Page 5 of His Forbidden Obsession

My father had warned me to stay away from all of his guests. He’d implied that some of them would do anything to prevent my marriage to Alina, but then, so would I. I didn’t dislike her. If I had to marry a woman, she might be my first pick. I actually admired the hell out of her for trying to stand up to her father. She was stuck marrying me when we both knew I would actually be her father’s toy, and my father might expect the same services from her. I’d be expected to get her pregnant, but after that, we might not even see each other. I’d be in Ivanov’s bed or wherever he kept the young men he fucked.

I wanted one of my father’s associates to prevent it, but considering the company my father kept, whoever was trying to get in could be even worse than my future father-in-law.

The lock clicked open. I readied myself. I might be small, but I could do this. I could defend myself. I had a feeling I was going to need the few fighting skills I’d learned even more once I was married.

The door opened slowly. I jumped out at the intruder, but he caught my arm before I could bring the candlestick down on his head. When I looked up at him, I sucked in my breath in shock.

“Drop it,” Lorenzo demanded.

When I didn’t obey, he squeezed my arm tighter.

“Drop the candlestick. Nikolai. I’m not here to hurt you.”

I did as he said, letting myself really look at him. He was tall, at least six foot three, and his broad shoulders strained the jacket of his tux. His dark eyes seemed to look right into me, but his lips were full and soft, and Jesus, I could barely breathe.

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

“I think you know why I’m here.” His gaze slid down my body. I wasn’t wearing anything besides the silky robe I’d put on after my shower.

Lorenzo’s eyes met mine again, and his smile promised things I’d only fantasized about. I couldn’t have those things, no matter how much I wanted them. I wasn’t allowed to be with a man before my wedding. Ivanov had demanded a virgin, and my father was happy to deliver one up.

I took a step back. “I have no idea why you would dare to break into my room. You need to leave.”

He didn’t move. “Did your father lock you in?”

“Yes.” There was no point in lying. He knew what kind of man my father was.

“Are you happy with the way he controls you, chooses your wife for you, or should I say your lover? You’re really a gift for Ivanov, aren’t you?”

How did he know my father was really giving me to Alina’s father? No one was supposed to know that. “It doesn’t matter what makes me happy.”

“What if it did?”

I shook my head. I didn’t need that kind of temptation. I knew what had happened to my sister when she tried to defy our father’s rule. She was a shell of herself now. That wouldn’t happen to me. “You need to leave.”

“But what do you need?”

That wasn’t a question I dared answer. He walked toward me, and I took another step backward.

“Haven’t you wondered?”

“Wondered what?”

“What it would be like to be with a man?” Lorenzo moved another step closer.

I thought about it every night when I lay in bed, when I watched a hot movie, when I jerked off.

“Has a man ever touched you, Nikolai?”

I took another step back and hit the wall. My heart raced, and the floor seemed to tilt under me. Lorenzo braced his hands on the wall, caging me in. I froze when he leaned forward and pressed his face to my neck, then breathed in deeply.

“I… I could scream and⁠—”

“You aren’t going to do that. You know your father would blame you if he found me here. If you were going to summon anyone, you would have screamed when I first came in.”

He was right, but this was insane. I should scream. I should fight. I should do whatever it took to get this man away from me, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to know what he intended to do because the feelings he stirred in me weren’t like the fear I felt when Ivanov had looked me over, touching me as if I were a piece of meat he was inspecting for dinner. His touches had revolted me so much I’d almost vomited on him.

Lorenzo slid a hand under the lapel of my robe. “You’re naked under here, aren’t you. It’s almost like you were waiting for me.”