My Rival, My Temptation - Chapter 18: Chapter 18
You are reading My Rival, My Temptation, Chapter 18: Chapter 18. Read more chapters of My Rival, My Temptation.
Katherine’s POV
The party ended faster than it had started.
One moment, music was thumping, drinks were flowing, and half-naked bodies danced in the pool. The next, it was like I’d stepped into a military evacuation drill. Viktor barked a command, and the villa transformed into a well-oiled machine. Staff poured out from nowhere, sweeping up empty glasses and discarded towels. The two other men that had come us with us and served as Nikolai’s bodyguards, Dmitri and Mikhail through the crowd like shadows, ushering guests out the door with sharp nods and quiet authority. Even Leonid who I’d seen earlier taking a glass of mimosa from the drinks stand joined them. Traitor.
It was almost comical how quickly everything shut down. Almost.
But as I floated in the pool, arms resting on the edge, watching the chaos unfold around me, the reality of my situation hit me. This wasn’t just about ending a party. This was a reminder. A flashing neon sign that no matter what I did, no matter how defiant I felt, the only person with any real power here was Nikolai.
I stayed in the pool out of sheer annoyance, arms crossed, chin lifted, and eyes glaring at Nikolai’s men as if it could burn holes into their bodies.
“Hey.” Bianca’s voice snapped me out of my spiral. She stood at the edge of the pool, oversized sunglasses perched on her nose, already towel-dried and looking far more composed than anyone who’d just been forcibly ejected from a party.
“Well, that was fun while it lasted,” she said, wringing out her ponytail. “I gotta say, I didn’t expect your husband to be so…intense.”
“That makes ones of us.” I played with the pool water, watching as it splashed uselessly against the tile. “He thrives on ruining perfectly good moments.”
Bianca snorted, pushing to her feet. “Well, if you’re ever free, assuming Mr. Tall, Dark, and Controlling lets you out of his sight, hit me up. I don’t know how long you’ll be in Italy, but it’d be nice to grab a meal or something.”
I nodded with a smile. “Of course. I’ll text you.”
She grinned, throwing a wave over her shoulder before slipping into the dwindling crowd.
By the time the last guest shuffled out, Viktor strolled over to the pool, his hands tucked neatly behind his back like some kind of terrifying Russian butler.
“Boss says we’re leaving in twenty minutes.” His tone was polite. Neutral. Like he wasn’t currently standing in a little puddle of pool water made my yours truly, towering over me with all the warmth of a marble statue.
I squinted up at him. “Leaving where?”
“Meeting.”
Ah. Of course. I sighed, sinking deeper into the water. “What kind of meeting?”
Viktor shrugged.
I closed my eyes, letting my head fall back against the pool’s edge. Of course he wouldn’t tell me. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t say a word.
Twenty minutes my ass.
By the time I dragged myself out of the pool and trudged upstairs to my room, my legs felt like lead. Every step was heavier than the last, frustration simmering beneath my skin. Not just at the party; at all of it. Nikolai. This stupid marriage. The fact that no matter what I did, he was always one step ahead, pulling the strings and making sure I danced.
Worse was the fact that my body still hummed with leftover frustration from the stunt he’d pulled in the pool.
I slammed my bedroom door behind me, twisting the lock out of spite before collapsing onto the bed, arms splayed wide. Not that it would do much good, considering the army of people my husband had at his beck and call, but it made me feel better that at least no one could walk into my bedroom right now. Small victories.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Let Nikolai attend his stupid meeting by himself.
The bed practically swallowed me whole. Sunlight spilled through the open windows, warm and inviting, but the only thing I wanted to do was bury myself in the pillows and forget today existed. Maybe I’d wake up and discover this was all some weird fever dream.
I was just starting to drift off when…
Click.
My eyes snapped open and I jumped up to look at the bedroom door that I was certain I locked.
The adjoining door creaked open, and my heart dropped.
Oh, for the love of…
Of course. Of course, I’d forgotten that there was a goddamn adjoining door that led from Nikolai’s room directly to mine and vice versa. I’d been so focused on locking the main one that I’d completely forgotten about the other. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Nikolai strolled in like he owned the place, which, I guess, technically he did, already dressed for this so-called meeting. Not wearing a suit, though. No, this time he wore a black Henley rolled up to his forearms and dark jeans that hugged his legs a little too well. Casual. Effortless. Infuriating.
His eyes flicked over me, still sprawled in bed, and one brow lifted in that annoyingly superior way of his. “You’re still not dressed, kiska?” He tsked. “I’d expect better time management from a woman who threw a pool party before dawn.”
