“May I get up now?”
She leans in, her lips brushing my ear as she whispers, “I don’t want to embarrass you in front of all these people. So yes, you can get up.”
I rise and take her left hand, sliding the ring into place. It fits perfectly. “May I kiss you?”
“Yes.”
I pull her to me and kiss her hard. The ballroom erupts instantly. Clapping, shouting, and cheering fill the entire space. I pull back just enough to look across the room. Her mother is clapping enthusiastically, already leaning over to tell the guests nearby, “That’s my daughter.”
Her father is buried in the crowd, people shaking his hand and patting his shoulder. He looks uncomfortable with the attention, but he’s taking it.
Good.
Chapter 17
Zoya
The house is dead quiet when we get back. I head straight upstairs, and my clingy future husband follows right behind, practically attached to my heels. Inside the bedroom, I struggle with my corset, reaching back blindly. “Help.”
Alexei is there instantly. His fingers are steady as he works the lacing, loosening it until the dress falls away. I shed the jewelry, feeling lighter with every piece I drop onto the vanity. I’m too tired to even wash my face, but as I reach for the cotton pads, Alexei’s hand stops me. “Sit. I’ll do it.”
He strips down to his boxers and kneels before me. His touch is surprisingly gentle as he wipes away the makeup, removing the mask I’ve worn all night.
“Where did you learn to remove corset dresses and makeup?” I ask.
“YouTube.” He switches to a fresh pad. “There’s a guy who teaches how to be the best husband so your wife won’t abandon you. I’ve been watching him for a few years in preparation for today.”
I blink at him. “You’ve been preparing for years?”
“I’m thorough when it comes to things I want to keep.”
When he’s done, we move to the bathroom. Under the hot spray of the shower, he washes my hair, his hands massaging my scalp until I’m nearly purring. Back in the room, I pull on one of his old shirts.
“What? You’re not putting on silk robes to look good for me?”
I pick up a silk nightdress nearby and chuck it at his face. “Why don’t you put it on and look good for me?”
He catches it and laughs. “You really love to counter everything I say.”
“I like to match energies,” I say with a grin.
He laughs, pulls on some sleep pants, and joins me on the bed. He immediately goes for my feet, his thumbs digging into my arches. I let out a moan that has him looking up with a dark grin. As he moves up my legs, his hand hooks into the waistband of my underwear.
“You said you wanted to massage my legs. Why are you trying to take off my panties?”
“It’s for the massage.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I’ve never heard of a massage technique that involves that.”
“It’s a new method.”
“Try again.”
He grins. “You caught me.”
He goes back to the massage, working my inner thighs until the tension is gone. When he’s finished, he pulls me back against his chest in a big spoon. My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I reach for it. I can feel him reading over my shoulder.
ANYA