Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Even as she turned red, she forced herself to ask archly, “How many times do you want to make love to me?”
“Every second.” But Nik’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “But it’s not making love. You and I just fuck.”
Daria’s smile didn’t slip. “My bad.” Dear God, if she had to pay some kind of emotional mechanic for its constant repairs, she’d be bankrupt by now. “How many times do you want to fuck me then?”
Nik swore in his mind at the way Daria’s eyes had become extremely...bright. It’s an act, Nik Alexandropoulos. It’s always a damn act.
“We meet every Mondays and Fridays.” As soon as he spoke the words, he wanted to change them. Who the fuck was he kidding? Two days a week wouldn’t be enough, not with how much his cock hungered to possess Daria’s body again.
“And I assume you’ll sleep here during those nights?”
Nik knew he should tell her no, just to make sure Daria didn’t feel she had a right to dictate anything. But in the end, he only nodded curtly. He had always thought people who cut their noses to spite their faces were foolish, and he didn’t plan to be like them.
Daria swallowed back a sigh of relief. Two nights he would sleep in her bed. That was something, at least. In the back of her head, a small, sensible voice argued that she was selling herself short, but Daria chose to ignore it.
It was like what Alyx said, she told herself tautly. She had to do everything to get Nik back, and this was one of those things. As long as Nik and Miranda weren’t yet married, she still had a chance.
And if they did marry, the small, sensible voice insisted. What then? Did she go on being Nik’s mistress?
“Do you have any other conditions?”
Nik’s question interrupted her train of thoughts, and Daria eagerly welcomed the diversion, deciding then to live for the present and ignore the future for the time being.
Meeting Nik’s gaze again, she said quietly, “Just one more.” She paused, then added almost reluctantly, “And it’s also non-negotiable.”
“What is it?”
“You can make me sign an NDA for this if you want,” she hedged.
Nik’s face became inscrutable. “That kind of condition, is it?”
Daria could only nod, her unease growing at the cold look in Nik’s eyes. It almost made her backtrack, but she told herself she was doing the right thing – the only way she could have a fighting chance to make Nik fall in love with her again.
“What is it then?” Nik asked. “I will make my decision after hearing what you have to say.”
“Fair enough.” Up, down, up, down her heart went as if it sensed how vital her next condition would be. “What I have to ask is simple.” Supposedly. “I just want to know everything about you. I want to be able to ask questions and expect you to answer them honestly.” When Nik stiffened, she added in a rush, “I’m not talking about bank account numbers or stuff like that. I told you, whatever contract you want me to sign, I’ll sign it.” She swallowed. “What I want is just to know who you are...”
When her voice wobbled, Nik slotted in silkily, “And for what purpose, Daria? Or dare I make a guess?” His lips pressed together. “Perhaps you’d like to figure out where you went wrong, and how I’m the only man in the world capable of seeing through your deception and realize the kind of woman you are?”
She thought of correcting his wrong assumption, thought of telling him that the only reason she wanted to know more about him was because she loved him, but she didn’t think he would trust her with the truth.
But in the end, all she said was, “If that’s what you’d like to think.”
“That is what I think because it’s the truth,” Nik snapped.
Her fingers curled more tightly under the table at the fury and distrust in Nik’s gaze. “The reason doesn’t matter,” she said unevenly. “What matters is if you agree or not.”
Instead of answering her, he commented, “You haven’t mentioned anything about money.” Nik raised a brow. “Do you think leaving it last would make you look less avaricious?”
“Not...really,” she said lamely, unable to think of a smart comeback. The truth was, money hadn’t entered her mind at all because it had never been an issue to begin with.
But of course he wouldn’t believe that either.
“You name a sum,” she suggested.
He did so, choosing something particularly low to force her to haggle and show her true colors.
“Okay.” But she was privately shocked. $100,000? Really? That was the going rate for mistresses now?
Nik was reluctantly unimpressed at the swiftness of Daria’s concession. She really was strategic. He would give her that. She probably knew his conscience wouldn’t truly allow him to pay a measly figure and expected him to voluntarily increase the amount.