2. Annalise

2

ANNALISE

I wash my hands before turning the faucet off and grabbing a paper towel. I look at myself in the mirror, my deep blue mask on the bathroom counter.

I’ve never really had dainty features, not like Colette. However, I do know I have better facial symmetry than most. My nose is on the longer side, but fits perfectly between my emerald-green eyes. My lips are full and pouty, cheeks round. I have nice jaw bones and sculpted eyebrows. I even tanned a little bit today, specifically for this party.

I spent over an hour on my hair, but Nikhil was right. Compared to the other women here, it looks a bit messy in the updo, my curls spilling out all over the place.

Stop thinking about Nikhil.

That’s easier said than done. When I close my eyes, I can still feel his breath against my ear, smell his tantalizing scent and imagine what it would have felt like if he had leaned down and pressed those lips against mine.

Someone knocks on the bathroom door, effectively taking me away from my fantasy. “One moment,” I call out. I look over myself one more time, in the long, off-the-shoulder, deep-blue dress that compliments my body well. Then, I grab my mask, slipping it back into place before opening the door.

There’s a woman waiting behind it. With all of the bathrooms that there probably are in this place, you would have thought she’d find somewhere else…clearly not. “All yours.” I offer her a smile, but she simply looks me up and down before moving past me, into the bathroom, firmly closing the door with a click.

That’s more of the attitude I expected from the rich and elite.

I start to head back to the party when I hear voices coming from one of the rooms down the hall. I should keep walking. It’s none of my business. But, my curiosity gets the better of me, and I start walking in that direction, something telling me it’s not just a couple getting intimate like what happens at the parties I’m used to.

The voices get louder the closer I get, until I’m standing in front of a closed door. I try my best to make out the conversation.

“He’s dead. Doesn’t that mean something?” It’s a man, his voice older, frail.

My eyes nearly bulge out of my head. I really shouldn’t be listening to this. But, my feet stay rooted in place, unable to move, as I listen closer.

“We don’t owe you anything, Dante.” Another man, his voice deep and condescending.

“But, I did it for you.” It’s the first man again.

“And your service has been greatly appreciated.” A third man. “But, you know too much, and as we can no longer trust you…you’re no longer of use.”

“Please!” the first man begs. “Don’t do this.”

“Oh, but we have to.” It’s the second man.

Who’s in there? Who did they kill? My heart starts pounding in my chest. This isn’t just a masquerade ball. If they find me standing outside of this door, who knows what they’ll do to me? This isn’t fun and games anymore. Sienna and I have to get the heck out of here before we get caught up in whatever is going on behind the scenes.

I briskly turn around, but before I can take a step I slam right into a hard chest and strong hands grab my arms. My heart rate picks up, my breathing becoming heavy, and I can feel myself begin to shake. I look up and stare into familiar eyes.

Nikhil.

“Not a spy, huh?” His grip on my arms tightens as he turns around and begins to walk, pulling me along behind him. I immediately begin to fight against his grip, but it’s useless. He’s not letting me go.

“I’m not a spy!” I exclaim. “Let me go, or I’ll scream.”

“Scream all you want.” His lips quirk up. “Nobody’s going to save you.”

The way he says the words leaves a pit in my stomach, especially as I realize that he means them. And strangely enough, I believe him.

We walk through a long hallway before he opens a door and throws me inside. I fall on my hands and knees as he flicks the lights on and closes the door behind us. We’re in an office. It’s a more luxurious office than I’ve ever been in, although something about it is eerie, almost as if nobody actually uses it.

Quickly, I scramble back to my feet, pushing my hair out of my face, not taking my eyes off of Nikhil. I sense the danger surrounding him this time. Is he one of those men? Has he ever…killed someone?

“What do you want from me?” I hiss out, taking a step back with every step he takes toward me. Even though I want nothing to do with him, it’s insane the way my body yearns for him in a way I can’t explain.

“The truth.” He keeps stepping closer until my heels hit the wall, and he’s in front of me, no space between us. “Who are you?”

There’s no reason to lie now. “My name is Anna.”

“Anna what?”

“Anna Tryst.”

“Who’s your family?”

“I don’t have any,” I answer honestly. It’s been just me for a long time.

“You’re not rich.” It’s more of a statement than a question.

“No.”

“Then how…?”

“I’m friends with one of the caterers. She let me in.”

Nikhil thinks about my words before understanding briefly flickers in his eyes. “The redhead?”

