Page 107 of Crave

“Did Jax punch you again? You can’t have many more brain cells to lose.”

“Hey!” I dive at her, tickling her sides as I lift her effortlessly, so she straddles my lap.

Bad move. Dick engaged.

“I love you, pchelka. It’s you. It’s always been you. It will always be you.”

It feels right saying it out loud. I’ve always known she was mine. I never imagined it would be this good.

Twirling a tendril of hair around my finger, her eyes start to water but a smile erupts on her face.

“I’ve been in love with you for a long, long time, Alexei. Please never stop being you. Never stop making me laugh, or being your crazy self. I love you for everything you are. And I’ll love you until I take my last breath.”

She places her hand over my rapid heart.

“Trust me. You won’t be taking your last breath before me.”

I can’t even think about anything happening to her. I still wake up in the night seeing how I found her.

Never again.

“Does that make me your girlfriend?”

Picking up her hand, I press a kiss on each of her fingers.

“I’ve never had one of those. I want everything with you, baby. Question is, what if I can’t give you that picture perfect life you used to talk about years ago?”

She pulls back and tilts her head.

“No. That’s a life that’s created for everyone else to watch. We’ve never fit in with society's standards, why would we start now? My perfect life is simply just being with you. Nothing more, nothing less. You are my happy place and we can do whatever the hell we want with our future.”

Her answer makes my chest hurt. I’m her happy place.

“You wanna go skydiving with me? Steal more flamingos? Wash the blood out of my hair? Hide the bodies with me? Let me eat you out on my bike whenever I need to?”

She bites down on her lip.

“Yes. All of it. All of your crazy, Alexei. I don’t love you despite it, I love you for it.”

Lacing my fingers around her throat, I drag her closer and kiss her so damn hard.

She pulls away breathless and traces her nail along my throat. “Now, did you say something about eating me out on your bike?”

I lick my lips.

“Damn right.”

CHAPTER 51

LARA

Ugh.I pinch the flab on my belly as I stare into the mirror. I ate too much with the girls last night. Adding more time to my treadmill might not cut it.

It’s so hard to watch my calories now that Alexei is here all the time. My only option is to run.

Or to find excuses to go to the bathroom.

What is wrong with me? Why is it so easy for other people to eat whatever they want, and never gain a pound?