Page 26

I kiss her, hold her there, and kiss her deep.

She lets me.

Her mouth is soft and wet and pliable. And a vibration runs through her as I kiss her, gathering her close, flush against me as I ravish her mouth, trying to let her feel what she is to me, that she’s become my world, her and Sasha both.

She resists, because it’s Erin. She’s tough and determined and she tries to hold out despite herself, despite the way she half melts into me. But finally, she breaks. She opens for me, her tongue touching mine, and then she kisses me back. The kiss deepens and all the frustrations and anger morph into a dark passion and it threatens to drag us down until we fuck all the angst out of each other.

Letting go of her jaw, I stroke my hand down over her, pushing her dress up, and running my fingers over her panties that are wet now, clinging to her, and she moans. I push a finger beneath the material so I can touch her, flesh on flesh, and her moan deepens, and she starts to move her hips.

I slowly enter her as I kiss a path from her mouth to herthroat and then to her ear, thrusting in a slow and steady beat that makes her crazy.

“You’re mine and no one else’s, you get that, right? You’re mine.”

She shudders, her pussy clenching down on me.

“And you’ll never be done with me, Erin, never.”

“Do you know how hypocritical that sounds, considering you’re going to marry another woman?”

She twists free, shoving my hand from her and as much as I don’t want to stop, as much as I want to make her come and come until I’ve broken, that will, until she knows I speak the truth, I stop.

I step back and clench my teeth as she goes to push past me. I might stop touching her intimately, but I’m not about to let her run off.

I hold her there. “Demyan.”

“No, Erin, I’m not done.”

She looks at me her face a mask, but it doesn’t hide the hurt. “What?”

“You’re the only woman I’m fucking marrying. Not Stefina, not anyone else. You. I just need time to figure this mess out.”

Chapter Seven

ERIN

It’s hard.Damn hard.

That night, I pretend to be asleep when he comes back late from a meeting. I don’t know where he was or who with, but there’s the thud of a gun in the bedside drawer, a sound I never thought I’d get used to or know. But surprise, now I do.

I fist my hand, ready to add it to the list of crimes like making me come and having sex with me the night before.

But the click of the lock takes that from me.

Sasha can’t get into the locked drawer and every single other person is hyper-careful with their weapons. No one leaves them lying around for sticky, curious little fingers to find. Not that Sasha’s ever given a chance.

Before Demyan can pull back the covers or go to the en suite to shower, his phone buzzes and he swears softly, turning and disappearing out of the room.

I get up and go to the door. I don’t even look at the guard as I cross the landing to the balcony of the staircase. His voice floats up from down below, from his study, and I sigh.

Instead of going to the bedroom I share with Demyan, Igo into Sasha’s room. My baby’s sleeping, but there’s a small frown on his face and he stirs. “Mama?” His eyes flutter sleepily and I go to him, to those reaching little arms, and climb into the bed with him.

He sighs happily and his wiggly little body curls against me, with goat clutched tightly, and he drifts off again.

I hug him, having missed him more than I can say, knowing I could have lost him and he could have lost me.

Tears burn my eyes when the door creaks open. “Come back to bed.”

I don’t answer, but instead of leaving, Demyan comes over. I don’t hear him, but I can feel him, that tingling in me flaring bright as the pressure changes. Then, in the low soft glow of Sasha’s room, he comes around to the other side and crouches down.