Chapter 6 #2
A hand reached from behind me without warning, landing decisively on my waist. The palm was broad, its heat seeping through the velvet directly into my skin, sending a current shooting upward from my waist.
A low voice spoke unhurriedly above my head.
"Congrats on the wedding, Derek."
I whipped my head around and met a pair of dark gray eyes gleaming with predatory amusement.
It was him.
The man from the plane.
He wore an impeccable pure black bespoke suit, black onyx cufflinks gleaming with cold light, a jawline sharp as a blade. And that silver hair catching the icy glow of the crystal chandeliers.
Derek's expression froze solid in that second.
His eyes swept from the hand on my waist, to me, to the man beside me, back and forth several times, like he was seeing something terrible.
"Ni-Nikolai?" He finally squeezed out the name, something crumbling finely in his tone. "You... you came."
"Of course. It's my dear little brother's wedding." Nikolai's deep voice released an incredibly charming, cold laugh. "As your brother, how could I miss such a... spectacular moment?"
Brother?
My brain exploded—like a million tons of dynamite detonating simultaneously.
The stranger who'd pinned me against the bathroom mirror in that Vegas first-class cabin and given me the most insane, intense orgasm of my life.
He was Derek's brother?
The half-brother Derek used to mention through gritted teeth—the one who controlled most of the Volkov family empire, ruthless and brutal?
Jesus Christ, was I dreaming or writing some trashy romance novel? I'd slept with my ex-fiancé's most terrifying, most powerful brother?
My brain went blank for two full seconds. Then I made a decision.
I quickly shed my wrecked, near-tears expression and turned, smoothly looping my arm through his.
"Honey, where have you been?" I looked up at him with a smile sweet enough to cause cavities, my voice so saccharine it gave me goosebumps. "You didn't tell me today's groom was your brother. Small world."
A dangerously dark gleam ignited instantly in Nikolai's gray eyes. He lowered his head at an angle only we could see and raised one eyebrow slightly.
I tightened my grip nervously.
He suddenly laughed softly.
My heart trembled with his low chuckle. The next moment, that large hand on my waist pulled me intimately closer against his hard chest.
"Sorry, sweetheart. Had to deal with a few disobedient pieces of trash on the way. Took a bit longer."
What? Deal with trash? Was he joking?
I swallowed, meeting those slightly lowered dark gray eyes, trying to find any hint of jest in his face.
But his expression told me clearly—he was dead serious.
No time to think about that now.
Derek's stare scraped over me like knives.
"Sweetheart? What the hell does that mean?" He pointed at me like he'd suffered a massive betrayal. "Nikolai, are you insane? She's my—"
"She's your what?" He raised one eyebrow, his icy gaze sweeping over Derek like he was looking at a corpse, cutting him off instantly. "Do you have a problem with my woman, dear brother?"
His tone was casual, but the terrifying pressure of long-held authority pressed down like a mountain. Derek immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word. Cold sweat even appeared on his forehead.
I was screaming with satisfaction inside. So gratifying! So absurd! I swore I'd write this scene word-for-word into my next chapter, even if readers called it melodramatic!
"Let's go say hello," Nikolai applied slight pressure with the hand on my waist. "You two enjoy your evening."
He led me away.
No one said goodbye.
We passed through gaps between clusters of guests, around a flower arrangement of white peonies, into a relatively quiet corridor off the ballroom's side wing.
No other guests in the corridor. Only the distant sound of strings from the ballroom, low and far away.
Nikolai released my waist.
I turned, my heartbeat still racing like an out-of-control generator.
"Thank—"
"You look beautiful tonight."
He didn't give me a chance to speak. That low, husky voice echoed in the empty corridor.
I froze.
I looked up and met those dark gray eyes. I'd expected him to mock me like on the plane for actually showing up at my ex's wedding, for my pathetic performance just now.
But no. His gaze was like burning dark fire, intensely focused, brazenly sliding from my cheeks down over the deep cleavage beneath my emerald gown and my tiny waist. His eyes held pure masculine appreciation and desire.
My heart lurched wildly out of control. Blood rushed to my face, burning hot.
My brain was still a mess—too much information tonight, too explosive. I needed time to process.
"I didn't expect you'd be here. Especially not that you'd be my ex-fiancé's brother. God, small world."
"I didn't expect my blind idiot brother would actually let go of such an amazing woman. I'm grateful."
"Anyway, thank you for tonight. Huge help."
"How are you going to thank me?"
The air in the corridor seemed to freeze for a second.
My breathing grew shallow. It was too hot here. I was burning up.
He lowered his head, those gray eyes locking onto me. He slowly raised his hand, long fingers touching me with trembling tenderness, extremely slowly tucking a stray lock of chestnut curl behind my ear.
His rough fingertip grazed my sensitive earlobe and the skin along my neck. Igniting every inch of me. In that instant, it was like high-voltage current shot straight through my spine. This man was criminally sexy. Jesus.
"That sex from the plane is the best I've ever had." He tilted his head slightly, warm breath washing over my face. His voice dropped impossibly low, carrying a darkly hoarse seduction that could utterly destroy me. "I've been missing that day..."
My brain completely short-circuited. My face burned red enough to bleed. My legs went so weak I could barely stand, only the wall behind me keeping me upright.
His gaze slid from my eyes slowly down to my red lips, slightly parted from tension. The heat in that look was enough to incinerate me.
In that moment, all reason, fear, unemployment despair, and that damn wedding vanished into thin air.
This moment belonged only to me and him.
I couldn't think about anything else, only wanted to follow the beast inside me.
Without thinking, I grabbed his tie, rose on my toes, and kissed him.
He didn't hesitate for a second, pressing down with overwhelming, irresistible force, his dominant hormonal presence completely enveloping me.