“Who the hell is Sasha?” Matt asked.
Fuck. The cat would be out of the bag now. “Aleksandra Poriskova.”
Matvey widened his eyes. “No. Fucking. Way.”
“Holy shit! Are you two…”
Rome nodded. He told them he’d met her when he was in Italy, leaving out all the particulars of their encounter and the parting of ways.
Nikita threw his arms up in exasperation. “Well that explains the whole ‘protect her at all costs,’ and why suddenly you want us to play bodyguard to her father. You fucking love her!”
Again, Rome nodded. There was no other way to describe what he was feeling, something he had never experienced before with anyone. He’d felt a pull to her the moment he wrapped his arms around her and saved her from oncoming traffic. She had thought she heard a gunshot, something that made sense to him now as well. He could still remember the gratitude he saw in her beautiful blue eyes when she first looked up him, the way her cheeks blushed when she had asked him to dinner, her smell, her touch as he had made love to her, his nose buried in her long, thick ashy-blonde hair, and most of all, he still recalled with great clarity the ache he had felt from losing her.
To say he was shocked today when he saw her for the first time in three months, would be an understatement. He had wanted to cut his own arm off for pointing his gun at her, and her fear and bravery combined had floored him. Yes, he loved her, and he’d mow down any obstacle that stood between them again.
Matvey shook his head. “This is some fucked up shit. Of all the girls in the world, you had to go and fall in love with the daughter of your father’s greatest enemy.”
“Does she love you?” Nik cut in. “Is she going to go up against her father, too, for you, Rome? Because, I sure as hell got your back even if you don’t. Be damn sure she’s not playing you, or—”
Rome gritted his teeth. “You won’t touch her.” His voice was pure steel. As much as he loved Nikita, hurting Sasha would be the ultimate betrayal, despite knowing his cousin was only trying to protect him.
“You really are far gone,” Matvey remarked. “No one will touch your girl.” He turned to Nik. “Right?”
Nik stayed silent, staring off with Rome. Meanwhile, Rome thought about his cousin’s question. Did Sasha love him? During those few precious days he had spent with her and their one night together, they had fit perfectly, as if the universe had carved them out for one another. And this morning, he saw her panic, not just for her father, but for him as well. When he had kissed her, he felt every bit of her longing in it, just as he had longed for her. There was no way their connection had been one-sided.
“She loves me,” he told his cousin.
“Then I’ll protect her with my life,” Nik stated simply.
