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I don’t know how long we stay tangled together—minutes, maybe hours. Somewhere between drifting and sleep, I feel him carefully pull out of me. A moment later, the soft warmth of a damp cloth presses gently between my legs as he cleans me up.

Chapter 10

Aurora

I wake to the gentle pressure of a hand on my shoulder.

“Solnyshko.”

I blink my eyes open to find Roman leaning over me, a small smile playing on his lips.

“We’re about to land.”

I let out a sleepy yawn as I sit up, rubbing the last traces of sleep from my eyes. It takes me a second to realize I’ve slept through the entire flight.

Embarrassment creeps up my neck as memories of everything that happened before I fell asleep flash through my mind.

Trying not to think about it, I reach for my dress and quickly slip it back on. I fumble with the zipper behind my back before Roman quietly takes over.

“Hold still.”

His fingers brush my back as he zips it up with ease.

“Thank you,” I mumble.

Once we’re both seated again, the plane begins its descent.

A few minutes later, the wheels touch down with a gentle bump. When the cabin door opens, I freeze.

There are men everywhere. Dozens of them stand waiting on the tarmac in dark suits, lined up with military precision beside a row of black SUVs.

Oh God.

I instinctively touch my hair before remembering I barely had time to comb through it. I never reapplied my makeup, and I’m certain I look nothing like someone prepared to meet her husband’s men for the first time.

I turn to Roman with narrowed eyes. “You couldn’t have warned me they would be waiting for us?”

He shrugs as though it’s the least important thing in the world. “Don’t worry about them.”

“Easy for you to say,” I mutter. “You’re not the one who looks completely unkempt.”

His gaze slowly travels over me before returning to my face.

“Unkempt?” A corner of his mouth lifts. “I think you look beautiful.”

I ignore him and try to smooth my hair with my fingers. He leans closer, lowering his voice. “Or are you worried they’ll know exactly what we were doing on the plane?”

My face bursts into flames. “Roman!”

“Relax,” he continues with a grin. “Although you do have the satisfied glow.”

His laugh is warm and completely unapologetic. Before I can say another word, he bends and scoops me into his arms.

“What are you doing?” I squeak.

“This way,” he says as he starts down the stairs, “you don’t have to face them.”

Unable to argue, I wrap my arms around his neck and hide my burning face against him while he carries me across the tarmac.