Page 33

She was a Storm

N ikhail was fairly certain his heart had grown wings and was soaring in his chest. He hadn’t realized it was possible to feel so elated. His cheeks hurt as a grin stretched across his face, and he probably looked like a fool, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

“Thank the Blessed Black Sands,” he murmured, his gaze sweeping over River’s.

Her brown eyes were locked on his, wide and filled with so many emotions, he couldn’t parse through them.

Finally— fucking finally— they were going to do this. It felt like the past four years had been the longest of his life, but that no longer mattered.

He’d wait four hundred years for her if she asked him to.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d say,” he admitted, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand.

Her rosy lips parted, and her tongue slipped out, wetting them. He barely contained the groan rising in his throat. Did she know what those minuscule movements did to him? How many times he’d thought of those lips wrapped around his cock, how many times he’d jerked off thinking of her?

“Want to know a secret?” she breathed.

He leaned in closer, his smile widening impossibly further. “Always.”

“I’m just as surprised as you are.” Fae couldn’t lie, but it felt like there was something more in what she was saying.

A chuckle rumbled through him, and he grazed the back of his knuckles down her cheek. Gods, her skin was as smooth as silk. Was she like this all over?

Unbidden, his mind conjured an image of River in his bed once more.

This time, her pink scrubs were nowhere in sight.

She was naked, lying before him, her skin flushed from having been licked and tasted all over.

He could see himself kneeling between her thighs, feasting on her as she screamed his name until she was hoarse.

Fuck, he wanted that.

Adjusting himself discreetly, he canted his head. “A good surprise, I hope.”

She hitched a breath, her captivating gaze never straying from his. He could look at her all day long and not grow tired of it.

“I… hope so, too,” she murmured. She was an angel cast in silver starlight, and he was captivated by her.

He cupped her chin, tracing her lips with his thumb. They were softer than her cheeks, calling his name. “I want to kiss you, River,” he admitted huskily. “I’ve wanted to since the day we first met.”

He’d dreamed of it innumerable times. Her taste. The sounds she’d make. The way she’d feel as he sank into her, making her his in every single way.

“You… you have? ”

By all the gods, was that disbelief in her voice? What the fuck? Did this beautiful woman not see herself in the mirror when she got dressed? Did she not know that she was incredible in every single way?

Right then and there, he vowed to make sure she never doubted herself again. He would make sure she knew exactly how amazing she was, from now until the day he Faded.

Placing his finger under her chin, he tilted up her head. Her brown eyes widened.

“Listen to me, River Waterborn,” he said softly. “I will say this as many times as necessary.”

Her lips parted. “Nik?—”

“You are the most stunning person I have ever seen,” he murmured, interrupting her.

Her mouth fell open, likely in protest, but he wouldn’t allow that. Shaking his head, he moved closer. His breath skated over her lips, and she whimpered softly.

“You are magnificent, River. Beautiful inside and out.” He traced the corner of her mouth with his thumb, reveling at the feel of her. “Anyone who doesn’t want to kiss you is out of their mind.”

Of course, he’d never let anyone else kiss her. But that was beside the point.

River was staring at him as if he’d just told her he was secretly a mermale from the Indigo Ocean. “You think I’m magnificent?”

“Princess, I think you are more beautiful than any piece of art, more stunning than any sunset, more gorgeous than even the most beautiful gods-blessed vampire.”

Surprise parted her lips, and that did him in. He couldn’t wait any longer.

He leaned over, sweeping his lips over hers. It wasn’t a kiss. It was barely even a peck. Little more than a meeting of their mouths, it was an introduction. A greeting. A taste of what was to come. The first of many embraces he hoped to share in the future.

“Oh,” she whispered. “Are we… Is this moving too fast?”

“Do you think so?” He nuzzled his nose against hers, and gods, even that sent sparks running through him. “Maybe to other people. But I’ve wanted you for years, River.”

It wasn’t like they’d just met. He’d wanted her for so long, he could barely remember what it was like to want anyone else.

“Oh,” she breathed.

