Page 88 of Born into Sin

He raises a brow at me. “Sounds like someone else I know.”

“I’m not stubborn. I just know when I’m right.”

He smiles and kisses me again, gently running his fingers through my hair when I rest my head on his chest again.

“Why the hell does it hurt so much to breathe,” I ask him. “How many ribs did that asshole crack?”

“Three.” I can hear the anger in his voice, but he’s still so gentle when he touches me. “You also have stitches on your forehead, and just about every part of you is a shade of purple or blue. You’re going to be very sore for a few weeks, but he didn’t do any lasting damage, not physically anyway.”

Sliding his hand down, he cups my face and gently turns me so we can see each other. He looks like a man who’s just been through hell. His hair is a mess, there’s a darkening bruise on his jaw, it’s obvious he hasn’t been getting enough sleep, and I swear he’s lost a few pounds, but none of it takes away from how damn gorgeous he is.

I reach up and run my fingers along his cheek, feeling the coarse hairs against my skin. I don’t think he’s shaved since I left a week ago, and it looks good on him.

“I can tell you haven’t gotten enough sleep.”

“Of course I haven’t,” he tells me, not even bothering to deny it. “I can’t face my bed without you in it, and what little sleep I’ve been getting, I’ve been doing it on the couch in my office.” He drags the pad of his thumb along my cheek. “I’ve missed you so goddamn much. I knew I loved you before you left, but this week has taught me that I can’t fucking live without you.”

He gives me the sweetest smile and then reaches into his pocket. When he pulls out the large pink diamond ring, I’m too stunned to speak. I open my mouth and try, but nothing comes out, so I just end up gaping at him while he gives a soft laugh.

“This is not how I imagined doing this, and I swear I’ll make it up to you with the biggest, most beautiful wedding you can imagine, but I need to make you mine, principessa. I need to see my ring on your finger.”

I feel the tears start to fall again, and I have to force myself to stay calm because breathing deeply is too damn painful right now. The ring is gorgeous, like something a real princess would wear, and it’s so damn sparkly I find it hard to look away.

“You got me a pink diamond,” I whisper.

“Of course I did. I know what my girl likes.”

I smile, but I still can’t stop looking at the sparkly ring in front of me.

“Eyes on me, beautiful,” he teases, waiting for me to look away from the huge, sparkling rock in his hand.

“I love you, Natalya. I could easily say I fell in love with you as soon as I saw you step out of Sveta’s car in those sexy heels and pink dress, but as beautiful as I thought you were, it was your sweetness that really caught my attention and the passionate way you stand your ground when you’re willing to fight for something.”

He smiles and squeezes my hand. “Also, your refusal to walk on the ground in your bare feet is the cutest goddamn thing I’ve ever seen.”

I smile and give a soft laugh. “Parasites are nothing to mess around with.”

He laughs and kisses my forehead. “I promise I’ll always carry you whenever you need me to. I will love and protect you and be faithful to you. I never want to be without you, Natalya. I want to marry you and raise a family with you. I want to fall asleep next to you, and the first thing I want to see when I wake up is your face.”

Hooking a finger under my chin, he looks down at me, searching my eyes and letting me see all the love in his.

“Will you marry me, principessa? Will you be my wife?”

“Yes,” I whisper, because saying no was never going to happen. I love Dominic, and I have to trust that everything will work out between our families. Not having him isn’t an option, so everyone is just going to have to get onboard with it. I love them all too much to lose any of them. We’re going to be one big happy family whether they like it or not.

“Yes?” Dominic asks like he’s afraid to believe that I’ve just said I’ll marry him, and it’s fucking adorable.

“Yes,” I say again. “I’ll marry you, Dominic, but I don’t need a big, fancy wedding. I just need you.”

“Well, you’re getting both, principessa.”

He smiles and slips the ring on my finger before cupping my face and pressing his lips to mine. I know he’s being gentle because every part of my body is sore from what that fucker did to me, but I need more. I need to feel him against me, to feel the connection that we share, and to be reminded of what we have.

My face is swollen and aches from the punches I took and the stitches in my forehead, but his lips help push it all away and make it impossible to think about anything other than the way his mouth feels on mine. I open for him, wanting more, and the groan he gives is filled with a longing that matches my own. His tongue swipes along mine, igniting little sparks of pleasure deep in my core. For a few blissful moments, I forget about the pain. I forget about the terror I’d felt when Alexei was hitting me. I forget about everything because Dominic won’t allow it to hurt me anymore. His gentle touch and deep kiss make damn sure that the only thing on my mind is him and his love for me.

He pulls back before I want him to, and when I try to bring him closer again, he smiles and softly runs his thumb over my bruised cheek.

“I want nothing more than to kiss you for hours, sweetheart, but you’ve been asleep for almost a full day and your family is dying to see you.”

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