Chapter 4

UNEDITED

”Ex-husband." Baylee belts out.

"How is that even possible?" Flabbergasted Clarissa asks.

"How did you even get here Niko?" Baylee purposely ignores her.

"I followed you." He replies. "What? Did you think I was going to wake up and think it was all a dream? I knew you would run."

Ok, let's go back some hours.

After getting rejected by Conner, Baylee couldn't handle it, she felt extreme pain, shame, and humiliation. She ran out of there so fast, it was a blur. Conner's words were laced with the cold hard truth, and that had her feeling the worst.

She needed the pain to stop, the pain had to stop; she had to make it stop. With that in mind, she makes a rash decision. She hopped onto the next downtown train back to the city. A secret she has been hiding lived in an upscale high-rise apartment building.

She found herself there greeting the doorman as if he were her best friend. He remembered her and didn't say a word when she entered the elevator. She goes to floor number nine and enters the code 5697 on the door. The door unlocks. He still used the same code.

She tiptoes through the modern luxury apartment and quietly opens the door to the master bedroom. On the bed, sleeping peacefully, was Nikolai Asher. Her ex-husband, and Lola's eldest brother.

Not even Lola knew they were ever together. Baylee wanted their relationship to be a secret. It was almost like a shame to have been in a serious relationship. She talked so much smack and claimed to need no one or nothing, and yet she would fall weak to a man, how pathetic.

Let's go back some years...


Lola introduced Baylee and Niko to each other at their high school graduation, and it was an instant attraction. He was so busy being groomed to take over his father's empire that he was hardly around, and for a long time nothing happened between them. Well, nothing physical. When he was around, they shared moments that no one else would notice. Glances and gazes. He would always be watching her under hooded eyes that seemed to be undressing her. But it wasn't until she went away to college that things heated up.

She was in her off-campus apartment hanging up a picture right near her window when she looked out and saw Niko. He was leaning on his parked car with his arms folded and watching.

She squints. Is she seeing correctly? She gets off the step stool she was standing on and goes down to meet him. "What are you doing here?" She asks as she crosses the street and stops in front of him.

His glare didn't falter, he simply stated, "I think you know why."

It was never supposed to be anything serious for her, but it ended up being just that. Every day that passed was more and more perfect.
He was compliant and gave in to her every demand. He didn't sweat the small things, and he treated her like a spoiled princess. It was like he was made for her, the perfect personality to match hers. She used to think that she was the luckiest girl in the world.
She didn't have another option but to fall in love with him, although she never acted like it, nor did she ever say it to him and it didn't bother him.

Everything was great. She didn't tell a soul about the relationship though. The day after she graduated, he proposed. She wasn't afraid for one second, it felt different to her. She said yes on the spot and forgot all her fears. The way he treated her and understood her, no other man could come close.
On her insistence, they didn't tell anyone when they got married, and for almost a full year, shared a life amicably, until the day of their first real fight.

Niko was a really busy man. He barely had time for himself let alone sleep. Even she got minimum time. She always came second she felt. She would have to understand when he was late, or when he cancels on her when he has to abruptly leave while they are spending time together. It didn't bother her so much when her days were filled with college and friends, she had other things going on but a lot of free time as well.
The lack of a husband was getting on her spoiled nerves.

She sat in a leather recliner placed in the centre of the living room. It was centred to be perfectly aligned with the electric fireplace. It's where she did all her studying and relaxing. Today she was doing all her stewing.

It was 7:17 pm on a Tuesday evening. Niko enters the apartment returning from a full day at the office. "Hey." He strides in and kisses her on the forehead. He passed right by on his way for a quick shower.

"Wait." She calls him back.

He turns around. "What's the matter?"

"Something has to be the matter?"

"I can't do this today Baylee. I have a dinner meeting with a client and I'm meeting Dad there and I'm already late."

His argumentative tone surprised her. He never spoke to her that way. "I'm tired of living this way. I'm alone all the time."

He sighs.

"I've been trying to spend time with you for weeks. I feel like Jeffery Asher is the real number one in your life. He says jump, and you jump. He says leave your wife for two weeks, and you're packing your bags and telling me as you book your flight."

"I have to work. I can give you attention all day."

Those exact words. 'I can't give you attention all day.' We've spoken to her mother by her father several times.

It hurt her, to the point where she felt like she woke up from a dream. She was a fool thinking and believing that her marriage was going to be different, that she and Niko loved each other enough. The reality of marriage was shitty. No way in hell was she going to live out any kind of replica of Desmond and Vivian's marriage. "I'm done." Were her next words.

"Stop the childishness. I've had my limit.
The one time you can't get your way, you're done? Be careful of the things you say, Baylee, I'm not gonna beg any woman to stay with me, not even you. If you can't deal with the pressure of my life, fine, go." He storms off and hops into the shower.

She didn't bother packing anything, she put on her shoes and walked out of the apartment. She bawled her eyes out for hours, and when she knew he wasn't at the apartment, she hired two guys and a truck to move her things back into her condo. The next time she saw Niko was in court when they were finalizing their divorce.


Let's go forward some, the night before the present time.

Baylee slowly circled Nikolai's bed. God, she missed him. The only man she has ever loved. She thought she was strong but, at this moment, she was weak, weaker than weak, like overcooked spaghetti. Her every nerve ending was screaming desperately in need of him.

He was lying on his stomach with his head resting on a pillow, one of his hands was above the pillow, the other underneath, and cotton white sheets were covered from his waist down.
She gazed at his solid, firm, naked back and his muscular arms remembering every ridge and curve. She couldn't wait to get those arms back around her and those hands caressing her body.

She sets her knee on the soft pillow-top mattress and kicks off her heels. There was no sound on the softness as she crawled towards him. When she reaches near enough, she rests her hand on his pillow, leans close to his ear, and whispers "Niko..."
He didn't wake. The heat from his hot body radiated through her palm as she glided it down his spine and then dropped gentle kisses on the back of his shoulder. "Niko." She whispers again.

He takes a deep breath. "Hmm..." He moans as he begins waking up.

"I want you." She grazes her teeth on his skin.

Suddenly, she gasps when his fingers extend and grab hold of her wrist, then she squeaks when he pulls her on her back and hovers himself above.

His brows furrowed together when their eyes clashed. "Baylee..." He mumbles. He was shocked, it was like he was seeing a ghost.

"Nikolai." She retorts.

He adjusted his grip to hold onto her tighter, scanning confused eyes up-down, and side to side, contemplating, but still in awe of her presence. Was she real? Was she really beneath him?

"Kiss me." She demands.

With absolutely no hesitation, his unrelenting mouth came crashing down on hers. He punishes her with a kiss so intense and deep, that it is as if he needs her more than she needs him. He drugs her with too much passion, that she gets lost in the familiar feeling of his demanding affection. Precisely what she needed.
His mouth requested access to her neck and his harsh hands urged entry underneath her dress. His hand grips her thigh, hikes up her leg, wrapping it around his torso, and puts pressure on her centre.

"Yes." She moans. The feeling of being wanted is what Baylee is desperate for, and god helps her if she doesn't feel that at this moment.

He peels off her dress and worships her body like never before, like a starving man in need as much as she. The pain from earlier was gone, out of her mind like it never happened.


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