She felt rested. Invigorated, even.
River took in the room, her lips tilting up. She’d traded her pillow for Nikhail’s chest, and his arms were wrapped around her tightly, holding her to him. She visually traced his well-defined muscles, admiring his form as he slumbered. There was a softness about him that she rarely saw when he was awake. A peacefulness that she envied.
River could stay here forever. There was a pleasant soreness between her legs, and a soft sigh slipped out of her. She’d always known Nikhail would be good in bed, but he’d exceeded every expectation.
“Morning, beautiful,” Nikhail murmured, looking handsome as ever as he woke.
“Hey,” she whispered, resting her chin on his chest and gazing up at him.
His mouth slid into an unguarded smile. “How’d you sleep?”
“Amazingly. You?”
He tugged her up and brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was soft, yet it reverberated through her. “I’ve never slept better,” he said when they broke apart, nuzzling her nose with his.
River grinned, running her fingers down Nikhail’s chest. Exploring his scars. Learning the feel of him beneath her fingers. He watched her with amusement and affection.
Several minutes passed before she asked, “Do you think it’s weird?”
Nikhail’s brows knit together. “What?”
Her hands stilled on his chest. “That we’re comfortable together so soon?”
On the rare occasions when River indulged in a partner, before she’d sworn off casual sex altogether, she’d never wanted to sleep naked with them. It felt far too personal and intimate, a line she hadn’t wanted to cross. But with Nikhail, she’d fallen asleep without a stitch of clothing.
She wasn’t bothered by that. In fact, she wasn’t bothered by anything. This felt… right. Perfect, even. There was a strange warmth in River’s core that hadn’t been there before.
Nikhail flipped them so River’s back rested on the mattress. He held his weight on his arms, gazing down on her.
“I don’t think it’s weird.” His lips brushed hers. “I’ve been dreaming about waking up with you in my bed for years.”
River’s breath caught. Nikhail kept saying things like that, dropping these massively life-changing statements as though he was simply pointing out that the sky was blue.
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm.” His lips quirked up, and he kissed her cheek. “Look at you, making my dreams come true.”
Dreams.
Because Nikhail wasn’t scared of her. He’d seen the depth of her storm, the danger that resided in her veins, and he wasn’t frightened. To him, she wasn’t the stuff of nightmares.
There was a part of River that, even now, wanted her to run. To gather her things and flee from this man, in case she hurt him. Even with the prohiberis, she knew it was a possibility. Magic trickled in her veins, a reminder of the power she’d been born with, of the storm she was capable of.
But Nikhail trusted her. Hewantedher.
River desperately wanted to trust herself, too. She wanted to believe that she wouldn’t hurt Nikhail, that they could be together despite her brokenness.
When River was with Nikhail, she forgot about her curse and the peril she could unleash upon the world. He made her feel treasured. Special.
Loved.
“What are you thinking about?” the air fae in question murmured.
“You,” she whispered. “I was thinking about you.”
His lips twitched. “Good things, I hope.”
She pushed herself up on her elbows and kissed him softly. “Very good. The best kind of thoughts.”