He whispers, shame pulling at his lids that close for a second. “I’m sorry, malishka.”
I collapse onto my hands and knees, not being able to hold myself upright a second longer. The thought of losing him debilitates me. I sob, letting the poison out.
In an instant, he’s by my side, wrapping his arms around me and infusing some much-needed heat. “Shh, baby girl. I’m sorry. So fucking sorry, zhizn moya.”
I pummel his chest, saying through another sob. “Don’t do that to me ever again!”
“I won’t.” His face hardens to stone. “Don’t put that fucking show on ever again.”
“I won’t,” I say through a hiccup. “Sorry for being a brat.”
His features soften. He kisses my forehead, brushing my tears away. “You’re my brat.”
“I am. And stop saying I’m confused, Mika. I thought I would do a selfless thing for once.”
He chuckles and cups my cheek. “I don’t even care anymore. I’m yours to do whatever the fuck you want, love or leave, play with or keep.”
I shake my head just as forcefully as I want him to believe me. “Love. Keep. Never leave, and you love when I’m a brat. And my favorite game is to provoke you, so get used to it.”
He cocks his head, smiling as if unburdened. Caressing down my back, he soothes my bruised heart. His heart beats under my palm, anchoring me. He’s here with me. I haven’t lost him.
“Why are you really here, baby girl?”
Our eyes lock.
“To do what I should have done from the beginning. Not let fears sabotage us. Can you live without me?”
“No.”
“It’s the same for me. I love you, Mika. And if you ever stay away from me, I’ll never have sex with you again,” I try for a firm tone, but the grin teasing his lips makes it impossible to keep up the charade.
“That’s quite the punishment. And baby girl, if you ever break up with me again, I will tie you to my bed and edge you so long you’ll never forget.”
“I’ll never leave you again. I promise,” I rush to assure him.
A shudder runs down his body, causing his whole body to tremble. “God, I thought you came to say goodbye. Every day I’ve waited for someone to inform me you left, dreading the moment. I was ready to end my miserable life.”
I palm his cheek, and he leans into my touch as if needing my warmth to stay alive. Inching closer, I brush my nose against his to comfort him or get even closer to him, I don’t know. “I choose you. Only ever you. And Mika mine, if you’re not in my life, then mine has no meaning.”
We’re trapped once again in a dream, ignoring reality. But I don’t care.
“Give me back the days we lost before we tell my brother,” I murmur.
He opens his mouth, surely to protest, but I cut him off. “I had a week straight from hell, and I want to have you just for myself before we tell him. And after my concert, I’m going to jump into your arms and announce to the world that we’re together. We’ll face him afterward.”
“Quite a bold statement.”
My eyes bore into his. “Why? Not planning on making me yours?”
“You already are fucking mine,” he states and slams his mouth on mine.
Everything in my world renews. Spring blossoms in my chest, kissing alive the heart that slowly withered away under winter’s merciless frost.
He pushes me against the wall and lifts me up by the ass. Instant heat rushes through my body, making me burn hotter. Every passionate touch and fiery kiss is a testament to him coming undone for me.
He rips my thong, the material tearing and falling down my legs in ruined strands of fabric. Unzipping himself, he thrusts himself into me in one go that has me rolling my eyes back in their sockets. I cry out his name, a stuttering moan falling from my lips. Yes, this is it—what I’ve missed, what I can’t live without—the joining of our hearts as our bodies connect.
His fingers dig into my thigh and ass as he fucks me against the door. This time feels different. A primal claiming.
