True, unshakable happiness. And it is unsettling.
Because it just as easily can be taken away.
I brush a strand of hair from her face, and she stirs, blinking her eyes open. Her lips curve when she sees me, and for a moment, everything inside me goes still.
“Good morning.” She yawns.
I trace the line of her jaw with my thumb. “It is quite the good morning.”
She stretches lazily, her body sliding against mine, and I groan. It takes every ounce of discipline not to pull her back under me.
She props herself on one elbow. “I’m gonna take my mom to get her hair done today. She hasn’t done it in a while, not since the vineyard started falling apart, and she’d never let me pay. But she can afford it now.”
“That is a good idea. But I won’t let her pay. Get whatever you want to.”
“Thank you.” Her knuckles roll down my cheek while I brush my fingers through her hair.
“We should also have them over for dinner this week. What do you think about that?”
Her whole face brightens, and I know I said the right thing. “I would love that.”
She leans in and presses a small, quick kiss to my mouth, like she is about to get out of this bed, away from me. My palm finds the back of her head, holding her there for a second longer because I cannot help it.
She laughs. “You’re not letting me go, are you?”
“Not yet.” I seal my mouth over hers. “Never, if I can help it.”
She lays her head back on my chest, fingers tracing idle patterns on my skin. The quiet stretches between us, comfortable and peaceful.
When the hell have I ever felt peace like this?
After a while, I say, “I have to go out for business for a little while, but I will be home for dinner.”
“Good.” She nuzzles closer. “But you don’t have to leave yet, right?”
“No.” I pull her tighter. “I am right here, lyubov moya.”
She grabs my hand and holds it right over her heart. I do not move. I could stay like this forever.
For a man who has spent his entire life surrounded by death, this is like…rebirth.
After a few quiet minutes, I tilt her chin up. “I have a surprise for you.”
Her brows rise. “Oh, yeah? What kind of surprise?”
A small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I will tell you over dinner.”
She narrows a suspicious gaze. “You know I have zero ability to be patient, right?”
“I know.” I smirk. “That is what makes it fun.”
She groans, a mix of annoyance and playful surrender, before dropping her head back onto my chest. “Fine. I’ll be good.”
“Or don’t…” I grab a fistful of her ass, and she bites the corner of her mouth.
She hums softly, the sound muffled against me. “You’re in quite the good mood this morning.”
“I have a reason to be.”
