Page 181 of Toxic Temptation
“You look so pretty.” Luka hops on his toes. “So, so pretty!”
“Alright,malysh.” Kovan ruffles Luka’s hair without taking his eyes off me. “Stop hitting on my date.”
Luka giggles. I lean down to kiss his forehead, carefully avoiding Waylen’s disapproving stare.
Kovan offers me his arm and leads me toward the door. “Shall we?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
He opens the front door, but before I can step outside, his hand flattens against the doorframe, blocking my path. He’s close enough that I can smell his cologne. It makes me feel delirious, euphoric.
“You look breathtaking,” he murmurs, his knuckles brushing my jawline.
“You don’t think it’s too much?” I ask nervously before I can stop myself. “The dress, I mean?”
“Too much?” His hand slides to my hip, fingers burning through the silk. “The dress is perfect. You are perfect.”
I sway toward him without conscious thought. “Kovan…”
“Shut up and let me kiss you,” he whispers against my lips.
He doesn’t wait for me to say yes. He just comes to take what’s his. I can taste whiskey on his breath, can see the gold flecks in his green eyes. My heart thumps against my ribs as he leans closer.
Then his mouth touches mine, and the rest of the world disappears.
64
VESPER
The ballroom looks like someone threw up money and called it elegant.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter, gesturing at the ridiculous champagne fountain dominating the center of the room. “That monstrosity has Jeremy’s name written all over it in shiny, gold leaf lettering.” I haven’t spotted the man himself yet, but he’s probably somewhere in this glittering circus, kissing ass like it’s going out of style. “Oh my God, is that actually an ice sculpt?—”
“Vesper.” Kovan’s hand finds my elbow and spins me to face him. His green eyes hold a warning. “Breathe.”
“I will not breathe!” I cry. “Look at this obscene display. That bastard could have funded the pediatric ward for the next decade with what he’s spent on tonight alone. He’s burning through piles of cash while children suffer with broken equipment, and everyone’s acting like this is normal.”
“You get used to these things.”
“Who does? I don’t! No one should!” I stop yelling and squint at him. “Don’t tell me this doesn’t bother you.”
“It doesn’t. I can’t afford for it to bother me.” Kovan’s thumb traces a circle against my skin. “Your world isn’t that different from mine. It’s all politics and power games, no matter where you look. Someone in the shadows is always pulling shady strings.”
The wordKeresflashes through my mind before I can stop it. I’m supposed to forget about them. I promised Kovan I would. But lately, the name keeps surfacing at the worst moments.
Tonight was supposed to be different. Tonight was supposed to be about us—whatever the hellusmeans anymore.
I’d like both the Keres and Jeremy Fleming to stay the hell out of it.
“I’m sorry.” I force myself to exhale. “I just can’t stand seeing this much excess when kids are dying because we don’t have proper equipment.”
“I know.”
My gaze drifts to the crystal place settings, the gleaming cutlery, the gilt-edged plates. “The rental fees for this hotel ballroom alone could have bought us a new CT machine.”
Instead of answering, Kovan takes my hand and pulls me toward the donation table in the corner. His grip is firm, purposeful.
“Kovan? What are you doing?”
