Page 16 of Savage Reign

“Forget him. Tonight’s about us.” But I’m not sure I can. Something electric hums under my skin from our brief exchange.

I raise a shot and toss it back, savoring the citrusy taste. My friends are watching me as I slam the glass on the table.

“What?” I ask, feigning innocence.

“You might have forgotten about him, but he hasn’t forgotten about you,” Alex says, nodding toward the upper level.

I glance up. My sexy stranger is there, leaning on the railing, watching me. When our eyes meet, he lifts his drink in a silent toast. A rush of heat floods my cheeks, and I look away quickly, my pulse racing.

Daria whistles. “If a man that fine was staring at me, I wouldn’t be down here. I’d be up there so fast, he wouldn’t know what hit him.”

“I’m playing it cool,” I say, shrugging. His promise to watch me all night lingers in my mind, and I can’t deny the thrill that runs through me. “But I want to dance, not flirt with a random dude. So, are we hitting the dance floor or what?”

“Oh, Sofi, I wasn’t talking about flirting,” Daria says with a wink. “I was talking about getting a lot more up close and personal.”

“Leave her alone,” Alex says, giving Daria a light shove. “Sofiya just wants to have a good time with us.”

“Exactly,” I agree, although I’m not sure that’s the entire truth.

CHAPTER

SIX

NIKOLAI

Tonight wasn’t supposedto play out like this. I wasn’t supposed to approach Sofiya, talk to her, or even let her see my face. I was supposed to stay in the shadows, watching from a distance, waiting for the right moment to strike, but I’m all for a quick pivot when it needs to happen.

The second that sleazy bartender eyed her in that dress like she was fair game, everything changed. And then changed again when he tried to drug her damn drinks.

When I stepped up to the bar, Vadim’s disapproval practically drilled into the side of my skull, but I didn’t care. Being that close—close enough to catch her floral scent, hear her sweet, melodic voice—was a thrill.

Sofiya looks unbelievable, wearing a short, sparkly number that almost made my head explode and my dick rigid the second she walked into the club. Her hair is down, loose around her shoulders, and she’s wearing heels that add a few extra inches, bringing her up to my chest. Smoky makeup enhances her hazel eyes, making them flash a deeper green.

She didn’t recognize me, but I was familiar. Either way, I look different enough from the man she met five years ago that she can’t quite place me.Yet.

From my vantage point on the balcony, I scan the dance floor until I find Sofiya.

She looks up and meets my gaze with a challenge. She wants me to watch her, and I’m more than happy to oblige.

She moves to the bass-heavy beat, her body in perfect rhythm, giving me a private show in the middle of a packed dance floor. I raise my glass, the warmth of the amber liquid sliding down my throat as I devour the sight of her. She’s so damn sexy like this—loose and uninhibited.

A carefree smile spreads across her face as she stretches her arms toward the ceiling, the hem of her dress creeping up her thighs. The thought of another man watching her like this makes me tense. She’s mine. And soon, she’ll have no doubt about what that means.

“Someone caught your eye?” Vadim’s dry tone cuts through my thoughts, his arms folded as he leans against the railing beside me.

“You could say that,” I acknowledge, not looking away from Sofiya. “Did you deal with the bartender?”

“Taken care of. His bartending days are over. Hard to mix drinks with two broken hands.”

I shake my head in disgust. “Some assholes have to learn the hard way.”

Vadim sighs and shoots me a sideways glance. “You think she recognized you?”

“Not exactly.”

He arches an eyebrow in awhat the fuck does that meanway.

“She thought I looked familiar, but I assured her we had never met before.”

---