The last frozen shard in my heart shatters and his heat pours through me as he comes, healing me, making me lighter than air. “I love you too, Lucca. So much.YA tebya lyublyu.”
He’s kissing my face; my lips, my nose, my cheekbone, my ear. “YA tebya lyublyu,Tatiana.”
We laugh together, sweaty, and happy and I know I could never be happier than in this moment.
Chapter Twenty-Three
In which Lucca and Tatiana are happy. For now.
Lucca…
Sleeping that night was impossible, I woke Tatiana up three more times, twice for sex so aggressive that I was worried about hurting her. Both times, she dug her nails into my skin refusing to let go of me. The third was just as the sun was rising, I slid into her from behind, spooning her and caressing her breasts while I whispered in Italian all the things I wasn’t ready to tell her yet. How much I loved her. How she was my family now. That I wanted to marry her and give her all the love and sense of belonging she never got before from anyone, aside from her bodyguard.
“Ti amo,”I whispered as I came inside her, thinking of a time I could make a baby with her.
“YA tozhe tebya lyublyu,”she sighed.
The fact that my girl is having a little trouble walking comfortably shouldn’t have made me as pleased as it does, but I hoist her up on my back, carrying her to her room as she giggles.
“Mio dio, my god, you’re heavy!” I groan theatrically, letting her down in front of her door.
“So much for Lucca, the master of romance,” she jeers, kissing me.
“There’s a Christmas Market in Kilronan Village,” I said, smoothing her hair away from her face. “It’s one of the few times we’re allowed off the grounds. I want to take you.”
“I’d love that,” she smiles up at me as if I’m the center of her world. “Let me shower and get changed into something warmer than my walk of shame formal wear.”
Athena opens the door as we’re laughing, looking at us both sourly. “Are you two done? This is making me nauseous and I’m really looking forward to the Christmas breakfast at the dining hall.”
Her holier-than-thou act is spoiled when Christos Gataki appears behind her, offering us a grunt as he leaves her bedroom, still pulling his pants up.
I avoid giving her shit because she’s been - moderately - kinder to Tatiana since the attack. “Meet me at noon?” I whisper to Tatiana, giving her a kiss.
“Sounds perfect,” she says happily.
The first stop in Kilronan Village is to see her bodyguard at the Pier House Hotel. I know it’s necessary, though I’m not thrilled to see that overprotective fucker again.
“Lev!” Tatiana races for the big Russian, who hugs her awkwardly, like he’s not certain it is acceptable. She doesn’t give him a choice, her arms flying around his neck. His eyes close in relief, and I realize he loves her deeply, the child her parents viewed as replaceable is precious to him.
“Merry Christmas,” I offered.
“Ah, our Christmas is on January 7th,” he corrects, “butBuon Natale,Merry Christmas to you.”
My brow rose, Lev speaks Italian? His accent is pretty good. “Thank you. I know Tati wants to give you some gifts and you two should… you should talk.” I give her a meaningful stare and she reluctantly nods. Giving her a kiss on her forehead, I smile down at her sweet, anxious face. “It’s okay,piccolo bacio,I’ll sit in the lounge downstairs.”
Looking at his stern face, I force myself to nod politely. “I’ll be available if you have any questions.” Lev’s no fool. He knows something must have happened.
Tatiana…
“Your brothers sent you to thisadskaya dyra,this hellhole to keep you safe!” Lev thunders, circling his little room. “Then this happens? Why didn’t you call me?”
The hardest part of telling Lev what happened to me is knowing that he’ll blame himself. “Because I knew you would risk your life to charge onto campus and kill them all. Then you would be shot and I can’t-” Sucking in a deep breath and the tears trying to break free, I take a second. “It’s okay. Lucca and the guard got there in time. The guards are notorious for looking the other way, but Ivan stepped in and testified on my behalf. He was the one to find the phones they were using to…”
“What!” he said sharply.
“To film the attack,” I sigh, rubbing my forehead. “They thought they could blackmail me into keeping quiet.”
“Where are they now.” His teeth are clenched hard enough to crack a molar.
