Page 160 of Jewel of the Assassin

The nurse hesitates, ready to wipe her, but I won’t allow it. I need her. I need to claim her before I lose my nerve.

“Give her to me now.”

And when they place her slick, warm body on my chest, all the blood and fluid cease to matter. My skin knows her. My heart knows her. The shadows vanish. Because when she roots against me, when she presses her damp cheek to my breast, I see only her.Ourdaughter. Her wails fade to soft cries. Soft cries turn nonexistent when she latches onto my breast so flawlessly.

And this time, the earth moves for me too.

Roman laughs beside me while rocking our son. “We did not discuss any girl names? Do you have any, Valya?”

I nod. “Vivienne Roksana. I thought of Anastasia. It’s beautiful but seems a bit cliché.”

“Vivienne is beautiful and perfect as her mother,” he agrees before lowering his chin to our sweet son, who makes little sucking noises.

When our eyes clash, I nod, and Roman lowers our baby boy to my other breast. It takes some more testing until he latches on. I love how paradoxical their personalities are so far. After so much debate, we finally agreed on a boy’s name.

Radimir Sasha Makarova. I imagine we will opt for the nickname Rad as he grows older. Or Radim. Regardless, our baby boy is living up to his name. It means radiant peace. And it’s what we need more than ever.

But Roman and I will never exist in the realm ofradiantpeace. Only in the most threadbare definition. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

LACTATION KINK

“Get the fuck away from me!”I spit fire and chuck the nearest vase at Roman, my pussy damn near burning…on its knees for the relief only his cock can bring.

And the devil knows it.

With carnal emerald eyes, Roman rolls up the sleeves of his shirt, baring the bulging forearms with the throbbing veins, pulsing with raw masculinity.

My undoing.

It’s beenthreewhole months since our twins were born. I’ve been holding back. Okay. Really holding back. And my husband knows it. He knows why.

A muscle bounces in his stony jaw.

“No.”

It’s all he says. Eyes predatory, tongue licking the bottom seam of his lip as he roams his gaze across me.

I half-blame myself since he left the gift box on the bed. So beautiful with the decorative red and gold ribbon. I couldn’t resist opening it to find the priceless treasure inside. One I’m wearing beneath the silk robe. A matching lingerie set of pure diamonds, the jewels glimmering beneath the dim chandelier light above our heads. The sunset bleeds colors on the horizon behind us, the warm glow slanting through the balcony’s double glass doors.

It’s the night of Valentine’s Day. The perfect night.

And I’m in the most extreme denial ever.

A pointless denial—especially when he’s been on his best behavior. Until tonight.

The wet heat thrashing inside me screams at how much I love his dominance and possession, how much I want him to conquer me.

When I bump into those double doors, my hands fumbling with the silver handle, he twists his lips into a smirk. Because my breasts are leaking.

Our eyes meet in a stalemate, our lips both pressed in a tight seam. He cocks his head. But all I can think of is the other cock. So…I blink first. My eyes flick down. The bulge in his pants jerks.

“Shit!” I exclaim and fumble with the handle, getting it open so I can escape onto the balcony. It’s not an escape. It’s a trap. And I know it.

Roman closes in. Sleek as a dark predator, he advances onto the balcony, closing the door behind him. The icy Alaskan wind lashes at our bodies, but it’s well above freezing for February.

“Not fair!” I moan when he gets me in his arms, kissing me hard and furiously while forcing me up against the corner of the railing.

“I will never fight fair,” he purrs, dark and silky. “And you have been fighting me, Valya. Fighting me for months. No more,” he finishes in a growl. “I’m calling you on your bullshit. We both know it’s bullshit.”