Page 52 of Bound By Ruin

I never thought I would see such a proud, dominant man bending for anyone, let alone me. The woman he’s been after ever since the day we met. The one he collared and locked inside of a cage. The one he beat another man bloody for touching. The one he vowed to make fall in love with him.

The longer he looks at me like I’m the one thing he can’t live without, the closer I am to believing that it’s true.

I might fall in love with Rage…

Tonight.

Chapter21

Celia

The venuefor the gala is split into sections: the faux casino in the main room with multiple cash bars dispersed throughout, the adjacent ballrooms hosting various shows and silent auctions, and an outdoor dining experience in the oncoming winter.

Someone didn’t consult the women before deciding to host a three course meal outside. Despite the standing heat lamps surrounding the perimeter, the winter bite in the air is harsh enough to make me shiver. I wrap my faux fur shawl tighter around me, appreciating its warmth but needing more as a chill sweeps across my legs.

Rage and I weave through the round dining tables for our name cards until he finds our entire party at a table for eight. I check each name, my curiosity at an all-time high. He lifts an eyebrow as I circle the table. “You’re right here.” Grabbing the back of my assigned seat, he pulls it away from the table to make room for me to sit.

“What about yours?”

He nods to the space beside mine. “I’m next to you.”

I glance at the remaining cards but barely see the names, my curiosity over Rage’s card getting the better of me. Hopping around the table in excitement, I bounce on the balls of my feet as I check our place settings. The name on my card is as expected, Celia Monrovia, but Rage’s…

“Nikolai Cheknekov?” I take in his appearance from top to bottom, admiring how well his name fits. “Is that real or fake?”

Patting the top of my chair, he smirks. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Rolling my eyes with a smile, I take my seat and allow him to push me in. “Yes, actually, I would.” I lean to each side to check the surrounding names, all ending in Cheknekov.

Emil.

Yuri.

Thanatos.

“Why is Thanatos the only one using his real name? Does that mean that yours—” I squeal in excitement. “Can I call you Nikolai?”

Rage brings the back of my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles, chuckling under his breath. “Only in bed,krosotka.”

I gasp. “Deal.” I contain my eagerness while the server fills our wine glasses with a charming red, but the moment he’s gone, I read the other cards again and mutter the names under my breath, getting a feel for each one. “So which one is Emil and which is Yuri?”

“You’ll have to ask them.”

My earpiece clicks on, Rebel’s voice suddenly in my head. “No way, youcannotcall me anything other than Rebel. Not even in bed!”

“Are you sure?” I sit back in my chair and sip my wine. “I bet your name sounds really good on my lips.Especiallyif I’m moaning.” Flicking my eyes to Rage, I let out a breathy whimper. “Nikolai,” I tease, “harder, please!Ah!I’m gonna—I’m gonna?—”

The table beside ours pauses their conversation to peek over at us, and I die of laughter. Setting down my glass, I wipe my mouth with my cloth napkin and clear my throat, regaining my composure. “See? Imagine that, but with the name Emil or Yuri on my lips?—”

“Celia,” Rage rumbles, his burning hand dropping to my thigh. “I said that you could use it whileinbed, not at the dinner table.” His eyes smolder like embers as he squeezes just above my knee. “Keep teasing me, and I’ll put you on your knees beneath it.”

My eyes widen as my heart skips a beat. “You wouldn’t.”

Rage’s smile sharpens, turning wolfish. “Say my name again and find out.”

We’re still staring at each other when Rebel suddenly appears, slipping in front of the place setting beside mine, the one labeled forEmil.He drapes his arm over the back of his chair and runs his other hand through his hair, mussing it up even more than it already was. “Celia, baby, you can’t go around moaning like that, or we’ll all go crazy.” Licking a stripe across his top row of teeth, he smiles just as predatorily as Rage. “I’ll fuck you on this table in front of the whole staff.”

Nerves bubble up like champagne inside my stomach as I look between the two of them. I doubt they’re serious… right? With a tight smile, I down the rest of my wine before grabbing Rage’s untouched glass. “Please don’t.”

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