Page 78 of Cruel Kiss

She looks at my hands on the table. Then she looks at my face. "That one," she whispers, "was better."

"So what'll it be?"

"I'm still deciding. It's fun to be the one in charge, isn't it?" She smiles devilishly. "This will be a Bratva wedding, right? Full of criminals?"

"Every last one of them."

"And I'd have to wear something and stand next to you and let a room full of dangerous people think I'm your wife?"

"Youaremy wife," I say. "That's the part that isn't pretend anymore. You know that."

She's quiet again. The laptop fan hums. Upstairs, one of the kids turns over and the bed creaks and goes still.

"Okay," she says.

"Okay?"

"Okay. Yes. I'll come." She points the pencil at me. "Because it'suseful."

"Now, you're just being cruel."

"Good. It's about time you learned how it feels to be on the receiving end."

I grin and, before I can stop myself, swoop in to kiss her. Surprisingly, she lets me, though I keep it brief so I don't push my luck. It's not dark enough for tongue yet, after all.

That'll come later.

22

CALI

The banquet hall in Brighton Beach looks like it's from another century. Gold crown molding, red velvet drapes, columns that hold up nothing.

Ronan opens my door and holds out his hand. "Ready?"

"God, no. Not even a little."

"Good. Neither am I, and I've been to a hundred of these."

We walk in together. As we cross over the threshold, I can literally feel him change.

It's not Clark Kent turning into Superman or anything nearly that dramatic. He doesn't puff up or square his shoulders or don a big, red cape flapping in the wind. In fact, he kind of doesless.All the little wrinkles and quirks I've come to see in him over the weeks get shaved down and locked away.

In his place is somebody else. Somebody the whole room turns toward without seeming to.

Conversations don't stop, per se, but they change. Every eye in the place finds him and then slides off him onto me. Curiosity follows.So this is the woman, hm? I wonder what she's made of.

His hand settles on my lower back. More and more lately, it feels like the only thing holding me up.

"Chin up," he murmurs. "You're the most dangerous thing in the room."

"That's a dirty lie and you know it. I nearly tripped on the way in."

He winks. "Good thing I'm here to catch you then."

A woman in emerald sequins descends on us before we've cleared the entryway. She's beautiful in an intimidating way, like the mean girl in a high school movie, and I'm not quite sure if she intends to Regina George me or if Ronan's presence will keep me safe.

"Ronan," she purrs. "We were beginning to think you'd forgotten how to be one of us."