Just then, her phone buzzed with a text, and she looked down to see a message from Alek. She couldn’t help smiling as she opened it up.
I thought I would let you know I have something called a reservation to a restaurant that has five stars. That’s supposed to be a good thing, though I’m not sure why, as five is not a great number of stars. Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing you. I hope you had a nice day.
She swallowed, marveling at how modern he sounded now. How quickly he’d gotten used to something like texting. How much he was a part of her world.
When she got to her door, she unlocked it, wondering if Alek was already waiting inside. Instead, she saw Chelle sitting on the couch with a book, smiling up at her.
“So you excited for your date tonight?” Chelle asked, coming over to greet her.
“I think so,” Talia said, sinking into a chair. She rubbed her temples. “Am I crazy for doing this?”
“No,” Chelle said warmly, sitting across from her. “I think it’s about time you did something crazy for once. Live a little.”
Talia eyed her friend’s slightly disheveled appearance. Had she been out clubbing again? Sometimes she thought her friend should live a little less. “How are you doing? Is it hard with the guys here?”
Chelle blushed as she brushed her blond hair back behind one ear. “Gosh, no. They don’t bother me. They eat us out of house and home, but they also go shopping, so that’s fine. And you know, I still go out at night as I like.”
Talia sighed. “I worry about you.”
“Don’t,” Chelle said, putting a hand on her arm. “You’re beginning to sound like Dmitri.”
“Oh?” Talia said, perking up in interest. “Has something been going on there?”
“Of course not,” Chelle said. “He and Luka are just my friends.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not about to get involved with some ice man.”
Talia felt her heart sink and couldn’t keep back a grimace. “I know.”
Chelle’s face immediately fell. “No! I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, you know me. I’m not exactly one for commitment.” She shrugged. “And I just… You know more about these guys than I do. If you say they’re safe to date, I’ll consider it.”
Talia frowned. “Really?”
“No,” Chelle said. “Probably not. They’re too hot for me anyway.”
“They’re not,” Talia said with a groan. “The men you do go out with don’t deserve you.”
Chelle simply gave a slightly sad smile. “When we choose something, I guess we deserve them. Anyway, I’m glad you have a hot date tonight. Alek’s been working hard at it.”
“Thanks for helping him,” Talia said, squeezing her friend’s hand. “And, Chelle?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re awesome.”
Chelle went pink and fanned her face a little. “Oh, stop. You’re making me blush. I’m glad you like me, Talia, because you know I think the world of you.”
“Thanks,” Talia said. “Now, if it’s not too much to ask, do you think you could help me find something to wear?”
Chelle jumped up excitedly, clasping her hands. “Oh, absolutely.” As she led the way down the hallway, a little skip in her step, Talia wondered if she’d made a mistake.
“Chelle, it’s not such—”
Chelle threw a defiant look over her shoulder. “No interfering with my methods. We are going to make that ice king melt.”
Talia really couldn’t argue with that.
Chapter 13
Alek paced outside the apartment nervously, hoping this all hadn’t been a mistake.
He cared for Talia immensely, and even though he hadn’t gotten any closer to figuring out what was bothering him, he wanted to take the next step in wooing her.
Wanted to give her the finest of everything. Wanted to make her his queen.
But how could he when he wasn’t king of anything?
Still, when she looked up at him with those sparkling brown eyes, he suddenly felt like he had all the magic in the world, even with his powers gone.
He pulled at the collar of the uncomfortable suit he was wearing. The man who sold it to him had insisted on tailoring it to fit perfectly. Alek had never felt anything like it and wasn’t sure he was sold on modern clothes if they made him feel this confined.
But when the door finally opened to reveal Talia, he forgot any discomfort at all.
If her outfit was the female match to what he was wearing, he’d wear them anytime at all.
She was stunning, but then she was always stunning. But tonight, she looked completely different from before. She was wearing a dress that hit just below her knees, baring perfect little calves and ankles tucked into little leather boots. The dress was red, showing off her olive complexion, and she had a little black jacket over it as well.
Her dress was cut low in the front, revealing generous cleavage, and Alek couldn’t resist a protective look around to make sure no one in the vicinity was watching.
Talia was for him alone.
How he would keep from being a jealous beast until they were safely alone in a quiet corner of the restaurant, he didn’t know.
It didn’t help that her dark curls were pulled back from her face and drawn into an elegant knot at the side of her neck so that her face was beautifully framed.
Her lips were full and glossy with red paint of some kind, and her cheeks held extra flush. Something glittered just above her eyelashes, making her gaze look bright.
She was a fully modern woman, and she completely had his heart.
He put out an arm for her, wondering if he was in a dream to wake up in another time and have someone so beautiful by his side.
All thoughts of being lord of winter seemed to vanish as he got to be just Alek who was in love with Talia.
She took his arm and walked down to the car he’d hired, a long, black one that Chelle had insisted would wow Talia.
