Chapter 1: My First Mistake

I stood in the middle of the quiet room with my arms crossed while Riven Cross watched me from the other side of the desk. He did not speak at first. He simply looked at me the way a man looks at something he has already decided to keep.

Did you bring me here just to stare at me?

The corner of his mouth lifted a little. Not a smile. Something sharper. You talk more than I expected, he said. Most people in your position stay quiet.

I am not most people.

No, he agreed. You are the one who signed a contract for one hundred nights without even asking what I like. That was either very brave or very stupid.

I kept my chin up even though my hands wanted to shake. I signed it to protect my brother. That is the only reason I am here. You already know that.

Riven leaned back in his chair and studied me for a long moment. The light from the window cut across his face and I noticed a thin scar on the knuckle of his right hand. I wondered who he hit to get it.

Protecting family is a clean reason, he said. Almost noble. But we both know clean reasons do not last long in rooms like this.

He stood and walked around the desk slowly. Each step felt deliberate. When he stopped in front of me the air between us changed. He was close enough that I could smell the clean scent of his skin and something darker underneath. My pulse jumped.

You can keep hating me, he said in a low voice. Just do it quieter when I start.

I opened my mouth to answer but he lifted one hand and brushed his fingers along the side of my neck. The touch was light. Almost careful. Yet the moment his skin met mine something sharp and unwanted moved through my stomach. We both felt it. I saw the slight change in his eyes before he hid it again.

That, he said quietly, is going to be a problem.

I should have stepped back. I did not. My voice came out lower than I meant it to. What is?

The fact that your body already answers me and we have not even started night one.

I forced myself to hold his gaze. You do not know anything about my body.

Riven’s hand slid from my neck to the side of my jaw. His thumb rested just under my lip. Then prove me wrong, he said. Walk out right now and I will tear up the contract. Your brother stays safe. You never see me again.

The offer hung between us. For one long second I almost believed he meant it. Then I saw the truth in his eyes. He already knew I would not leave. Theo’s future was worth more than my pride and Riven had known that from the beginning.

I stayed where I was.

Something dark and satisfied moved across his face. Good girl, he said, but the words sounded more like a private observation than praise. Then he leaned in and kissed me.

It was not soft. It was not kind. It was the kind of kiss that felt like a claim and a question at the same time. My hands rose to push him away but instead they curled into the front of his shirt. The moment I did it I knew I had made the first real mistake of the night.

Riven made a low sound against my mouth and walked me backward until the edge of the bed hit my legs. We went down together. His weight settled over me and the heat of him sank into my skin. When he pushed my dress up and found me already wet he stilled for a second.

Look at that, he murmured. You can keep telling yourself this is only for Theo. Your cunt is telling a different story.

I turned my face away but he caught my chin and made me look at him while he pushed his cock inside me in one slow deep stroke. The stretch forced a broken sound from my throat. He held still for a moment, giving me time to feel every thick inch of him, before he started to move.

The rhythm was controlled and deep. Every thrust seemed measured to pull another unwilling response from me. I tried to stay silent but the pleasure built too fast and too strong. When the first orgasm hit I cried out and my nails dug into his shoulders. Riven watched my face the entire time as if the sight of me coming undone was the only thing he came for.

He did not stop. He kept fucking me until my legs were shaking and then he followed with a low rough sound against my neck, spilling deep inside me while my pussy still clenched around him.

For a long moment neither of us moved. The only sound in the room was our breathing.

Night one, he said finally, voice quiet near my ear. Ninety nine left.

I stared at the ceiling and tried to gather what was left of my control. The contract was supposed to stay cold. It was supposed to be only about protecting Theo. Yet my body was still trembling and the worst part was how much I already felt the pull to come back tomorrow.

Riven pulled out slowly and sat up. He looked down at me with an expression I could not read.

You did better than I expected, he said. Tomorrow will be harder. Be here at the same time.

I sat up and reached for my clothes with unsteady hands. Just as I finished dressing and moved toward the door he spoke again.

Nora.

I stopped.

Before you go there is one more thing. He walked to the desk, opened a drawer, and took out a small folded piece of paper. He held it up but did not give it to me.

The evidence against your brother is not the only thing I hold. There is something else. Something that belongs to you. And if you break any part of this agreement even once I will use it.

My blood turned cold.

What are you talking about?

Riven watched me for a long second. You will find out on night two, he said. Do not be late.

Then he opened the door and waited.

I walked out into the hallway with my heart slamming against my ribs and the memory of his mouth and his cock and the way he looked at me when I came still burning under my skin. Whatever was written on that paper was worse than the evidence against Theo. I could feel it. And now I had ninety nine nights left to find out what Riven Cross really wanted from me.