“Oh, indeed.” His hand returned to her chin, and he cupped it gently. “May I kiss you, River?”

Seconds that felt like eons passed before she slowly dipped her head.

“Out loud, River. I need to hear you.”

She inhaled sharply. “I… yes.”

A chorus of angels sang a jubilant chorus, rejoicing at the single word. Nikhail inhaled the scent of her storm and leaned in closer. Her eyes fluttered shut as his lips found hers, and he groaned into her mouth.

Gods. Fucking. Above.

It turned out that he hadn’t actually been alive before this moment. Not really. He may have met many people and been well-traveled, thanks to his position in the military, but he hadn’t lived .

Nothing—not even swimming in the Black Sea or walking among the golden sandy dunes in the Southern Region—compared to this.

River’s mouth was soft and velvety, like flower petals in the spring, and it perfectly melded against his. Her lips were warm but not hot as their kiss quickly turned into something more. Something deeper.

It was a good thing they hadn’t done this before, because if he had, he wasn’t certain he would’ve been able to do anything else. Kissing her was about to become his newest obsession. Who needed food or water or air when they could have this?

Even now, in the midst of this life-changing embrace, he was conscious of her every breath, moan, and movement.

He would be careful, Nikhail promised himself. He wouldn’t move too fast and ruin this for them. They were long-lived fae. They would have many more opportunities to kiss, many more opportunities to take things further.

River’s lips moved against his. She’d been timid at first, but she was growing in confidence as she tasted him. Tested his limits.

“More, Nik,” she breathed against his lips.

The plea was a knife, slicing through the restraint he’d been using to keep himself back.

“Oh, River, you don’t have to beg.”

His hand traveled to the back of her neck, and he angled her head just the way he liked it. She let him move her, a tiny whimper slipping from her mouth as he leaned down to reclaim her lips.

The sound went straight to his dick, and he groaned. Sands save him, he could die a happy man now.

His tongue brushed the seam of her lips, and she opened for him. A tempest. That’s what she tasted like. Powerful and wild and barely contained…

She tasted like everything he’d ever dreamed of.

River breathed his name, fisting his shirt as she tugged him closer. Kissed him deeper.

When she nipped his lip, adding pain to their pleasure, Nikhail decided that he’d been wrong before. Obsessed was too simple a word to describe how he felt about kissing River.

Spellbound was more like it. Captivated. Enthralled, even. She was a storm, and he was ready to be utterly consumed by her.

Time had no meaning. Hours went by, or they could’ve been minutes. Nikhail lost himself in River’s storm, memorizing every sound, every gasp, every touch of her lips against his.

If he never did anything ever again except kiss River, he would consider it a life well-lived. Nothing else would ever compare to this anyway.

Work? It wasn’t as fulfilling. Food and drink? He’d survive off the sweet nectar she provided him.

His magic seemed to agree, humming pleasantly in his veins.

They kissed and kissed beneath the starlight, their hands traveling over clothing, exploring each other, until a cool breeze tickled his pointed ear.

His magic perked up, and he tensed as the wind whispered to him gently.

A thousand curses ran through his mind, and even though it felt like he was pulling his heart out of his chest, he broke away from her. His chest heaved, and he rested his forehead on hers.

“Nik?” He’d never get tired of hearing River say his name. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone’s coming,” he said.

For a while, Nikhail had forgotten all about the Winter Solstice party, but now, the reality of the situation was rushing back all at once. Even though he’d kissed River, even though he’d told her he didn’t just want to be friends, they hadn’t sorted anything out or defined what they were.

Inside the solarium, it was just the two of them. Once they left these glass walls, they’d have to deal with the rest of the world. But now that he’d tasted her, the barriers dividing them didn’t feel insurmountable anymore. Whatever came at them, they would tackle it together.

It was as he had told River: He wanted her, and nothing could take her from him.

Still, his heart ached as she gracefully rose from the bench. She held the lapels of his suit jacket closed with one gloved hand and straightened out her dress with the other.

