“PII be disappointed if they don’t all die,” I announced to the mess onstage. A corner of his mouth quirked. “I thought you would be the kind of girl to hope for a happily ever after.” My happily ever after came on the lips of a mad fortune-teller, and sadly, I gave up on fairy tales and superstition long ago. Eyes settling on the stage, I pulled my star pendant back and forth, the heated lull of vodka in my belly softening my words. “I believe in happily-for-nows. They’re.. . real. Unique.” Dropping my necklace, I glanced at him, warmth and lightness pervading every cell in me. “I like unique.” I sat in a red velvet chair in the heart of Moscow, holding this man’s stare through the vibrations of an opera singer’s soprano, buzzed on vodka and fascination, and it was the best happily-for-now I’d ever experienced. The longer we stared at each other, the faster the intoxication spread through my bloodstream. Eyes half-lidded on his, I rested my head on the back of my chair. “Pm thirsty.” “You’re drunk.” It was practically an accusation. Laughing softly, I said, “You made me drink it.” “I didn’t know you would down it like a fraternity pledge.” I smiled at the visual coming from his lips. “You can’t have everything your way.” The expression he cast me said he absolutely could, and the dry, authoritative spark only stole the remaining wetness from my mouth. “So thirsty,” I echoed with a soft, languid lilt. He stared at me for a moment, thoughtfully and with something darker than a cloudy night, then he handed me his glass, which was already refilled. I thought he might snap his fingers and a Perrier would appear on a silver tray, but I wasn’t going to complain about sharing with him. I took a sip of vodka that didn’t burn as hot as his eyes. After returning it to him, I pulled my attention back to the stage to silently watch and listen to Liza’s hypnotic voice. I was either drunker than I thought, or Liza kept glancing my way between her lines. She was gorgeous, with long black hair and exotic looks. It took a moment to realize she wasn’t looking at me but at Ronan. OceanofPDF.com