Page 145 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

Which is probably why the pastry chef’s teenaged son can’t keep his eyes off of her.

“Excuse me,” Elise says. She turns and walks straight to the young man. His eyes bug out of his head when he realizes she’s heading his way.

“My god,” Belle sighs.

“What?”

“Look at her. Going after what she wants. No shame, no doubts. It’s… it’s incredible. Admirable. I could never.”

“Maybe you should try it. You could make men’s eyes pop out of their head like that, too. If you wanted.”

“That’s just it. I’m not sure if that’s what I want… well, not just any man, anyway.”

“Did you have someone specific in mind?”

Belle’s lips pull into a wry smile. “Let’s see how the night goes. Then you can tell me if I’m more eye-popping in this dress… or out of it.”

I feel my dick strain against the zipper of my tuxedo. Maybe a mid-party fuck isn’t completely off the table, after all.

I lean down and whisper in her ear, “Don’t tempt me, Belle, or I’ll drag you upstairs right now and fuck you until everyone in the party hears you moan.”

“You wouldn’t be so tempted if you’d seen me two hours ago,” she says, her cheeks stoplight red. “The other gift you left today had me a little distracted. I didn’t even shower until the dress showed up.”

“I take it you found the art supplies.”

“They were hard to miss. You must have spent a fortune.”

I wave a hand carelessly. “I was happy to do it.”

That much is true. I like making Belle smile. I enjoy giving her things that once seemed impossible to her. It feels like magic, in the strangest way. Conjuring hope from thin air.

Belle shakes her head and looks around the room. “This is all so incredible. Unreal.”

The hotel is built around some of the natural geothermal hot springs like the one Belle and I soaked in yesterday. The main event room was designed with that selling point in mind, featuring floor to ceiling windows that look out on the natural pools and towering lava rock formations. Steam ripples off the water like clouds and reveals subtle designs etched into the unbroken panes of glass.

“Being here is more than enough,” she continues. “You don’t need to get me anything else. The last few days here have been… They’ve been the best gift I’ve ever received.”

Her eyes are glassy with emotion. I know she means it.

“I’m sorry, then.”

“Sorry about what?” she asks, frowning.

I reach into my pocket and pull out a flat, rectangular black box. “That I wasted my money on another gift.”

The worry slips off her face, replaced by a half-irritated, half-amused smile. “Nikolai, that isnotfunny.”

Smirking, I open the box and pull out a gold necklace with a large ruby set in the center. The colors perfectly match her dress.

“I… I can’t accept that,” she stutters.

“Good thing you don’t get a choice.”

I move around her and slide the chain under her auburn hair. She gently fingers the gem as I fasten the clasp.

“I don’t even know what to say,” she mumbles.

“Then don’t say anything. Let’s dance.”

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