Page 47 of Immaculate Corruption (Romanoff Bratva)

He doesn’t answer for so long that I finally look up. Dima is staring past me at the wall, deep in thought.

Finally, he turns back to me, his icy blue eyes clear. “Loyalty. Honesty.”

I flinch. The lies I’ve told him linger between us, unspoken and foul.

I reach out and touch his hand with mine. His skin is warm and the contact sends a jolt through my arm. “I see that. You embody those things. You’re loyal to your Bratva, even when they’ve turned away from you. You’re loyal to your friends and your family.”

“And am I loyal to you?” he asks, turning his hand over and squeezing my fingers. “That’s all I really care about. You and Lukas. That’s who I serve now.”

His vulnerability is touching and more than a little surprising.

I swallow and decide—for once in my life—to be honest. “I’ve been with someone who valued his business over his fiancée. Jorik cared more about his power and influence and money than he ever cared about me. I’ve seen power corrupt people. I don’t that happening to me. More importantly, I don’t want it happening to Lukas.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Dima says.

I give him a small smile. “No, it doesn’t, but it’s because the answer is complicated.”

“Break it down for me.”

“I think you want to be loyal to me, Dima. I believe you’ve been honest with me and I appreciate that more than you can know, but—”

“But what?”

“But,” I continue, needing to get this all out while I can, “I’m afraid that won’t matter. Because I have to be loyal to Lukas now. He doesn’t have a voice, so I have to speak up for him. I have to be the one who makes sure he is safe. He can never be safe here.”

“Look at Vera,” Dima suggests. “Bringing twins into this world.”

I don’t know if Dima heard our conversation earlier or not, but that thought has been in my mind all night. Vera seemed to think Ilyasov was worth the potential risk to her children.

I don’t know if I could ever agree.

“I made the mistake once of leaving you both behind,” Dima continues. His breath is warm on my skin. “I won’t do it again. There’s a place for you in my world. And if there isn’t already, we’ll make one. We’ll carve one out.”

What Dima is saying sounds like a dream. But it’s a dream I wouldn’t mind falling into.

Is there a world where I could have everything? Where we could be together and Lukas could be safe?

Where Dima gets what he wants?

Where I get what I want?

Dima rises onto his hands and knees and slides across the bed towards me.

I feel like prey being stalked by a predator. But instead of running or fighting, I lie back and let Dima crawl over me. I let him pin my wrists to the bed. To knock my thighs apart with his knee.

My chest is heaving, straining against the deep V of my t-shirt, as Dima lowers his head and presses a kiss to the top of my cleavage.

“We can have everything, Arya,” he says. “Starting right now.”

Looking up at Dima, feeling his warmth around me, is like being intoxicated. My belly feels warm and my thoughts are muddled. I’m not longer worried about what I should or shouldn’t do, what is right or what isn’t.

All I can think about is what will feel good. What will make me happy.

And right now, the answer to that is him.

My wrists are still pinned to the bed, but I strain against his hold and sit up to kiss him. Immediately, Dima drives me back down to the mattress, teasing me away from him.

His knee slides higher between my legs. I grind myself over him like an animal in heat, desperate and needy.

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