Page 116 of Sweet Deception

He carried me to the bed, his mouth never leaving mine, and when he lowered me onto the mattress, he followed, pinning me beneath him.

His kiss was fire. Rough, demanding, like he wanted to punish me for leaving, for making him burn for me. His teeth scraped against my lower lip, biting, soothing, claiming.

My mind blurred. My body trembled.

I arched against him, my breath ragged.

His lips moved to my throat, his voice a deep rasp against my skin.

“Mine,” he murmured.

I gasped, my hands flying to his chest, to push him away? No. To pull him closer.

I was drowning in him. His taste, his heat, the way he devoured my mouth like he’d been starving for it. My fingers curled into his shirt, clinging, needing.

A soft moan escaped me.

My head spun. This wasn’t a dream. This was happening.

Gleb Romanov was kissing me.

And God help me, I never wanted him to stop.

And I knew I was lost to him.

Forever.

Chapter 23

ANNA

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The heat between us was electric, charged with something too intense to ignore. My heart pounded as it dawned on me, I was seconds away from giving myself to Gleb. And I wanted this. I wanted him. He was my husband. He could have me.

Then, a hard knock at the door.

Gleb tensed above me, his body going rigid. I saw it in his eyes, pure, murderous fury.

For a moment, neither of us moved. His chest rose and fell with restrained rage before he tore himself away and stalked toward the door, flinging it open. His entire body stiffened.

A strange chill crept over me. Something was wrong.

I hurried to the doorway, and there she was, Valentina.

Her gaze burned with fury.

“Both of you. Downstairs. Now.” Her voice was ice. Then she turned and walked away.

I swallowed hard, glancing up at Gleb. His jaw ticked.

“Don’t be scared. I’m here.” His voice was low, firm.

““I’m not scared.” It wasn’t entirely true, I wasn’t scared of Valentina, but I was afraid of what she might force Gleb to do.

I was anxious.

Gleb ruffled my hair in an oddly affectionate motion before we descended the stairs together. But one thought gnawed at me, how did Valentina get in? Gleb had ordered his guards not to let any family member inside.Valentina shouldn’t have been able toenter. Had she bribed them? Or did they simply fear her more than they feared him?