Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

NICO

I haven't had a good night's sleep in nearly twenty years. The longest I've ever slept since my parents died is five hours on a good day. But when I wake up with Aurora in my arms and the sun shining into the bedroom, I have a feeling I've been out for so much longer than that.

When I open my eyes, Aurora is nowhere in sight, and my first thought is that she left again, which makes me panic. I sit up in the bed, checking the digital clock, which tells me it's seven a.m. Which means I've been out for nearly eight hours. I barely have any time to take that in, before I grab a shirt to put on and go in search of the woman who was responsible for me achieving such a feat.

I would have never been able to sleep that long without her beside me. Thankfully, when I step downstairs, I find her in the kitchen, making a cup of coffee. She offers me a bright smile once she sees me, and I notice she looks like she just went out for a run. She's in shorts and sneakers, her long brown hair in a ponytail.

"Where were you?" I ask, reaching for her and immediately pulling her into my arms.

She lets me, probably because she knows where my mind went.

"I went out for a quick run. I didn't want to wake you," she says softly, rubbing my back. "I know how hard it is for you to go to sleep, and you were sleeping so soundly earlier. I snuck out of the room."

"The fact that you managed to accomplish that without waking me is a bit hard to believe," I mutter.

"I was very quiet," she says, a smile in her voice.

She looks up at me, her brown eyes the most beautiful thing to wake up to in the morning.

"You still should have woken me up. I dispatched the guards to afford us some privacy, but I don't want you going off on your own without me, okay?"

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, daddy. "

I smack her ass for the sass, and she moans softly. Then it turns into a groan when I begin kneading the soft flesh there in my palm.

"You know, you missed out on some excellent morning sex by sneaking out of the room," I say, my voice lowering a few octaves.

When I look into her eyes, they're already burning with desire.

"Oh yeah?" she asks, sliding her arm around my neck. "Well, it's still morning, the sun is shining, and I want you."

She proves how much she wants me by reaching into my boxers and gripping my already rock-hard cock, stroking me up and down. I jolt in her hands, feeling like I'm this close to losing it. The look in her eyes screams fuck me, and at that moment, I'm more glad than anything else that I found her again. She's mine.

She seals her lips to mine, kissing me with a hungry desperation. I reach down for the material of her shorts, and she gasps against my mouth as I push both them and her panties to the side so I can thrust two fingers inside of her.

"You're so fucking wet. You want my cock, mi vida ?" I ask, rubbing against her clit.

Her reply is a moan close to my lips.

"Can you feel yourself drenching my fingers? You're such a dirty little whore, wife."

Her breathing turns erratic, and she clenches around my fingers. But she does manage to narrow her eyes at me and shake her head.

"I. Am. Not. Your. Wife," she grits out breathlessly, while riding my fingers.

"Hmm, maybe not," I say in agreement. "But eventually, you'll be saying the words and there'll be no one in the world who can contest that. Now, are you going to come, sweetheart?"

"Yes…Yes…" her lips form the shape of an "O" as her pussy tightens around my fingers.

Her head rolls back, while her hand holds my arm in a death grip. She continues to ride my finger through her orgasm. My other hand goes to her tits, massaging them through the material of her shirt. When she comes, she does so with a loud cry, her body sagging against mine.

She looks up at me with a sleepy smile, her eyes hooded.

"That was nice," she murmurs, her hand tracing my jaw. "I should probably return the favor. How do you feel about my mouth around your cock?" she whispers.

"While that would be a dream come true, there's no time for that right now. Come on."

I lead her into the bedroom, and she doesn't protest as I practically rip the rest of her clothes off. We're both naked in a matter of seconds. I push her onto the bed and roll her around until she's kneeling with her ass in the air. I position myself behind her, my entire body shaking with anticipation.

"I'm going to claim you, Aurora. And then I'm going to make you scream until there's no doubt in your mind that you're mine."

She turns around to shoot me a heart-stopping smile, and I would give anything to be stuck in this moment forever. I dig my fingers into her hip and thrust inside her all at once. Her body jerks, but her pussy swallows me whole, milking my cock.

"Fuck. You feel so tight," I groan as I pull out before thrusting inside of her.

