“I give you my word. Like my father’s, it’s less . . . malleable . . . than my uncle’s.” He stops in front of me but makes no move to touch me. “My father and his brothers present a united front to the rest of the world because our enemies are vast, and any sign of weakness has a risk of being exploited. That doesn’t mean my father likes every choice my uncle makes. I might be firstborn, but I’m heir to nothing. My parents and siblings won’t stand back if Jovan ever decides to come for us. They’ll stand with us.”

I should find that comforting, but all it does is spotlight just how dire the stakes are. I stare up into the face of the man I love and wonder if I’m about to make a terrible mistake. But even as I think that, I don’t really believe it. Casimir sees me. He’s twisted in just the right way to match my crooked heart. “If you try to undermine me, I will make you wish you were dead,” I finally say.

His grin is slow and wicked. “Noted. We’ll present a united front in public, and if I have an issue with one of your orders or policies, I’ll take it up with you privately.”

“Well . . . good.”

“I don’t want to rule, baby, but I’m good at getting my hands dirty, and you’re going to need that skill set for what comes next. No one will touch you. I promise.”

I reach out but stop before placing my hand on his chest. “What if I want them to touch me?”

He covers my hand with his and presses it to his chest. “Why don’t you tell me what you want, and we’ll go from there?”

It feels strange to stand here in the golden afternoon light and speak the truths I keep most hidden. If he were anyone else, I don’t think I would dare. “If I marry you, that’s it. We will vow ’til death do us part. No divorce. It doesn’t end until one of us is in the grave.”

“Da.” There’s not even a flicker of doubt on his face.

Strange how that was the easy part. Asking for what I personally want is so much more difficult. I lick my lips. “That primal scene . . .”

“Yeah.” He brushes a strand of my hair back from my face. “It made me wild to see you with other people, fucking murderous, but reclaiming you? Yeah, baby, it did it for me too.”

“If we play like that, you can’t actually murder people. Or not any more people.”

He cups my jaw and smears his thumb across my bottom lip. “I know.” He makes a face. “I suppose if we want more formal games, we request to attend Reaper’s club. I think you’d like it, and it’s only a short plane ride from Carver City.”

I glance around, but the foyer is just as empty as it was earlier. That doesn’t mean there aren’t eyes on us. My parents would never let me stand here with him without being close enough to save me if things went sour. I take a deep breath. “There’s no going back if we do this.”

“You keep saying that. There was no going back the moment I laid eyes on you. None of the other shit makes any difference. It’s you and me forever, baby.”

Gods help me, but I believe him. I carefully step back, and he tenses as if he will pull me to him, only to release me at the last moment. I wobble a little on my heels, more nervous than I expected. “In that case . . .” I sink slowly to my knees before him and pull the little box out of my pocket. “Casimir Romanov, we’ve had a relationship that you can hardly call traditional, but I’ve never met someone who sees me the way you do. Who loves me the way you do. I never will. You’re the only one I want. I know it won’t be easy, but with you at my side, I don’t think there’s an enemy who can stop us. Will you marry me?”

“You got me a ring.” For the first time, he actually sounds shocked. “You’re proposing.”

“Yeah. Though if you had made me wait much longer, I don’t know if I would have.”

He reaches down and hooks my elbows, then lifts me back to my feet. “Liar. There’s no one else for you.” He reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out a nearly identical ring box. “Just like there’s no one else for me.” Casimir opens it, and I swallow a gasp. The ring is gorgeous and looks old as fuck. “Give me your hand, baby.”

I stretch out my left hand—the first ring he gave me is still on my right—and he slides the ring onto my ring finger. I’m not even remotely surprised to find out it fits perfectly. As if he’d leave something as important as that to chance. “Now you,” I say.

“It’s not traditional for men to wear an engagement ring.” But he does as I ask and allows me to slip my ring onto his finger. Mine fits perfectly too. I didn’t live with this man for over a year to not know his ring size.

I slide my thumb over the cool metal and grip his hand. “I don’t give a fuck if it’s not traditional. You’re mine, and I want everyone to know it.”

“I’m not about to argue.” He pulls me into his arms and kisses me as if we’ve been separated for years instead of less than two weeks. The first touch of his lips ignites a spark that I’ve been doing my best to ignore. I tangle my fingers in his and press my body even tighter against him. If we weren’t standing in the middle of my family’s foyer . . .

But we are. Which means we can’t afford to forget ourselves.

I reluctantly break the kiss. “We’re not getting out of here without telling my parents our decision.” A couple of weeks ago, I would’ve said ‘fuck it’ and dragged him somewhere we could be alone. But my parents are right: it’s time for me to start acting like the heir that I am. Which means going about things the proper way.

Casimir pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wipes around my mouth, cleaning my lipstick as best he can. “Come home with me tonight.”

“Neither one of us has moved out. It’s still my home too.” Surely my mother won’t require another two weeks of separation when Cordelia insisted we get engaged tonight.

“I know.”

I catch his thumb between my teeth and bite him lightly. It’s so damn satisfying to see his expression flip to that of the predator I crave. I lick the tip of his thumb and release him. “When we get there . . . I think it’s time to finally decide whose teeth are bigger.”

His grin is pure sin. “I can’t wait to eat you right up.”

Curious about Reaper and the woman he won for a dollar? You’re going to want to read Jenny Nordbak’s book, IRRESISTIBLE DEVIL, which is the sexy, kinky Rumpelstiltskin remix romance that we all deserve!

Or maybe the very naked, very vulnerable blonde who was auctioned after Ruby has caught your attention? You’ll have your eye on Sara Cate’s SHATTERED INNOCENCE, a FFM Cinderella remix romance that puts the wicked in wicked stepsister…

You may have caught mention of a magical chalice, which means you simply must read R.M. Virtue’s DIVINE INTERVENTION, a MMF remix of Goldilocks with a heist and the heroine falling for her ex’s father… PAPA BEAR, INDEED.

That priceless diamond necklace is none other than the ROYAL HEART, which is the title of Nana Malone’s Beauty and the Beast remix. It’s a heist second chance romance. If you liked The Italian Job, you’re going to love this book!

And the final story in the Black Rose Auction Kickstarter, is STOLEN VOWS by Sav R. Miller, a Rapunzel remix that will give us some answers on what exactly is going on with the orchid rare enough to warrant a place in this auction. Oh, and you didn’t think she’d leave the last Ricci sister’s story untold, did you?

You can find all these stories in luxurious special editions, ebooks, and paperbacks, along with custom swag and art in the Black Rose Auction Kickstarter, launching Spring 2024!

Accept your invitation here.