My Rival, My Temptation - Chapter 16: Chapter 16
You are reading My Rival, My Temptation, Chapter 16: Chapter 16. Read more chapters of My Rival, My Temptation.
Katherine’s POV
The sound of my alarm jolted me awake.
I sat up, blinking against the morning sunlight streaming through the window. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then the events of last night came rushing back.
I grinned. Showtime.
I jumped out of bed, threw on the nearest bikini, and tugged a sheer cover-up over it before racing downstairs. As I made my way to the front gate, I nearly collided with Viktor.
He raised a brow at my outfit. “Good morning, khozyayka. Going somewhere?”
I huffed. “If I were trying to escape, do you really think I’d dress like this?” I gestured at my very poolside-chic ensemble. Viktor opened his mouth, then closed it, clearly at a loss. I smirked, raising my nose at him.
“You know,” I added, “if you and Leonid hadn’t tattled to your boss, I wouldn’t have been bundled out of a perfectly good party.”
Viktor sighed. “Apologies for last night. Contrary to what you believe, the boss is not a bad man.” His face softened slightly. “We’re only trying to protect you.”
I scoffed. “Right. Protect me from the horrors of having fun.” I stomped ahead, Viktor trailing behind me.
When we reached the gate, a security guard stepped forward, looking perplexed. “Sir,” he said, glancing at Viktor. “There are delivery trucks outside. They claim the orders were made from inside.”
Viktor’s frown deepened. “Orders?”
I beamed. “Yes. I made them. Open the gates.”
The guard hesitated. Viktor looked like he was about to question me further, but I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. Finally, he sighed and nodded at the guard, who pushed open the gates.
The delivery trucks rolled in, unloading crate after crate of drinks, snacks, and pool accessories. Viktor stared in disbelief as a man wheeled in a massive speaker system, while another carried a life-sized inflatable unicorn.
I turned to Viktor, flashing him my sweetest smile. “I told you I wasn’t trying to escape.”
And then, right on cue, the guests started arriving.
Bianca was the first to show up, wearing an oversized sunhat and carrying a bottle of tequila like it was a purse. Behind her, people streamed in; some I recognized from the party last night, others I’d never seen before.
The music started, the drinks flowed, and just like that, the pool party was in full swing.
I stood back, admiring my handiwork. The villa buzzed with life. Laughter echoed off the marble walls. Sunlight glimmered off the pool’s surface. People were dancing, drinking, and lounging on flamingo floats.
I glanced up at the balcony overlooking the pool, wondering if Nikolai was awake yet.
If he wasn’t…he would be soon.
I smiled to myself and grabbed a mimosa from a passing tray.
“Let’s see who gets the last laugh, Volkov.”
The morning sun glistened off the pool’s surface, the scent of sunscreen and freshly squeezed mimosas filling the air as the party picked up speed. Music thumped from the massive speakers I’d ordered, vibrating through the floors of my dearest husband’s precious villa. People danced on the patio, laughed on the lounge chairs, and floated across the pool on inflatable pizzas and unicorns.
It was absolute chaos. In other words, perfection.
I sipped my mimosa and admired my work, relishing that I’d been able to organize this in only a few hours. Bianca had already claimed a corner of the pool, perched on a giant flamingo float, twirling her sunglasses between her fingers as she sipped tequila straight from the bottle. She blew me a kiss as our eyes met and I chuckled, glad to have found a kindred spirit on a trip that I’d thought would be a total nightmare.
I sauntered toward the bar I’d had set up–because no respectable pool party could function without one–and grabbed another drink, feeling the weight of someone’s eyes on me.
I turned, finding Viktor leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, his expression oscillating between horror and begrudging admiration. I smirked and raised my glass in a mock toast. He merely pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something in Russian that I was pretty sure translated to, “I’m too old for this shit.”
“Enjoying the party?” I called, my voice sweet and dripping with sarcasm.
“The boss will not be happy about this. It’s for the best if you end this before he wakes” He glowered, scanning the crowd like someone was about to pull a knife out of their pool floatie. Honestly, he needed to loosen up. The scariest thing here was the lack of SPF.
I was about to ask about Leonid because the two walked together but then I sighted him several feet away, scanning the perimeter like this was the White House.
“Relax, Viktor. Everyone’s having fun.” I gestured at the scene unfolding around us. “Isn’t that what life is about? Seizing the moment? Living in the now?”
“No.” He deadpanned. “Life is about not getting fired.”
I laughed and turned back to the party, once again admiring my work. This was the kind of beautiful anarchy that made my heart sing.
And Nikolai was going to lose his goddamn mind.
I checked my phone. 7:45 a.m. Any minute now.
Almost on cue, a hush rippled through the crowd. The music didn’t stop, but I felt the shift like a cold breeze down my spine. People’s heads turned toward the balcony facing the pool.
And there he was. My rival.
Nikolai stood above us like a king surveying his unruly subjects. He was shirtless and had the nerve to look like he belonged on the cover of some tabloid titled Billionaire Brutes Who Will Ruin Your Life and Look Good Doing It. His dark hair was still damp from sleep, and his jaw was shadowed with stubble. Those icy blue eyes scanned the scene below him with a mixture of confusion and barely restrained fury.
My mouth went dry. Damn him for looking like that.
Girls whispered behind their hands, eyes wide as they drank him in, and one actually let out a low whistle. I scowled into my drink.
Stupid, stupid body. Stupid primal instincts.
He rested his hands on the railing, fingers curling around the iron, tension radiating off him in waves. The morning sun kissed his skin, highlighting every hard line of muscle and making him look like he needed to be on a fitness magazine titled How to Ruin a Woman’s Life with One Smolder.
His gaze finally locked onto mine and I saw that I’d hit my mark. He looked like he wanted to strangle me.
