"We need to talk about what comes next," I say.
She nods. "I know."
"I need to get back to New York. But I’m not going without you. I need you with me. I don’t want to be apart from you. We can live in my penthouse or buy something new. Whatever you want,malyshka. And if you want to get remarried —"
"We’re already married," she interrupts softly. "I’m already your wife."
Something warm spreads through my chest at those words.Your wife.
"I have to return soon," I continue. "Clean up the mess Yuri's death and Ivan’s betrayal left behind. There are things that need my attention."
She lifts her head to look at me. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow." I cup her face in my hand. "But I want one day of rest first. One day where it's just us. No business, no Bratva politics, no cleanup. Just you and me."
Her lips curve into a smile. "That sounds perfect."
"And when I say rest," I say, my voice dropping lower. "What I really mean is I want to spend the rest of the day buried inside you."
Her teeth crush her lip, and I watch the color bloom across her cheeks. Even after everything we've been through, I can still make her blush.
"You just got out of the hospital," she reminds me, but there's heat in her eyes.
"Exactly. I've been lying in that bed for three weeks, thinking about all the things I wanted to do to you once I got out." I lean in, my lips brushing her ear. "All the ways I wanted to make you come. All the sounds I wanted to hear you make."
She doesn't need to be asked twice.
The bedroom is bathed in afternoon light, soft and golden. Holly helps me out of my shirt, her fingers gentle as she navigates around the bandages, and I'm struck by how tender she is.
"I'm not going to break," I tell her.
"I know." She presses a kiss to my collarbone. "But I'm allowed to be careful with you."
I catch her chin, tilting her face up to mine. "Later, you can be as careful as you want. Right now, I just need you."
Understanding flashes in her eyes, and she nods.
We undress each other slowly and when we're finally skin to skin, I guide her back onto the bed.
I run my hand down her body, memorizing every curve, every dip, every place that makes her shiver. She does the same to me, her touch featherlight and worshipful, like she's relearning me.
"I thought I lost you," she whispers, her hand over my heart, feeling it beat strong and steady beneath her palm.
"Never." I cover her hand with mine. "You're stuck with me now."
"Good." She leans in and kisses me, soft and sweet and full of promise.
The kiss deepens and I roll onto her and settle between her thighs. I’m so fucking hard and desperate for her there is no way I’m going to last.
She's already ready for me, and when I push inside her, we both groan.
Thisis what I needed. Not just the physical sensation, but the connection. The intimacy. The proof that we're both here, together.
I move slowly, every stroke deep and controlled. This isn't about rushing toward release. It's about savoring every second of this with my wife.
Holly's hands roam my back, my shoulders, my arms, like she needs to touch all of me at once. Her lips find my jaw, my neck, and that spot behind my ear that makes me groan.
"I love you," she whispers against my skin. "I love you so much."