Her tits jiggle from the powerful rhythm of my thrusts, and her back lowers further. Every part of her welcomes me. As her whimpers fill the air, I slide my fingers down to her clit, rubbing against her in an effort to drive her wild. I continue to ram inside of her in a steady rhythm, hitting her most sensitive spot over and over.

"Are you going to say the words, Aurora?" I ask as I thrust inside of her.

"What words?" she grits out, playing dumb.

I know she knows what I'm talking about. I spank her ass, which only serves to excite her. She pushes back to take in more of my cock.

"Say you're mine," I coerce. "If you say it, I'll let you come."

"And if I don't?" she challenges, breaths uneven.

I smirk. "Then we'll be here a while."

To prove I'm being serious, I slow the pace of my fucking, keeping her right on the edge, but not giving her enough friction in order to orgasm.

"Damn it, Nico," she says groaning softly.

"You only have to say the words, mi vida ."

I slap her ass again, delighting in the sight of my handprints marking her. She's a trembling mess by now, and I know I've almost got her.

"Come on, baby. It'll feel so good. Just quit being stubborn for one moment, and I'll let you come so hard you'll see stars."

She whimpers in my hold, and I really need her to say the words, because I can feel my own orgasm looming.

"Fine," she grits out. "I…I'm yours…for now."

One day, she'll say the words without any coercion from me. But for now, I'll take what she's offering.

"Yes, you are," I state, before increasing the pace of my thrusts.

Excitement courses through me as I feel her tighten around me, her moans driving me wild. The room is filled with the sounds of our passion, our bodies moving in perfect sync. I grip her hips, pulling her closer with each thrust, my movements becoming more urgent, more desperate.

I can see the look of pleasure on her face, her eyes half-closed, lips parted, and it only fuels my desire. I can't help but pound harder and harder into her until she's screaming.

The intensity builds between us, a rising crescendo of pleasure that neither of us can resist. I feel her body start to tremble, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. "Nico!" she cries out, her voice filled with pure bliss. I can feel her walls clenching around me, her orgasm rippling through her body.

Her screams of pleasure push me over the edge. My own release crashes through me with a force that leaves me breathless. I thrust one last time, hard and deep, and she screams for mercy right before I take my release.

I fall down onto the bed, taking her with me. Aurora lays her head on my chest as we both try to recover.

"I'm starting to feel like you only brought us here for sex," she murmurs, trailing her fingers over my chest.

I bark out a laugh. "I actually never imagined I'd get this lucky. Vlad was the one who gave me the idea. He said we should try being friends first again in order to fix our relationship."

"Hmm, so what are we now? Friends who fuck?" she asks, a smile in her voice.

"No, we are so much more than that," I say.

It's honeymoon day three, and I can honestly say this is the most well-rested I've been in a very long time. It was a good idea to come here. And while it feels like Aurora and I are in this bubble, keeping out all the real-world problems, I'm content to never leave.

Aurora sits across from me, her eyes glinting with competitive fire as we both stare down at the chessboard laid out on the table in front of us.

I move my knight forward, leaving her king in a relatively dangerous position, but not for long.

"Your move, sweetheart," I tell her, leaning back.

Over the past few days, we've been engaging in a lot of activities reminiscent of our past. Chess is one of these activities. Aurora's the one that taught me how to play, actually. It used to be our thing, and now I can see that we've both still got it.

She studies the board, her brows furrowing in concentration. "I know you think that you're God's gift to the world and that you are perfect at everything you do, but I am not letting you win this game, Nicky."

I smirk. "We'll see."

She's able to successfully capture my knight with a pawn, a move I already saw coming. From there, we trade pieces back and forth, each move calculated.

"You're better than before," I note when she manages to capture my bishop and my rook in quick succession.

"He says like it's a surprise," Aurora drawls, laughing softly. "In case you don't remember, I was the one that taught this to you, Nicky."

I roll my eyes. I remember saying once that the only person Aurora's ever lost to is me. Unfortunately, the reverse is also the case, as is proven clearly when she moves her queen into a threatening position.

"Check," she says, smirking.

"It's not over yet, baby," I state, my eyes narrowing as I assess the board.

