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Could it really be him? After all this time, all that we had been through, was he the one that the world had tied me to?

Lifting his hand, he gently slid his fingers along my temple, pushing a loose piece of hair behind my ear. “I love you, Mira, and I have missed you every single day we have been apart. I don’t want to be apart ever again.”

Despite the feelings coursing through my mind and chest, I found myself saying, “Nickolai. . . we won’t work.” I paused, dropping my gaze from his eyes to his mouth for a moment’s reprieve, another mistake. “We’re too broken.”

He gave me a small smile before countering, “There is no one else I would rather piece myself back together with than you.”

I could feel hope growing in the pit of my stomach, at his words even as I tried to tamp it down. This wasn’t what I wanted. So why am I changing my mind ?

Climbing off of him I crossed my legs and faced him before dropping my gaze to look at my fidgeting fingers. “Nickolai. . .”

He laid his massive hand over both of mine, “If you don’t feel anything for me, then fine. But if you’re just fighting this because you’re afraid—”

“Of course I’m afraid!” I shouted, interrupting him. “Of course I am afraid. We have been through more hurt than most people have ever had to deal with. Who’s to say that if we give in, we won’t get hurt more?”

He was quiet for a few moments before he finally said, “And who’s to say it doesn’t make us stronger?”

I could feel his eyes searching my face, looking for any hint of hope. But I kept my eyes trained on where I now picked at the blanket.

I could say no, I should say no, say that it’s too much of a risk. Because in all honesty, it was a risk, a major one. Especially when other factors were considered. Such as his family—who weren’t too fond of me at the moment. Along with him having a whole kingdom that he was responsible for.

The scene from this morning's dream filled my vision—the utter happiness and comfort I’d felt with him was undeniable.

While that had only been in a dream, I could tell that the hope, which had my heart pounding out of my chest, was a sign that we could eventually get there.

To the point that we openly loved each other, even if I refused to have another child.

Looking up at Nickolai through my eyelashes, I knew he could read the thoughts behind my eyes.

A look of relief washed over his face briefly before his mouth was crashing down upon mine.

It was like a shock to my system as everything at last clicked into place.

This felt right, felt needed. My pause was fleeting as I quickly opened myself up to him, letting myself have what I'd refused for so long.

He pushed me back onto the bed, following me so as not to break our connection and we both became frantic for one another.

My blood pounded in my ears—the noise acting as a beat of encouragement.

When his mouth, at last, left mine, it immediately found a new spot along my neck.

The roughness of his facial hair on my bare skin had me nearly coming undone as he bit down slightly, eliciting a gasp followed by a moan.

How in the world did we go from fighting to this? It all happened so fast that I was practically dizzy with whiplash—but that could also very well be caused by the desire that was soaring through me at an anatomical speed.

My fingers wound their way into his hair, taking hold.

The brown waves were silky to the touch, and I was reminded of the memory of gripping them between my legs.

Followed by the memory of his tongue and the way he worked his mouth—the thoughts were a wake-up call for my center, making it throb against the pressure of his body against me.

Guiding his face back to mine, we explored each other's mouths. My hands slipped from his hair to drag down the ridges of his back, tracing each line into memory. He copied me, guiding the hand that wasn’t holding him up over the shape of my body.

Slowly moving it down to my breast, his fingers lightly grazed the side of it as his hand continued down to my stomach, which quivered at his touch.

I needed him. More than a fish needs water. More than a fire needs oxygen.

Nickolai’s fingers worked their way even lower, searching for the ends of my dress that had ridden up to my thighs.

He pulled his mouth away to watch my reaction as he hovered his fingers over the skin of my leg ever so slightly.

I tried to meet his touch, and he retreated, a smile splitting his face as he said, “Always the eager one, Tiny.”

He moved his fingers back up me in a torturously slow motion and I instinctively worked myself against his fingers, making him stop again.“Nickolai. . . please,” I whispered breathlessly.

At my begging, the desire in his eyes flared to life even more, and I knew that he was about to give my body everything that it had been wanting since I’d seen him again.

I jumped out of my skin as the sudden sound of my bedroom door bursting open interrupted any plans of continuing. Hiding myself beneath Nickolai’s body—who didn’t seem bothered or even deterred as he kept his eyes on me, both of us sharing the hot breath that filled the space between our faces.

“Sir?”

His jaw clenched, and he immediately returned to the king who had been ordering everyone, including me, around for the last few weeks.

“What?” he growled.

I’d been annoyed and inconvenienced by the interruption, but nothing could have prepared me for the shock that passed through me as I heard, “A nearby village is under attack.”