Page 72 of Secret Bratva Twins

“Relief!” I released a long, dramatic groan and fell back on the bed, gazing at the ceiling with nothing but lacy lingerie shielding my body.

With the last piece of gown, veil, and bouquet discarded, I felt like I could finally breathe. I shut my eyes and didn’t know how long I was out until I heard the door hinge creak open and close.

His thick cologne and earthy scent enveloped the room, making me feel warmer than before. My lashes peeled open, and a lazy smile settled on my lips. I watched his fingers work the knot of his tie after he shrugged off the black jacket.

“Hey,” I breathed with a long stretch, wriggling my arms above my head before curling up again into a comfortable ball.

His eyes lit up, and, step by step, he approached the foot of the bed. “Hey.” His voice's dark, husky timbre caused a delicious shiver to run to my toes. “Exhausted?”

I stifled a yawn. “Sort of.”

“That was expected, seeing that you danced on every tile in that hall.”

I laughed.

One by one, I watched the plastic buttons pop open on his crisp white dress shirt and the fabric slowly slide down his body. The juiciness of his ripped abs came into view, and the sudden urge to run my hands through them filled me.

“Did you have a good time today?”

The corner of his lips quirked, and just the faint view of an incomplete dimple on his cheek made me want to kiss him.

He nodded, his fingers slowly pushing down on the bands, keeping his pants to his waist. “You’re the first bride to ask her groom that question.”

I wasn’t sure there was anything more entertaining than watching Maxim Vadim strip.

The view of his long legs and stiff shaft beneath his briefs made me warm and ache with need all over.

To worsen the heat that already soaked the thin fabric between my legs, he climbed the bed and pulled me underneath him with one short yank on my ankle.

I flashed him an animated smile. “You’ve never been married before. How would you know that?”

His lips brushed my shoulder, and sudden energy revitalized me. “Lucky guess?” The low chuckle from his throat vibrated on my skin.

I couldn’t help it; I turned around so our lips were no more than a few inches apart. My skin singed, itched to have him nearer. If I didn’t, I wasn’t sure sleep was guaranteed for the night.

The deep, dark depth of his eyes captured mine, reeling me in. “You said you were exhausted a few seconds ago,” he said.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“Uh-huh?” A sliver of amusement passed his eyes. “No doubt.”

I trailed a finger from his sharp shoulder blades to his defined collarbone, and down the valley, he passed his torso to the slightly dark baby hairs on the firm V-shaped line disappearing below the band of his cotton briefs.

“You, Mr. Maxim Vadim,” I breathed against his lips, tasting his breath and restless to taste more, “charge me up every time you are near.”

He eyed the fullness of my mouth and pressed a lingering kiss by the corner. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

I wasn't sure if he was intentional about it, but his weight pressed into me until I could no longer feel myself. All of him—his voice, smell, and presence—swallowed up all of me, intoxicating my thoughts until I lost the tiny shred of patience I had left.

“With you, Max,” my fingers lingered on his lips, pressing the plumpness like it could give me the satisfaction I craved. “It’s a good thing.”

He eyed my finger on his mouth and, in a split second, took it into his mouth. He sucked on it, and I wasn't sure why, but I inhaled sharply. The flick of his tongue and the heat of his breath drove me overboard with want.

When he released my innocent finger, the next three words that came out of his mouth melted all restraint.

“I love you.” He pecked my cheek. “I love you so much, Gianna; I think you could be the death of me if you tried.”

I'd heard those three words before. He never failed to say them, not once since after the proposal—after I said yes—that night. But every time he uttered them, they sounded as new as they always did.

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