I contemplate my next move, wheels turning in my head. I can't remember the last time I played against someone so good. We've been at this for about forty-five minutes.

I have to eat my own words a few minutes later when she manages to capture my queen, leaving me with no further moves that don't end in my demise.

"Checkmate," she states, leaning back with a triumphant smile.

I sigh, feeling a mix of admiration and frustration. "Well played, mi vida ."

She grins, getting to her feet, and moving to sit beside me on the sofa.

"Aww, are you going to be a sore loser?" she asks, running her hand through my hair. "Want me to make you feel better?"

"Sure, baby. Your lips around my cock would be a nice place to start."

Her smile widens, and she slaps my arm.

"You are so annoyingly crass," she scolds.

"You like it," I retort.

"Unfortunately, you promised to let us go down to the beach if I won the game. I won, ergo, beach!" she says excitedly, getting to her feet.

We haven't been able to go down to the beach since the first day we were here. Mainly because every time she changes into her bikini, I lose it at the sight of her naked skin and end up throwing her down and fucking her like an animal.

Aurora takes off the shirt she's wearing, which is mine. At the sight of her smooth, creamy skin, and her body which is barely covered by the black bikini two-piece, I feel my cock harden. I start to consider the ramifications of keeping her in here because she's able to read my expression accurately.

"No," she says, pointing a finger at me. "I am going to that beach, and you are not going to stop me. Got it?"

"I told you to stop using the words, ‘got it', at the end of a statement directed at me," I say in annoyance.

"Oh, I'm sorry, your supreme Lordship. How would you prefer I address you?"

"With respect if you don't want me spanking your ass and fucking you hard."

Her eyes widen, growing a little darker as she leans forward, placing her hands on my shoulders.

"You promise?"

I would have had her under me in seconds for that alone, but she steps back with a smile, walking toward the back of the house.

"Come on, Nico. The sun is shining, and the beach is right there. Let's go for a swim," she says.

I stand about to follow her, when my phone rings. My jaw clenches, and I give her an apologetic look.

"You can go. I'll come join you."

She nods, turning around. I watch the sway of her ass as she walks away until she's out of sight. And then I answer the call from Vlad.

"I asked not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency," I state.

"Yeah, boss, I remember. I wouldn't be calling you if it wasn't."

"What's up?"

"I got a call from Morris," he starts, referring to Sebastian's senior guard, which is odd. My first thought is that Sebastian's finally made his move against me, but Vlad debunks that with his next words. "Adrian's caused some trouble, boss. Apparently, he found out that Lukas was having a meeting with some people in the Bratva."

Fuck.

"What did he do?"

"He's holding him hostage right now at the compound. It's turning into a big mess because Camila's demanding his return. But Adrian isn't budging. He says he's waiting for you to return so you can dole out judgment on the traitor. She and her uncle already have some men situated outside the compound, ready to move in and grab Lukas by force."

I know without a doubt that this situation has the capacity to escalate if I don't do something about it immediately. It's a little ironic that the civil war I thought would happen on my way to the throne is instead happening mere days after I finally got it.

This is the last thing I need right now.

"Get the men ready. We leave in an hour," I state before hanging up.

My gaze moves towards the back door of the house that Aurora just went through. I hate that I have to cut our trip short so suddenly. When I arrive at the beach, I find her standing at the edge of the water, eyes shut and a small smile playing on her lips.

I hate that I have to be the one to ruin that. She opens her eyes when she hears my footsteps. And because she's incredibly attuned to my expression, she knows as soon as she looks at my face.

"What's wrong?" she asks with a sigh.

"There's a problem back in the city. We need to go back, sweetheart," I say gently.

"Yeah, I figured."

Her face is smooth and devoid of any emotion, but I can tell she's upset.

"We'll come back, Aurora. I promise."

"It's fine, Nico. You have responsibilities. You're Don, after all. Let's go."

"I'm sorry, beautiful."

When I hold out my hand, she slips it into mine without hesitation, which I'm glad for. We head into the house to get packed and soon enough, we're leaving the small beach town.

I just hope we don't leave behind all we've been able to achieve in the past few days as well.