Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 100416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
She took an extra-long shower, wishing she could wash away her confusion as easily. Foolish of her to be so focused on it when they had all hell breaking loose in a few short hours, but she couldn’t stop.
She shut off the water and closed her eyes, letting the cool air chill her. You can do this. Shelve the feelings talk until after you figure out whether you’re all going to die.
“Keira?”
“Just thinking.” Obsessing. She turned to find Dmitri leaning against the corner where the shower met the rest of the bathroom, well out of the way of any potential water. He wore his usual slacks and button-down, so he must have come up from the office. Now was the time to put on the brave face and pretend she wasn’t hopelessly in over her head, but she just couldn’t do it.
“I want a drink.” Keira held up her hand. “I’m not going to have one, but I’m overwhelmed and freaked out, and part of me is so damn sure that if I just drown my sorrows a bit, it will make everything better.” She could almost taste the vodka on her tongue if she concentrated.
He crossed to her, and that was when she noticed that he was barefoot. She’d never paid much attention to his feet before, but the big toe on his left foot was a bit crooked.
That slight imperfection somehow made him more attractive, if that was at all possible. Dmitri pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tightly to him. “It will be okay.”
“I’m all wet.” She didn’t struggle, though. Instead, she buried her face in his chest and let him comfort her. This feels so real.
“I’ll survive.” He let his chin rest on the top of her head. “Is tonight bothering you? Or what happened last night?”
“I’m just worried across the board.” It was the truth, though not the complete truth.
He gave her a squeeze and released her. “After tonight, the reception will be over. We’ll have made our public announcement and we can get back to us.”
She tried to dredge up a smile. “Okay.” There was no point in saying that the reception was the least of her worries. He knew. It was still easier to focus on the guests that were about to descend on their household than the fact that Alethea and Mae could strike at any time.
Dmitri, damn him, saw right through her. He took her hand and drew her out of the shower. She let him dry her off with one of his ridiculously luxurious towels because it felt good to have him taking care of her. But when he rose to face her, she couldn’t keep it buttoned up any longer. “I don’t know what’s real.”
He nodded as if she’d confirmed something he’d suspected. “You think I told you that I love you to keep you in line.”
“It sounds extra evil when you say it like that.” She hugged the towel to her chest as if she wasn’t shivering and naked in front of him.
“For God’s sake.” He disappeared into the closet and came back with the same robe she’d co-opted that first week. He dropped it over her shoulders and watched her until she slipped her arms into it and tied it at the waist. It helped the shivers, if not her state of mind. Dmitri crossed his arms over his chest. “Explain why I would lie to you when we were finally coexisting comfortably.”
He didn’t have to make it sound so ridiculous. It wasn’t. She lifted her chin. “You like me nice and compliant, which is a whole lot more likely if I’m all goofy over being in love with you.”
“While you have a point, that’s not a low I would ever hit.”
She wanted to believe that, and she didn’t trust him because she so desperately wanted to believe it. That didn’t make sense, even in her own head.
Keira rubbed her eyes. “I’m scared.” It felt like the words were ripped from her, but once she started, she couldn’t stop. “It feels too good to be true, and that scares the shit out of me. I know you’re not some Prince Charming type, and I’m sure as hell not a princess, but it doesn’t seem possible that we could end up in love after everything. There has to be some plot, some manipulation, something going on. That’s our world. It’s not the one where people get happily ever afters.”
He cupped her face and stroked his thumbs along her cheekbones. “What if it was?”
Her mouth went dry and her heart tried to beat its way out of her chest. “It will blow up in our faces,” she whispered.
“Mozhet byt’.” He shrugged. “And maybe Alethea will manage to outmaneuver us and we won’t survive the day, the week, the month. You can’t live in fear of the bad. You have to grasp the good with both hands and fight for it.” He paused. “Fight for me.”