River was here. His entire body strained towards her, wanting to go to her.
Normally, this was when he would shove the part of himself that needed her deep down and ignore it. He’dremind himself that River was Ryker’s sister, and he had to leave her alone for her own good. He’d look at the wealth around him, reminding himself that he couldn’t give her what she needed.
But tonight, he wasn’t going to do that.
Slipping his fingers inside his pocket, he felt the edges of that small black box.
Tell her how you feel.
He would do just that. Drawing in a deep breath and steeling himself for what was to come, Nikhail grabbed another glass of sparkling wine and turned around.
The moment his eyes fell on the entrance, he realized his mistake. How could he have thought that a few deep breaths would prepare him for this? Even if he’d had an eternity, he couldn’t have equipped himself for this. Not really.
His heart skipped a beat, and his fingers twitched around the stem of the wineglass. His fae instincts were a roaring lion within him, urging him to cross the room as quickly as possible. River’s hand should be onhisarm, her eyes should be gazing up athim.
The urge to put his claim on her so that no one would ever doubt who she belonged to was so strong, it took every ounce of his control to remain in place. Nothing, not even the strongest winds or the most powerful earthquake, could pull his gaze away from the three figures standing in the ballroom entrance.
With a beautiful woman hanging on either arm, Ryker Waterborn was the picture of ease and sophistication.
The future Representative wore a black suit, like Nikhail. His tie matched the dark blue, nearly black shimmering gown draped over his wife’s body. With wings as black as the night spread behind her, and blonde hair curled in soft waves thattumbled over her bare shoulders, Brynleigh Waterborn looked over the crowd with a tight smile.
Over the past couple of years, Nikhail had gotten to know his best friend’s wife. She didn’t love these types of social gatherings, and her appearance tonight meant Tertia had probably coerced her children into coming.
Nikhail couldn’t focus on Ryker and Brynleigh for long, though. That tug in his gut forced him to shift his attention, and it felt good not to fight it for once.
He’d been right the day he met River. She was a goddess brought to life, more beautiful than anyone else he’d ever seen.
A stunning vision in silver, she gripped her brother’s arm. Long gloves ran from her fingers to her elbows, her hair was twisted in an elegant knot, and a few brown tendrils artfully adorned her face. Silver raindrop earrings dangled from her pointed ears, sitting alongside two silver studs.
Her jewelry was beautiful and probably cost as much as his yearly salary, but it did not outshine her gown. Tight on the top, it had short sleeves that hung off her shoulders. They seemed more ornamental than functional, but he wasn’t one to judge. The glittering dress boasted a dark silver corset that accentuated River’s lovely breasts before giving way to a layered tulle skirt that flowed from her hips to the floor.
It was a perfect composition of soft and hard, just like the woman who wore it.
The longer Nikhail stared at River, the more he noticed. Her curves, the smooth expanse of her skin, the twitching of her fingers against her thigh. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, even if he wanted to. And he didn’t want to. If he had his way, he’d never look away from her again. But he’d been wrong earlier, when he said he could walk away from things if she rejected him.
No, staring at River Waterborn, Nikhail came to a terrifying conclusion.
Even if she cast him aside tonight, even if she decided he wasn’t worthy of her, he would never stop wanting her. Never stop needing her. No one else could measure up to her, nor could they mean as much to him.
It turned out that if Nikhail couldn’t have River, he didn’t want anyone at all.
CHAPTER 14
The Solution was Simple
Nikhail was here.
River hadn’t consciously sought him out. In fact, she’d told herselfnotto look for him, that doing so would be silly. It turned out that her eyes were just as disloyal as her body had been in the hospital, because they’d found him the moment she’d walked into the ballroom holding her brother’s arm.
Gods above, the air fae cleaned up well. That was saying a lot, since Nikhail Galebringer always looked refined. His midnight tuxedo was form-fitting and dapper, which she’d come to expect from the handsome man. His black hair was swept away from his temples, and he was clean-shaven for the occasion. The strong lines of his jaw were visible from across the ballroom. His fingers were curled around a glass of wine, and her wrist throbbed, remembering when he’d heldherlike that.
And his eyes…
Those amber orbs were glued on her.
Time seemed to freeze as she stared at the air fae who hadbeen occupying her thoughts nonstop over the past two months.
Nikhail was drinking her in, and gods help her, but being the center of his attention was unlike anything else she had ever felt. It brought her a sense of peace, but it also had her wishing she was anywhere but here.