He gives a small shrug. “It’ll be true soon enough,kiska.”
“Don’t tease about things like that,” I say, trying to pull back.
He holds me tighter, refusing to let me back away. “Who said I’m joking?”
“Volodya,” I whisper. “You’ve made it very clear that you don’t let people get close to you and that after what happened to your parents you have no desire to ever become attached to anyone.” I rest my hands on the chest that I swear I could recognize in a pitch black room with a hundred bare-chested men in it and only my fingers to guide me. I’d find him every damn time.
“I’m not as strong as you seem to think I am. I don’t want to end up hurt when you decide that all this is too much commitment for you.”
“I see.” He watches me, studying me with those whiskey-colored eyes that are so familiar to me now. “You think I’m going to break your heart? Wake up one day and decide to leave you?”
“Something like that,” I whisper. “Or decide you can’t be happy with just one woman.”
“I can promise you a million different things, but words are just words. I believe it’s actions that really tell the truth of things. Do you agree?”
“Yes.” I’m not sure where he’s going with this, but I feel like we’re laying out the blueprint for whatever future we might have, so I quickly add, “I still think it’s important to say the sweet things, and then back them up with action.”
He smiles and leans closer. “I won’t forget the sweet things,kiska. And as far as actions go, I’ll run you through a quick list of everything I’ve done with you that I’ve never felt the slightest desire to do with anyone else.”
I nod and slide my fingers under his shirt so I can hook them into the waistband of his jeans and pull him even closer. His soft, deep laugh has quickly become one of my most favorite things. I smile at him and lift a brow, waiting for him to continue.
“Where to begin,” he muses and then dives in to a long list of firsts. “I’ve given you a nickname, I let you ride in my car, I introduced you to my dogs, hell, I let you into my house,” he says with another laugh. “I asked you your name, I want to know everything about you, and I bought you a Jeep because I need to know you’re safe. I also publicly claimed you.”
“Publicly claimed me?” I ask with a laugh.
“Yes, in the club. That was a statement, sweetheart.”
He leans closer so I can feel the heat of his breath against my lips. “I can’t stop touching you or tasting you or thinking about you. I fucked you without a condom because I couldn’t stand the thought of anything between us. I turned you around so we were face to face.” He gives my bottom lip a soft suck. “I kissed you,kiska, and then I took a bath with you and put you in my bed.”
Pulling back, he slides his phone out from his pants and pulls up a chat message, letting me see as he types out a quick message that I can’t read because it’s in Russian.
“And right now I’m texting my brothers to invite them over for supper tomorrow night because I want you to meet my sister-in-law and nephew. I’m also inviting Andrei and his wife because I want you to meet her. We grew up with her in Russia. Her mom cooks for Vasya, and Svetlana used to clean for him but that was before she married Andrei.”
He sets the phone down and smiles at me. “You may not realize what a huge deal that was, but trust me, my brothers are laughing their asses off right now, and I’m never going to hear the end of it.”
“Volodya,” I whisper, sliding my hands up his chest and wrapping them around his neck to bring him back to me.
“I’m not finished.” He picks me up and starts to carry me to his room. When he lays me on his bed and hovers his body over mine, he runs his tongue over my top lip, pulling a moan from me as I wrap my arms and legs around him.
“I love you,kiska.” He whispers against my lips. “I never thought I could fall in love, but I love you. I love you so fucking much, and I know it happened fast, but it’s happened, and there’s no going back for me. There could never be anyone else for me.”
I cup his face, memorizing every detail because I’m going to replay it over and over again for the rest of my life. I run my fingers over his stubbled cheek and along his chiseled jaw before caressing his dark brows.
“Maddie, for the love of god, say something,” he finally says, and the worried look on his face makes me realize that the silence has stretched on for too long while I’ve been drinking in the sight of his gorgeous face.
I smile at him. “First time you’ve ever looked so unsure of yourself.”
“That’s not funny,” he says, but there’s a grin playing at his lips.
“I love you, Volodya.”
His entire body visibly relaxes at my words. “That was the longest minute of my entire fucking life,kiska.”
“I’m sorry. I got a little lost in your face. You’re insanely good-looking. You sure you don’t want to wait for someone prettier?”
“Prettier than you?” He looks at me like I’m crazy. “No one’s prettier than you. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That’s what got me in trouble the first night I met you. The only description I got of Kaylee was short, dark hair, and gorgeous. When I turned around and saw you, I thought for sure you had to be her.”
“Everyone thinks Kaylee is gorgeous.”
