Page 52 of Wicked Waters

I debated going after her, but I had the feeling she wanted to be alone, and I wasn’t about to overstep any boundaries. So, instead, I forced myself to step forwards and greet Knox and Elena.

“You look beautiful,” I told Elena, hugging her carefully so I didn’t mess up her hair or make-up.

“So do you.” Her mouth moved to my ear. “Roman hasn’t taken his eyes off you since we came in.”

A smile curved over my lips, even as my heart raced at the thought that someone might notice him looking at me.

“You match.”

I glanced up at Knox, my brows pulling together. “Match?”

“You and him. I suggest you go and find a dark corner and make the most of it.” Smirking, Knox angled his head towards where I knew Roman was still standing in the entryway.

“Match?” I repeated. Almost unwillingly, my gaze was drawn towards Roman.

I took my first proper look at him, and I lost my breath all over again.

Roman Cavendish in a suit should be illegal.

Fuck. The way his broad shoulders filled it out, that divine body all wrapped up in perfectly tailored material, clinging in just the right places to highlight his powerful muscles. The suit was paired with a tie in the deepest blue that matched the darker hues of my dress, and I instantly understood what Knox had been referring to. His hair was a tousled mess of inky black that shouldn’t have worked with the suit, but oh, it did. It really, really did. There was a light dusting of stubble on his jaw, and his lips were shining like he’d just run his tongue across them. So. Gorgeous.

But his eyes. His eyes.Deep blue, fringed with those black lashes, and laser-focused on me. The force of his gaze was like a bolt of lightning, shocking and powerful, and I gasped, my heart stuttering in my chest.

“Elena.” I sucked in a shuddering breath. “People are going to see.”

Knox swore under his breath, and he and Elena both moved at the same time, almost as if they’d rehearsed it, stepping between me and Roman and instantly cutting off my view of him. My whole body was shaky, whether from the intensity of Roman’s focus or from the sight of him, or even the adrenaline that had burned through me with the knowledge that people could see him looking at me; me looking at him.

Elena instantly placed a hand to my back, steering me to Knox’s side.“Knox.”

He glanced down at her and nodded once and then held out his arm. “Allow me to escort you, my lady.”

“Oh, you do have manners,” Elena commented. “I thought that was a myth.”

We each took his arm as he muttered something about punishing Elena later, something I tuned out because I was happy to remain ignorant about their sex life. We headed towards the bar, where I finished up my drink, attempting to forget about the fact that Roman was the hottest man in the entire universe, while they helped themselves to brimming flutes of champagne.

Glancing around me for a distraction, I spotted Penelope in the crowd, dressed in a stunning flowing gold dress, and waved her over.

“You already look like a goddess,” I told her when she reached me. “Beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She gave me an approximation of a hug, as careful as I was not to mess up my hair or make-up. “I love your dress. Yours, too, Elena.”

Elena smiled at her. “Thanks. You guys did a great job organising all this. I still can’t believe it’s our school. It feels like…not like a school.”

“Penelope.” Knox didn’t even bother to attempt a smile. I’d come to learn that he didn’t really have time for many women these days other than Elena, and I guess me, purely for the fact I was Roman’s…whatever I was.

She nodded to acknowledge him and then turned back to me. “I’ll catch up with you later. I need to check that we have everything in place for the crowning ceremony.”

“Do you need any help? I don’t mind.”

“No. Relax and enjoy yourself. I’ll see you later on.” With a wave, she melted into the crowd.

“Alright, mate?” Warmth radiated from a presence directly behind me, and my heart stuttered all over again.

“Roman.” Knox directed a smirk over my shoulder. “Couldn’t stay away, could you?”

“What can I say? I missed you,” Roman drawled. I felt the brush of one of his fingers across my lower back, sparking goosebumps all over my skin.

“How sweet.”

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