LOGINSophia’s POVSitting through dinner with a room full of potentially dangerous men was one thing, but playing a doting wife to their boss was certainly another.Suffice to say, I’m pretty sure I nailed being the perfect wife. Now here I was, sharing the same air as Nikolai. I dropped the perfect wife act as soon as everyone walked out of the dining room, but somehow, there was a feeling of angst that remained stagnant in the air between us. His body caged mine so close that I could smell his cologne mixed with a light trace of wine. It felt like torture being so close, and my body responded to the space between us, or the lack thereof, in ways my brain couldn’t completely comprehend. I hated how my body remembered the way our lips touched, or the way his fingers made my skin pulse like there were bolts of electricity beneath it.He pulled away the moment he looked down at his phone. Whatever he read had changed his demeanor in an instant. His jaw tightened, and his eyes went cold.
Nikolai's POVThe night was going according to plan. My men sat around the table, wine flowing, and just the right amount of fear beneath all the socializing. Yet, something felt different, and I knew it before I thought about it.It was because she was sitting right by my side.Sophia. My fake wife looked far too good in that black dress. I had to remind myself that it was all pretend. But not every part of me had gotten the memo.She looked good in that black dress. It hugged her body like it had been made just for her.The neckline plunged so far down that I had caught some of my men staring. Just one warning look from me was enough to make them back off. Then there was the red lipstick. My God. My mind wandered to our kiss. After she left the gym, I felt as though I had lost all sanity.Petra’s gaze stayed heavy on me. I hadn't forgotten how disrespectful she had been to Sophia. She was starting to become a liability.“Enough personal matters,” I turned my attention to the me
Sophia's POVHoly shit.I just kissed Nikolai Lev. And I liked it.All I could think of as I made my way up the stairs was how wrong all of this was.Nikolai was the enemy. Hating him was the only way to survive this marriage. Kissing him and enjoying it was the opposite of that."Get it together, Sophia," I whispered, shutting the door behind me.I scooped Loki out of his carrier immediately, burying my face in his soft fur as he purred against my chest. Easing me out of my angst. "I don't know what I'm doing, Loki," I murmured to him. "Dad’s probably passed out drunk on the floor somewhere, and here I am, kissing the devil.”My eyes landed on a pile of shopping bags and boxes in the corner. I set Loki on the bed and began digging through them. It had basically everything I had requested. Shoes, clothes, and, most importantly, there was also a new phone.Which was great, because I was slowly losing my mind here.I thought for a second who I could call. My best friend, Amaya, was pr
Niko's POVI was in the middle of bench presses in my home gym, trying to burn off some steam before tonight's dinner, when Ivan knocked and walked in."Some things arrived for Sophia Rossi." He looked at me like I had somehow become Sophia. Or should I say, my wife. The same woman who had accused my oldest friend of being a traitor.My nostrils flared at the mere thought of her words. She had no idea what she was talking about.I'd admit, my anger might have gotten the best of me, but Sophia had a way of infuriating me like no one else, while affecting me in a way I just couldn't bring myself to comprehend."How about you give it to her then?" I grunted, pushing the barbell back into the rack. "What should I do about the cat?""What cat?" I froze in place"Uh…this one?"My whole body snaps up, and my eyes instantly land on a pet carrier with what seems to be a small white cat behind the bars."What the hell..." I take a deep breath. How has she managed to piss me off twice in one da
Sophia's POV“My love,” He said performatively. Clearly putting on a show for his audience of one, Petra. I put on a fake smile, knowing I had to also play along to whatever this was.“Hi, baby…” I said softly, and a flicker of curiosity flashed in his eyes. He could probably tell how rusty I was in the writing department. I hadn't had a boyfriend in so long. Taking care of my father was a lot of work; ergo, I had no social life.Niki stretched out his hand for me to take, and after a second of hesitation, I did.He gently led me away from my hiding spot and into the office, where Petra looked unimpressed.Her left leg stuck out in front like a pose, revealing her thigh-high slit. Seriously, was there some kind of cocktail party this morning? She had her arms crossed across her chest, like she was ready for war.And to be honest, so was I. She stared at me, top to bottom. Like she was scanning me for some kind of virus.“Hello,” I said sweetly. I had to play the perfect wife, and t
Sophia's POVIf anyone had told me years ago that my future would include being married to a psycho mafia boss, I would have laughed in their face and called them all sorts of crazy.I still remember the day I graduated from college like it was yesterday. I thought I had my whole life ahead of me. I had gotten an offer from a prestigious finance firm. I mean, it was no Goldman Sachs, but it was a pretty big deal getting an offer straight out of school.Then it all came crashing down one night. I had gotten a call about my father's accident; he had been drinking and driving. It was pretty bad. The rest, as they say, is history. I quit my first big girl job before I even got the chance to start. I moved back home to take care of dad, and all my hopes and dreams began to fade away slowly.I would daydream about being married to a six-foot-five man in finance, but I got a six-foot-five criminal instead. I groaned as I rolled in bed. All night, I had secluded myself in the far end of the
Sophia's POVNikolai's threat sent shivers down my spine, but it also made my blood boil.His body pinned mine against the wall of the walk-in closet, and all I could feel was an intense urge to punch him in his arrogant face for accusing me of being some kind of mole. At the same time, I felt an u
Sophia's POVI knew men like Nikolai.Mafia bosses with a knack for risking their lives and the lives of everyone around them, no matter the cost. I hated men like him.I paced back and forth in what I could only describe as an overrated master bedroom. I was in his bedroom, not by choice. Just lik
Niko's POVI leaned back, taking all my plans in. Tonight was the night. Except my best friend and right-hand man, Jack, thought it was a dumb idea.“The Rossi girl?” He was standing right across from me. We never did see eye to eye on anything. It was a wonder how we managed to stay best friends a
Sophia's POVSleeping in this bed…in this house, with the enemy was one of the hardest things I had to do.Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Nikolai’s face, and all I could hear was his voice haunting my every thought. There was no way in hell I would have his child, but that meant I woul







