Chapter 60
Nina’s POV
My heart hammered so loud I thought Nikolai could hear it. His question hung between us like smoke. “Are you a virgin?”
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Words stuck in my throat. My face burned. I looked down at my lap, at the crumpled nightie, at the wet spot between my thighs. The rose toy still buzzed faintly on the desk, forgotten. My body felt too hot. Too exposed. Too much.
I wanted to answer. I really did. But every time I tried, my mind flashed back. Josh. The night he hurt me. The pain. The shame. The way I locked that memory away and never let it out. My hands twisted in the blanket. I swallowed hard. My voice came out small. “I…”
Before I could finish, footsteps echoed in the hallway. Heavy. Quick. Someone coming.
My eyes went wide. Panic spiked sha
