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The tour of his art collection ended with an invitation to stay overnight, which I accepted. I savor a rare moment of peace as the setting sun warms my skin and Eden walks beside me.
“That smell.” Eden inhales deeply. “It’s intoxicating.” The sun spins threads of gold in her fiery hair, making her innocent beauty stand out radiantly.
Eden stretches her arms out and raises her face to the sky. “Would you ever move from the city, Nikolai?” she asks. “Live somewhere like this?”
“No,” I reply simply. “Some people flee the city when it becomes challenging, but I would miss it.”
Eden moves closer, and her hand finds mine. “Manhattan is nice.”
I frown, staring at her intently. “Is this what you really want?”
“I don’t know if I want this.” Eden doesn’t look at me, and I hold her hand tighter so she can’t pull away.
“If I were an ordinary man, I wouldn’t have these extraordinary problems,” I whisper. But I can’t give the Bratva up, not even for her. How can I protect my people as an ordinary man? Only a pakhan can defend his people.
Eden squeezes my hand. “There are times I may want you to change your mind, Nikolai. But I don’t want you to change.”
I stop walking and Eden stops beside me. She looks at me, questioning. “Sometimes, I wish Icouldjust leave it all behind,” I confess softly. “For you, for myself, for the life we could have together without all this fighting.”
Her eyes shine with hope, then sadness. “Maybe one day we will.”
My gaze locks onto hers. “Maybe.”
“Nikolai, I understand the risks, and I believe we can pull it off. Together.”
As we stand there, surrounded by lush serenity, I feel a renewed sense of purpose. Hate, revenge, and guilt may wage war inside me, but Eden’s unwavering faith in our plans keeps me from slipping into madness.
I pull her close to me, and her gaze goes to my lips. Leaning in, I take the warmth of hers, forgetting that falling in love wasnot the plan. Our tender kiss slowly builds in intensity, and our bodies press tightly together.
A surge of emotion moves through me, and I’m reminded of my commitment to protect her. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that her bond to the Lanzzare will always cast a shadow over our relationship.
I pull back. “Your other family, Eden. They’ll be a part of your life, and I’m struggling to accept that.”
Eden’s gaze holds mine, and I see her struggle with what to say. I respect that she doesn’t want to lie, but I’m disappointed that she won’t say what I want to hear.
“Can we pretend a little longer that it’s just the two of us and no one else? That we have no family that hates one another.” Her fingers trace the contours of my face. “I’m yours, and you’re mine, and to hell with the rest of them.”
My voice is raw with emotion as I hold her. “I love you, Eden.”
Her eyes sparkle as she smiles. “I love you, Nikolai.”
Our clothes lie abandoned under the grapevines as we explore each other’s bodies with teasing touches. The way her eyes seem to eat up my body with obvious hunger is intoxicating. Her neck is long and graceful, her waist slender; her soft breasts bounce slightly with each movement, and her delicate fingers caress me. I can hardly contain myself as her hands move over my skin, the pleasure and anticipation building until I can scarcely breathe.
My hands explore her body, and I’m in awe of the smooth softness of her skin. Eden begins to move her hips back and forth against me suggestively. Without stopping our kiss, I roll us overso that she lies under me. Eden opens her legs, inviting me to continue my exploration, and I know exactly what she wants.
“Be patient,” I whisper. “We have time.”
I pull away from her lips and tenderly kiss the delicate line of her jaw toward her ear. Naughty, she keeps moving her hips against mine, but I move mine out of her reach. Her moan fills the air as she aches for me, wanting me to take her.
I raise myself on my hands and knees so that my lips are the only point of connection between us. Gently, I start to kiss and nibble my way down her neck until I reach the hollow at the base of her throat. She’s quiet now, except for the slight intake of breath from the sensation of my lips and tongue on her naked skin, just as I intended.
“It gets better,” I whisper against her wet skin.
My lips brush lightly against her collarbone and then down her side, but not quite touching the area near her breasts. Then I kiss near the delicate skin where her chest and breasts meet. She anticipates that I’ll gradually move inward, so I surprise Eden by suddenly drawing her nipple into my mouth and biting it ever so softly.
Eden gasps and clutches my head to her breast, pressing my face to her body as I eagerly kiss her, devouring as much of her breast as possible. She starts to tremble in my arms, and I realize with delight that she’s having an orgasm just from the sensation of my mouth on her.
I keep going until she catches her breath, and then I repeat the same ritual with her other breast. Eden stays in control, keeping her hands at her sides. She’s eager for me to touch her between her legs. I will eventually—teasing her along the way.
