Page 13 of Ruthless Salvation

Shrugging, I sampled the strawberries while I waited for the champagne. The man must have run the entire way back to the kitchen because he returned within minutes. I took the glass from the tray this time, hoping to avoid another scene. He apologized yet again before leaving me to savor the drink. It was the perfect complement to the sweet fruit. Damyon’s gesture had been incredibly thoughtful, and I let him know the moment he arrived a half hour later.

“It was the least I could do, Sladkaya angel. I hated to keep you waiting.” He pressed a kiss to my lips, then drew away from me to allow his gaze to take a languid trip down my body. “You are exquisite, Alina. Totally and completely breathtaking.”

“And you are awfully good with words.” My blushing cheeks had to be as red as my satin dress. How did he always know the perfect thing to say? I’d met Southern charmers before, but Damyon was in a league of his own.

“With you, it is easy. I have never met a woman who captures me the way you do.” He brought my hand to his mouth and placed an ardent kiss on my knuckles. “Now, let us leave for dinner before I devour you instead.”

Please, God.Yes.

The words never made it past my suddenly parched throat, but I felt them down to my weeping core. I wanted this man so desperately. My body ached for him. However, I’d been raised with traditional Southern values, so I never raced into a physical relationship. I wasn’t a virgin or anything, but I preferred to form an emotional connection before I was intimate with a man.

We’d talked about everything under the sun. Spent sunsets and sunrises together. Laughed together, and once, when I saw a painting in a museum that my mother had a print of in her bedroom, he held me while I cried.

Connection signed, sealed, and delivered.

My heart waved the green flag with enough force to knock my entire body off balance. I was practically giddy with the revelation. Wanting to ensure the night was perfect, I allowed Damyon to help me into my coat and take me to dinner.

He escorted me to a lovely French restaurant, which was empty save for a small number of staff who greeted us both like royalty. I smiled and saved my questions until we were seated.

“I don’t understand. Why is no one else here?”

“Because I reserved the whole restaurant for us. That way, I can have you all to myself. No distractions.” He poured us each a glass of wine from the uncorked bottle waiting at our table.

“That’s very sweet of you but unnecessary,” I said softly, a smidge overwhelmed by his grand gestures. “I hope you know that all I really want is to spend time with you.”

His hand covered mine, drawing my gaze back to his. “Moy angel, I have never wanted anything more in my life than I want you. To be with you and call you mine.” He paused with something more like poignancy than uncertainty. He wanted to emphasize the importance of whatever he was about to say next, and I waited with bated breath. “Tell me you will stay here in Moscow with me. Tell me you will not leave.”

“You … you want me to stay?” I asked in a whisper, too hopeful to believe my own ears. I’d imagined this exact scenario but hardly expected it to happen. These things didn’t happen in real life, did they?

There were reasons for the stereotype of men avoiding commitment and being slow to admit their feelings. That sort of man was more common than not, but Damyon was an exception to the rule. He was refreshingly transparent with his desire for me. He could be doting and affectionate without losing an ounce of the masculine prowess that radiated off him. I would have been crazy to let him slip through my fingers.

“This is all awfully fast. Are you sure you want this?” I couldn’t help but give him one more chance to reconsider.

He leaned closer, eyes as pale as the winter sky, holding my gaze unflinchingly. “I have never been more sure of anything in my life.” Concise and unequivocal. Damyon wanted me to stay in Russia with him.

A cocktail of elation and relief filtered into my bloodstream.

Logic dictated this important decision was worthy of careful consideration, but logic and reason were rooted in reality, which had been rather harsh to me of late. This entire trip was about self-discovery and healing my soul. Who was to say this wasn’t the exact path I was meant to take? If my heart pleaded with me to say yes, wouldn’t it be counterproductive to refuse?

The only problem was Honey.

My friends had all left home for college, and without my parents to help me, I’d had to withdraw from the school I’d planned to attend. If I was honest, I didn’t have a job waiting for me or pets or anything. The only true downside was how badly my heart would hurt to be so far from Honey. Knowing her, however, she’d insist I follow my heart. I had no doubt on that matter. Honey was a sucker for a good love story, and she only ever wanted me to be happy.

“I heard back from the minister of family affairs.” Damyon’s statement brought my thoughts to a sputtering halt.

My racing heart slammed against my ribs. “You did?”

He nodded. “We do not have your file yet, but they have located the records from that facility. He expects to have the file for us next week. Stay, Alina. You do not have to decide to stay forever but stay for now. We can have a little more time together, and you can learn about your past.”

He made a good point. Extending my trip didn’t mean I could never go home. I had dual citizenship, so I could come and go as I pleased.

Maybe I’d been overthinking everything. All of it.

I peered across the candlelit table and offered a soft smile. “I suppose a couple more weeks couldn’t hurt.”

If I wasn’t sure of my decision already, Damyon’s answering grin sealed my fate. “This is truly worthy of a celebration.”

I had to fight back the toothy grin of a kid at Christmas. “Under one condition, though.” I forced as much authority into my words as possible.

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