CHAPTER 93

CHAPTER 93
I recovered a little from the overwhelming wave of pleasure earlier, but Nico seems determined to  do it all over again.

He takes his time, moving with deliberate patience, making every lingering touch feel like another test of my self-control. Sometimes I hate him to the core, but moments like this make it impossible to hold onto that anger.

He leaves me trembling where I stand. My knees gradually weaken until I have to clutch at his hair just to keep myself upright.

“Nico…” I murmur, his name slipping from my lips instead of asking him to take me to his bed or at least let me sit down for a while.

I already know he won't listen. He seems completely absorbed in me, and all I can do is cling to him as another wave of pleasure builds inside me.

“I... I'm close, Nico,” I breathe.

The moment I think he's going to push me over the edge, he suddenly stops. I stare at him in disbelief. 

“Why did you stop?” I ask, unable to hide the frustration in my voice.

“Relax, Vivienne,” he replies teasingly, brushing a slow kiss against my neck. “We're not in a hurry.”

“Please...” I whisper.

Instead of giving me what I ask for, his attention drifts elsewhere, his teasing only making my impatience worse.

“Nico... please?”

He lifts his head just enough to meet my gaze. “What do you want, hmm?”

“I want you to keep going,” I admit in a barely audible voice.

“I refuse,” he says with an infuriating grin.

Groaning in frustration, I catch his hand and guide it back toward me, silently showing him exactly what I mean. His smile only widens.

“You like that?” he asks, his voice low with amusement as he continues teasing me.

“Let me come, Nico,” I beg, my knees trembling beneath me.

“Sure, baby,” he replies.

Without warning, he lifts me onto the nearby table, and after positioning me, he leans in, his touch slow and deliberate at first. His movements are gentle, almost teasing, but the restraint doesn't last. The pace gradually intensifies, each passing second stealing another breath from my lungs.

My fingers tighten around the edge of the table as I struggle to steady myself. Every sensation builds until I can no longer think of anything except him.

“Nico...” I gasp, my voice breaking.

The pleasure keeps mounting, wave after wave, until I can barely remain upright.

“Almost there... Nico,” I hiss, pulling him closer as the final wave crashes over me.

My entire body trembles as I finally let go. Even then, he doesn't stop immediately. It takes me several moments to catch my breath before I gently push him away, still shaking from the intensity of it all.

I don't expect to have such a good time with Nico on the balcony after everything that happens with Cassian. Honestly, I think I'm just going to cry myself to sleep after he leaves me breathless and dazed in the hallway like a fool. Instead, Nico shows up with that stupid smirk on his face and an invitation to have coffee with him on the balcony.

So when I wake up the next morning, tangled in my own thoughts and emotions, I convince myself the worst is finally over.

Getting out of bed, I hurry to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Afterward, I slip into my maid's uniform and head to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast.

The moment I begin working, the scent of garlic, onions, and simmering broth fills the kitchen. I slice vegetables while humming quietly to myself when Erin's scent suddenly reaches me. I feel her presence before I even see her.

Then she storms into the kitchen like a woman possessed by satan. I mean, she just tried to kill me in the greenhouse last night, and now she's coming after me again!

Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes blaze as they search the room until they land on me. The instant she arrives, most of the servants quietly slip away. Even the headservant, who is barking orders only seconds ago, falls silent.

My hand pauses in the middle of slicing. Without a word, Erin crosses the room, grabs a fistful of my damp hair, and yanks so hard that I nearly drop the knife.

“YOU LITTLE WHORE!” she screams.

Gasps erupt around us, but I couldn't care less about anyone else's reaction. My entire focus is on the burning pain in my scalp as she twists my hair and yanks again. I stumble backward until my back slams against the counter.

“Let go of me!” I snap, trying to shove her away, but her grip is fueled by pure rage.

“You think you can seduce my mate in the hallway like some bitch in heat and get away with it?” she screams.

“Excuse me?” I ask, pretending to have no idea what she's talking about, even though I deliberately provoke Alpha Cassian the moment I sense one of the maids watching us the night before.

“You kissed him!” she spits, her voice cracking. “In the corridor! Like some common slut!”

“Correction, Erin. I don't kiss him,” I say through gritted teeth as I struggle to pry her fingers off my scalp. “He kisses me.”

She sucks in a sharp breath. “YOU JUST ADMIT IT!” Erin shrieks.

“Why should I deny something that feels so good?” I reply, provoking her even further.

“You're not even denying it now?” she barks.

“He isn't yours yet, Erin. He names you the future Luna, but the mating ceremony hasn't happened yet.”

Enraged, Erin raises her hand and slaps me so hard that my head snaps to the side. My cheek burns, but I refuse to cry in front of her. Then I hear footsteps approaching the kitchen.

“Erin, what is this again?” Cassian asks the moment he walks in. “Do you plan on helping in the kitchen?”

I almost laugh at the look on Erin's face, but I bite it back. Instead, I force myself to remain calm despite the situation... and despite Alpha Cassian locking his eyes on me. His jaw is clenched, his nostrils flare, but I am not the one he reaches for. It's Erin! 

He crosses the kitchen in two powerful strides, grabs her wrist, and yanks her away from me with barely restrained force. “What the hell are you doing here?” he snarls.

“She kissed you!” Erin yells. “You were mine, and she... she seduces you!”

“Leave,” he says to Erin.

She blinks. “W... What?”

“Out.”

“But...”

“I said GET OUT, ERIN.”