“No?” she echoed, unable to say anything else.
He moved closer to her. Brushed his leg against her jeans. His warmth ran through her at that solitary touch, and gods.
She shouldn’t have let him do that. Shouldn’t have let him near her because it would make leaving so much harder.
If Tertia found out that River had told Nikhail about the Incident, she’d be furious. The Representative had been clear from the beginning—the fewer people who knew about her daughter’s immense failings, the better.
But when River sat down to tell Nikhail her story, she hadn’t felt any qualms about telling him the whole truth. If anything, she knew it was the right thing to do. This washersecret to share, not her mother’s, and she would tell people if she thought it was for the best.
“No,” Nikhail repeated, and River wondered if she was losing her mind because why wasn’t he leaving? Why wasn’t he running for the proverbial hills now that he knew how dangerous she was? Why was he looking at her like that?
She swallowed, dropping her gaze to her lap. She wasn’t sure she could handle watching him leave. Wasn’t sure her heart would survive.
“Nik, I’m cursed,” she murmured.
A growl rumbled through him, low and dangerous and utterly primal. The fae part of River, the same part that loved her magic because it meant she was strong, preened at the sound.
He was growlingforher.
“I listened to yourwarning.” Was it her imagination, or did his voice deepen on the last word? “I heard you, River, but here’s the thing.”
His fingers found her chin. He seemed to love doing that. He was touching heragain, and she wasn’t moving. She didn’t jerk away as he lifted her head, didn’t do anything at all.
Bracing herself for the inevitable hatred and hardness she’d see in his gaze, she swallowed past the lump in her throat and slowly lifted her eyes. Time to get this over with.
“You can’t scare me away,” he whispered softly, his thumb caressing her skin. “You think your power frightens me?”
“It should.”
It scaredher. From the moment her magic came in and she realized her well of power was endless, she’d been living in a state of fear. How could there be so much? It didn’t seem right. Where was the balance that should have existed?
“It doesn’t,” he countered.
“But—”
“No, River.” His voice was firm but not cruel. “You’ve had your chance to speak, now it’s mine. Okay?”
Why did she like it when he bossed her around? Why did it make her feel all warm and tingly inside? She’d never enjoyed being it before, but she was finding that she didn’t mind at all when Nikhail was doing the bossing.
She shut her mouth, and he smiled softly before picking up her hands.
“Do you remember what I told you about when we were inthe hospital?” He waited until she nodded before continuing. “I said everything would be okay, and I meant it. That applies to this, River. Tous.”
Her lips parted, but apparently, he wasn’t done.
“Your storm doesn’t frighten me, River. Nothing about you frightens me, save one thing.”
She should get up and put space between herself and Nikhail. Staying here and continuing this conversation was dangerous. If he wasn’t going to leave, then she should.
She knew that, and yet, she didn’t move. “What frightens you, Nikhail?”
His answer came a heartbeat later.
“Living without you.”
Her mouth fell open, and she stared at him. She was so filled with shock that when his hands landed on her hips and he lifted her, she didn’t fight him. Her knees spread of their own volition as he set her on his lap. His thighs were hard as she settled, and there was no hiding the thick presence ofhimbeneath her.
She sucked in a breath.