Page 152 of Fractured Ties

“You’re not actually, but maybe if you say it enough, we’ll all start to believe it, Kolya.”

“Woman.”

His growl whispered over her skin and Maya shivered. Like sin and lust had come to wrap around her body simply because he made a sound she liked. That was another thing that had been off the table for longer than she liked—not that it was something they could control.

Sex, that was.

“You wanted to see the ballet,” Kolya said, “and so we came, yes?”

“We could have waited.”

“This ballet would have been over.”

“Kolya.”

He gave her a blank look and Maya just ended up shaking her head. He was something else. Even being in pain—she knew he was, regardless of what he tried to say—he was still going to sit right there and let her enjoy this stupid ballet.

It was not worth his discomfort.

“We can go anytime,” Maya said, smiling a little. “I miss Sumerki, anyway.”

Kolya’s hand that had been resting on her thigh squeezed tightly over the skirt of the evening dress. “I bet he’s chewed a whole chair leg off by now.”

“Probably.”

“We are fine to stay.”

“I would rather go.”

She could watch a ballet any day.

It didn’t have to be this day.

Or night, rather.

“Lady’s choice,” Kolya said, standing from the chair with a slow grace she had come to learn meant he was trying very hard not to show how uncomfortable he was. It only pissed her off more that someone who should have loved him had done this to him. Kolya didn’t miss the darkening of her expression, if the way he reached out to slip a hand around her neck was any indication. Silently, he dragged her closer. Close enough that he could tip her head back and drop a soft kiss to her mouth. “It’s over, yeah?”

He kept saying that.

He kept promising that.

She wished it was over in her heart.

Maya was never going to forgive Vadim for what he had done. Ever.

“Come on,” Kolya said, tucking her into his side.

He kept her close through the long walk out of the theater. Maya could have easily opened her own door and climbed into the high Hummer. Kolya still opened the door for her and lifted her into the passenger seat like he’d done every other time.

It was only once Kolya was in the driver’s seat and they were driving through the city to head back home did she finally see him relax a bit.

The rest of the world was gone.

It was just them again … as it should be.

Maya reached over, and stroked Kolya’s jaw with her palm. She saw him smile before he said, “I love you, Maya. Your nagging worrying, and all.”

Fucking man.