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When I closed my eyes and took in the music, noting how easily she moved along with me, it felt like that night again some years ago. Mila had always been a fond memory.
We seemed to ease into one another after a moment as if relying on the instincts our bodies shared. Like flexing muscle memory after some time of not using it. It felt more natural than I cared to admit.
Daring, I let a hand drift lower, tempting in its place. The other glided higher, holding her upper back like she was the most cherished thing I ever had the privilege of holding. While I wasn’t out to make Grigory happy, it would seem more convincing, at the very least.
Mila melted into me then, comforted by my hand. Even if the whole affair made her miserable, she seemed to let go as well, less resistant than before. She leaned her cheek against my chest and released a deep breath.
There was something about Mila that short-circuited my senses. From the smooth surface of her skin that peeked out beneath her dress, to the sweet perfume that clung to her skin. It captivated me, no matter how I felt.
Leaning in closer, I whispered into her ear, “Reina will care for Kat tonight. You have nothing to worry about. You may not know me yet, but I will never let anything happen to her.”
As if I had said the most soothing words to her, Mila softened against my chest, deflating as she allowed herself to drift, rather than fight.
Chapter 7 - Mila
My limbs felt heavier than ever before as I swayed with Nikolai, unable to hold myself up any longer. Like morphine running through my veins, the haze that consumed me didn’t seem so bad then. Rather than struggle with it, I let it drape over me and ease my nerves.
The whirlwind of people making plans for me the entire week finally wore me down, and I was completely exhausted. At least, the worst of it was done, and I hoped to find a sense of normalcy after everything was said and done.
I couldn’t think up what that normalcy would look like but crossed my fingers for a better outcome than what I started with.
My father’s threats, the wedding plans, and coming to terms with being surrounded by the Morozov family were all too much for me. I had no fight left in me. I could only dance with Nikolai and savor the vague bliss that lingered within my chest.
At the very least, I was held by the man I had admired so greatly before. The one who had shown me perhaps one of the greatest nights in my life. The feeling of his strong body against mine, corded with muscle and seasoned by his tough upbringing, brought a haze over my mind.
I may have been delirious then, or maybe I was just too tired to argue, but I felt safe in his warmth. Everything else may have been devastating, yet I allowed myself to enjoy the dance. If I couldn’t be granted autonomy over who I married or where I stayed, I could gift myself the ignorant bliss of thinking everything was perfectly fine in Nikolai’s arms.
After all our time apart, Nikolai still knew just how to hold me and turn me into mush. It was easy for him, as many things seemed to be.
Looking up at him, I couldn’t stop the humid fog that moved through my entire body, filling me with pleasant feelings. No matter his faults, Nikolai was beautiful. His stormy eyes looked down at me, softer than they had been all day.
Before I could register it, he dipped his head to brush his lips against mine, sweet and caring despite himself. My lower belly clenched, suddenly reminded about what was to come.
You have nothing to worry about.
His words echoed in my mind, and I took them to heart. So long as I knew Kat was safe, I would let myself be worry-free. At least for one night.
Nikolai seemed more willing to hold me then, likely thinking the same thing as me. Longing, wanting for the chance to return to the place of ecstasy we once knew. It would almost be like going home.
The thought of him holding me even closer, yanking the dress from my body, and giving up his inhibitions in the privacy of his suite made that coil tighten within me, and I didn’t want to wait any longer.
He was too gorgeous to resist.
“I’d like to go now,” I whispered to him, noticing as his brows lifted at that before the dark veil covered his eyes.
Luckily, the song came to an end, and Ivan was distracted from dancing with Reina. She had given up on taking pictures, and opted to sway with her husband instead, expression contented. Nikolai’s other brothers were busy messing around, and I didn’t see my dad anywhere.
Neither of us cared as Nikolai took my hand and pulled me out of the reception hall and into the rest of the hotel. His grip on me was gentler than I had expected, yet the tension in him told me just how strained he truly was. He needed it just as badly as I did.
We took the elevator and went up to the top. Reaching the penthouse, I was in awe of how modern and chic the suite was.
“Is this where we’ll be living?” I asked, carefully walking through the place.
Nikolai chuckled from behind me, placing a hand on my waist almost possessively. “Only if you want.” He sighed almost pensively. “There’s a room set up for Kat in my condo on the beach.”
I stiffened at the words, and my heart sank.
There was a room for Kat, but it didn’t seem like there was space for me. Did he mean to separate us?
