Page 32 of Beautiful Agony

Her familiar scent of citrus and lavender fills my lungs as I carry her up the marble stairs. Her lips find my neck, pressing soft kisses that make my breath catch.

"Zvyozdochka," I growl as she nips gently at my pulse point.

She hums against my skin. "Yes?"

"Keep that up and we won't make it to the bedroom."

Her answering laugh sends warmth flooding through me. "Promise?"

I tighten my grip on her as I climb the final steps. The weight of her in my arms feels right.

Like she belongs here.

Like she's always belonged there.

10

LACEY

My heart fluttersas Vadim lowers me onto our bed tenderly before his lips find mine again.

This time, the kiss is different from all our other ones since we parted ways that night.

There's no hesitation, and no guilt.

Instead, there's only that pure devotion that makes my soul ache.

You've given me back something I never thought I'd have. And in the process, gave me something I didn't dare think about having.

Family.

"Zvyozdochka," he whispers against my mouth, and I feel tears welling up in my eyes at the familiar endearment.

For weeks, I've been terrified that our hateful sex atop the stairs had shattered something precious between us. That thedarkness we both invited that night had permanently stained what we share.

But the way he's touching me now, with such reverence and care, tells me I was wrong.

His fingers trail down my neck, ghosting over where the bruises used to be, and instead of flinching, I push eagerly into his touch. He takes his time undressing me. Each button of my blouse is undone with deliberate focus, like I'm something precious.

When my blouse falls open, his hand caresses my stomach where our child is growing. The gesture is so tender it makes my breath catch.

"I've missed you," I whisper, meaning so much more than just the physical distance we've kept.

His gray eyes meet mine, stormy with emotion.

"I'm here now,zvyozdochka. I'm not going anywhere."

The last of my fears melts away as his lips trace down my neck, replacing old memories with new ones. Each touch is a promise, each kiss an absolution. We're finding our way back to each other, stronger for having faced our demons together.

His lips capture mine again as his hands slide up my sides. My breath hitches when his fingers find my bra clasp, deftly undoing it. The lace falls away, and I shiver as the cool air hits my sensitive skin.

Vadim breaks our kiss, and I almost whimper at the loss of contact. But then his mouth starts trailing down my neck, and coherent thought dissolves. Each press of his lips erases the memory of bruises, replacing pain with pleasure. When hereaches my collarbone, his tongue traces the delicate hollow there.

God, how I've missed his touch.

His hands and lips now move with renewed purpose, as if memorizing every inch of me all over again.

His mouth dips lower, and I rise to meet him instinctively. This is a slow and deliberate devotion. The feel of his searing hot lips is a promise—that we're stronger than our demons, that what we share is worth fighting for.

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