“Is it, though?” she said sadly.
“Absolutely.” He’d never felt more convinced about anything in his life. “She’s missing out, because you, River Emeline Waterborn, are the most incredible woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
Then, because he couldn’t seem to help himself, he kissed her.
Nikhail had meant for it to be a gentle brushing of their lips, nothing more. A reminder that he was here for River. But then, she moaned softly into his mouth.
The sound was his undoing.
He forgot about their surroundings, the rebel threat, and even the fact that he and River still hadn’t told anyone about them.
He just knew that he had to hear that sound again.
Nikhail pulled River closer, until she was sitting on his lap, her legs dangling over his, and kissed her again. Harder. Their lips fused together, desperate.
River clutched at the lapels of his suit jacket, holding him close. As if she needed him as much as he needed her.
That fueled the fire inside him.
Nikhail slipped his hand around the nape of River’s neck, holding her to him. He tasted her. Groaned. Then tasted her again. With every pass of his lips against hers, every moment that went by, contentment welled within him.
Gods above,this.
This was the reason Nikhail was here. The reason he’d been working eighteen-hour days. The reason he couldn’t find it in himself to care about anything else.
River crammed his senses, and Nikhail had never been happier.
Time was a loose concept as they kissed like it was the only thing keeping them alive. In the back of Nikhail’s mind, he realized he should probably be paying attention, but how could he stop? This was all he wanted, all he’d dreamed of. How could anything else matter right now, when River was kissing him like she was on the verge of floating away, and he was the only thing keeping her grounded?
Nikhail’s tongue was tangling with River’s when there was a prodding in his mind. A warning, from his magic.
Pay attention.
Then, there were footsteps.
Even though it pained him, Nikhail drew back. He released his hold on the back of River’s neck. River’s face drained of color,a feat considering that she’d already been pale, as she looked over Nikhail’s shoulder.
“What the fuck?” The words, a low growl that would’ve sent a lesser being running, came from behind Nikhail.
Shit.
Nikhail didn’t need to turn around to know who was standing behind him. Especially since, despite the fact that the sky was clear and winter had firmly set in, thunder roared outside the window a heartbeat later.
“Oh, no,” River whispered. She slipped off Nikhail’s lap, her gaze darting between Nikhail and the powerful fae behind him. As if she couldn’t decide who to look at first.
“It’s okay,” Nikhail murmured. The looming presence at his back grew larger with each passing second. His magic swirled in his veins, admonishing him to pay attention. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll deal with him.”
Another roll of thunder.
Nikhail closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his wits after that mind-melding kiss, and released River’s hand.
Standing, he turned and held up his hands. “Ryker, I can explain?—”
His best friend’s fist flew.
Even with the wind’s warning, Nikhail wasn’t quite fast enough to avoid the water fae’s anger. Ryker’s punch caught him in the corner of his jaw, and pain reverberated through him.
“Fuck,” Nikhail groaned, clutching his face.