His chest heated at the sight of her puffy lips and the crimson tinge in her cheeks. More tendrils of hair had escaped her elaborate bun, and she looked well taken care of.

He’d done that.

His fae instincts practically purred at the thought, and he stood as a shadowy form trudged down the path towards the solarium.

Their time alone was running out, and Nikhail’s legs ate up the distance between him and River. He took her hands in his, brushing his lips over her forehead.

“I meant what I said earlier, River.” He squeezed her hand. “I want you. We’ll talk later about what that means for us, but I’m all in.”

She blinked, as if she still couldn’t believe his words. “You are?”

“Absolutely. I’m ready for anything.”

Honestly, if he thought she’d accept his proposal, he’d ask her to marry him tomorrow.

It was a little dramatic, seeing as how they’d just shared their first kiss, but Ryker had gotten engaged to Brynleigh after courting her in the Choosing, and theirs was the strongest relationship he’d had ever seen.

Maybe there was something to be said about unorthodox methods of dating.

Besides, it wasn’t like they’d just met. He and River had a history that spanned several years, a foundation of friendship that would keep their relationship strong.

River exhaled slowly, her eyes searching his. “I want you, too, Nik.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “But you have to know?—”

The solarium door swung open, and a man covered in a layer of fresh snow stepped inside. He shook himself off, white flakes covering the ground.

The newcomer was slightly shorter than Nikhail, and lankier. His black hair was askew, and his olive skin was flushed. After a moment, Nikhail recognized the man as Carson Byward, a witch bonded to a fellow soldier. Both men served on the base in Golden City.

Carson wore a black leather jacket and dark pants, signaling that he definitely wasn’t an invited guest to Tertia’s party.

The witch’s lack of formal attire wasn’t what had Nikhail instinctively stepping in front of River and snarling, but the gun clasped in his right hand. Carson’s weapon was pointed at the ground, but Nikhail’s fae instincts didn’t care. They screamed for him to protect River at all costs.

He’d just kissed her for the first time, gods-dammit. He hadn’t even tasted the sweetness between her legs. There was no way he would let harm come to her.

“What is it, Carson?” Nikhail barked, not making any attempts to moderate his tone.

For his part, the witch didn’t seem bothered. “Your presence is required at the Hub, sir.”

A hand landed on Nikhail’s hip, and he sensed River peeking out from behind him. He tried to shove her back so he could protect her better, but she stood her ground.

“Now?” he asked, no less annoyed. This was absolutely not how he’d envisioned the night coming to an end.

“Yes, sir.” Carson’s expression didn’t change. “There’s been a situation that requires immediate attention.”

Ah, fuck. Nikhail knew what that meant, and it wasn’t good. There would be no use trying to get out of this. If something had happened, it didn’t matter what time of day it was. He was still a soldier, and he had to obey orders.

He jerked his chin. “I’m assuming there’s someone to shadow us?”

“Absolutely, sir. The vampires from the Night Corps are assembled out front.”

Resigned to the fact that his time with River was over, Nikhail nodded. “All right. Give me ten minutes, and I’ll be there.”

The witch took his leave, telling Nikhail he had to collect a few more people. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that Nikhail turned back to River.

“I’m sorry, River, but I have to go.” He had never hated his job until this very moment.

She smiled gently, understanding passing through her gaze. “I get it. This isn’t my first time dealing with a military man, you know.”

“No, I suppose it isn’t.” He tugged his suit jacket more firmly over her shoulders. “We have a few minutes. What were you saying before he arrived?”

“I… we can talk about it later.” Rising on her toes, River’s lips brushed across his cheek. “Be safe, Nik.”

And gods, if those words didn’t warm him more than any fire ever could.

River dropped back to her feet, but his hands were on her a moment later. He drew her back to him, capturing her mouth with his and kissing her properly. Thoroughly.

He didn’t want her to doubt the truth of his words when he pulled away, his breath ghosting over her lips.

“I’ll stay safe and come back to you, River,” he whispered. “Nothing in the world could keep me from you.”

That was a promise he would do anything to keep.