Page 81 of Christmas With The Kings
“Yeah, uh-huh. Pretty sure you wanted to put his name up for a vote at the beginning. Something about their dancing was entirely too intimate for your liking,” Bash exclaimed.
“I thought you were on my side. The betrayal stings, Brother and I won’t forget it,” Alek growled. “I still stand on what I said. Go on, kitten, let’s hear it.”
Every head turned to me. “Oh no. No, no, no.Thatis not even remotely fair.”
“Seems fair to me,” Isabella said, that evil sparkle in her eyes. “Best date wins. Simple, quick and none of us has to go round to hospital.” She peaked into Ivan’s bowl, and she blinked rapidly. “Is it supposed to look like that?”
I was about to go over and see if he needed any tips when Bash spoke.
“Yeah, I second that, Sissy. Judging the dates isfarsafer.”
The Kings all straightened, smug as sin, waiting for my answer. My stomach twisted—not from nerves, but from the thrill of the game. Three sets of beautiful eyes dared me to choose. Typical brothers.
As if I would honestly ever choose. The beauty of our relationship was that I didn’t have to. A plan formed within the space of three seconds.
“Fine,” I said finally, tapping a finger against my chin like I was deep in thought. “Let’s see…”
I let the silence stretch, drawing it out because I could. My heart raced, my mind skipping along with it. “The Reaper gave me the best present—”
“Damn right I did,” he exclaimed.
“This here,” I tugged lightly at the small gem portion that rested against my throat. “Grounds me in a way nothing has, but not only that…”
My eyes shifted to Isabella, and a tiny pang of hurt went through my chest at the look of confusion on her face. She shifted and then cleared her throat. She was wildly uncomfortable, but I knew she wouldn’t let on as to why.
If you can heal, so can she. Give it time. At least you have each other.
I knew I’d have to explain it later for her to fully understand. She loved me enough to accept it, and that was good enough for now.
Lifting my eyes to my Reaper King, I basked in the love staring back at me. “It deepened our trust and signifies a special type of freedom. Something that can only be found with someone who has taught you that running isn’t the answer.”
For a moment, the entire room softened. Even Chef’s body relaxed. Then I turned to Nikolai. My lips curved into a sheepish smile, and a flush covered my face at the one he returned.
“And you, my green-eyed devil King, unlocked a piece of my soul I didn’t even know was trapped. You wrapped me in silken rope, worshiped every inch of me in such reverence that I can still feel the binds that tie us.”
“I told you it was an art form, tiny tot,” Sebastian said quietly before winking at Nik, who beamed.
His chest was puffed, and he stood tall between his two brothers. His emerald eyes danced wickedly and made my heart catch.
“Your gift also deepened our trust and signified freedom. With you, I never have to fear a thing. I will cherish the memory forever.”
God, I was the luckiest woman alive. I’d die on that hill for all eternity.
Nik’s grin softened, the usual mischief fading from his eyes. He stepped closer, his voice dipping into that low, velvety register that always felt like a caress. “Moya doo-SHA pree-nah-LEE-zheet te-BYE, DET-ka. Pa-KA ya dy-SHOO — ty ma-YA.
His thumb brushed my lower lip. “For my non-Russian speaking friends, I said,my soul belongs to you, baby girl. As long as I breath—you are mine.”
As he spoke the translation, his eyes never left mine. A sniffle sounded behind me, and his head jerked up. Mine followed, and Sophia was wiping her eyes. Christopher, who’d come in at some point, was holding her.
Nik stepped back, his gaze lingering for a moment longer before he turned away. For a heartbeat, I just stood there, breathing him in even as he walked back to his station.
My pulse refused to settle. The air felt charged, alive with everything we hadn’t said. And then, my eyes lifted—drawn as if by gravity—to Ivan.
There wasn’t an ounce of cockiness like the Reaper had shown. No trace of mischief or wicked delight like the Crow. No, staring back at me, heat curling low and sure between us, was my sweet, gentle giant.
“And you, Sir…” I trailed off, my voice softer now as I crossed the room toward him. “Well, I can’t talk about what transpired between us because words wouldn’t adequately describe it. It was sacred. You’ve always given me freedom. Allowed me to be myself. And to say that our trust deepened, would be an understatement.”
My throat tightened as the air between us sparked. My beloved’s lips curved. It was bashful, and a slight flush colored his cheeks.
