Page 36 of Forbidden Bratva Virgin

The soft glow of his phone screen reflected in his eyes as he checked it once more, his fingers quick, his mouth in a worried line.

As always, he looked dashing. The plain black tuxedo was a perfect fit, and I’d smiled when I noticed he trimmed his taper fade. He’d made an effort to be a charming plus one, and I was appreciative. But a quiet ache settled in my chest because he wasn’t present.

I forced a smile to my face and advised myself to look away.

Golden lights illuminated the hall and shimmered over the elegantly set tables. At the corner, there was a long banquet table dressed in ivory linen, gleaming with fine china and crystal glassware. Roses, pale pink and white, spilled from delicate vases. On another table, there was a wine fountain, and beside it were delicious-looking appetizers. If Nathan was feeling up to it, I might have coaxed him to accompany me to that table.

The air carried rising laughter, and I tried to relax under the sound of soft music that blended with conversation. Until a group of men trooped in through the doors and a sudden hush fell over the hall. The music kept on playing, but almost no one was speaking.

From a distance, I saw them but couldn’t make out their faces. The men were tall and huge, all dressed in black suits. Most of them spread into every corner, unsmiling, while a few stayed together in a small circle.

From the center of the hall, where she greeted guests, Amelia noticed the eerie stillness that followed the men’s entrance and hurriedly went over to meet them. They talked amongst themselves, and when Amelia laughed a little too loudly, the music tempo picked up speed, and conversation resumed like everyone hadn’t been quiet only seconds ago.

The small circle moved with Amelia, and going by the frequent gestures she made with her hands, I guessed she was showing them to their seats, which were not far away from mine and Nathan’s table.

They drew closer, and their faces became clearer. Positioned between them was a woman in a short, bespoke silver dress. She turned to one of the men, and that was when I recognized the man at the forefront. The air suddenly shifted. Hot and cold shivers ran tremors to my toes.

Miron.

What was I expecting? Amelia was his cousin. It wasn’t strange for him to be here. But it was strange that my heart stuttered when I caught sight of how devastatingly handsome he looked.

Nathan was right beside me, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from roaming.

He, too, had gotten a hair trim, and the blond strands seemed to dazzle brighter under the golden lights. The shadows enhanced the sharp contours of his face, and the suit…God! The stylish three-piece had to be tailor-made for him alone.

Miron stood tall and proud, with his jaw set and eyes narrowed heatedly when Amelia chuckled. Knowing her, she’d made a joke that didn’t go down well with him.

The girl in the middle clung to his arm, her diamond bracelet catching the light as she tossed her black hair over one shoulder. That must have been his fiancée, Alina. The one he was to marry.

She was beautiful in the effortless way of girls who had never known inconvenience. Polished and perfect, she was a walking, breathing display of wealth.

And yet, Miron wasn’t looking at her.

As if he sensed someone watching across the room, his gaze lifted on instinct, and his eyes found me instantly.

The noise around me dulled to a hum at the unexpected impact—a clash of blue and hazel and heat dancing around my neck and cheeks.

Amelia was talking. Alina was laughing. But Miron kept his eyes locked on mine.

My breath hitched as his gaze traveled slowly and deliberately down the length of me, then back up. His gaze burned my bare skin, from the shock on my face to my heaving cleavage and the fair glimpse of the thigh that was displayed through the slit. There were a thousand unspoken things pressed into that stare. I felt it.

And swallowed hard.

I was insane for allowing crazy thoughts to pop up in my head about this man. He was my client, and my boyfriend was seated right next to me. Somehow, my heart was screaming, “It doesn’t matter!”

I was allowed to look, to crush on, but not touch. He was attractive, true. But we were both off limits, I reminded myself.

Regardless, tension crackled heavily, like high-voltage electricity. And for one unbearable, heart-pounding second, I refused to look away.

***

The first notes of the waltz swirled through the air, and around me, couples turned toward the dance floor. The room was quickly shifting into motion, and I knew what that meant: Nathan and I would have to file to the dancefloor.

Across the room, I already spotted Amelia and, surprisingly, Miron making their way toward our table. Thankfully, he wasn’t looking at me and appeared to be paying rapt attention to his chattering cousin.

I held my breath and sat patiently, counting the seconds with my fingers, before eagerly shifting closer to Nathan.

“Nate.” I tapped him. “We have to go dance. Amelia’s coming here to practically drag us out of the table because we’ve been isolated for far too long. We’re not mingling. And Ireallywant to mingle.”

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