Page 228 of Ruins
I sigh, running a hand through my hair as I lean against the wall. This month, I promised myself, was ours. No guards, no outside threats, no distractions.
Just us.
And if I have to spend every second reminding her that she is the best damn thing to ever happen to me, I will.
I cross the room, crouching down beside the couch, my hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. Her lashes flutter, and I smile despite myself. “Vasilisa,” I murmur, my voice low. “Wake up, Dea. What do you want to do for the rest of the day?”
She stirs, her lips parting in a soft sigh before her eyes open to meet mine. A small, sleepy smile curls at the corners of her mouth. “Swimming,” she whispers, her voice light but certain.
“Swimming,” I echo, brushing my thumb across her cheek.
“Yes,” she smiles, “I never got to try the indoor pool, can we?”
“Of course,” I respond, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before rising. “I’ll get everything ready.”
I use to swim laps in this pool, almost everyday, but I haven’t used it in years. I didn’t have the time, any time in the basement was for the gym or the range. Never the pool.
Yet here I am, watching her let the robe slide off her shoulders, revealing a pale pink bikini that leaves far too little to the imagination—and yet, not nearly enough. She is breathtaking.Ethereal.A masterpiece sculpted by gods, and somehow, impossibly, she ismywife.
My breath catches, my pulse stuttering in my chest. She’s delicate in ways that make me want to shield her from the world, but there’s confidence in her now. A grace, an awareness of just how stunning she is. Because sheknows. She knows she’smine.
She catches me staring, her lips curling into that soft smile that’s both shy and teasing at the same time. “You’re staring,” she says, turning her back to me as she dips her toes into the water.
“How could I not?” My voice is rougher than I intend, and I clear my throat, trying to get a grip.
She glances over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling. “You know, you didn’t have to request a bikini this small just to look at me. You could’ve just gotten me naked upstairs.”
I smirk, leaning against the wall, crossing my arms. She’s right. I had all her clothes picked out,thatincluded.
“You’ve been wanting to swim since you got here. I’m just giving you what you want.”
“WhatIwant?” she asks, stepping deeper into the pool until the water laps at her waist. She tilts her head, her hair catching the light. “What Iwant, Santo, is for you to stop hovering at the edge like some bodyguard and get in here.”
Her words are a challenge, and the spark in her eyes dares me to refuse. I can’t help but grin. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” she quips, a smirk playing at her lips, turning away and starting to float on her back. The smooth, graceful curve of her body distracts me for longer than I’d like to admit.
I pull my shirt over my head, her laughter echoing softly as I toss it aside. “I think you’re just trying to get me in here so you can seduce me like the siren you are,” I tease as I step toward the water.
Her laugh is pure light. “If I wanted to seduce you, Santo, I wouldn’t need a pool to do it,” she retorts with all the confidence in the world and I love it.
I love her.
The sight of her—the way the water clings to her skin, the way she watches me, daring me to close the space between us—that undoes me.
She undoes me.
She doesn’t just belong here, in this pool, in this house.She belongs with me, and I’ll spend every day of my life proving it to her.
I dive in, cutting through the still water like a blade. She shrieks, instinctively trying to escape, but she doesn’t stand a chance. Not against me. I surface behind her, looping my arms around her waist and pulling her back against me. She squirms in my hold, laughing breathlessly as she tries to break free.
“I’ve got you now, siren,” I tease into her ear while nuzzling the side of her neck, eliciting a soft gasp from her lips.
She slows down her struggles and relaxes against me, playfulness giving way to something more intimate. Her back molds perfectly against my chest, every curve fitting me like a puzzle piece. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply; cashmere, warm amber...Vasilisa.
“You’re dangerous Santo,” she gasps, her body shivering with goosebumps as my lips graze her neck and my tongue leaves a trail of fire in its wake.
“I am,” I say, my voice low as I leave my mark on her skin. “But you’ll always be safe in my arms.”
