Bought by My stepbrother, the don

Chapter 23: I want to kiss you

"...Come sit on my lap," he said.

My head snapped toward him, my glare heavy on his face—only for it to vanish just as quickly as I remembered the terms. The agreement dictated that I had to look delighted whenever there was any kind of skin contact with him.

It didn’t help that his expression was blank and intense, the kind that made it obvious he was simply waiting to see if I would mess up.

Slowly, I chewed what was in my mouth before scooting over and settling onto his lap with a smile on my face.

"Happy?" I asked.

My tone was venomous enough to completely contradict my expression.

He leaned back against the wall and nodded, a pleased look spreading across his face.

"Very."

Instead of responding, I focused on the food on the table, eating as though I intended to ignore him completely.

I jerked slightly when I felt his hands snake around my waist, his body leaning closer until it pressed firmly against my back.

I was sitting more between his legs than actually on them.

Then he grabbed my chin and turned my face toward him. My heart began racing harder in my chest. He could kiss me. Just a kiss. So I simply waited, stiff and mechanical, for him to get it over with.

"I want to kiss you," he said.

His eyes were intense, lit with a desire that was impossible to miss. The need seemed to thrum in the air between us as his gaze dropped slowly to my lips.

"I want to kiss you."

It was all I could do not to leap out of his lap and put as much distance between us as possible. Instead, I sat there and waited for him to do it.

I reminded myself again and again that it was a good thing he was attracted to my body. It meant I had something I could use.

It meant I only had to string him along—make sure he believed there was a chance he could have me, even when there wasn’t.

His hand on my jaw was unexpectedly gentle as he leaned closer. My lashes fluttered closed as I waited for his lips to meet mine. Instead, I felt them press against my cheek.

The surprise made my eyes open immediately.

Yes, it was close to my lips—but nowhere near close enough to be called a—

"There are different kinds of kisses," he said.

And I couldn’t argue, because it was true. There were different kinds of kisses. Still, I knew there had been more hidden in the words he’d said earlier. I replayed them in my mind one after the other.

You will not be averse to my advances... If I ask you to sit on my lap, you will sit with a smile. If I grab your hand, you will hold on to me like I’m a lifeline. If I hug you, you will hug me back... If I kiss you, I expect you to kiss me back.

It was maddening.

But I sat there quietly until I could no longer remain silent.

"I’m hungry. I’d like to eat."

I realized that although I had to allow him to kiss me without fuss or rejection, nothing said I couldn’t pull away if I had a genuine reason.

Turning my face away, I bent forward and began eating the food with renewed focus, waiting for him to say something in annoyance.

Instead, I heard a soft chuckle.

His hands wrapped around me again as he filled both of our cups to the brim.

The smell of alcohol lingered lightly between us. I could faintly sense it on his breath, but it wasn’t overwhelming. The room was properly ventilated, cool air circulating through the insulated space. Even though it was spring and the weather outside had begun warming, the room remained pleasantly cool.

"Of course," he said lightly. "We should drink a bit more."

I didn’t hesitate.

If he thought he could get me drunk, he was in for a rude awakening.

I finished the contents of my glass in a single gulp and slid the empty cup back onto the table.

Doing my best to act nonchalant about how close we still were, I continued eating, letting the flavors distract me until I could eat no more.

Nico ate a little more as well, leaning back against the wall with a plate in his hand. But not once did he allow me to leave his lap. That alone said quite a lot about our future partnership. Finally, we were both done.

He leaned back against the wall while I remained seated between his legs, my back straight.

We spoke at the same time.

"Should we head back now that we’re done?"

"You can lean back against me. I want you to be comfortable around me." This time I rolled my eyes. Frowning was the only reaction technically forbidden. freewebnσvel.cѳm

You tell me you want to fuck me, and somehow you still expect me to be comfortable around you? I thought irritably, remaining exactly as I was.

"I’ll feel more comfortable if we head—" I didn’t get to finish.

His arms suddenly wrapped around me, pulling me backward until my back collided with the solid muscles of his chest. Instinctively I tried to pull away. He held me there.

His lips lowered near my ear. His warm breath fanned across the side of my face, and my heart reacted against my will.

"...For a while, let’s stay like this," he whispered.

For the briefest moment, I felt a faint shudder move through his body—like he was holding himself back. His hands almost slid lower from my waist before he stopped himself and held them firmly in place.

"Things change too quickly in our world," he murmured. "We move so fast that we forget to enjoy the little things."

I didn’t respond. I simply waited. Eventually, he let me go.

I stood immediately, straightening my skirt and trying to appear as dignified as possible. When I looked up, Nico was rising slowly to his feet. His gaze was dark and intense.

It made my heart skip a beat as he straightened to his full height, towering over me. He didn’t speak. But when our eyes met, he might as well have said the words aloud.

I want you.

The desire hung thick in the air around him—the very air he seemed to breathe and command.