His only reply is a secretive half-smile and he gets off the bed. I’m momentarily disappointed, but then I hear him running water in the bathroom. After a short while, he returns with a warm wet washcloth and gently wipes between my legs.
I half sit up. “I can do that,” I protest.
“Shh,milaya. Let me take care of you.”
So I do. And when he’s finished, he pulls back the comforter and covers us both as he spoons me from behind. His body warms me and in his arms, I feel safe and protected.
It’s not until I’m almost asleep that I realize what Danyl distracted me from noticing when he caressed my breasts.
He called me sweet and lovely when we signed the impromptu wedding license.
Even though he’d just met me, he called me darling.
Warmth radiates through me as I drift off to sleep.
7
DANYL
The last place I want to be is at some meaningless fundraiser that’s more about political play than raising money for a good cause. Liza and I have barely been married a week. It’s too soon to share her with the rest of the world. If I had my choice, she’d never leave the cocoon of the penthouse. It’s the only place I can keep her truly safe.
But she insists on going to her college classes and volunteer at the animal shelter where she helps the veterinarian. I make sure Alexei goes with whenever she has to be at those places.
She grumbles about that, but I will not negotiate about this. Her safety is everything, because I no longer know how to live my life without her.
Blyat, it scares me how much she already means to me. The thought of losing her makes my chest hurt. I rub it absently as I rush through the hallway to get to the function Rik’s ordered Liza and me to attend.
She’s already there because she went shopping for a dress with Rik’s wife, Perla, and then the two of them got glammed up forthe party at a salon that performs the whatever weird magic required for women to attend big galas.
I step into the ballroom and the first thing I register is the cold, glittering tension in the air. It hits my skin, sliding under my collar like a blade. We’re still in the first hour of the event and it’s already a battleground draped in velvet and gold. The chandeliers drip crystal that sparkles like frozen stars, and the entire ceiling glows with soft amber light. Someone spent a fortune making this place look like a temple of power. This is very much Senator Gahr’s style, the host of the event, and Perla’s uncle.
People dressed accordingly. Men wear tailored tuxedos that probably cost more than most people’s cars. Women draped themselves in silk, sequins, and diamonds. They look like birds of paradise circling a kill.
But then I seeherand all my cynical thoughts vaporizes.
Liza stands next to Rik and Perla, and for a moment, the chaos of the room disappears as all my senses focus on her. A deep emerald gown skims her curves and gathers at the base of her spine in a soft knot. Her hair is swept up, leaving her neck bare and tempting, as if deliberately placed there to test my self-control. The warm light of the room plays with the shades of her hair, bringing out glittering reds and golds I haven’t noticed before.
She turns her head as though sensing me, and when her eyes meet mine, something hot and territorial surges through my chest. She looks… breathtaking. Vulnerable and strong at the same damn time. I want to cross the room, pull her against me, and make it clear to everyone that she’s mine.
But this event, this ridiculous party, is a political chessboard. So I move slowly when all I want to do is run. The effort makes my jaw tick.
Rik catches my eye, lifting his whiskey in greeting. “Cousin,” he says when I reach them. “Try not to look like you’re planning a murder tonight.”
I clasp his hand. “Then people should try not to provoke me.”
Perla gives me a knowing smile, beautiful and dangerous. Just like her. “Hello Danyl,” she murmurs, leaning in to kiss the air beside my cheek. “I like your wife, she’s my new best friend and looks incredible tonight. Keep her close.”
“She does, and I intend to.”
Liza blushes, her fingers brushing the neckline of the incredible dress. I gaze into her green eyes, trying to convey all the things I want to say out loud but can’t. Including how I can’t wait to take that amazing dress off her. It will be like unwrapping my favorite present. Putting my arm around her, I bring her close enough that anyone with eyes understands she’s mine.
Before I can speak to my wife directly, Senator Gahr approaches.
And the temperature around us drops ten degrees.
He’s a short man with a permanent sneer, wearing confidence like it’s a tailored suit. His wife, Monica, is right behind him, a woman built from sharp lines, and spite. Perla lived with them for most of her life and they treated her horribly. Making her feel unworthy.
Perla’s spine straightens subtly. Her uncle’s plan of trading her to Rik for political favors and money backfired tremendously.She’s the one in the power seat now and Senator Gahr is not happy about that.
