Page 50 of Possessive Vows

“Be strong for a few more moments,so´lnyshka. We will check the house first,” I say.

She nods and shifts her body closer.

After checking the security system and a quick walk-through of the townhouse, I deem it safe.

I blink in shock as Camilla presses her front to mine, wraps her arms around me, and rests the side of her face against my chest. Unable to resist, I return her embrace. Her body fits perfectly against mine. Peace flows through my hardened soul.

“I am here,so´lnyshka. You are safe,” I murmur.

“I don’t care about me!” she snaps.

Her outburst isn’t what I expect, so I use the silence to express my uncertainty. She lifts her head and meets my eyes.

“He wasright thereand you’re such a big target. What if…” She tightens her arms around me and shakes her head. “I can’t lose you, Dimitri. You’re the only one I can dothis—” she gives my midsection a squeeze, “—with.” She takes another shuddering breath. “You feel like coming home. I just…” Her voice breaks on a sob, but she sucks down a breath through her clenched teeth and firms her expression. “I trust you and I need you.”

Even as her arms band painfully tight around me, the pressure in my chest dissipates. I splay my hands over her back and hold her to me. Without saying the words, I know exactly how she feels.

She loves me.

I feel the same for her, but she is not ready to hear it.

“You honor me,so´lnyshka,” I rumble.

Her pupils dilate and color returns to her cheeks. She loosens her grip on me but leans harder against my front. Hunger and wariness war within her expressive orbs as she studies my shoulders.

“Honor is the last thing on my mind right now,” she mumbles.

Her eyes widen as she spots the blood on my collar.

“Did I do this?” she asks.

A shiver ghosts down my spine as she traces her fingertip around the scratch.

“Is nothing,” I insist, but she shakes her head and demands we find a first-aid kit.

I play along and trail after her as she rifles through the bathroom cabinets. When she finds a tube of ointment and a box of self-adhesive bandages, I let her lead me into the master bedroom and direct me to sit on the upholstered chair in the sitting area.

She’s the most magnificent woman I have ever seen.

When she grabs my tie, I grip the armrests to stop myself from reaching for her. Her fingers tremble so fiercely she struggles to pull the ends of my tie free from my suit. Leaning on decades worth of willpower, I force my muscles to relax and drop my hands onto my thighs.

“Look at me, Camilla,” I demand.

She aims her bottomless dark brown eyes at mine.

“I am yours,so´lnyshka. You are safe with me,” I murmur.

Her breath hitches, but the tension drains from her shoulders. She shuffles back and fixes her hair as she takes a moment to study me.

With renewed purpose, she steps forward, pushes my knees apart, stands with her legs between mine, and unbuttons my suit coat. My cock aches as she leans closer and loosens the knot of my tie. When she dips her fingers under my collar, I swallow and fight the urge to grab her hips and pull her into my lap. The intimacy of the moment wraps around us, erasing the rest of the world and making her the center of my universe.

She strips one end of my tie out of the knot and pulls the fabric free of my collar in one graceful, fluid movement. I dig my fingertips into my thighs and fill my lungs with her gentle, fruity scent. The hint of her arousal underlying her body spray fills my mouth with saliva. I swallow. Hunger shines from her eyes as she watches my Adam’s apple bob.

She firms her expression and unbuttons the first few buttons on my shirt before peeling my collar away from my throat.

“I’m sorry, Dimitri,” she says.

The throaty timbre of her voice tells of her desire even as guilt tilts the corners of her mouth down.

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