The driver got out to open the door, and Alek tried not to glare at him as he made sure to be the one to hand Talia in. When he got in after her, he had to admit Chelle had a point about the vehicle. The seats were soft, and there was plenty of room to sit together and talk. He could even sit across from Talia, as he was now.
Watching her sitting there so beautiful, he felt something like trepidation. Something he was pretty sure he’d never felt in his days as lord of winter.
“You look amazing tonight,” he said, wondering why his throat was suddenly dry.
She laughed, the sound musical. “Thank you. I haven’t worn this since the dean’s banquet at my graduation. I’m glad you like it.” She flushed slightly. “You look handsome as well.”
He puffed up at that, making her smile. “I’m glad you think so. I’m beginning to think modern clothing isn’t so terrible after all.”
The rest of the ride was fairly quiet, and when they arrived at the restaurant, he prepared himself for her response.
From what he’d noticed, Talia was a fairly simple person who preferred her lab to fancy places. But he hoped that just for tonight, treating her like a princess would be okay.
She gasped as he handed her out of the vehicle, looking up at the fancy restaurant in front of them. “Oh God, did you pay for this?”
He wrinkled his brows in a scowl. “Of course. I’m the lord of winter. I provide for my woman.”
She smiled up at him. “You know, I’m not even mad when you do that anymore. It’s just so… you.”
Her acceptance caught him off guard, so he simply led her into the restaurant, tucking her hand into his. When they were seated at their table, he addressed her question properly. “I told you we had gold ore to sell.”
She sighed. “You shouldn’t have had to do that for me.”
“Why not?” he asked curiously. “You’ve done everything for me. Hosted me at your place. Taken care of my friends. Kept others from discovering me.” He played with his cuff nervously. “And besides… I like you.”
&n
bsp; She blinked, looking up at him. “I like you, too. But you know my mentor will be coming back soon, and things will be changing.”
“I know,” he said, reaching over to take her hands. “And we’ll face that together. For now, I just want to enjoy tonight.”
“I agree,” she said, smiling at him as the waiter came over. “And I know you worked hard on this, so I’m just going to try and have fun. Not that it’s hard with my current company.”
Every compliment from her warmed him completely, and just seeing her there was enough to make him forget the events of the afternoon that had troubled his heart.
His mind returned to their time in the lab, the intimacy between him. His plans for later that night, if she should want more.
He swallowed awkwardly at the thought, glad when their food arrived.
It was delicious as always, and Talia told him about fascinating things she’d learned at the library. Myths from Siberia, things that didn’t apply to him but that she found interesting.
And he just loved listening to her. Could have listened to her witty thoughts and insights all day.
But when the food was gone and a romantic song came on, she simply rested back in her chair with a happy look on her face. “I want to thank you. This has been amazing.” She looked wistfully at the veranda across the restaurant where the music was coming from. “It’s such a beautiful night.”
He stood immediately, offering his arm. “Let’s go see more of it.”
She looked up in surprise as she stood. “Really?”
“Of course,” he said. “As the lord of winter, it’s my job to take care of my subjects.”
She nudged him in the ribs but then laughed, allowing him to lead her over to the balcony.
There was a large black instrument there that Talia called a piano, and she walked past it to the ornate stone railing and rested her hands there, swaying gently to the music.
Alek couldn’t resist coming up to her and wrapping both arms around her, trapping her in his warmth. She looked up at him, turning in his arms to face him, putting her hands around his neck, just barely able to reach.
He smiled and began to dance with her in small circles, both his hands on her waist.
It wasn’t anything fancy, but he’d seen it done on TV and wanted to do it with her. Wanted to hold her close and watch her hum in pleasure to the music.
“No one’s dancing,” she said with an embarrassed smile as he swung her out in a small circle before pulling her in again and catching one of her hands in his.
“We are,” Alek said. “That’s all that matters.”
She gasped and looked up, and Alek realized it was lightly snowing. He loved the look of the tiny sparkling crystals as they fell on her dark hair.
They melted instantly, as fleeting as each of these precious moments with Talia in his arms.
Hopefully, he’d have a lifetime full of them. Enough to cover a mountain, if each moment was a particle of snow.
She smiled up at him nervously. “I didn’t know you could dance.”
“I’m lord of winter. I can do anything,” he said sardonically. Though he knew it wasn’t technically true, at least right now, he felt that way in her arms.
Surely, at some point, he’d regain his powers. And everything between them would work out.
She came in closer, resting her head on his chest. “I don’t know how this is happening. I just can’t keep a clear head.”
“Me neither,” he said. “A few days ago, I wasn’t even aware I still existed. Everything was pitch black. Now I’m more alive than ever, and somehow it feels like this is my world. And yet…”
“Things are still uncertain,” she said quietly.
“Yes.”
Though, not his feelings for her or the way he knew he would fight to stay by her side no matter what his past revealed to him. He had awoken in this time and place for a purpose, and he hoped it was to make her happy for the rest of his life.
She was thoughtful and quiet for a moment, so he just rested his head on hers and swayed, enjoying the music.
