Page 60 of Owned Bratva Bride

Damn.

Chest heaving, a wry chuckle left her lips.

“What if I’ve never given anything?”

I blinked, trying to drive my desire-ridden mind to understand what she was saying.

“I’m a virgin,” she dropped in a soft tone that I’d never heard her use.

The hint of embarrassment on her face was crystal clear despite her looking away.

I was taken aback.

She’s untouched?

Not even by Lucien or any man? Ever?

My breathing slowed, and my jaw clenched as raw possessiveness washed over me. Restraint was never this hard.

“I guess it’s part of why Lucien liked being around me. He liked my innocence with a dose of playfulness,” she admitted. “I’ve been told it’s what many men desire.”

And now she’s mine.

All mine.

“You should rest,” I told her, my hands on her waist. “And when the time is right, I will claim you,” I whispered into her ear.

Her flushed face was a reward in itself.

***

The only usual thing about the morning was the time I woke up; everything else was different.

I never had a woman in this bed. I never smiled at the thought of waking up beside anyone at all, for that matter.

Marielle’s sleepy face was just inches from mine, and I had to hold back from touching her, not wanting to wake her so early.

But I could watch. And I did.

Her lower lip was a bit fuller than the upper one, and the softness I felt when we kissed the day before flooded me afresh. Her long lashes were dark, unlike her blonde hair that was splayed across the bed like a golden cloak.

She looked so beautiful and innocent, it made my chest tight.

I wanted to drop a kiss on her lips so badly, but I settled for a feather-light kiss on her forehead. Pulling the duvet overher properly, I got out of bed with hesitation. Which was another unusual thing to happen that morning.

It wasn’t my first time sharing a bed with a pretty girl, but the usual thing was me wanting to get as far as possible with them in the morning. Since it was always nothing more than a sexual connection, I had nothing to say to them the next morning.

I kept looking back at Marielle’s sleeping form as I moved around the room, getting ready for the day.

She was definitely the type of wife men rushed home to meet.

***

“Congratulations, Boss.” Leonid beamed as we walked out of the house.

“You congratulated me yesterday. I’m beginning to think you want something from me.”

“No, Boss. We’re happy for you. It’s a big step.”