Page 25 of Savage Beauty

Apart from Morgana, no one has ever taken the time to truly get to know me. Not since my Mom, anyway. But Sasha paid attention, remembered it all, and used it to paint a picture of who I am. That means more to me than words can express. Tears well up in my eyes, and I sink to my knees, gripping the edge of the bathtub.

“Oh, Sasha,” I sob. “I’m so confused. Whoareyou? What is this?”

He’s on the floor beside me, his hand on my cheek. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. Is it too much?”

“It’s not just this.” Our eyes meet. “It’severything. You’re making me believe in something, and that’s just a fast track to pain. Isn’t being your wife enough? You can make me do whatever you want. You don’t have to break my heart too.”

I don’t know why I’m saying this now. Other men told me I mattered, only to treat me like crap and discard me when they were done. But this feels different.

Sasha told me he hadn’t touched another woman since we met. His obsession knows no bounds. He’s killed and maimed for me, and I have no doubt he’d do it again. He risked his life and his family’s empire to claim me as his own, chased me when I ran, and now his touch feels like a brand, erasing every trace of my sordid past.

If this man is deceiving me, I’ll be shattered. My heart will fracture like an earthquake, splitting my body in two.

I don’t resist as Sasha pulls me onto his lap, his back against the bath. I straddle him and sigh as he puts a warm hand on my head, resting my cheek on his chest. Surprised to hear his heart pounding, I sit up again, my hands on his shoulders.

“What’s the matter?” I whisper.

“Nothing.” He slips a hand to the back of my neck, massaging it gently. “What could be wrong? It’s right,zolotse. So, so right.” He slides his arm around my waist and pulls me closer, drawing my lips to his.

I didn’t expect him to kiss this way. He moves his mouth slowly, exploring with his tongue, and my core pulls at the thought of him doing the same to my pussy. I wrap my arms around his neck, my fingertips finding his shaved nape, and he moans into my mouth.

“Sasha,” I whisper. “Don’t touch me like this. Don’t kiss me like I’m everything when you know you’ll toss me aside when you’ve had enough.”

“Never,” he murmurs against my lips. I feel his hardness against me as he rocks my body, his hand slipping into the back of my jeans. “You’re mine, and I’m yours. How can I prove I’m a fucking goner for you?”

A high-pitched sound, like a record scratch. Sasha breaks away from me and frowns, looking at the window. Outside, I hear his name being called. Another sharp thud, and I realize someone is throwing things at the house.

A brisk knock and Vlad’s head appears round the bedroom door.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he says, “but I think this one’s on you.”

17

Sasha

Josie disentangles herself from me and gets to her feet. She goes to the window and opens it wide, leaning out. A squeal of laughter emanates from the street below, followed by the sound of something breaking, and I know who’s come around.

Like her father, Claudia is an impulsive, hot-headed firebrand, and I liked that about her superficially. But there’s nothing beneath the surface except festering insecurity and a terrifying propensity to get over-attached. She’s never gone quite this crazy before, but then again, I did say I’d marry her only to jilt her spectacularly in front of everyone she knows.

Right now, she looks like hell. She’s wearing a dress so low in the front and short in the hemline that I’ve no idea what’s holding it together. She’s lost one of her feathered mules, her eye makeup is streaked, and even from this distance, I can tell she’s more than drunk. There’s a certain kind of wasted look in her eyes, and I can only hope she’s not gonna overdose right there in the goddamn road.

“Claudia!” I shout out of the window. “Go home, for fuck’s sake. This isn’t helping.”

She ignores me entirely and addresses Josie, who stands frozen beside me.

“How does it feel to be the slut of the moment?” she yells. “He only married you because you tried to get away. Sasha Kislev doesn’t know how to love someone—he told me so right after he fucked me.”

“That’s bullshit,” I say to Josie. “I never touched her.”

“We dated!” Claudia is stumbling around in circles, her one high heel spinning her like a top. “It wasn’t just an arranged marriage. He told me it was love. Obsession. He’d never wanted anyone more.” She throws her arms in the air. “Now look at me!”

Josie hasn’t spoken or moved. She’s like a statue, and when I reach for her, she tenses, pulling away. Claudia is picking up our potted plants and smashing them on the ground.

“You’d better go talk to her,” Josie says, her voice like ice.

I pause, wanting to make it right, but I can’t. Not with my ex ranting like a lunatic in the street below.

I follow Vlad out of the room, closing the door behind me.

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