Sergey lets go of an almost bewildered scoff while Mikhail lifts a brow. Both Roman and Nikolai don’t react outright, but they watch, fully engaged, whether they mean to be or not. The girls gasp, not hiding for a second just how impressed they already are.
“Damn…she’s better than I expected,” Wyatt murmurs, to which Elena huffs like it should’ve been obvious from the start.
“Of course she is!”
Glancing at my family and watching the way they immediately get sucked into it just like I had, warmth spreads through my chest, and I grin to myself as I return my eyes to her.
Mila’s voice, warm and confident, fills the lounge while the live band keeps time with her. Even if it’s been some time since she’s done this, she slips back into it so naturally, moving with enough charisma to get everyone following the beat.
When she switches to a more upbeat song, that’s when the place comes alive.
Like she knows exactly what she’s doing, Mila welcomes the cheers and claps, feeding off the energy and giving it right back like this is perfect synergy. She’s truly entertaining, almost taunting everyone to respond just the way she wants them to.
At one point, she looks our way, earning enthusiastic praise from the girls, but when her eyes meet mine, holding it for a long while, I don’t cheer or clap. I just watched, feeling utterly and completely seen in that moment.
Everyone else feels irrelevant by that point, and as hard as I’ve tried to keep my mind and my heart from wandering into dangerous territory, it feels like no use now.
It’s clear when the last song ends that the show was nothing short of a success from the way everyone claps and cheers, giving her a standing ovation. I swear, despite being heavily pregnant, Elena is the loudest of them all.
For a moment, Mila allows herself to sit with the applause, which comes immediately and loudly. She looks almost stunned briefly, but then she smiles, and it almost cracks my chest open.
As I clap, it’s impossible to ignore the pride coursing through me, well aware that she killed it as expected. I remindmyself over and over that she’s with me. I’ve been in close proximity with this fearless woman, taking on the stage like it’s second nature.
After Mila thanks everyone for coming, she leaves the stage, and while I tell myself to be patient, I can hardly wait long enough. I excuse myself with an explanation, grateful that my siblings are too engrossed in everything to really notice.
My heart’s still thrumming with excitement by the time I find her, practically glowing and breathless when our eyes meet.
“That went well,” she says, like it’s nothing, as she stands by the vanity, where I had one of the employees place a bouquet of roses for her. She looks at them, and her expression softens a touch. “And thank you for these and for tonight.”
“You deserve them,” I tell her, allowing myself to be a little too honest as I move closer, magnetized to her all over again. “You owned the stage.”
Mila turns a bit bashful, then she takes a breath. “You invited your family.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted them to see you where you’re most comfortable,” I tell her. “They were thoroughly entertained. Even Roman.”
A flicker of surprise crosses her features, but she smiles. “I’m glad.”
“I might have to start arranging the next one,” I hum, pushing the boundary a little further as I step closer, drawn in by the way she looks so alive. “You were incredible, Mila.”
As she looks up at me, more receptive in the wake of her performance, need stirs low in my gut. I don’t know what has gotten into me, but Christ…I could have her right now.
“Careful. I might use this against you to guarantee more.”
She’s teasing me. Fuck.
My lips pull as I look her over. “It would be worth it.”
With the space between us both shrinking and growing more charged, flooding with everything still unsaid, I reach for her without thinking. My fingers brush along the inside of her wrist, then slowly up her arm while I take in the warmth of her.
It feels like forever since I’ve touched her in any meaningful way, since I’ve been trying to give her space. But now, I need more. I need all of her.
Leaning in, my intentions are perfectly clear.
Yet, Mila pulls back before I can close the distance, faking me out at the last second with a small step back. It’s subtle, but deliberate enough.