“Yes.” It’s like I can’t answer in more than one or two words.

“Then, you won’t mind if I bring her up here to ask a few questions.”

Sienna isn’t like me. She can’t handle being interrogated, not without crying. If she knew that we were in some kind of murder mystery, she’d have a heart attack. And something tells me these men wouldn’t be all that willing to get her to a hospital.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t.” I’m not in a position to ask for anything, that’s obvious to me, but I can’t help but want to protect Sienna. She’s the closest thing to family I have. “She’s not the one you want. I am. I’m the one who eavesdropped.”

Nikhil bends his head until his lips are only a whisper away from mine. And as much as I want to get away from him, a part of me wishes he’d close the distance so I can see how his lips feel against mine. What is wrong with me? “And what did you hear?”

Should I tell the truth? Will they kill me if I do? Is it even worth trying to lie when Nikhil has already caught me in one lie? “Not much.” I stay as vague as possible. “I was walking out of the bathroom…”

“The bathroom is the opposite direction.”

“I thought I heard someone in distress. I went over there, and there were a few men talking. Once I realized, I turned around, and that’s when you found me.”

“Hm. We’ll see soon enough.”

Nikhil pulls away from me and walks to the desk, sitting at it behind the computer, leaving me confused and flustered. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Give me a few minutes to decide.”

I glance toward the door as I debate whether or not I can make a run for it.

“And, Anna,” he says, his voice surprisingly soft. I look over at him. “If that’s your real name. Here’s some advice—don’t do anything you feel as though I won’t like. I’m not so nice when I’m upset.”

He’s talking about running away.

I don’t dare move, staying pressed against the wall, the sounds of Nikhil’s fingers typing on the keyboard echoing in the air. I don’t look at him, my eyes taking in everything around the room instead as if creating some kind of mental picture.

This is what I get. I never should have snuck into this stupid party. Sienna was right.

After a few minutes, there’s a knock on the door followed by Nikhil saying, “Enter.”

A man comes in, wearing an all-black suit. He’s not wearing a mask either. He’s nearly bald, shades on his eyes, and pale, with a large folder in his hand.

Nikhil sits back in the chair. “What do you have for me?”

The bald man moves over to Nikhil and hands him the folder. Nikhil immediately opens it and starts to look through the pages before placing it on the desk. “Annalise Tryst.” I frown when he says my full name. But, how did he…? That folder…it contains information about me? “You are who you say you are, and the redhead is a caterer.”

“Don’t bring Sienna into this.” It’s a plea, despite the firmness of my voice.

Nikhil stares at me before snapping at the bald man. “Escort Ms. Hart out of the building.”

“Yes, sir.” The bald man moves quickly out of the room, as if he’s been caught on fire. It’s clear to me that Nikhil Volkov has more power than the media would lead me to believe.

“And what about me?” I ask. Nikhil’s gaze falls on me.

“Why did you come here?” he asks, voice quiet. “Because you’ve never been to a lavish party before?”

Why did I come here? To have fun. “Yes.”

“Any other reason?”

So Sienna and I could find men. But, there’s no way I’m telling him that. Instead, I simply purse my lips and nod my head. “Yes.”

“Would you like to know what I think?”

It doesn’t matter how I answer; he’s going to tell me anyway. Besides, a part of me wants to know exactly what’s going on in his head, a secret I’m not sure any person has ever unraveled before. “Yes.”

Nikhil gets up from his chair and walks straight to me. This time, I don’t back up, especially not when he grabs ahold of my chin. He still screams danger, but there’s something else this time. The intense attraction between us trumps everything else. “I think you came here because you wanted to find a man, and not to settle down with, but to spend one night with. Would you say I’m right?”

I can feel his breath against my cheek. “Maybe.”

His lips quirk up. “Are you trying to play hard to get?”

I snort. “Didn’t you just accuse me of being a spy?”

“You expect me to apologize?”

I shake my head. “You don’t strike me as the type of guy to apologize.”

“Because I can make it up to you in different ways.” His head drops down to my neck, and the second his lips touch my skin, I feel like I’m going to melt. “Tell me yes.”

It’s a command. A command I badly want to follow.

“And if I say no?”

He finds the sensitive part of my neck and sucks on it. “I’ll let you walk out.”

I don’t want to walk out.

A small sigh passes between my lips. He knows he has me right where he wants me, right where I want to be. “And what happens after?”

