Page 124 of Owned Bratva Bride

There were a few seconds of silence before I went on.

“Whenever my fingers were on the piano, I felt a kind of calm that I didn’t feel anywhere else. The sounds were wordless conversations that made me feel less alone.”

“I totally understand the feeling. So, why did you stop playing?”

“It stopped when I left home. Since I couldn’t go home during my college breaks, my hands never touched that piano—or any other one, for that matter,” I revealed.

When he didn’t speak, I felt prompted to go on.

“Love for the piano was one thing me and my dad had in common. It was the only thing that brought us together. Even my mom seemed to approve of it. It was proper to her.”

His hands tightened around me as he kissed the crown of my head.

Moments later, as we ate our cookies and talked about anything and everything, I randomly asked, “What’s your favorite color?”

“Where did that come from?’

“I don’t know. I just thought of it.”

“Black.”

“Fitting.”

“Why? Because of my choice of clothing?” he questioned.

“Exactly.”

“What’s yours? I would say red if I were to guess.”

I laughed. “You’re right, husband.”

“Hm, husband,” he crooned. “I love the sound of that.”

“You love the sound of almost everything, Eduard.”

“Everything that comes out of your mouth,” he clarified.

I faced him again. “Who could have thought the unshakable Mafia boss could be such a romantic?”

“I’m far from it. You just happen to bring it out of me,” he answered, his tone deep.

He claimed my lips in a soft kiss, and I kissed him back.

“Whenever you think of me as a golden find, you should remember that you’re one to me, too. The way you love me is something I’d only ever dreamed of,” I told him after ending the kiss.

My bliss in that moment didn’t come from the way he held me to his body. It came from the assurance that we’d always have each other.

***

I thought Eduard was in the study, so I was surprised when I walked into the music room and saw him standing beside the piano.

“Hey,” I uttered as I got closer.

“Hi, baby.”

I looked over to the keyboard and I noticed the change instantly.

He had fixed the broken keys.