Chapter 34
Chapter
Thirty-Four
GORAN
The last five days had been unforgettable. So perfect, in fact, that for a brief time, I forgot about everything waiting for us outside our bubble.
Nathaniel had shattered that illusion earlier today. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t talk Dimitri out of contacting the police. It was official. Kaylani and I were fugitives, and warrants had been issued for our arrest.
Dimitri still had no idea where we were, thanks to Coach Ehren entering Kaylani and Atlas under a pseudonym. Local authorities were handling the case, which meant I could give Kaylani tonight and tomorrow, the final day of the competition, before I broke the news.
After that, we would most likely have to face her father.
Instead of dwelling on that future conversation, I made the most of the time we had left. We were back in Las Vegas after all, and it felt like we had come full circle.
My attention shifted to Kaylani as she exited the hotel’s penthouse suite. Heat rushed through my body, and my brain misfired as my eyes roamed over my stunning wife.
She wore a silver dress that stopped mid-thigh and hugged her body like a second skin.
The deep scoop neckline revealed the curve of her breasts, and the matching heels highlighted her incredible legs.
The front of her hair was pinned back, but the rest cascaded around her shoulders.
Kaylani looked more than beautiful. She looked every inch the princess she was.
“Goran?”
Our gazes met.
“What?”
A seductive smile tilted her mouth as her cheeks turned pink.
“I love it when you look at me like that.”
“I always look at you like this.” I closed the distance and tipped her chin up with my finger. “You’re incredible. You always have been. So perfect. I am in complete awe of you every single day. You take my breath away, Lani.”
Happiness shimmered in her eyes.
“Goran—”
I touched my lips to hers, stopping whatever she was about to say.
“I know,” I murmured. “Come on, I don’t want to be late for our first official date as husband and wife.”
“What, stealing a horse didn’t count as a date?”
“No, I’m pretty sure that falls under spicing up our relationship,” I said, chuckling.
“Oh…I didn’t realize we needed more spice.”
Kaylani stepped in close, her body brushing mine, and every muscle in me hardened. Suddenly, I was rethinking the date and leaning toward ordering room service instead. Her hand slid up my chest until it rested over my heart.
“I’m sure we can come up with some creative ways to spice things up when we get back.”
I swallowed hard.
“I think we’d better get going or we’re not leaving here at all.”
Kaylani rose onto her toes and gave me a quick kiss before walking away. My heart was going crazy in my chest.
Grabbing my suit jacket, I pulled it on and buttoned it before we took the elevator down to the lobby. I was all too aware of the attention Kaylani garnered as we passed.
The limo I had booked was waiting when we stepped outside, and we climbed into the back. For the first time, Kaylani snuggled against me without the fear of being caught. I took her hand and rubbed my thumb over the place where her wedding ring should sit instead of hanging around her neck.
“I love all the lights at night. It makes it feel like we are on another planet.”
I held her tighter and forced myself not to think about anything other than enjoying her company. Being near Kaylani lit something inside my soul. She had the power to make me feel like I was the only man on earth. Like I mattered.
We pulled up to the popular steakhouse, and a valet opened the back door for us.
“Thank you.” I got out and offered my hand to Kaylani.
Slipping her hand into mine, she emerged from the limo perfectly at home among the lights.
The restaurant radiated power as we climbed up the steps to the entrance.
Inside carried the same masculine energy.
Black and red décor. Dark wood. Polished stone.
Open flames licked up behind glass where cuts of meat were seared with precision.
The air smelled of char, butter, rosemary, and something rich enough to make you slow down and breathe it in.
Men in tailored suits dipped their heads in greeting, waiting to be summoned. Women in silk and diamonds sat at tables, sipping wine. The low lighting made everything feel intimate, even in a room full of people.
I pulled out Kaylani’s chair.
“I meant to say that you look extremely sexy this evening,” Kaylani murmured as I took my seat across from her.
My lip twitched up.
“I always do.”
Kaylani laughed at my mock arrogance.
“Yes, but tonight there is no earpiece. No, assessing the room every five seconds. No, tension humming under your skin.”
I chuckled softly and reached across the table for her hand.
“I still watch the room. I just make it less obvious.”
She was right, though, for the first time since we left Arizona, I felt relaxed.
The waiter arrived with a polished smile and a confidence that only came from training to be the best. He described each cut as if it were a piece of art. Dry-aged beef marbled to perfection. Sides plated like sculptures.
We ordered too much, but every bite tasted better than any meal I had ever had before. My favorite part was watching Kaylani eat her dessert. With each mouthful, she moaned, her lips wrapping around the spoon and sliding off, and it drove me insane.
“That good?” I teased.
“I want to smear this chocolate on your body and lick it off. It’s that good.”
My dress pants suddenly felt snug as I shifted in my seat.
“Well, that is quite the visual.” I gave her a tight smile.
