Before the crowd could even process it, Killian reached for her, his large hands wrapping around her waist and lifting her right off her feet. He pulled her flush against his chest, burying his face in her neck as he held her in a crushing, desperate embrace.
The room absolutely exploded.
Cheering, whistling, and a deafening round of applause thundered through the ballroom. Vance was on his feet, clapping loudly with a massive, triumphant grin on his face. Cory and Charles were shaking their heads in disbelief, cheering for their brother, while Chloe was wiping a stray tear from her eye. Even the cynical, jealous women by the bar were forced into silence, completely defeated by the undeniable magic of what they had just witnessed.
"God, Raya," Killian groaned against her skin, his v
