Page 60 of The Bratva's Forced Innocent Bride

“Max,” she murmured as my tongue swept her lower lip.

“I’m right here,” I said. “I’ll always be right here.”

She shivered in my arms, and I gripped the hair at her nape to tug her head back to taste her more deeply, when there was a loud thump on my car window. We jolted apart like teenagers caught out after curfew. A tired-looking firefighter told us we needed to clear the road, and we laughed as I pulled away from the curb.

“Time to get you home and back into bed,” I said, weaving through the early morning traffic.

“I won’t argue about that,” she said with a smile that had the front of my pants tightening.

“That might be a first,” I teased.

I wanted her to rest up and fully recover, and here she was, driving me crazy. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Bythe time I pulled into the drive, she had dozed off, and only woke up as I lifted her out of the car.

“I can walk,” she said.

“I like carrying you.” I held her closer, and she nestled her head against the crook of my neck, her warm breath close to my ear and driving me wild all over again.

We have the rest of our lives, I reminded myself as I tucked her back into bed. Though it was morning and there was no lack of things to do, especially in the aftermath of the fire, I hadn’t slept at all, so climbed in beside her. Once we were both under the covers with my arm under her head and her leg draped over mine, I looked down at her, unable to keep from shaking my head in awe.

“What?” she asked, misinterpreting my head shake. “I’m not arguing about anything.”

“I was marveling at how gorgeous you are, and yes, even in sweats and with bruises on your face.” I scowled as I traced the outlines of the marks on her face, but this was no time or place for thoughts of vengeance. “What do you want to do about school?” I asked, so she wouldn’t start thinking about it, either. “Would you rather stay at Berkeley or look into schools in San Diego? Or here in LA, or anywhere else in the world.”

“Are you serious?” She twisted to look up at me with a frown. “What about your family?”

“I’m deadly serious,” I said, tapping her on her pert nose. “I have my own plane, remember? We can still visit my family any time I want.”

“So that means I’m not a secret anymore?”

“Definitely not. No more secrets,” I said. “Hey, how hard do you think Jenna can hit?”

“She won’t hit you,” Brooke answered with a giggle. “Not too hard, anyway. I’ll jump in before she leaves a mark.”

God, I wanted to kiss her, but she still hadn’t answered my question. I was eager to get us on the right track. “Tell me what you want,” I urged.

“I think I’d like to stay in San Diego,” she said slowly. “I love that house, and the beach, and the weather. If you really don’t mind paying, I could apply to some schools down there. Online doesn’t sound so bad to me anymore, either, and it’s probably a lot cheaper.”

I leaned back and pretended to roar in frustration. “You have to stop worrying about money. You’re married to a very wealthy man.”

Her cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. “I guess. I’m only just starting to accept that fact. That we’re really married, I mean. And not just to keep me safe.”

I nodded, waiting with all the patience I possessed, and it did seem like she had accepted it, because she pulled my head down for a kiss. The feel of her lips against mine again seared my blood. With a groan, I pulled her closer so her body was flush with mine, every curve of her lighting up my senses.

How long had it been? Five minutes was too long to go without the taste of her. As she settled onto me with her legs straddling my hips, I ran my fingers through her chestnut strands. The curtains were closed, but the morning light came through in a thin line across the room, sending shadows across her skin. As much as I wanted her tongue in my mouth, I turned and snapped on the bedside lamp.

My gorgeous bride blinked in the wash of light and gave me a questioning look as I just stared at her. “I want to see you,” I told her. “Every inch of you.”

Her smile was brighter than the sun and the lamp combined and I gripped her waist as happiness washed over me.

“I don’t mind looking at you, either,” she said, her gaze dropping to my chest as she eagerly began unbuttoning my shirt. “I can’t wait to see more.”

With her palm flat on my bare skin, I took her hand and kissed it before replacing it over my heart. “Feel how hard it beats for you.” The fact she was smiling was something new and intoxicating. “This is like the first time, really.”

“A little bit,” she agreed, pressing against my heart as she wriggled on my lap.

With a groan, I claimed her mouth, sliding my hands under the oversized shirt she wore to brush against her silky skin. Goosebumps followed the path of my fingers, but her heat seeped through her sweatpants, making me throb against her.

After long moments of her sucking on my lower lip and her questing hands moving up and over my shoulders to grip at my hair, I was at my tipping point.

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