“Try it.”
Lani held out the spoon, a tantalizing challenge dancing in her eyes.
I couldn’t resist the offer. The chocolate soufflé was as delicious as she had promised. Rich with a sweet, salty flavor, light as a feather, and perfectly smooth.
“That is incredible.”
She smirked and bit her lip, setting my blood on fire.
We talked about everything and nothing important. The competition circuit and her dream of starting a breeding program with Atlas. Neither of us could believe how much Cutter had grown. We envisioned what our house might look like if it didn’t have security cameras installed in the hedges.
All the little things that made this moment, and us, feel normal.
I paid the bill in cash, and we went out to the limo so that we wouldn’t be late for the show.
“What do you want,” Kaylani asked quietly as we settled into the car.
“For what?”
“If this were… normal. If we didn’t have an axe hanging over our heads.”
The question felt fragile. Like she hoped I would say something that gave us a plan for a future together.
The flashing lights of the Strip blurred as I thought about her question.
“I want this. Not necessarily Vegas, but the peace. I want to wake up with the woman I love in my arms and go to sleep the same way. Other than that, I don’t care.”
Her gaze softened in a way that almost undid me.
“You deserve that.” She kissed my cheek.
And in that moment, it didn’t feel like a lie that I told myself. It felt like a possibility.
KAYLANI
Goran had gone to great lengths to make tonight perfect. He remembered me mentioning, almost in passing, that I wanted to see a Cirque du Soleil show and eat at my favorite chef’s restaurant. He made both of those dreams come true.
The theater lights dimmed. Music rose from the dark, and the large drums mimicked a heartbeat. Then they appeared. Bodies flew through the air, suspended in colorful silk. Balancing impossibly high above the stage, spinning as if gravity were optional.
The jewel tones and metallic shimmer floated across the stage and through the air. The light caught every movement as if magic had become visible.
I grabbed Goran’s hand without thinking and loved that he didn’t pull away.
Acrobats leapt into one another’s arms without hesitation.
Women stood on the shoulders of men and bent backward, confident that those holding their ankles would keep them from falling.
Aerialists dropped from the ceiling only to be caught at the last second.
It felt like watching one of my fantasy books come to life.
They risked it all, trusting completely.
Goran leaned close, his mouth near my ear.
“Would you do that?”
“What?”
“Fall blindly into someone’s arms.”
I looked deep into Goran’s eyes and answered.
“I already did.”
The lights flared as performers spun in a final crescendo, and the applause thundered around us, but all I saw was him. Those hazel eyes filled with love and warmth were my home. He treated me like I was his everything. Like I always had been. My heart soared as easily as those on stage.
For a moment, the world didn’t feel dangerous.
It felt enormous, bright, and full of possibility. The pressure of my name had been lifted. Instead, I lived in the moment with the man that I loved.
The fountains were still dancing when we pulled up to the front of our hotel.
Water arced into the night sky in choreographed waves, illuminated by warm light. Music drifted across the surface, rising and falling in perfect rhythm with the spray. No matter how many times I saw this show, it never got old.
Couples stood along the railing with phones raised, and laughter carried on the warm desert air.
The building behind us rose in creamy tiers of balconies and glowing windows, curved and elegant like something pulled from a European postcard.
It didn’t feel real. It felt like a place where dreams were wrapped and sold in luxury, and every wish came true.
Goran’s hand slid into mine as we walked along the fountain’s edge, taking in the sight.
“You realize,” I said quietly, watching the lights ripple across the lake, “we skipped our honeymoon the last time we were here.”
Goran huffed a quiet laugh. “You kind of skipped the proposal.”
“Details.” I rolled my eyes playfully at him.
He stopped walking and turned me toward him. Under the glow of a thousand neon lights, his expression shifted. He no longer looked at me like a guard or a soldier. He looked at me like my husband.
“If I’d known,” he said softly, “I would have done it properly.”
“Done what?”
“Proposed. Married you. All of it.”
He cupped my cheek, and I leaned into the warmth of his hand. The way he said it made my chest tighten.
His thumb brushed across my skin, and I shivered.
“You deserved the best. Flowers. A ring. A real moment that marked how incredible you are.”
“I didn’t need all that. I got you.”
Goran exhaled slowly as if releasing the tension he always carried. He pressed his forehead to mine.
“I want to soak in every minute of tonight like it’s our last.”
Pulling back, I searched his face.
“Don’t say that. It won’t be our last.”
His lips curved up.
“I just want it to feel that special.”
“You sure that’s all it is?”
Goran nodded, his lips touching mine. It didn’t feel like a kiss as much as it did a promise.
“Let’s go back to our room,” I whispered, and his eyes darkened with desire.
The fountain surged beside us as the performance reached its final crescendo, and for one fragile, dangerous, and beautiful moment…it felt like we were living inside a fairytale.