Page 174 of Dirty Grovel

“It’s done,” I murmur with finality. It’s finally fucking over. “Move out,” I order, raising my hand.

Our work is complete. And thanks to my tech, no one will ever know we were here.

I have no desire to linger. No desire to revel in this victory. The only thing I want now is to get home as fast as I can.

Because I have a woman who needs me.

And promises to keep.

56

SUTTON

It’s become like second nature to me.

Reaching for him. Touching him. Leaning into his quiet strength.

The moment I sink into the chaise couch, his arm curls around me protectively.

Every time I feel that prickling edge start to trickle in, the terror of floating alone against choppy waves, the panic of seeing nothing but fire and ruin and water… I grip Oleg a little tighter.

As if he can sense what I need, he engulfs me in an embrace without a word. But the silent promise echoes deep inside me.

I will never let you go.

I will never let you down.

And three, four, five breaths later, I can feel myself break the surface of that dark, turbulent trauma. My body relaxes, humming with pleasure at the proximity to Oleg.

It’s one of those perfect evenings on the terrace. Light breeze in the air, the stirring of the trees, the chirp of insects and birds as they whir around the gardens.

“Sleepy?”

“No,” I lie. “Just resting my eyes.”

“We really should take it easy now that you’re entering your second trimester,” he says.

I pull back and squint up at him. “Where was that ‘take it easy’ energy when you wanted to go for a third round last night?”

He smirks. “I’ll admit that the third time was one too many.”

“Never thought I’d hear you say that.”

He hooks a finger underneath my chin and forces my gaze up to meet his. “Baby, if I could take you ten times a day, I would. But you’re still recovering from the explosion.”

The truth is, apart from a little PTSD here and there, I’ve all but completely recovered from our ocean ordeal. But it serves me to play it up a little.

I barely feel guilty about milking the situation.

Especially since it means that Oleg has been working faithfully from home now for two whole weeks, with no signs of stopping.

He’s kept his word. Rarely does he leave my side, and even when he does, he doesn’t leave the house. It’s been the two of us, breathing each other’s air for a fortnight.

So far, it’s been bliss.

Paradise.

Without the teeth.

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