An Illicit Obsession

“Do as your mother says.”Stepmother, you mean, I wanted to say.Instead, I stood silently, my lips pressed into a thin line, as my father informed me that I had to go on this so-called weekend trip they had planned with his friend. I know why exactly this trip was planned and I would rather stay away from it.The plan is to go on a weekend getaway in the vacation house of My father’s dangerous, mafia friend. Killian Knight. If you’re smart, you stay out of his way. If you’re wise, you become his friend—if you can manage it, that is. I’ve never met him, only seen photos, but I know enough. And what I know is enough for me to decide that he is too dangerous and too close to my father for comfort. He kills people for a living, and I’ve decided I’d rather live my life without the constant threat of being snuffed out in my sleep. Besides, I can’t go on this little family-friendly trip. I’ll never have an opportunity like this again: three days alone, unsupervised. There are things I need

Mila's POVKillian Knight—the most dangerous man in the U.S.A. A mafia boss. A contract killer. Married. I repeated the mantra to myself, willing away the electric charge coursing through me. My guest room was the last one in the corridor. I thanked Nina, shut the door behind her, and tossed my bag onto the four-poster bed. Pouring myself a glass of water, I downed it in seconds.Maybe I’d neglected my body’s physical needs for far too long. There was no way I could be attracted to danger. Throwing myself onto the bed, I took a few calming breaths. This had to be some form of shock. Before I could dwell on it further, my phone rang.It was J. “Are you serious?” Her incredulous tone greeted me.I sighed. “I know. I couldn’t get out of it. I tried.” “You’re in Killian Knight’s house!”I shivered—for reasons that had nothing to do with fear.“I know,” I replied quietly. J sighed, clearly worried. “Look, I’m cool with a lot of things, and if he were anyone else, I’d say seduce him and tak

Mila's POV"The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen."My breath hitched, my heart skipped a beat, and a sharp tug deep in my stomach almost bordered on pain. I quickly gathered myself and turned to him.“You shouldn’t be saying this,” I scolded.“I like to state facts.” He softly blew away a tendril of hair falling from my braid, then walked away with a teasing smile. Blood rushed to my cheeks, leaving me speechless. Was he flirting with me? Since our eyes first met, there’s been this crackling energy between us, like something alive.If anyone touched it, they’d burn. And now, I feel like I’m standing too close to the fire. He shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be feeling this. At dinner, I made sure to sit as far from him as possible. His face was stoic, the teasing smile and charming glint in his eyes gone. When he sat at the head of the table, dressed in a fitted black shirt and pants, he looked like Hades himself, sucking the oxygen from the room.I dared a single glance at him

Mila's POVI didn’t think this would happen. I should have, but I didn’t. There wasn’t much room for thought when he was kissing me. Everything that made it wrong turned on its head and felt too right. My hand went to his face, pulling him closer. One of his hands wrapped around me while the other tangled in my hair, tilting my head at just the right angle as his tongue invaded my mouth, deepening the kiss. A sheer jolt of pleasure hit my core, and I melted against him. It was a relief to feel him this close. From yesterday to this moment, I hadn’t realized how exhausting resisting him had been. I savored him. He cradled my chin in his hand, his tongue stroking my lower lip in a raw, electrifying motion. The softness of his lips against mine was intoxicating, turning my insides into molten heat. It was overwhelming.When he pulled away, I was left dazed. He unwrapped his arms from around me, resting one hand on my shoulder and the other on his forehead, touching it to mine as we caugh

Mila's POVHalf of me was scared, and the other half was confused, but the look in his eyes made it clear—he would accept nothing but the truth. I swallowed the lump in my throat."Miss Grace Milton. She was our guardian at the children's home," I admitted.He kissed my forehead, gather me in his embrace. I do not know if it was to comfort me or contain his own fury, it kind of felt both. I so desperately wanted to bask in his warmth but I held it in. I can not be so easily be vulnerable. After a moment or two, he walked out of the bathroom, leaving my head spinning.I tried to steady my racing heart and followed him, but he was nowhere in the room. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air. A chill washed over me. What have I gotten myself into?Killian didn’t reappear for the rest of the day. Later, Kate apologized, saying he wouldn’t be joining us for dinner but assured us he’d be there to see us off in the morning. I kept replaying every moment since I met him, trying to piece