Page 84 of Bound in Possession

"I have you, princess," he rasps, his voice breaking with a raw emotion I've never heard from him before. "I have you. I'm so sorry... I'm so fucking sorry."

I pull back just enough to frame his jaw in my hands, looking up into his dark, tortured eyes.

"I never doubted you," I whisper, my thumb tracing the rough stubble along his jawline. "Not for a single second. I knew you would come for me."

Maksim makes a low, wrecked sound in the back of his throat, wrapping his heavy arms even tighter around me, as if trying to pull me inside his chest, where nothing can ever touch me again. He lowers his head, resting his forehead against mine, his hot, shaky breath fanning over my lips.

"I love you, Camilla," he rasps, his voice rough with a deep, bottomless devotion. "I love you so much. Fuck, I love you more than words can ever say."

A breathless, tearful giggle escapes my throat, the sharp relief washing over me so completely that my whole body trembles against his. "I love you too, Maksim."

He squeezes his eyes shut, letting out a long, ragged exhale before leaning back just enough to press a tender, lingering kiss right to the tip of my nose.

"Let's go home, princess," he murmurs softly, sweeping me up securely into his arms and carrying me out of the darkness.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

MAKSIM

By the time the morning sun bleeds through the sheer curtains of our master bedroom, Camilla is resting peacefully in my arms.

Viktor never got the chance to truly harm her, and for that single grace, I will spend the rest of my life being grateful. Reaching her in time saved both her life and whatever shred of my soul remains intact. The private physician checked her over thoroughly at dawn—aside from a minor, dull ache in her right shoulder, she is completely unhurt. No broken bones, no deep tissue damage. Nothing that time, rest, and my constant care won't fix.

For today, the dark world outside these walls does not exist. The syndicate can wait. The blood on my hands from last night has been scrubbed clean, and my only mandate for the next twenty-four hours is absolute, uninterrupted rest.

My plan for us today is simple: rot away in bed.

I want to order endless trays of whatever food she desires, lay tangled in these cotton sheets, hold her so tight against my chest that I can feel every steady beat of her heart, and whisper how much I love her a thousand times until she gets tired of hearing it.

"What should we do today?" Camilla asks softly, rolling over onto her side to face me. A sweet, contented smile touches her lips, her soft eyes searching mine in the morning light.

I reach out, tucking a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear, my thumb lightly tracing the delicate line of her cheekbone.

"Here is my exact agenda for us today, princess," I say, my voice low and thick with sleep. "We are not leaving this bed. We aren't answering a single phone call, we aren't talking about Viktor, and we aren't dealing with the rest of the world. I am going to have the kitchen bring up every delicacy you could possibly crave, and we are going to lie right here. I am going to hold you in my arms, trace every inch of your skin, and remind you how utterly crazy I am about you until the sun goes down."

I press a soft kiss to her knuckles, looking deep into her eyes. "How does that sound to you? Is that what you want today?"

She giggles, her cheeks flushing a faint, pretty pink as she rests her palm over mine. "That sounds like a wonderful plan, Maksim. I love it."

We’re both laughing, the heavy weight of last night finally melting away into the warmth of the room, when a firm knock echoes against the outer door of our suite.

I groan softly, but the hyper-vigilant side of me instantly snaps back awake. I slip out of the warm bed, pulling on a silk robe, and walk out of the bedroom into the private hallway to answer it. When I open the door, one of the housemaids is standing there, her hands neatly folded, looking hesitant to disturb us.

"Forgive me, Pakhan," she says quietly, bowing her head. "Mr. Massimo Caruso is waiting in the grand foyer to see you."

My brows furrow instantly. Massimo.

"Understood," I nod curtly, closing the door before heading back into the bedroom.

Camilla is sitting up against the headboard, watching me with curious eyes. "Who was that?"

"Your father is downstairs," I tell her, watching her reaction carefully.

She frowns, the soft smile leaving her face in an instant. "My father? Why? Did you invite him?"

"No," I say, walking over to the edge of the mattress and cupping her jaw gently. "I didn't call him. You stay right here, in bed, like we planned, and I'll go downstairs and see what he wants."

Camilla immediately shakes her head, throwing the duvet off her legs. "No. I'm coming with you."