Chapter 307 Chapter 308

Chapter 307 Chapter 308
Chapter 308

Nina’s POV

A slow, victorious grin spread across my face as I stared down at the undeniable evidence resting right against my hip.

The morning sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating every single detail of his rigid length pressing against the thin fabric of his tactical trousers. The cold, disciplined mercenary who had spent the last twenty-four hours claiming he was indifferent, professional, and completely unaffected by me was currently lying here with an unmistakable, massive reaction.

I propped my head up on my hand, looking up into his panicking, deeply embarrassed face.

"Well, well, well," I purred, my voice dripping with playful, unadulterated satisfaction. "Good morning to you too, Mr. Cold Mercenary."

Nikolai kept his hand clamped over his forehead, his dark eyes fixed tightly on the leaf ceiling above us as his jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched near his ear. "Nina, do not say a single word. Not one."

"Oh, I am definitely going to say several words," I giggled, shifting my weight so I was leaning directly over his chest, blocking his view. "Because if I remember correctly, just yesterday you told me that you were just performing a tactical duty. You told me that kissing me was just an act to trick the guards. And most importantly, you let me believe you were completely uninterested in women!"

"I never said I was uninterested," Nikolai growled out softly, his voice thick with gravel as he tried his absolute best to keep his eyes locked onto my face instead of dropping them down to my bare torso. "I said you were making ridiculous assumptions."

"You did not deny it either!" I pointed out, letting out a bright, triumphant laugh that echoed inside the small shelter. "You let me call you gay for an entire day just so you could keep your stupid, fake soldier wall up! But look at you now. Your body is telling a completely different story, Nikolai."

Nikolai let out a heavy, frustrated sigh, finally shifting his eyes down to meet mine. The sheer intensity in his dark gaze made my heart skip a frantic beat. The cold, distant mask was completely gone, replaced by a raw, smoldering heat that sent shivers straight down my spine.

"You really think this is a victory, don't you?" he asked, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous whisper that made my breathing hitch.

"It is a total victory," I replied, tilting my chin up stubbornly. "Because it proves you are a liar. You want me just as badly as I want you. So why do you keep fighting it? Why do you keep pushing me away the second things get real between us?"

Nikolai reached up, his long, calloused fingers wrapping gently around the back of my neck. He pulled me down slightly until our faces were mere inches apart, his warm breath fanning across my lips.

"Because the moment I stop fighting it, Nina, I won't be able to stop," he confessed, his voice thick with a deep, fierce honesty that sent a shockwave through my chest. "You have no idea what it takes for me to look at you every single day and pretend that I am calm. You are Dante's responsibility. You belong to the syndicate's protection network. If I cross that line with you completely, there is no going back for me. I will burn down the entire world just to keep you, and that makes me dangerous to everyone around us."

My breath caught in my throat. Hearing those words come out of his mouth, raw and unfiltered, made every single doubt inside my mind vanish into dust. He wasn't indifferent. He was terrified of how deeply he was falling for me.

I looked into his intense eyes, my soft smile returning. "I am not afraid of you, Nikolai."

"You should be," he whispered softly, his thumb gently tracing the line of my jaw before he slowly released his grip and sat up.

He cleared his throat, adjusting his trousers as he shifted his weight toward the entrance of the palm-leaf shelter.

"I need to go and find a way to get us out of here," Nikolai said, his voice returning to its usual stern, practical tone as he prepared to step outside into the morning air.

I laughed out loud, wrapping my arms around my knees as I watched his retreat. "Well, at least can you help me fix my bra?"

Nikolai paused at the entrance, turning his head back to look at me.

His dark eyes instantly landed on my chest, taking in my exposed skin and my bright pink nipples flushed from the cool morning breeze. He swallowed hard, his throat moving as his gaze lingered for a long, heavy second before he forcibly snapped his eyes away toward the beach.

"I know damn well you can fix that, Nina," he grunted out, shaking his head.

I pouted my lips dramatically, crossing my arms over my chest to exaggerate my helpless act. "The girls on the boat changed me into these! The straps are completely tangled in the back, and I need help!"

Nikolai rolled his dark eyes, letting out a loud, dramatic sigh of total defeat. He turned around, crawling back across the leaf floor until he went to stand directly behind my back.

As he shifted his position behind me, his heavy, rigid manhood brushed directly against the center of my bare back.

A sharp, dramatic moan tore from my throat before I could stop myself. "Oh!"

Nikolai instantly leaned down, his fingers reaching around my waist to playfully tickle my ribs, making me squeal and writhe away from his touch.

"If you can fix it yourself, then walk around braless," Nikolai said, a rare, wicked smirk spreading across his handsome face as he looked down at me. "It is a pleasant view, and I am not complaining."

I almost choked on my own giggles, my jaw dropping in absolute shock at his playful, unexpected comeback.