I raised a brow at this. “Your Prince Charming, huh?”
“Yup. You’re going to steal me away to your castle, and then we’re going to get married and live happily ever after.”
I was far from a charming prince, and the mansion I lived in was closer to one fit for modern vampires than for the lovely princess before me, but the knowledge that when Eva thought of her future, she thought of me settled something in my soul. Because I wanted a future with her, too. No matter the cost.
“Sounds good, baby. I’ll be your Prince Charming.” And her villain, too.
Eva smiled up at me, drunk and glowing and devastatingly beautiful. Mia laughed, clapping a hand over her mouth as hergaze swung between the two of us. “Oh my God. Ilovethis for you. Eva, this is… This is insane. I mean, look at him. He’s like a god.”
Eva ducked her head immediately, fingers tightening in my suit jacket. It was clear she didn’t like all the complimentary attention, but I wouldn’t stand for that.
“And look at her,” I murmured, fingers lifting her chin up to my eyes before my lips pulled upward. “She’s my goddess.”
Because she was radiant, yet she didn’t seem to know it—not really. She softened herself when she didn’t need to, curled herself into small balls like she was afraid of taking up space. But I wanted her to take up space. I wanted her to be proud of who she was, my beautiful, sunshiny princess.
Eva looked up at me, startled, like she hadn’t expected me to butt in. Her lips parted, then curved into a small, grateful smile that hit me harder than anything else tonight.
That was when Nikolai appeared at my side like a bad habit I couldn’t quit.
“Well,” he drawled, eyes flicking to Mia. “If it isn’t the blonde menace. Fancy seeing you again.”
Mia’s entire posture changed. Her smile stayed, but it sharpened—edges drawn tight. Her eyes flashed. “Nikolai. I wouldkindlyask you not to call me that.”
“Why not? Would you rather I call you princess?”
“Don’t youdarecall me princess, you stuck-up little?—”
I didn’t even notice Eva escaping my grip until she was standing between the two of them, arms up to try to get them to act like peaceful adults. And though I knew Mia and Nikolai would never harm her—her friend for obvious reasons, and Nikolai because he enjoyed me not killing him—I didn’t like that Eva was ready to sacrifice herself so quickly to keep everyone happy. What other lengths would she be willing to go to? Wouldshe run in front of a bullet if it meant someone else didn’t get hit?
Knowing my Eva, the answer was yes, which was why I quickly grabbed her, pulling her back into me while I growled into her soft hair, “You two know each other.”
“No,” Mia said at the same time Nikolai said, “Oh, yes.”
I didn’t miss the way Mia’s fingers curled into a fist at her side, or the way Nikolai’s grin softened a fraction when she looked away.
Interesting.
But I had much more important things to worry about. I looked down at Eva and noticed her eyes darting across the room, breaths quickening. I cupped her cheek and noted how heated her skin felt underneath my palm. “Want to get some air, solnyshka?”
Eva nodded immediately. She turned to Mia—who was in the midst of telling Nikolai a very colorful array of words—and said, “I’ll be right back.”
Mia whirled to face her before pinning her glare at me.
And I glared right fucking back.
“You're still coming home with me, right?” In other words:Are you going to his house?I wished the answer was yes, but I also knew my gentlemanly morals could only last so long. If I got Eva into my bed, there would be no tearing me away from her. Especially if she kept looking at me with that pouty mouth, asking if I fuckingmissed her.
“Yeah,” Eva said, much to my disappointment, though it was for the best.
I took her drink from her as I led her through the club, grimacing when I took a sip. “What the fuck is this?”
Eva shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Youdon’t know?” Who the fuck was giving her random drinks? I would fucking kill them, I would?—
“Well, I ordered an amaretto sour, but I think they just gave me what the other girls were ordering. I don’t think I’ll get it again. It’s not very good, but it’s okay. I’m taking sips.”
Before she could say anything more, I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me to the bar, gesturing to the bartender, one of our newer employees, Dariy.
