Page 63 of Royal Salvation

God, the sound of his name on her lips made him ache. “What are you doing here?” Jealousy at seeing her standing beside Bishop made him want to punch his friend out.

“Val asked me as her plus one and I said yes. I hope you don’t mind.”

“God, no. Why would I?”

Lucía shrugged and his attention was drawn to the deep emerald Bardot neck dress she was wearing and the cleavage it hinted at. “I don’t know.”

He had so many things he wanted to say to her and no idea where to start. Bishop and Val wandered off, with his friend winking at him. “You look so damn beautiful.”

Her blush reminded him of all the times he’d given her compliments and she’d done the same thing.

“You look very handsome, too.”

Reaper looked down at the tux he wore and shrugged. “I feel like a damn penguin.”

She laughed, the husky sound burning into his soul and he wondered how he’d ever live without her and realised he couldn’t, and he didn’t want to. Did she feel the same? Could she by some miracle still love him, or had it been an illusion?

“Reaper, we need you.”

He turned to see Snow calling him and remembered it was her day, and he wouldn’t do anything to ruin it or take the focus from her. “I need to go. Are you staying so we can talk?”

She nodded, the drink in her hand wobbling bringing his eyes down her body and making his own harden in response.

“Yes, I’m staying if that’s okay.”

“More than okay.”

He grinned and rushed off to get his duties done so he could get back to the woman who was watching him as she laughed with Watchdog and Bishop. Despite his best efforts, he didn’t find a single second to speak with Lucía until after dinner and by then his mood was as sour as shit. It felt like everything was conspiring to stop him from getting to her. First the pictures, then the meal, then the speeches, then Fleur, who he couldn’t be mad at because she was too adorable. Now, though, he didn’t care if the world imploded, he was having his time with Lucía and God help any person who got in his way.

Walking up to her, he dragged her away from Valentina, Bein, and Aoife and onto the dance floor where Seb and Snow had just invited people to join them. On the dance floor, he pulled her into his arms, and it was as if everything settled into place. His world was the right way up again—finally.

Her soft body settled against his much harder one and he held her close, her hair tickling his nose, her scent so familiar and seductive he knew she’d be able to feel his hard cock against her belly. “God, I’ve missed this.”

Lucía held herself away as she looked up at him, her eyes wide and heavy with desire. “I’ve missed you, too.”

She wanted to say more, he could hear her unspoken condemnation for leaving her and it made his throat close with regret. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Lucía blinked, her smile falling and he knew he was getting this wrong. “Are you?”

“Yes, of course. I never should have gotten involved.”

“Really, Justice, that’s what you want to say to me after all these weeks? That you’re sorry you hurt me?”

“It’s the truth. What else do you want me to say?”

“Maybe that you love me, and you feel like every second without me is like a blade through your heart. That you can’t live without me.”

Reaper saw the pain he was causing her, and words failed him again. He did feel all that, but it wasn’t even half of what he felt.

“Forget it. This was a mistake.”

Lucía wrenched from his arms and ran for the exit, and it took him a second to wrap his head around what was happening.

Bishop shook his head. “God damn, and I thought I was stupid.”

His words snapped him out of the funk he was in, and he gave chase. He couldn’t let her walk away from him again not ever. As he got to the front of the hotel, he saw her waiting for her coat and reached for her arm. “Lucía, wait. Please?”

She rounded on him then and the sight of tears running down her face gutted him.