“Nothing,” he answers, sucking on my neck so hard I know it’ll leave a bruise, but I welcome it. “You’ll pretend like this never happened.”

That’s exactly what I wanted, isn’t it? One night of complete fun, and then sneaking out the next morning? With any other guy it seems easy, but with Nikhil…? It’ll be hard to forget the way he makes my body feel.

But, I’ll try my hardest.

“Okay.”

His hand slips underneath my dress, skin against skin, as he holds my waist. “I want to hear you say it. I need to hear how much you want me.”

“I want you to touch me everywhere.” For most men, I wouldn’t dare say the words, but for him? Nikhil will be my exception.

“Good job, princess. Now, reach up and take my mask off.”

I’m shocked, but I don’t falter, even though it’s hard to reach around his head when he’s making my legs shake, nibbling on my neck in between his aggressive sucking. After a few seconds of me working the ties, the mask falls from his face.

My eyes eat up every inch of his face. I thought he was attractive before, but this man…he looks like a prince, as if I shouldn’t even be this close to him because he isn’t real.

He doesn’t give me much time to take it in before his hands are making quick work of my zipper, yanking my dress down until it’s pooling around me. “Step out of it.”

I don’t think I’ve ever obeyed anyone quicker.

My breath quickens as Nikhil’s hands begin to explore my body. He starts at my waist, hands firm and confident, sending shivers up my spine. Slowly, his hands move up, caressing my sides. He undoes my bra quickly, letting it fall. Thankfully, I’ve never been self-conscious, but he makes me do a double take.

His thumbs brush the undersides of my breasts, eliciting a gasp from my lips. He moves one hand to my head and pulls me in for a kiss. Our mouths devour each other, tongues tangling passionately. I can taste the wine on Nikhil’s breath, spicing up the kiss. His kiss is demanding, insistent, and I respond eagerly, desperately tugging on the strands of his dark hair in an attempt to pull him closer.

One hand cups my breast, thumb rubbing my already hardened nipple. I arch into his touch, moaning softly as pleasure shoots through me.

I’ve never been touched like this before, and I’m taking in every second.

His hands move lower, tracing the outline of my hips. I can feel my pussy getting wetter by the second. “Nikhil, please…”

A wicked smile plays on his lips as he steps back. Pulling me by the hand, he leads me to his desk, pushing aside papers and a laptop to clear a space. Then, without warning, he sweeps me up into his strong arms and places me on the desk, stepping between my legs.

Leaning forward, he places soft kisses along my collarbone, licking and nipping at the sensitive skin, making me squirm. Then, he lowers his head and takes one erect nipple into his mouth, sucking gently at first before adding more force.

I moan, holding him to my breast as waves of pleasure wash over me. He teases my nipple with his tongue, swirling it around before biting gently.

I arch off the desk, crying out softly. “Oh yes, right there…don’t stop.”

His free hand pinches my nipple, and I’m in pure bliss, falling deeper into every single thing he does to my body. His other hand continues trailing down my stomach, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Slowly, deliberately, he slides my lace panties down my legs, past my knees, and off, baring me completely.

I spread legs wider, inviting him to continue his sensual torture. Nikhil obliges, trailing featherlight kisses down my stomach, stopping to swirl his tongue in my belly button before moving lower, his breath ghosting over my damp pussy and making me groan.

He lowers his mouth to my wet center, licking and sucking at my juicy lips, his tongue delving into my warm depths. I gasp, my hands clutching the edge of the desk as he eats me out hungrily, his tongue flicking my clit, then diving deep into my hole.

“Nikhil!” I cry out, my hips bucking involuntarily.

He holds my thighs tightly, keeping me in place as he feasts on my pussy, his tongue never ceasing its assault on my sensitive bud. He sucks and licks, adding the occasional gentle bite, driving me absolutely wild.

I feel my orgasm building, like a train gathering speed, hurtling toward its destination. “I’m gonna come!”

He growls in response, the vibration sending me over the edge. My back arches off the desk as a powerful orgasm rips through me, my juices flowing freely. Nikhil laps at me, drinking in my essence as I ride out the waves of pleasure, crying out his name.

When I finally come down from my high, I find him sitting back on his heels, a satisfied smirk on his face.

And shortly after, before I’ve even had the chance to catch my breath, there’s a knock on the door.

My eyes widen, and I try to cover myself up, but Nikhil doesn’t let me. “Right on time,” he comments.

Right on time for what?