I groaned and flopped back onto the pillows, dragging the sheet over my head. “Go away. I don’t want to see you.”
“Why?” He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “I thought you wanted attention. Or have you already forgotten your little speech last night?”
“What speech?”
“You know.” His mouth curved into that infuriating smirk. “The one where you accused me of neglect. Cried about your loneliness. Threw a tantrum.”
I sat up, indignant. “I did not throw a tantrum.”
“Really?” He pushed off the doorframe and strolled toward me, each step slow and deliberate. “Because between last night’s impassioned performance and this morning’s impromptu pool party, I’d say you’ve made your feelings quite clear.” He stopped at the foot of the bed, eyes bright with mischief. “You want my attention, solnishka. So you’ll have it.”
My stomach dropped. “What?”
“We’re spending the day together.” His smirk widened. “You made such a fuss about my absence, so it’s only fair that I make up for lost time.”
“You’re insane.” I flopped back onto the bed, throwing an arm over my face. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Nikolai sighed, rubbing his temple like I was the difficult one. “You had your fun. Now it’s my turn.” He stepped toward the door but paused, pulling something from his pocket. Metal glinted in the light.
Keys.
He dangled them in the air, smirking when my eyes narrowed. “In case you get any ideas about locking yourself in.” He turned toward the adjoining door. “I’ll give you five minutes.”
“And if I don’t get up?” I challenged.
Nikolai glanced over his shoulder, slow and deliberate, gaze trailing down my body and back up again. Then he smiled; the kind of smile that promised nothing but trouble. “Then I’ll dress you myself.”
My mouth fell open. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.” He tossed the keys in the air, catching them effortlessly with one hand. “Five minutes, lyubimaya.”
The door clicked shut behind him, and I groaned, collapsing face-first into the pillows.
This wasn’t just hell.
No, this was Nikolai’s version of hell.
Tailored. Personalized. Crafted with painstaking precision to push every last one of my buttons. The worst part? He was probably having the time of his life watching me squirm.
Every glance, every smirk, every infuriating brush of his arm against mine was deliberate. A game. One he was winning without even trying.
And here I was, trapped in the middle of it, clawing for control while he pulled the strings like a puppeteer.
God help me.
The party ended faster than it had started.
One moment, music was thumping, drinks were flowing, and half-naked bodies danced in the pool. The next, it was like I’d stepped into a military evacuation drill. Viktor barked a command, and the villa transformed into a well-oiled machine. Staff poured out from nowhere, sweeping up empty glasses and discarded towels. The two other men that had come us with us and served as Nikolai’s bodyguards, Dmitri and Mikhail through the crowd like shadows, ushering guests out the door with sharp nods and quiet authority. Even Leonid who I’d seen earlier taking a glass of mimosa from the drinks stand joined them. Traitor.
It was almost comical how quickly everything shut down. Almost.
But as I floated in the pool, arms resting on the edge, watching the chaos unfold around me, the reality of my situation hit me. This wasn’t just about ending a party. This was a reminder. A flashing neon sign that no matter what I did, no matter how defiant I felt, the only person with any real power here was Nikolai.
I stayed in the pool out of sheer annoyance, arms crossed, chin lifted, and eyes glaring at Nikolai’s men as if it could burn holes into their bodies.
“Hey.” Bianca’s voice snapped me out of my spiral. She stood at the edge of the pool, oversized sunglasses perched on her nose, already towel-dried and looking far more composed than anyone who’d just been forcibly ejected from a party.
“Well, that was fun while it lasted,” she said, wringing out her ponytail. “I gotta say, I didn’t expect your husband to be so…intense.”
“That makes ones of us.” I played with the pool water, watching as it splashed uselessly against the tile. “He thrives on ruining perfectly good moments.”
Bianca snorted, pushing to her feet. “Well, if you’re ever free, assuming Mr. Tall, Dark, and Controlling lets you out of his sight, hit me up. I don’t know how long you’ll be in Italy, but it’d be nice to grab a meal or something.”
I nodded with a smile. “Of course. I’ll text you.”
She grinned, throwing a wave over her shoulder before slipping into the dwindling crowd.
By the time the last guest shuffled out, Viktor strolled over to the pool, his hands tucked neatly behind his back like some kind of terrifying Russian butler.
“Boss says we’re leaving in twenty minutes.” His tone was polite. Neutral. Like he wasn’t currently standing in a little puddle of pool water made my yours truly, towering over me with all the warmth of a marble statue.
