Page 23 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

Hearing him admit blame to some capacity softened me somewhat. He wasn’t just a cold man willing to do questionable things for no reason. He had a reason for being determined and willing to do whatever it took to keep his brother safe and ensure they were both okay.

He had a past similar to my own, and I understood him better from knowing that.

Growing up a certain way shapes you, and beneath his hard exterior, I could see someone who used to hurt. Someone who wanted different for himself.

As I sat across from him, I could feel my perception changing little by little.

“It’s no different from what I was raised in, apparently.”

Taken aback by the statement, Yaro furrowed his brows. I couldn’t fully read the expression on his face.

Then, he dropped it. Whatever was going through his head, he moved on.

With a shallow breath, he swallowed the last of his champagne and put the glass down on the coffee table, then stood.

“I don’t want to bother you for the night,” he mumbled, already heading toward the hallway. “I’ll stay in the spare.”

“Wait,” I blurted, catching him off-guard before he could leave.

Yaro turned around to face me and looked confused.

Whether it was the champagne or the conversation, I felt braver than I had before. I couldn’t help but find him appealing, and I didn’t want the night to be over yet.

“It’s our honeymoon night,” I said, pulling in a steadying breath. “It’s only right we spend it together.”

He seemed to contemplate the idea as he hung back and took me in. I watched those thoughts move within his features, giving away doubt, self-sabotage, and uncertainty.

But I didn’t want to lock myself in my room for the night, and I didn’t want him to either.

Before he could say anything, I braced myself and cut the space between us.

Lifting myself on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips against his with a hand on his chest.

Yaro froze initially before realizing what I had done, and he melded his lips with mine. His hands gripped my waist as he pulled me even closer, welcoming that embrace.

He tasted like champagne, and his lips were softer than I expected.

Like the first kiss, it made me woozy yet longing for more.

To my relief, his grip on me tightened, and I lost myself in the kiss.

Chapter 9 - Grace

My skin felt like it was on fire as Yaro pulled me into him, palms moving to the small of my back with desperation. That warmth from his body against mine had my head spinning, and I couldn’t be bothered to think logically.

Yaro was undeniably beautiful, and I only wanted to explore the man I now called my husband. He had no qualms about it as his tongue flicked against my lower lip, asking for entrance.

Obliging him, I parted my lips and felt his caress. Sparks of pleasure elicited a breathless moan from me, to which he groaned into the kiss.

Without warning, Yaro reached down, prompting me to jump. I did as he wanted and was in his arms in the blink of an eye. Seamlessly, he carried me into the wall and into the master bedroom.

That fire lit between us only burned brighter as he continued the kiss, only breaking it to place me on the bed.

The moment I reached the mattress, my stomach fluttered with anticipation, and my head filled with a pleasant fog that made me think of only Yaro. Every reservation and reluctance I previously had for him melted away the moment his lips captured mine again.

That excitement blossomed through me, unable to resist him or the way his mouth helped bring renewed life to me.

There was no need for words to describe how badly we wanted the other, not while that mutual eagerness coursed between us.

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