Page 67

But the look in his eyes has me blinking my tears away, a lightness appearing on his face, his shoulders sagging in relief.

"Sisi," he groans, his hands cupping my face. "You did hurt me," he says quietly, "I don't think I've ever known greater torment than imagining you with someone else. Pregnant with someone else." Closing his eyes, he sighs, as if a weight has been lifted off his chest.

"Never?" he asks again and I shake my head. He brings my face to his, peppering me with kisses. "You have no idea what that means to me," he says between kisses, "you're mine… only mine…"

"I am," I admit, "you're the only man I've ever kissed, the only one I've ever touched, and you will be the only one I'llevergive myself to. You have my word. How could I even think of someone else when all I see is you? When my heart is so full of you? Even when I hated you I loved you," I confess.

And even when I hated him I could recognize that no one would be able to replace him.

"Sisi…"

"There's no me without you either." I nuzzle my face against his chest, realizing I've never spoken truer words. "No Sisi without Vlad." There's nothing logical about us, nothing remotely explicable about the way I feel about him. I just do. Even now, I feel him deep inside of me, his presence soothing me and calming my clamoring soul.

"And no Vlad without Sisi," he completes the sentence, laying his forehead on top of mine. "I'm yours. Wholly yours too, Sisi. I wouldnevereven look at a woman that's not you, let alone touch. You're the only one in the world for me," he rasps, and relief floods my senses.

I'd never even let my thoughts wander there, because I knew that the thought of him with someone else would drive me crazy. But hearing his confirmation does wonders to my mood.

We stare into each other's eyes, and I feel a peace settle over me.

"I'm sorry about the baby." He gives me a pained expression. "If you want, I'll give you ten. No, a hundred babies. Everything to make you happy, Sisi.Everything," he says with such staunch conviction that I can't help but cry even more.

"For nowyou'reenough," I whisper, touched by his words, but unsure if I'm ready to go through another heartache again.

He nods, a small smile on his face as one finger traces my scars. His mouth quickly follows as he kisses his way across my entire body, covering each scar.

He lays me on the floor, spread for him, a look of pure adoration on his face as his eyes survey me.

"You're perfect, Sisi. And I love every scar of yours," he murmurs, lowering his head to trace the cross scar with his tongue. "They made you into who you are," hecontinues, speaking against my skin and making me shiver—the combination of his wet tongue and his warm breath fogging my senses. "And that makes them beautiful."

I press my hand to his cheek, taking in his heat, somewhat unable to believe any of this is real.

"Please don't hurt me again," I whisper, some residual fear still in the back of my mind.

"I'd rather die than cause you pain again, Sisi," He effortlessly gathers me in his arms, taking me to the bed. "I'll spend my entire life making it up to you for everything I did," he whispers, his breath fanning on my face.

His lips take mine in the sweetest kiss, and I can taste his desperation behind it, the way he's putting everything he has in thisonekiss.

"Stay with me," he says, his arms tightening around my body. "Stay with me tonight."

I still for a moment, the pain from before still fresh in my mind.

"We don't have to do anything. I just want to hold you. Please, Sisi," he pleads, and I find myself nodding.

"I'm scared to…" I trail off, trying to find the proper words.

"I know," he replies, "and I can't blame you. I'm sorry," he apologizes again, and I don't think he's ever said sorry to someone before—let alone this many times.

"We'll move past it." I lightly caress his face. "Slowly."

"I'll go as slow and I'll be as gentle as you want me to, Sisi. I just need to know you're by my side. The rest doesn't matter."

He holds me close to his body, spooning me from behind as I tell him everything that happened in the past few months, as well as why I'd agreed to marry Raf. I can feel the tension in his body every time I mention his name, so I want to make it clear that Raf's never been anything but a good friend.

"I don't know what I would have done if you'd actually slept with him," he suddenly says, his voice somber. "Killed him? Hunted down his entire family and killed all his living relatives? Given you a lobotomy…" he trails off and an amused smile creeps on my face.

"You'd have given me a lobotomy?" I shift, turning so I can face him.

And he's definitely not joking.