I squinted up at him. “Leaving where?”
“Meeting.”
Ah. Of course. I sighed, sinking deeper into the water. “What kind of meeting?”
Viktor shrugged.
I closed my eyes, letting my head fall back against the pool’s edge. Of course he wouldn’t tell me. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t say a word.
Twenty minutes my ass.
By the time I dragged myself out of the pool and trudged upstairs to my room, my legs felt like lead. Every step was heavier than the last, frustration simmering beneath my skin. Not just at the party; at all of it. Nikolai. This stupid marriage. The fact that no matter what I did, he was always one step ahead, pulling the strings and making sure I danced.
Worse was the fact that my body still hummed with leftover frustration from the stunt he’d pulled in the pool.
I slammed my bedroom door behind me, twisting the lock out of spite before collapsing onto the bed, arms splayed wide. Not that it would do much good, considering the army of people my husband had at his beck and call, but it made me feel better that at least no one could walk into my bedroom right now. Small victories.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Let Nikolai attend his stupid meeting by himself.
The bed practically swallowed me whole. Sunlight spilled through the open windows, warm and inviting, but the only thing I wanted to do was bury myself in the pillows and forget today existed. Maybe I’d wake up and discover this was all some weird fever dream.
I was just starting to drift off when…
Click.
My eyes snapped open and I jumped up to look at the bedroom door that I was certain I locked.
The adjoining door creaked open, and my heart dropped.
Oh, for the love of…
Of course. Of course, I’d forgotten that there was a goddamn adjoining door that led from Nikolai’s room directly to mine and vice versa. I’d been so focused on locking the main one that I’d completely forgotten about the other. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Nikolai strolled in like he owned the place, which, I guess, technically he did, already dressed for this so-called meeting. Not wearing a suit, though. No, this time he wore a black Henley rolled up to his forearms and dark jeans that hugged his legs a little too well. Casual. Effortless. Infuriating.
His eyes flicked over me, still sprawled in bed, and one brow lifted in that annoyingly superior way of his. “You’re still not dressed, kiska?” He tsked. “I’d expect better time management from a woman who threw a pool party before dawn.”
I groaned and flopped back onto the pillows, dragging the sheet over my head. “Go away. I don’t want to see you.”
“Why?” He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “I thought you wanted attention. Or have you already forgotten your little speech last night?”
“What speech?”
“You know.” His mouth curved into that infuriating smirk. “The one where you accused me of neglect. Cried about your loneliness. Threw a tantrum.”
I sat up, indignant. “I did not throw a tantrum.”
“Really?” He pushed off the doorframe and strolled toward me, each step slow and deliberate. “Because between last night’s impassioned performance and this morning’s impromptu pool party, I’d say you’ve made your feelings quite clear.” He stopped at the foot of the bed, eyes bright with mischief. “You want my attention, solnishka. So you’ll have it.”
My stomach dropped. “What?”
“We’re spending the day together.” His smirk widened. “You made such a fuss about my absence, so it’s only fair that I make up for lost time.”
“You’re insane.” I flopped back onto the bed, throwing an arm over my face. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Nikolai sighed, rubbing his temple like I was the difficult one. “You had your fun. Now it’s my turn.” He stepped toward the door but paused, pulling something from his pocket. Metal glinted in the light.
Keys.
He dangled them in the air, smirking when my eyes narrowed. “In case you get any ideas about locking yourself in.” He turned toward the adjoining door. “I’ll give you five minutes.”
“And if I don’t get up?” I challenged.
Nikolai glanced over his shoulder, slow and deliberate, gaze trailing down my body and back up again. Then he smiled; the kind of smile that promised nothing but trouble. “Then I’ll dress you myself.”
My mouth fell open. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.” He tossed the keys in the air, catching them effortlessly with one hand. “Five minutes, lyubimaya.”
The door clicked shut behind him, and I groaned, collapsing face-first into the pillows.
This wasn’t just hell.
No, this was Nikolai’s version of hell.
Tailored. Personalized. Crafted with painstaking precision to push every last one of my buttons. The worst part? He was probably having the time of his life watching me squirm.
Every glance, every smirk, every infuriating brush of his arm against mine was deliberate. A game. One he was winning without even trying.
And here I was, trapped in the middle of it, clawing for control while he pulled the strings like a puppeteer.
God help me.
End of My Rival, My Temptation Chapter 18. Continue reading Chapter 19 or return to My Rival, My Temptation book page.