Page 70 of Delicious Prey

“Your wound,” I tell him, but he ignores my concern and lowers his head to my stomach.

He whispers something in Russian, his lips tickling my skin, and kisses a line along my stomach. Looking up at me, his eyes are filled with love and there’s a sweetness to them that I’m confident wasn’t there before he met me, and that makes me feel so damn special.

“I can’t believe we’re going to have a baby.”

I cup his face and gently push him onto his back again, because I know being on his side must be hurting him, whether he wants to admit it or not. He allows it. Too busy smiling to insist he’s okay.

“Are you really happy about this?”

He grabs my hand and kisses it. “So fucking happy, baby.” He smiles and presses the palm of my hand to his cheek. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

When we head back downstairs, I laugh when I open the freezer and see it loaded with casseroles. Kirill comes up behind me and kisses the top of my head.

“I see you’ve learned Vadim’s secret.”

I tilt my head back and look up at him. “What secret?”

He laughs and says, “He cooks when he’s nervous. He’s probably been cooking all damn week for us.”

I smile and reach in, seeing that all the containers have been clearly labeled. “Damn,” I say, looking through all of them. “How about the eggplant parmesan?”

“Sounds good, baby.” He gives my ass a soft smack and then says, “I’ll be right back. I just want to make sure the security footage looks good and that nothing’s changed.”

“Okay.” I preheat the oven and fill up the kettle so I can make some tea. “But don’t be long. You’re supposed to be resting.”

He laughs as he walks away. “Yes, ma’am.”

The casserole is in the oven, my tea is made, and I’m just about to go and hunt him down when he walks into the kitchen, looking so gorgeous I want to snap a photo just so I can frame it and see it anytime I want. The black of his T-shirt looks great against his tanned, tattooed skin, and it really makes the grey of his eyes stand out. The man is gorgeous, effortlessly handsome as hell. The small smile playing at his lips as he walks closer has me lifting a brow. I can tell he’s up to something. I just have no idea what it is. Not until he stops in front of me and lowers down to one knee.

“Oh my god,” I whisper, wondering if there’s any way in hell I might be misreading what’s about to happen, because god wouldn’t that be embarrassing? I start screaming because I think he’s about to propose when really he’s just knelt down to tie his damn shoe. He lets me know exactly what’s going on when he grabs my hand and reveals the black, velvet box he’s holding.

“What? How did you?” I can barely get the words out. My voice is shaking, my eyes are threatening to spill over, and my heart is racing.

He smiles and squeezes my hand. “I’ve had this ring for a while,” he admits.

“For how long?”

“A while,” is all he says. “I’ve known I was going to propose to you for a long time. I knew that you were the only woman I’d ever want to be my wife.”

He opens the box, and I let out a soft gasp. I had no idea they made diamonds this big in real life. There’s a large, round, pink diamond in the center that’s surrounded by smaller diamonds, and it’s so beautiful and sparkly, and even though I’ve never been a real girly girl, this thing makes me want to squeal.

He gives me a wink, reading everything I’m thinking so easily. “I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

“It’s nothing compared to you.”

I bite my bottom lip and try not to cry while he takes the ring out and slips it on my finger. It fits perfectly. I’m not at all surprised that this man knows my ring size. Even though I’d basically agreed to marry him already and the ring is already sparkling on my finger, he still looks up at me, those grey eyes calm instead of stormy, and says the words I’ll never forget.

“I’m not a good man, sweetheart. I’m a bad man, the kind of man that shouldn’t even be allowed in the same room as someone like you, but even with all my faults, I promise that I will always try to be the best possible husband to you. I will always protect you and love you and be faithful to you because no other woman will ever exist for me. You’re all I want, and you’re all I need. I will love you until the day I die.”

He stops and gives a soft shake of his head. “No, that’s not right. I will love you for eternity because how I feel for you isn’t going to stop when my heart does. Whatever part of me continues on after death will be filled with love for you.”

I’m crying hard enough to blur my vision now, but I still see the sweet smile he gives me. He leans closer and kisses my stomach. “And I will love our baby, all of our children, and be the best daddy in the world to them.” He raises his eyes to mine and asks, “Will you marry me, baby?”

I rest my hands on his head and thread my fingers through his hair. Looking down, I don’t see the man who killed my dad. I no longer see that when I look at him. The past can’t be changed, and I’m not going to let it destroy our future. I know who Kirill is, the kind of man he is and what he’s capable of, and I know he’d never hurt me and that he’ll do everything he can to keep me and however many kids we have safe. I also know that I love him completely and that a life without him is not one I want. So when I say, “Yes,” I mean it with everything I am. Every part of me is his, just like every part of him is mine.

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