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Because when all is said and done, he’s still the only man I’ll give my heart to.
Instead of forcing me to straddle him, which almost gave me a damn-near heart attack earlier, he cradles me against his chest.
It’s twice as broad and hard as I remember.
His voice is tender as he whispers, “The last four years were the longest of my life, but holding you like this, it feels as if no time has passed.”
I place myself in his shoes and think again about what he must’ve been through. He believed he lost his brother and me. He watched Vincent and me die.
He mourned my death, and then I appeared out of the blue.
Pushing all my reservations aside, I lift my head and make eye contact with him. I try to think of him as the Alek I knew, then admit, “I used to dream about us finding each other again. I never dated, Alek. I told people I was a widow and that I’d always love my husband. I could never love another man the way I loved you.”
“Loved?” His eyebrows draw together, then he begs, “Love me, Everleigh. Don’t leave me in your past. I want to be more than a memory.”
My heart.
I stare into his eyes until I see the man I fell in love with – the man I formed an unbreakable bond with.
“I’ll try,” I promise.
What Alexei said about Vincent not being safe unless the family protects him makes me feel restricted. Admitting the truth to Alek, I say, “I didn’t want to cross paths with the bratva again. I barely survived the first time.”
He lifts a hand and brushes my hair away from my face. “I couldn’t protect you back then, but I can now. Give me a chance to show you that I can keep you safe.”
I don’t have a choice in the matter. Not really.
Accepting defeat because there’s no way I’ll be able to keep Alek and Vincent apart, I say, “I don’t care about myself. Just make sure nothing happens to Vincent.”
“I promise,moya malen'kaya lyubov'.” His fingers brush over my jaw to grip my chin. “I’ll protect you and Vincent.”
“I’ll give you a chance to prove yourself, but in return, I ask that you give me time to process everything. I’m not just going to jump into a romantic relationship with you.”
He leans closer until I feel his breath on my lips, and the butterflies go crazy in my stomach. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”
“I want to go out on dates.”
His mouth curves into a devasting smile. “Done.”
“I want to be swept off my feet.”
“Done.”
“I want you to respect my wishes and take things slow.”
He takes a deep breath, then mutters, “I’ll try.” I raise an eyebrow at him. “Fine, I’ll take things slow.” His eyes narrow. “How slow are we talking?”
Letting out a chuckle, I shake my head at him. “Super slow. No kissing until the third date. Definitely, no sex until I’m comfortable with you.”
“Blyad',” he mutters as he slumps back against the couch.
A smile curves my lips. “Vincent doesn’t know any Russian. I didn’t want to risk it.”
“I’ll teach him.”
Moving off his lap, I get comfortable next to him. “How was your training? Tell me what you’ve been up to the past four years.”
“Training was good.” I can see he wants to reach for me, but he holds himself back. “Misha got married, and Armani married Tiana.”
