Page 75 of An Arranged Virgin for the Bratva

“Tonight.” He opens his eyes. “I thought I might have lost you for good. And I swear it was the darkest moment of my life. Everything good seemed to lose meaning. Every hope, every prayer became useless. The future seemed unimaginable. Sof, I truly don’t remember what life was before you came into it. I truly don’t think I could live without you by my side.”

He takes my hand and presses it to his cheek, raw, unadulterated affection flowing through. I feel my heart race at his words, not for the novelty of it, but because…

“I feel the same way, Vlad,” I whisper. His eyes widen, he sits a little straighter and his face breaks into a smile that could light a million homes.

“You know,” he says, a mix of mischief and guilt crossing his face. “In the spirit of honesty, I do have a confession to make.”

“You’re an alien?”

He snorts, getting into bed and taking me in his arms. “Unfortunately, no. But since the family gathering, I have been hooked on you, Sofia. From the moment I saw you, this stunning, fiery woman who wouldn’t give me the time of the day… I was captivated. You were a mystery, an equal. Someone who could keep me on edge."

I blink, processing his words. "So the mission…?"

"It was a way to get closer to you," he admits, shame coloring his voice. "I'm sorry, Sofia. I should have been honest from the start. I knew about it, but I never married you tojeopardize it. In fact, I used it to get close to you, to get you into my bed."

I stare at him for a moment, a flurry of emotions swirling inside me. His admission leaves me feeling both stunned and weirdly touched. Maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised; after all, he’s Vladimir Zolotov. He’s a strange man, but he’smystrange man.

"I don't… I don't know what to say."

The truth is, I don’t know whether to laugh or whack him for the audacity of it all. But more importantly, I don’t feel the need to do either. None of what brought us here matters. All that matters is that we’re in this together, safe and happy in each other’s arms.

Vlad reaches for my hand, his touch hesitant. "Say you forgive me. Say you feel even a fraction of what I feel for you."

I look at him, this man who's turned my world upside down. "I don’t think I have anything to forgive,” I say, surprising myself with the truth.

I feel it before I say it in the way he makes my toes curl up, the way he makes me feel safe, the way I sleep better in his bed than I ever did in my own, the way I no longer look over my shoulder. The way he makes me belong.

"You don’t?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nod, surprising myself with the certainty I feel. "You're the only one who truly understands me, Vlad. Your quiet strength, your ability to love even when we disagree… your undying loyalty. It's everything I never knew I needed."

Vlad's hand tightens around mine. "Sofia, I—”

"Let me finish," I interrupt, needing him to know the depths of what it is I feel. "I've spent so long being the dutiful sister, the girl with a mask. But with you, I can just be… me."

A smile tugs at the corners of Vlad's lips. "And who is that?"

I lean in closer, my breath mingling with his. "Someone who's no longer afraid to say… I love you."

The moment the words leave my mouth, Vlad's eyes light up like stars. He cups my face gently, his thumb tracing my cheekbone.

"I love you too, my fierce, beautiful Sofia," he murmurs.

And with that, our lips meet in a kiss that speaks more than any words ever could. It's the kiss of a thousand sunsets, and it fills me with an unmatched warmth, a feeling of homecoming like nothing I've ever experienced before.

I part my lips, and he tastes like the sweetest fruit. Vlad's hands start to move down my body, his fingers dancing along my collarbone, sending chills down my spine. He's always been so good at reading my body language, even though we're worlds apart. But now, in this moment, there's a deep understanding between us.

"Let me show you how much I love you," he whispers in my ear before trailing a line of kisses down my neck.

“You don’t have to show me, Vlad,” I whisper, throwing my neck back. “I already know.”

“And we have a lifetime to explore the depths of it,” he says, his fingers now trailing up my arms, leaving a line of fire in their wake. His fingers slide to the hem of my shirt, grazing the under of my belly, and with a gentle tug, he lifts it over my head,exposing my body to the cool air. His eyes linger on the curve of my neck and the rise of my breasts.

"You're more beautiful than even I imagined," he says, his voice husky with desire. He slowly trails a line down my cleavage, down to my belly, down to my trousers.

I lie there, entranced, as he takes his time undoing my trousers. He makes his way down, and I arch my hips up for him to slide them off.

Slowly, he kisses my leg. He moves inch by inch, all the way from my knee up to my inner thigh. His hands slide gently, teasingly up my sides, sending shivers through my entire body, leaving me aching for more. His breath is hot as he reaches the apex of my thighs. He slides his fingers in through the elastic of my panties, slowly pulling them down and discarding them on the floor before positioning himself between my legs.

---