Then he felt her hand on his cheek. Warm and soft and comforting. “I do want to know where this goes,” she said softly. “I’m not ready to let you go.”
“Me neither,” he said, spinning her out in another little twirl before replacing her hand on his arm as he swept back into the restaurant. “So I’m glad you said that, because I still have a few things planned.”
Her grin widened as he led her back to the table so he could pay the bill and take her to their next destination.
The night was only bound to get better, and it was already the best of his life.
Chapter 14
A few minutes later and a couple dozen stories higher, Talia followed Alek out of the elevator onto the top floor of the hotel. Thick carpet in intricate patterns drew long oblong shapes out before them, and wall sconces lit the way as they made their path toward the end of a long corridor.
“I believe this is our room,” Alek remarked, pulling a card from his pocket and inserting it into the electronic keyhole. It beeped, and he pushed the door open, beckoning her inside.
“Look at you. Electronic locks and renting a hotel room. You’re shaping up to be very modern after all,” Talia said, amazed at how different things were from a few days. Yet Alek was still just Alek.
And she liked that.
He seemed to flush for a moment. “I cannot say I didn’t have help. But yes, your world certainly has its… benefits.” Talia could feel his gaze on her face as he spoke, and she felt warmth in her neck and cheeks as she walked inside.
Despite the normal-size hallway, the room rose high above them, a vaulted ceiling with an uncountable number of lights casting the place in a warm yellow hue. Before her, a full kitchenette with modern appliances much nicer than her own greeted her and, to the left, another hallway that presumably led toward the bedroom.
“Shall we?” Alek’s hand reached for hers, and she grasped it, allowing him to pull her forward. Her heart pounded in her chest, excitement and wonder far outweighing any trepidation she might normally feel.
Glittering electric candlelight and Victorian-style wallpaper surrounded them as they entered the master suite. In the center room, a humongous four-post bed made even the sizable room feel small in comparison. Layers and layers of pillows and plush sheets in cream and burgundy made her wonder what living like an actual royal might feel like.
And to her right, a little cart with a bottle of champagne sitting on ice with two glasses sat coyly, awaiting their arrival.
“I…” Talia was utterly speechless. Of course, the recent memory of what he’d done to her in the lab last night and her body’s absolute need to do more of that certainly wasn’t helping.
“I wanted us to be able to have privacy together in a place that seemed a little more fitting,” Alek said coolly, walking over to the champagne and putting a towel over the top before popping the top off like a pro. “I learned how to do this on the TV.”
She laughed nervously, the wine and the delicious food and the dancing fresh in her mind. “Most people would settle for a Motel 8 or something.” Off to the side, she glanced a bathroom full of marble and equivalently oversized fixtures for the tub and shower. Maybe they’d have to check those out later.
He handed her a glass, and she took a swig, the bubbles tickling her throat and making everything feel a little lighter.
“I don’t know what that is, but if it isn’t the best, then it’s not for you.” His light-blue eyes were watching her every movement, long lashes flicking as he blinked at her.
“You do remember I’m just a scientist. Places like this aren’t for people like… me.”
“On the contrary. You’re amazing, Talia. Wonderful. Beautiful. So much more than just your work. Without you, I wouldn’t be here.”
“This is much more than a thank-you.”
His footsteps were silent as he moved toward her, almost floating with imper
ceptible movements until he was right in front of her, a tower of maleness she could barely comprehend even existed.
“I mean here, with you, Talia. Not just alive, but living. For the first time I’ve known, I want so much more than just the world. I want you.” Alek’s voice was calm, deep, a lake with no bottom. She wished she could record the movements of his full lips, the shape of his jaw each time he spoke.
Acting not on logic, but on pure instinct, she tugged the lapels of his jacket and pulled it over his wide shoulders. He didn’t move, just watched intently as she undid the long row of buttons of his dress shirt, revealing thick, iron-hard muscle encased in satin skin.
“I almost thought I’d been dreaming last night when I woke up in my bed this morning,” Talia said, more to herself than him. She could feel his smile on her, even as she was afraid to lift her gaze up to him for fear the fantasy might end with the sound of some invisible grandfather clock.
“This is no dream, Talia.” The ridge of Alek’s index finger was on her chin, tilting her up to look at him. His expression was more intense, dominant now. His bearing was regal, expectant, demanding her attention.
For several moments—it could have been seconds or minutes—she watched him, losing herself in his gaze. And when his lips crashed over hers, Talia felt a torrent of emotion and want pour through her like summer rain.
“Don’t stop,” Talia whispered against his lips.
In response, his tongue pressed against her mouth, and she let him in.
With slick, intent motions, he explored, swirling and pressing against her own tongue as they entwined in a heated dance. She could feel herself getting wet, could feel her legs buckling from arousal. And without even saying a word, she felt his hands at her hips, propping her up a moment more as he took his time.
Then, finally, he withdrew, looking down at her like she was everything he could possibly want in the world.
And somehow, against all reason, she knew she felt the same.
“Shall we go further?” he asked. “The bed seems ample.”
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