That would be perfect. She knew first-hand that not everyone shared in academic dreams, it would be a standout achievement for them to say that the palace had taken notice of them. It would give them the leg up in the world that they desperately needed.
‘And for the orphanages?’
‘Those funds would be dealt with separately, and with your help I think I can come up with a framework to allocate resources fairly.’
With her help.
Not only was Vasili helping Helia achieve her mission far sooner than she had dared to hope, but he also wasn’t taking it away from her. He wanted her to be a part of it. And that meant more than he would ever know.
‘This is going to be a big project, Helia. Of course you would be part of it. After all, this is your mission.’
Helia felt a burning in her eyes, but she wouldn’t allow herself to cry. It didn’t matter that she was happy. She needed to keep her emotions at bay long enough to make it through the rest of the discussion. But she knew he was coming to understand her. Read her like no one else ever could.
‘What’s this about schools?’ With all the emotion clogging up her throat, her voice came out strangled.
‘That is my decree increasing the national spend on education.’
‘Thank you, Vasili.’
‘No, don’t thank me. This change is long overdue. You and I...we’re changing this kingdom, Helia. I will not be toeing any lines to keep people who have watched Thalonia suffer comfortable. We need new traditions.’
Helia didn’t have words for how much this meant to her. Once she had taken him to the orphanage—only once. And this was what he had done. She couldn’t contain herself any more...couldn’t deny what she felt for him. Vasili was kind and considerate and caring, and she knew without a shadow of doubt right then that she was hopelessly in love with him.
Helia couldn’t find the moment when it had happened, and realised she had fallen for him in little bits from the first time she’d met him. That was why she trusted him. Why she’d told him about her past. It was because she loved him.
Without thinking, she flung herself at Vasili and kissed him. He didn’t hesitate, not even for second, and he kissed her back.
Hands on her waist, he held her firm as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Lightning crackled through her veins as his tongue delved into her mouth, stroking her. Making her come alive. Then he spun them around, placing her on the large desk, and moved to stand between her legs. She cursed the tailored trousers she wore, because she wanted to feel the warm hand that was travelling up the outside of her thigh.
She wanted him to lay her down on the desk and feast on her. She wanted to show him with her body what he meant to her because she couldn’t say the words.
Helia wrapped her legs around him, sinking her hands under his jacket. Scratching down his sides over his perfectly starched white shirt. She felt the muscles beneath her fingers tense.
‘Helia...’
He moaned out her name and angled his head, kissing her deeper. Wilder. And she wanted this. She wanted him to break free with her. He was only barely managing to restrain himself. She felt it in the tremor of his arms and the scrape of his teeth. It awakened such a wild desire, which was only further fuelled by the torrent of love within her.
‘Vasili...’ she breathed into his ear.
He cursed, pulling her hips to the edge of the table, grinding his hardness against her core.
Her whimper sent shockwaves of lust racing through him.
He couldn’t stop this time.
Vasili realised that when it came to Helia, he wasn’t the one in control. And he was tired. So tired of wanting and not having. So tired of the rebellion that had given him choice but taken just as much away.
Choosing Helia had been a rebellion, but denying himself his need to take her to bed was a rebellion too. A rebellion against his need for her. He hadn’t forgotten why he didn’t want to have sex with her, but he was losing his grasp on his willpower and the want coursing through him strangled him.
For once he wanted to ignore everything else and take what would make him happy.
‘Let go with me,’ she told him.
He wanted to. He was barely hanging on by a thread. The hold on his barriers was beyond tenuous now. All he wanted was to be deep inside her.
‘Is this what you want?’
He gritted out the question, hoping she would say no. He needed her to, because she was the only thing that could stop them now. And yet he was praying she would say yes, because he wanted her so badly he couldn’t think straight.
