Page 112 of Volatile

Every night she’s slept in my arms without letting them touch, she’ll kiss my cheek and she won’t want anything other than my arms to touch her. Because my crazy girl has been waiting for her revenge to be mine again, not her revenge — mine. I fucking knew she loved me.

Stasi breathes life into me as she leans up on her toes to wrap her arms around my neck without any hesitance.

She needed blood, and I need her.

FORTY-ONE

Anastasia

Igave myself something to focus on, a goal to work towards so I didn’t have to think about anything else, it consumed me, otherwise Vitali would have. Now I don’t have that, he’s back to invading my senses and I gasp into his mouth when my back hits the rough bark. He pushes me further into the tree with urgency and his hands move around my body as he tries to pull back. The space doesn’t last as we both move back together again.

Sleeping beside him isn’t the same as being present. I’ve missed him, being fully with him and having his dopey grin in my face.

He kisses across my jaw as he grinds into me and his lips brush the shell of my ear as he says, “Marry me, sweetness.”

It’s not a question and I feel more normal hearing the same bullshit out of his mouth. I laugh in response, and he moves back, blinking as though he wasn’t aware of what came out of his own mouth.The slow smile reaches ear from ear when it finishes its ascent, and he rests his palms on the tree either side of my head.

“You are going to be my wife one day,” he claims as though it’s fact.

My chest shakes and I have to bite my lip so I don’t laugh in his face. He flexes his arms into a standing push up and presses his lips against mine with every syllable.

“Anastasia Maskimovna Vartanova.” No one ever says my patronymic name since my dad died, but Vitali did and he’s the puppy again as he scrunches his nose up. “Bit long so don’t get arrested.”

My body language doesn’t match my refusal as I thread my fingers together at his nape.

“Who said I’d marry you?”

He fills me with warmth as he steps into my body while confusing the fuck out of me.

“We’ve been together for over a year, and it is kind of romantic under the stars.”

He’s delusional, in a way that I have to laugh or I’ll go crazy. I know it can’t be drugs fucking with his head since he’s finished his detox and his brothers watch everything he does but there’s got to be something, a parasite or infection that alters his cognitive function.

“We’re not together,” I whisper.

He hardens and looks cute with his brows coming together as he says, “The first time you slept in my bed was over a year ago.”

That unhelpful piece of information does nothing to say we were in relationship of any kind. We were just meeting each other’s needs. Even if the thought of there being a day I don’t wake up beside him has my heart sinking, and I can’t bear the thought of anyone taking that spot, we aren’t in a relationship that could lead to marriage

Vitali sighs and dips his head, so we’re eye to eye. “Can you hear me?”

Weird fuck.

Nodding my head at his dumbass question, he cups my face in both hands and speaks louder and slower than necessary.

“You are my woman, Anastasia.Thewoman, for me.” His head moves up and down as he acts like a condescending prick. “Nod your head if you understand.”

When I don’t move he sighs again and gently holds my jaw to make me nod.He steps back from me and grabs my hand, threading our fingers together before bringing it up to his lips. The part of Vitali I adore comes out with his smile.

“Good girl, now that’s settled let’s go home so you can sit on my face, it’s missed you.”

I tuck myself into his side with my arm around his middle and he kisses the top of my head as he hugs me closer as we walk through the trees to his car.

He doesn’t let go of my hand the entire drive and alternates between squeezes and kissing my knuckles. But his voice is back with his smiles as he refuses to give up on his idea of marriage.

“Do you think they’ll let us keep the crowns? I’d love fucking you in it and I reckon it would suit me.”

I roll my eyes as he squeezes my hand tighter, stopping me from pulling it back. “They’re extremely heavy, I had a dead arm after holding Inessa’s for so long.”

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