RHEA'S POV."I did what I had to do", I heard Aleksander speak , his words were as sharp as a knife and made me freeze more in the place I was hiding in."For her?, You seriously think she is worthy the trouble we will be in if Dax's family retaliates", Nikolai's words made me to cover my mouth to hide a gasp. Aleksander growled back and I could feel the growing tension in the foyer."She is worth everything. Let them come if they want to. I will do the same to them", He seethed through his teeth. Claws of dread wrapped around my throat and i couldn't breathe."You being foolish , Aleksander. All of this potential war with the Genoseve family, just so you own the Prima ballerina of New York? Is your sense of entitlement and your over grown ego bigger than your head?", Nikolai's voice rose over a whisper, growing almost into a shout.I didn't understand what he was saying. Nevertheless my heart was beating painfully in my chest and my limbs were cold. Nikolai could be harsh but his wor
"It is very easy to love you. I wish you would stop believing that you don't deserve it", I whispered softly to Aleksander to avoid disturbing others. He pulled his face away staring so deeply into my eyes. I thought he stopped breathing as our eyes locked."I love you Rhea, i would do anything", The sudden tenacity in his tone and the spark in my eyes caught me by surprise. Raising my hand, I placed my palm on his cheek. He leaned into my touch, eager for it. "You have already done everything for me, Aleksander", I murmured. He has done more than that."Just keep loving as much as I love you and we will be alright","I can do that", He nodded his head. Without warning, he pulled away and looked at his aunt. Clearing this throat loudly, Aleksander got everyone's attention."Tetya, I think there is a thing that got missed. Can you check the lower branches of the Christmas tree. I thought I saw something down there",Annika stepped gracefully between Ricky and Devin to get to the lumino
I truly looked and felt like royalty today. After all, I was marrying my dark prince. The brilliant power of the sun bloomed within my chest. Bright, joyous emotions flooded through me too fast to grasp them all at once. Happiness, love and nerves mingled in my humming blood and racing heart. Each second that passed echoed in my head like the ticking of a bomb. I might explode into a million pieces before walking down the aisle.Either we were lucky to set a date at my dream venue or Aleksander knew the right strings to pull. It astounded me that I sat in the front of a mirror in the St Patrick Cathedral today. One of the dreamiest locations in the city to have a wedding and here I was.With towering gothic spires of white marble that touched the sky and brilliant stained glass windows, it felt like getting married in a fairytale castle.Outside of this cathedral, I had stopped to pray the night I met Aleksander. I had sent a silent prayer to the heavens to protect my loved ones abd
ALEKSANDRER'S POVFor much of my life, I'd never believed in fate. To think that something was destined to happen sounded outlandish. It turned everything I thought I knew upside down the night I first watched Stella on stage.Suddenly I believed.God had to be real because she was an angel walking the earth. Fate had to be real because I was destined to see her, to feel her... to have her. Rhea was the one -the only one for me. My shining star, and now my wife.Rhea is my wife!Those words blared through my mind on repeat. From the moment we kissed, everything became official. I couldn't get that thought out of my head. I didn't want to. With all the frantic energy roiling through my body, I wanted to soar to the tops of the cathedral and scream it from the jagged spires.Flashes of light exploded around us. The guests cheered and shouted their congratulations. At one point I remember my aunt planting kisses on my cheeks. Everything moved in a whirlwind of motion.All I cared about w
I was burning through the layersofmyskin. Rhea's smile turned wicked without breaking eye contact.The car around us lurched when it pulled into the street. Rhea's hand slipped lower from the sudden motion. Her fingers brushed over the tent pitched in the front of my black slacks, eliciting a groan from the back of my throat.Involuntarily, my hips bucked upward, pressing my hard groin into Rhea's palm. Longing swirled in the depths of her eyes when she drew her bottom lip between her teeth. Her body melded against my side. Every soft curve of her frame met the hard planes of mine.She increased the pressure of her hand, rubbing my erection with determination. Her voice was breathy and low. "I think my husband likes me.""Oh, I fucking love you," I said. Enthralled by Rhea, the furious tension pulling us together kept me from looking away. Her hand steadily rubbed the outline in my pants, making me unhinged. Hurried, my hands flew to unbuckle my belt and unzip my pants."Really?" Rhe
RHEA'S POV.The Plaza is an iconic hotel in New York. Located at the busy intersection of Central Park and Fifth Avenue, it almost feels like it's the center of the world. No one could deny the history and elegance of this setting.Looking up at the impressive French Renaissance-inspired chateau style building under a clear blue sky and golden sun took my breath away. We arrived at the front entrance, my eyes sweeping over the rusticated marble façade at the base and traveling up to the white brick on the upper stories. If the hotel's prestigious location didn't bring it to acclaim, the detailing of the mansard roof would.Aleksander wanted the best for our reception. As the youngest billionaire in the city, a sense of pride came with this event. The Makalov family was well known, and the name fell on me now. We could have gotten married and partied anywhere and I would have been happy. I had no prior ideas of grandeur, yet I wouldn't complain about the lavish celebration.This was th
Aleksander took my hand in his. The mask on my features wavered at the glowing delight in his eyes. That grin bringing out his dimples made my stomach dip dangerously. "What are you thinking about, baby?"I placed my hand on his shoulder as the first notes of the song came to life. "I can't believe you made us late. "Me?" A chuckle flew past his lips. Aleksander took the first step, leading the dance. We moved together fluidly. As if our bones and blood and sinew were made of music.Dancing came so naturally to me I didn't need to think about the steps. Once we were twirling over the floor, I completely forgot about the hundreds of people intently watching our every move. They, too, knew the importance of this tradition. Our first dance as husband and wife."Yes. You," I affirmed with a pout."Nah, baby. You're not getting away with that fake innocence anymore." Aleksander made a show of spinning me around. Our guests hollered and clapped as his powerful arms caught me and promptly di
Annika made me feel welcomed and Aleksander made me feel wanted. Somewhere along the way, it must have rubbed off on Nikolai. He let go of whatever displeasure weighed him down, allowing himself to smile at my jokes. In such a brief span of time, they filled the family shaped hole in my heart.Never a replacement for what I'd lost, but something new to ease the pain.I grabbed a bubbling glass of champagne after spinning in circles on the dance floor. A slower song played, and I the opportunity to hide in a corner and catch my breath. Through the empty tables, I found Ricky and Devin swaying in a tender embrace on the dance floor. Nearby, Aleksander led his aunt in a dance. Her head fell back with mirth as she cackled at something he said."Excuse me." An unfamiliar male voice snuck into my ear.I lowered the glass from my lips seconds away from taking a sip. Something about the cold air at my side sent a nasty shiver shooting down the length of my spine. Cautiously, I angled my head