Page 69 of Saint

“I love you, Nik…I love you, Nik…” She made her way higher, trailing kisses up his neck, along his jaw, continuing to whisper the words like a prayer. When she reached his face, she cupped it between her hands and locked eyes with him. “I love you so damn much, Nikolai. You don’t have to say the words back. Only if and when you’re ready.”

Pure, unadulterated love like he’d never known before pummeled him. He tugged her onto his lap and slid his hands through her loose hair. Holding her head, he brought his lips to within a breath of hers. For a long, silent moment, he breathed her in, finding the courage to express the words inked across his heart.

“I…love…you,” he whispered brokenly.

???

His heartfelt admission brought tears to Mia’s eyes. She knew how hard it was for him to utter those words and confide in her about his past. But it would get easier. She had every faith in the big, scarred man holding her. One day, they would have all of his broken pieces glued back together. The last one of her doubts dissolved away. He’d revealed so much of himself, risked so much for her, and she knew what they had found was a forever kind of thing.

One step at a time, though. She wouldn’t push him or demand much. Well, not too much.

“Kiss me, Nik,” she whispered fervently.

His lips closed the small distance between them and their mouths melded. Deeply, passionately. They exchanged a silent promise with their lips that included many tomorrows and endless I love yous.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Braxton “Pharaoh” Graves

The team was back in San Francisco, safe and sound. For the most part, anyway. Zaitsev sat locked up in one of the empty apartments, the smallest one located the farthest away from the rest of their living quarters. Brax much preferred to keep him in a holding cell off-site, but that wasn’t currently an option. At least he wasn’t with The Agency or the Bratva any longer, so that was a plus.

Sitting on a stool, his back against the island, Brax watched his team laughing, joking and celebrating, but he couldn’t get into the spirit. Even though he was damn happy for Saint and Mia, he wouldn’t be doing any rejoicing until they’d destroyed The Agency once and for all.

Saint wasn’t wasting any time moving on from his ordeal. He’d proposed to Mia already, and as soon as the shenanigans the team was currently engrossed in played out, they were getting married. For a guy who had claimed he didn’t do serious relationships, Saint sure had started whistling a different tune. Despite the complete one-eighty, Brax could see how much the man had changed since meeting Mia. He smiled now, without a trace of irony or sarcasm. It took a little getting used to, to be honest.

Women always claimed they didn’t want to change a man, but they inevitably tried or did. Granted, Mia was changing Saint for the better by smoothing out his rough edges, but still. Those of the female persuasion were all the same, and he’d discovered he was better off alone.

Did it get lonely sometimes? Sure. But he’d been a fucking Delta Force commander, so hard things didn’t intimidate him. Yeah, celibacy sucked, but even when he’d been sexually active, none of those women had been as good as—

He shut the dangerous thought down fast.No.He refused to think about that lying, conniving, traitorous succubus. Lifting his glass, he took a thoughtful sip of the top-shelf whiskey, mulling over their next step and how they would use the captive chemist to cripple The Agency.

“Where is my fiancée?” Saint growled, prowling around the room.

“You have to pay the ransom!” Inda declared.

“C’mon, Saint, play along. They’re your traditions!” Ryland laughed, slapping the other man on the back.

“You idiots don’t know anything about Russian wedding traditions,” he stated, but he was smiling and all the growl was merely for show.

Zane read from a sheet of paper he’d printed off the internet. “It says you need to pay a ransom for the bride. That means you have to offer us money or jewelry.”

“I’ll accept cash, too,” Ryland added with a cheeky grin.

Saint scoffed. Then he walked past where Brax sat and opened a cabinet. “How about some expensive vodka instead?”

“That’ll work,” Harper chimed in. “As long as we have something sweet to add to it.”

“I’ll grab the Midori,” River offered.

“Ooh, delish!” Inda turned to Lucas, sending him a sultry smile. Brax knew exactly what that look meant.

It meant she wanted a ring on her finger, too. Like Harper, Aubrey, River and now Mia had. That’s all women ever wanted.And some would go to any lengths to get it,he thought sourly.

“Are there any special wedding traditions you would want to do?” Inda asked Lucas, innocently batting her lashes.

Predictable.Brax shook his head.

“Why, yes,Onça.I’m a big believer in a very long, sex-filled honeymoon.”

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