Page 53 of Poisoned Roses

The bile rises in my throat as the facts hit me hard.

“Yes.” My voice comes out as a whisper and I gasp, “He was terrifying me, but for what reason?”

“To catch you off balance and make you afraid and reliant on Nadia. The night he forced himself on you was probably to shock you. I’m guessing Nadia would be there to stop him and help you escape. The buyer would make sure transportation was waiting and you would be in shock and not comprehending the situation. Then you would be flown to the chosen destination and never heard of again.”

My blood freezes and Titus says gently, “However, it is unconfirmed and until we find Nadia, we won’t know that for a fact.”

“Titus–” My voice shakes as the enormity of what could have happened hits me and as his arms wrap around me and he pulls me in close, I cling onto him as if I will never let him go.

When I wakethe next day, it’s past breakfast and the events from yesterday come back to haunt me.

Titus sat with me for hours, insisting I finish the meal he delivered, answering my questions and allowing me to fall apart. I wish I had been stronger. I thought I was, but knowing how close I came to losing everything was a wake up call I never knew I needed.

He stayed with me all night. Holding me until I fell asleep in his arms and now as I wake, my heart flutters when I realize he is still fully dressed and lying beside me, checking the emails on his phone.

“Titus.” I whisper, spinning around to gaze at him.

His jaw is darker, the black stubble rough against his skin. His eyes are tired, and it appears he was up all night and yet he smiles softly and reaching out, drags his finger down my cheek and whispers, “Morning, gorgeous.”

I hold his hand against my face and smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He doesn’t even ask why. It’s as if we can read one another’s thoughts like an open letter.

“You haven’t slept.” I state the obvious and he shrugs.

“There wasn’t time.”

“You’re a strange man, Titus Romanov.”

My lips twist into a smile and his eyes flash as he gently drops a light kiss on my lips.

“And you’re a strong woman, Tia.”

“And you conclude that because?”

I raise my eyes, and he fixes me with a steely glare. “Because you’remywoman, Tia. You are strong because you have me andthe Romanov dynasty surrounding you. Always remember that, malysh. You are soon to be a Romanov, and we are not afraid.”

His words trigger a reaction inside me I never saw coming. Confidence floods through me as I accept the situation for what it is. I am marrying a Romanov. Titus Romanov and I must rise to the challenge and be worthy of that title.

Just a simple sentence that means more than he will ever know. Then again, everything this man does is for cause and effect and I smile, my eyes glittering as I lean forward and kiss him softly, loving how his hand wraps around the back of my head. He deepens the kiss, demanding entrance to twist my tongue in his, his rough stubble grazing my soft skin, marking me as his.

His hand edges under the sweater that I apparently slept in last night and as his rough fingers connect with my soft skin, I groan into his mouth, desperate for more.

He shifts to face me and splays his hand against my back, pressing me in closer, deeper against him. Kissing me hard, demanding, taking, and conquering.

I will be a Romanov. He is really going through with this and for however long that lasts, I will give him the whole of me in return.

CHAPTER 29

TITUS

Icouldn’t leave her. When she fell asleep, for the longest time I watched her like the mad stalker who was trailing her. She is so beautiful when she is awake but asleep she is an angel. I loved watching her. The worried lines left her face, smoothed away by blissful dreams. Her subconscious was the perfect antidote to misery and her breathing evened out as she slept in blissful ignorance. I couldn’thave left her even if I wanted to because the full realization of what may have happened to her last night hit me harder than I thought it would.

I nearly lost her as soon as I found her.

Thank God for my obsessive protective streak when it comes to protecting what’s mine. And she is mine. I suppose I realized that the moment she stared into my eyes on the first night and smiled.

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