Page 154 of Fall into Savagery

Linda had stayed with the boys and was currently asleep in Nikolay’s room.

I was exhausted.

Not necessarily in a bad way, but in an empty way.

Exhausted in a way that I didn’t want to let any of my men out of my sight.

I needed them close by, and I tightened my grip on Nikolay when it looked like he was going to walk away.

“Shh, it’s okay, princess. I’m gonna go check on the boys, okay? Why don’t you go get ready for bed with Damien and Mikhail, and I will be there soon, deal?”

I bit my bottom lip and hesitated for a second before nodding.

“Deal,” I whispered.

He offered me a small smile, and I held onto that in my mind for as long as possible while I watched him walk away. After a beat, Damien came close to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

I let him lead me back to his room and straight to the bathroom.

We both got ready for bed, and once I finished, Damien walked out of the bathroom, only to come back a few quick moments later, coming in close to me, his dark gaze taking me in, and not missing a single thing.

I felt vulnerable—but in the best way possible.

He quickly stripped off my clothes, his dark eyes stopping at my puckered nipples before he held out a shirt I didn’t even notice was in his hand.

He must have grabbed it when he left. He put it on me without saying a word, the intensity of his dark gaze burning into me.

Damien turned me around until I looked at our reflection in the mirror.

The tired girl there seemed almost unrecognizable to me.

But the man behind her wasn’t.

He was as recognizable to me as the back of my hand.

From his short, buzzed-cut brown hair, the neatly trimmed beard, and the long vertical scar on the left side of his face, he was recognizable to me.

I let my eyes run over every single one of his features lovingly. As tired as I was, I didn’t want to look away from Damien.

“Pet,” he said softly.

I leaned back until I was touching him, taking in as much of his warmth for myself as possible.

And he held still for me like I knew he would. My six-foot-five giant of a man was letting me take the lead.

I stepped in a little closer.

If I could, I would have burrowed myself into his body and never come out. I would permanently etch myself to him had it been possible.

I moved in a little closer still, and even then, it wasn’t enough. Damien seemed to know what I wanted because he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me firmly against him.

I met his eyes through the mirror.

Like this, it felt like he was looking straight into my soul.

Like he could see me for me and that everything would be okaybecausehe could see me.

We didn’t say a word.

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