Page 26 of Cruel Love

“To the beach?” she asks, hopeful.

I cringe. “Or a cabin in the mountains...”

She raises a brow. “You’d lock your beautiful, Italian wife away in a cold, snowy dungeon?”

“You’d force your poor, Russian husband to endure sunlight?”

“We did not think this through, did we?”

I chuckle. “No.”

“Well...” She kisses my forehead. “I’m sure we can compromise. This would, technically, be our honeymoon.”

“I am sorry, Sofia.” I stroke her cheek. “I should have given you a proper honeymoon by now.”

She smiles, as she always does. “Luckily, my life isn’t all that bad. And there are more important things to—”

My phone rings again and I groan with annoyance.

Sofia shrugs. “See?”

I let it ring and hold her a little closer. “This won’t last forever,” I say. “You have my word.”

She eases off my lap and grabs the phone. “And you have my heart,” she says. “That will last forever.”

I take the phone from her as my chest pumps warm blood through my fingertips. She walks across the room to the en suite and slides the door closed behind her, casually glancing over her shoulder at me before her loving face disappears.

I take a calming breath before answering the phone. “Markov?” I say into it.

“We found him.”

I keep one eye on the bathroom door. “Are you sure?” I ask.

“Meet me downstairs.”

I hang up and push off the bed.

Chapter 8

Fox

Dani. My beautiful Dani.

Even while she’s sleeping.

We’ve been in this situation before. I’d hoped we’d never have to be ever again, but life has always found a way to screw me over from time-to-time.

Last time, I did exactly what I’m doing now. I stood over her, silently watching her breath drift in and out, counting down the seconds until I had to walk out the door. She lies on her back with the blanket resting just beneath her shoulders. Milky white skin peeks out in the dark. Eyes and lips twitch slightly. I remember thinking that, no matter what happened, at least I got one perfect night with her. That made it harder to let her go but I had to do the right thing.

Today is no different.

I kneel by her side of the bed and I catch something shimmer in my peripheral vision. Her left hand lies on her stomach above the blanket.

I smile and swallow the lump in my throat.

My future wife. Maybe.

I reach out to touch her, but I let my fingers linger above her skin just like before. Last time, I couldn’t bring myself to touch her and risk waking her up. I knew that if she did, I wouldn’t leave. I’d take one look into her eyes and she’d own me.

---