Page 167 of Toxic Salvation
Her hand falls to the water in slow motion, like a dying butterfly.
“Ihor was so focused on trying to knock me out that he didn’t notice.”
“Who was it?”
“Tikhon. He had a stab wound in his side. He could barely walk, but he dragged himself in there and threw himself at Ihor. He had his gun out, was about to shoot, but Ihor ran. Just bolted out of that room and disappeared.”
A sob breaks through her lips.
“Tikhon collapsed. I did everything I could to stop the bleeding. But he’d lost too much already. All I could do was hold his hand while he died.”
“Come here,krasivyy.” I pull Vesper into my arms as the shudders start to rip through her again.
“He saved my life, Kovan. If it weren’t for Tikhon, I’d be dead. I’d be— I’d be— And then Luka, and our baby, and you, you’d be…”
Even the possibility of what she cannot say is enough to paralyze me with fear. I wasn’t lying earlier—there’s no point to my life without her in it.
“It’s okay, my love. You’re okay. You’re safe now.”
She swallows down the sobs so she can speak. “All I could think was that I had to see you again. There was a moment when Ihor had his hands around my neck, just before Tikhon showed up, and I thought I was going to die. I didn’t want to die before I saw you again.”
“You’re not going to die at all, Vesper. You’re not going to die for a very long time. When it is your time to go, you’re going to be a hundred and five and surrounded by our great-grandchildren.”
She smiles through her tears. “That sounds nice.”
I carry her out of the tub and into our bedroom. I alternate between toweling the water off her skin and kissing it away. She lets me, naked and vulnerable but not self-conscious anymore.
Once she’s dry, I pull her into my arms and hold her tightly, savoring her warmth and undeniable presence.
She’s here. She’s alive.
“I was so fucking scared,” I rasp, maybe the first time I’ve ever said those words out loud. “I’ve never been scared like that in my life. When you called?—”
“I’m sorry. I replayed that call later, after we hung up. I know what it must have sounded like. I should have been clearer.”
I cup her face and turn it up to mine. “I can’t lose you, Vesper.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
I pull her lips to mine and kiss her hungrily, pouring all my relief into that kiss. She tastes salty from her tears. My hands slip down her back. I’ve missed this—her silky skin, her perfect shape, the softness of her breasts. Touching her has become my favorite addiction.
I should stop. She’s not in the right headspace for this.
But the moment I try to pull away, she catches my lips with hers again. She pushes her body against mine as her hand palms my cock.
“Are you sure?” I whisper as she kisses my chest.
“Yes. I want you, Kovan. I want you so badly. I need you to make me forget.”
I grab her ass and lift her around my hips. She straddles me as I walk her back against the wall, my cock pushing against her. I can feel how wet she already is. She’s been longing for this as much as I have.
I kiss her breasts, my tongue circling her nipples. Vesper’s fingers twist into my hair as she pushes her hips toward me. One thrust and I’m deep inside her, feeling whole in a way I’ve never felt before. She’s tight and wet and beautiful around me.
We fuck for a while, a blur of limbs and positions, of mingled breaths. I can’t stop touching her and she can’t stop touching me. Because I’m alive. She’s alive. For as long as this lasts, we’ll both stay that way.
At some point, though, she clamps my face between her palms and draws my forehead to touch hers. “Kovan.” She gasps my name, her eyes drunk but focused on me. “I?—”
“Marry me.”
