I saw her looking at me with love in her eyes, and I couldn’t imagine loving her more. I stood and walked over to her, placing my hands on her hips as I pulled her close. “No, baby. There are no more walls.”
“Then, why have you shut me out?”
“I can’t get that night out of my head,” I admitted. “It fucked me up to see you strung up like that. It’s fucked me up even more to know I’m the reason you were there.”
“Did you ask them to do it?”
“What?”
“Did you ask them to take me there and string me up on that stage?”
“Fuck no. You know I didn’t.”
“You’re right. I do. They were the ones responsible. Them and them alone. And you didn’t just make them pay for what they did. You nearly died saving me.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“But it is.” She brought her hands up to my face. “You saved me.”
“It could happen again.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. No one is forcing me to stay here, Sergei. I’m here because I want to be.” Tears pooled in her eyes as she said, “I love you, Sergei. I just need you to love me back.”
“Fuck me, Lina.”
I didn’t ask for her to love me, to heal me, but there she was putting the pieces back together. She made it seem easy, like she was meant to be mine, and I’d lost any and all will to prove her wrong.
She was the woman I couldn’t stop wanting, and the salvation I never saw coming.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding before saying, “I do love you. More than I thought possible, and maybe that makes me weak. But I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.”
“Is forever asking too much?”
Overcome with emotion, I lowered my mouth to hers, silencing her with a deep, demanding kiss. She brought her hands up and ran her fingers through my hair, returning my kiss with fervor. She moaned into my mouth as my free hand grabbed her ass and pulled her closer. My cock ached to be buried deep inside her, giving her what we both craved.
I reached up to the nape of her neck and tangled my hand in her hair.
I tilted her head back and trailed my lips down her throat, nipping and sucking, and Lina’s breath caught as I reached the dip between her neck and collarbone. Her fingers dug into my back, and I could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she inched even closer.
She didn’t know it, but Lina made me lose all sense of control.
I’d never burned for anyone the way I burned for her. She’d had me tangled up since the night she showed up at the casino, and with every touch, she’d brought me to my knees.
Lina shifted her body forward, pushing her breasts closer to my chest. I gave her hair another tug and warned, “I hope you know you’ve hit the point of no return.”
“Good.” Hunger flashed through her eyes as she purred, “Because I’m exactly where I want to be.”
I released her hair and looked down at her beautiful face. Pure, wanton desire flashed through her eyes as I started to unbutton my shirt and carefully tugged it off my shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. Her eyes immediately dropped to my scar.
Her brows furrowed with worry as she carefully reached out, lightly brushing the tips of her fingers over the rough edges. I wasn’t about to let that fucking scar ruin the moment, so I slipped my fingers around her throat, gently tilting her head back as I started kissing that sweet spot at the crook of her neck. “I’m fine, baby.”
“I hate it so much.” Her voice was strained as she whispered, “It almost took you from me.”
“But it didn’t. I’m still here, and you’re keeping me waiting.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Take off your clothes, and I’ll show just how ready I am.”