Oh. Oh, I was in trouble.
The sound of my alarm jolted me awake.
I sat up, blinking against the morning sunlight streaming through the window. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then the events of last night came rushing back.
I grinned. Showtime.
I jumped out of bed, threw on the nearest bikini, and tugged a sheer cover-up over it before racing downstairs. As I made my way to the front gate, I nearly collided with Viktor.
He raised a brow at my outfit. “Good morning, khozyayka. Going somewhere?”
I huffed. “If I were trying to escape, do you really think I’d dress like this?” I gestured at my very poolside-chic ensemble. Viktor opened his mouth, then closed it, clearly at a loss. I smirked, raising my nose at him.
“You know,” I added, “if you and Leonid hadn’t tattled to your boss, I wouldn’t have been bundled out of a perfectly good party.”
Viktor sighed. “Apologies for last night. Contrary to what you believe, the boss is not a bad man.” His face softened slightly. “We’re only trying to protect you.”
I scoffed. “Right. Protect me from the horrors of having fun.” I stomped ahead, Viktor trailing behind me.
When we reached the gate, a security guard stepped forward, looking perplexed. “Sir,” he said, glancing at Viktor. “There are delivery trucks outside. They claim the orders were made from inside.”
Viktor’s frown deepened. “Orders?”
I beamed. “Yes. I made them. Open the gates.”
The guard hesitated. Viktor looked like he was about to question me further, but I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. Finally, he sighed and nodded at the guard, who pushed open the gates.
The delivery trucks rolled in, unloading crate after crate of drinks, snacks, and pool accessories. Viktor stared in disbelief as a man wheeled in a massive speaker system, while another carried a life-sized inflatable unicorn.
I turned to Viktor, flashing him my sweetest smile. “I told you I wasn’t trying to escape.”
And then, right on cue, the guests started arriving.
Bianca was the first to show up, wearing an oversized sunhat and carrying a bottle of tequila like it was a purse. Behind her, people streamed in; some I recognized from the party last night, others I’d never seen before.
The music started, the drinks flowed, and just like that, the pool party was in full swing.
I stood back, admiring my handiwork. The villa buzzed with life. Laughter echoed off the marble walls. Sunlight glimmered off the pool’s surface. People were dancing, drinking, and lounging on flamingo floats.
I glanced up at the balcony overlooking the pool, wondering if Nikolai was awake yet.
If he wasn’t…he would be soon.
I smiled to myself and grabbed a mimosa from a passing tray.
“Let’s see who gets the last laugh, Volkov.”
The morning sun glistened off the pool’s surface, the scent of sunscreen and freshly squeezed mimosas filling the air as the party picked up speed. Music thumped from the massive speakers I’d ordered, vibrating through the floors of my dearest husband’s precious villa. People danced on the patio, laughed on the lounge chairs, and floated across the pool on inflatable pizzas and unicorns.
It was absolute chaos. In other words, perfection.
I sipped my mimosa and admired my work, relishing that I’d been able to organize this in only a few hours. Bianca had already claimed a corner of the pool, perched on a giant flamingo float, twirling her sunglasses between her fingers as she sipped tequila straight from the bottle. She blew me a kiss as our eyes met and I chuckled, glad to have found a kindred spirit on a trip that I’d thought would be a total nightmare.
I sauntered toward the bar I’d had set up–because no respectable pool party could function without one–and grabbed another drink, feeling the weight of someone’s eyes on me.
I turned, finding Viktor leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, his expression oscillating between horror and begrudging admiration. I smirked and raised my glass in a mock toast. He merely pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something in Russian that I was pretty sure translated to, “I’m too old for this shit.”
“Enjoying the party?” I called, my voice sweet and dripping with sarcasm.
“The boss will not be happy about this. It’s for the best if you end this before he wakes” He glowered, scanning the crowd like someone was about to pull a knife out of their pool floatie. Honestly, he needed to loosen up. The scariest thing here was the lack of SPF.
I was about to ask about Leonid because the two walked together but then I sighted him several feet away, scanning the perimeter like this was the White House.
“Relax, Viktor. Everyone’s having fun.” I gestured at the scene unfolding around us. “Isn’t that what life is about? Seizing the moment? Living in the now?”
“No.” He deadpanned. “Life is about not getting fired.”
I laughed and turned back to the party, once again admiring my work. This was the kind of beautiful anarchy that made my heart sing.
And Nikolai was going to lose his goddamn mind.
I checked my phone. 7:45 a.m. Any minute now.
Almost on cue, a hush rippled through the crowd. The music didn’t stop, but I felt the shift like a cold breeze down my spine. People’s heads turned toward the balcony facing the pool.
And there he was. My rival.
Nikolai stood above us like a king surveying his unruly subjects. He was shirtless and had the nerve to look like he belonged on the cover of some tabloid titled Billionaire Brutes Who Will Ruin Your Life and Look Good Doing It. His dark hair was still damp from sleep, and his jaw was shadowed with stubble. Those icy blue eyes scanned the scene below him with a mixture of confusion and barely restrained fury.
My mouth went dry. Damn him for looking like that.
Girls whispered behind their hands, eyes wide as they drank him in, and one actually let out a low whistle. I scowled into my drink.
Stupid, stupid body. Stupid primal instincts.
He rested his hands on the railing, fingers curling around the iron, tension radiating off him in waves. The morning sun kissed his skin, highlighting every hard line of muscle and making him look like he needed to be on a fitness magazine titled How to Ruin a Woman’s Life with One Smolder.
His gaze finally locked onto mine and I saw that I’d hit my mark. He looked like he wanted to strangle me.
Oh. Oh, I was in trouble.
End of My Rival, My Temptation Chapter 16. Continue reading Chapter 17 or return to My Rival, My Temptation book page.