up. "Look at me, Viviana." His thumb brushed her cheek.

She stared at him, breathless.

"The things I want to do to you..." as he mumbled, he dropped his hands to her waist and found himself in front of her. "It boggles my head. But..."

She watched him as he lowered himself on his knees before her, his neck craned back, so he could stare up at her with hooded eyes.

He was smiling with hungry lips. "But if you ask me to stop, I will."

"W-what are you doing?" Viviana’s body trembled.

Nikolas shrugged. "Begging."

He slid his fingers further down to her hips and helped her there.

Her breath stayed stuck in her lungs. "Begging... f-for what?"

His eyes went incomparably soft. "For you." He did look like a man begging desperately for something.

Viviana’s heart lurched. Could a man really look at a woman like this? As though he could not breathe without her? As if he was... withering away.

She couldn’t hold his gaze. Not when he stared at her like that. It was as if she was the only woman he had ever laid his eyes on.

Nikolas took her hand and kissed it. "Say something, Viviana." He spread kisses all over and dragged his tongue over her wrist. "Your silence is killing me."

Viviana swallowed.

She should say no. This... none of this was real. Or was it? Has it grown to be? The thought of leaving him had never crossed her mind, not since she made it clear to her father that she had no intention of ever divorcing him.

And Nikolas...

He was the only man who’d ever looked at her like this. Many men looked at her, but it was different. This man completely worshipped her with actions, with his eyes, with his words, and every part of him.

Did she love him?

Viviana couldn’t say. But did he belong to her? She was absolutely sure he did. She was not a woman who shared what was hers. And Nikolas was not someone she was willing to let others touch or have.

She wondered for a second if she saw him with another woman, would she be able to swallow such an image.

No.

It was impossible.

She’d quite lost it at Serena who only kissed him. How could she ever possibly...

Her teeth dug into her lip.

She met his eyes as he stared up at her. Green pebbles, bright and lit like a christmas decoration. She could easily lose her sanity in his eyes. That was how intense they were. Soul sucking.

Viviana wanted him.

Had always done so.

That much she could admit to herself.

Instead of giving him an answer, she leaned down till, she could this time around, press her lips to his. Nikolas, in his stunned silence, took a second to get a hold of himself. Then all of a sudden, he hissed, touching his lips.

He looked at his finger. Viviana had bitten him, drawing a bubble of blood.

"Kiss me," she demanded.