I was sure now, beyond a reasonable doubt, and this was another window, another crack in the wall that I’d use to my own advantage.
At first, when I caught a glimpse of it in his eyes, I was quick to dispel it, especially because he masked it really well. I didn’t make much of it then, and all my mind was focused on how to get the hell out of here. I should have paid more attention to him rather than concentrating on other possible means of escape.
Now, it was glaring as day—crystal clear. Nikita Tarasov found me attractive. I saw the lust in his eyes when he touched my skin last night. It only lasted for a fleeting moment, the glint of desire flickering in his gaze. But I knew what I saw, and I was certain of it. He wanted me; his countenance said it all, as did his lingering touch.
His eyes had settled on my cleavage a little longer than usual, as if drinking in the sight of my breasts. I watched the momentary struggle to quench the flame ignited within him, but it was too late; I’d already seen it. I sensed the slight shift in the air, the fleeting tension that hovered around us when his fingers traveled along my skin. The action was unexpected, hence the reason my body trembled ever so slightly.
Just when I thought all hope was lost, this opportunity presented itself. It was useless trying to escape this place—the mission was next to impossible, and I was no Tom Cruise. However, Nik’s attraction toward me was a game changer, one that I was willing to jump on, no matter the cost. He’d made it clear that he was in charge here and that I had no power or say whatsoever.
That might have been true a few days ago, but not anymore. This little crack in the strong wall he’d built around himself had given me more power than he could possibly imagine. It was a cruel advantage, and I was willing to use it so long as it helped get me out of here. Weaponizing his attraction and lust for me wasn’t something that I wanted to do; it was something that I had to do, regardless of my conscience.
At this point, he’d left me with no choice but to do what was best for me, even if it meant taking extreme measures. No hard feelings. It was a necessary evil. He hadn’t felt bad when he took me against my will, when he kidnapped me and locked me up in his mansion. Why should I feel bad about manipulating the situation to my own advantage?
He’d started this game, and now, I was simply cultivating the thoughts of how to play along, how to make a few tweaks here and there so the odds would be in my favor. In my family, manipulation was the order of the day; it was an art that every Romano had to learn at a tender age. Father made it clear that once an opportunity presented itself, it was wise to always jump on it before someone else did.
There was no room for weak links in the Romano household, and I refused to be one. I refused to be the daughter who was too reckless, too weak to do the right thing to save herself. I got myself into this mess, and it was my responsibility to get myself out by any means necessary.
Today, I’d been in bed all morning, thinking, strategizing, and cooking up ways to execute my plans against him. However, there was only one problem: I’d never seduced anyone before. Ever. The art of seduction was uncharted territory, one that I was unfamiliar with. But as the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything.
However, that appeared to be a problem for another day. Today’s challenge was this burning fever that had me under the weather. At first, I didn’t take it seriously until the room began to get colder and colder by the minute, forcing me to wrap the blanket over my shuddering body.
My teeth were subtly gnashing as a cold shiver literally ran down my spine. I threw my hand to my forehead, wincing at the heat beneath my skin. I was burning up.
“No, no, no,” I mumbled under my warm breath. “I can’t fall sick. Not now.”
This wasn’t a good time to be ill, considering the amount of work that needed to be done. I was supposed to be on high alert—to be in the right state of mind in order to figure out how to best twist this attraction into the perfect weapon. My escape plan depended on my health. I couldn’t fall sick. No.
With a slight groan, I tossed the sheets aside and attempted to sit upright. My head and eyes were heavy, and I could feel my whole body shuddering, betraying me and dragging me down into exhaustion. I managed to sit on the edge of the mattress, the marble floor cold beneath my feet.
I lowered my heavy head, fingers rubbing my burning eyes as I attempted to stand. Wrong move. A cloud of mist blurred my vision, dizziness swallowing me whole while the world seemed to swirl around me. My head was spinning, and my warm breath ceased for a moment. I felt weak in my legs, and before I could take one more step, my knees quaked, failing to carry my weight.
My eyes shut, my body collapsing as the marble floor rushed up to meet me. I crashed to the ground, the sound of my own heartbeat fading into the background. A sigh escaped my lips as my eyes rolled back into their sockets, and the world went dark.
I drifted into the abyss of nothingness, unconscious, completely out like a light.
