When she gazes at me like that—like she already knows exactly what I mean, like she wants this life with me just as badly—something cracks open in my chest. All the violence and ugliness that led us here, every lie and betrayal and fight we survived, it’s worth it.
Because I have her. She’s mine.
And somehow, after everything, I get this life with her as though I’m worthy.
My hand finds her thigh beneath the table, and she sucks in a quick breath, just enough for me to notice. She presses her knee against mine, almost like a dare.
That’s all I need.
“Let’s go.”
She glances at me out of the corner of her eye, lips curving into something smug and sweet and wholly dangerous. “Yes, sir.”
A growl rumbles out of me as I take her hand and guide her out of the dining room, past the echo of laughter and the clinking of glasses.
When we reach our bedroom, I shut the door behind us, needing her more than I ever have. She stands in the middle of the room watching me, like she’s offering herself to me. And it’s a gift every time, something I will always treasure.
I stalk toward her, taking my time, while her lips part, that perfect red lipstick just waiting for me to ruin it. When I reach her, I stop just shy of touching her, letting the anticipation burn between us. My knuckles graze her cheek, and she lets out a soft sound, leaning into my hand like she needs the touch as much as I do.
“I love you so much, Fiona. You’ve given me something I never thought I’d have.”
“And what’s that?”
“A future.”
Her expression falters, just for a second. Like she didn’t expect me to say that. But it’s the truth. I am more than my father thought I would be. I’m a husband. A father. And I will carry that weight with pride for the rest of my life.
“You’re going to be an incredible dad.”
My jaw tics. “I don’t know how.”
She kisses my cheek, soft and certain. “You’ll learn, just like you learned how to love me.”
And somehow, looking into her eyes, I believe it.
“I never thought I’d be good at this. Marriage. Love. I didn’t think I could be anything other than what I was built to become.”
She leans in, her body fitting perfectly against mine, her gaze steady and unflinching. “You’re more than that, Aleksei. You always have been. You just needed someone to remind you.”
I exhale slowly, running a hand down her back, grounding myself in the feeling of her. “If we have a son, I don’t want him to be like me. I don’t want this life for him. I want him to be like you.”
“He will be whatever he was meant to be. Our job is to lead him on that path. It’s all we can do.”
I look at her then, really look, and it hits me how much she has changed everything. How far I’ve come from the man I was.
“Tell me you want this,” I tell her, brushing her hair away from her face. “Tell me you want me.”
It’s not enough to feel it. I need to hear it. I need her to say the words, to make them real.
She lifts her hand to my neck. “I want all of it. You. Us. This life. No matter the cost.”
And that’s it. That’s all I need. Everything inside me stills.
Then I’m on her, my hand wrapping around her chin as I crush my mouth to hers like I’ve been starving for it. I kiss her with bruising intensity, claiming what’s already mine. Her arms wind around my neck as I lift her effortlessly, her body melting into mine. I carry her to our bed, the rest of the world falling away.
We tumble onto the mattress, and I undress her slowly, like she’s holy and I’m a sinner with no right to touch her, but with every intention of worshiping her anyway. She doesn’t look awayas I remove my clothes, her eyes on mine, carrying a trust I’ll spend my whole life trying to earn.
I want her to see me. Truly see me. Not the man I once was, but the man standing before her now. The man she made.
