Page 179 of His Forced Bride

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"I used to imagine what it would feel like to be loved," I say when his lips pull away from mine to nibble my ear again.

"And?"

"I thought it would be gentle and safe."

I laugh softly.

"I never imagined it would feel like drowning and flying at the same time."

"Is that what this feels like?"

"Yes."

I lift my head to meet his gaze.

"Terrifying and exhilarating and absolutely necessary."

His expression grows serious.

"I never expected to love again. After Yelena died, I thought that part of me was buried with her."

He rarely speaks of her.

I think he tries to respect me in that, but I don’t mind.

I'm not in competition with the ghost of his dead wife.

"Do you think she would approve?" I ask.

"She would understand."

His hand moves to cradle my face.

"She knew what our world demands, how rare it is to find someone strong enough to stand beside you instead of behind you."

We both know it's true.

In the wreckage of our separate losses—his son, my father, my carefully planned future—we discovered something neither of us expected.

And now we're better for it.

The partnership we're forming, an alliance between my family's legacy and his empire, will control all of St. Petersburg in under five years, and perhaps all of Russia one day.

The sound of voices in the garden draws our attention to the window.

Oleg's deep rumble mixes with Alexei's lighter tone as they discuss security rotations.

Normal sounds of our protected world, as familiar now as breathing.

"I should check the overnight reports," Yuri says, though still he makes no move to leave the bed.

"And I should review the production schedules."

I settle more comfortably against him.

"In a few minutes."

"A few minutes," he agrees as his lips cover my mouth again.

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