Page 73 of Born into Chaos

She gives a soft shrug. “Guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”

I laugh and give her another kiss, loving that she’s always going to keep me on my toes. When I pull back, she’s smiling up at me and giving me one of her heated looks. I’m slowly learning to read her arousal levels, and right now she’s sitting firmly atyou might want to limber up before bed tonight because I’m going to wear your ass out.

“God, I’m the luckiest fucking man alive,” I whisper against her lips. “I’ll give you what you’re begging me for,” I promise her, “but first I’m going to go get some firewood. It might snow tonight, and I thought it’d be nice to have a fire.”

Her face lights up, and I’m not at all surprised when her mind immediately goes to food. “We can make s’mores!”

“I didn’t buy any marshmallows,” I tell her, but she just waves her hand toward the kitchen in adon’t you worry your pretty little head about thatkind of way.

“We always have s’more supplies here.”

I raise a brow at her. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Because you know me well enough to know I’d never go anywhere without a bag of marshmallows?”

I smile at her and say, “Exactly. You’re insatiable in more ways than one, sweetheart.”

“Apparently, I just need dick and sugar.”

Laughing, I cup her face. “I think you’re forgetting a very important word in that sentence.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

“You’re supposed to say I just needyourdick and sugar.”

She grins and kisses me. “I just needyourdick and sugar.”

“Much better.” I give her another kiss before standing up. “I’m going to go and get some wood. I’ll be right back.”

She smacks my ass and smiles up at me. “Hurry back. I’m going to needyourdick again soon.”

I shake my head at her in mock disappointment. “I’m more than just a piece of meat, Sveta.”

She quirks a brow at me. “You are?”

I can’t help but laugh at what a smartass she can be. God, I love this woman. She gives my ass another smack before I walk away to get the firewood. Throwing my jacket on, I step outside and scan the line of trees that runs around the property. I’ve been keeping an eye on things, and I haven’t seen any signs of anything even remotely suspicious, but that doesn’t stop me from spending several minutes walking around the house and checking again. When I walk past the trellis on the side of the house, I take a second to stop and inspect it. It goes up to the second-floor window, and when I test the strength of it, I let out a groan at the thought of Sveta climbing her way down this thing. I’d say I can’t believe she was fucking crazy enough to do it, but I’m not at all surprised. I can easily imagine her flinging her beautiful leg out the window and scurrying her perfect ass down the side of the house. She probably laughed the whole way down.

I’m going to have my hands full with her.

I’m still smiling at the thought as I load up my arms with firewood and head back inside. While I start the fire, Sveta gives Samantha her bottle, and by the time I’m finished, she’s already burping her and then putting her in her playpen so she can kick at her piano. We watch her for a few minutes, and when I start toward the kitchen to get supper going, I see Sveta reaching for her sketchpad. She’s been working on a new drawing of Samantha, and I know she’s eager to get it finished.

After I’ve put the chicken in the oven, I set the timer and walk back into the living room. I don’t see Sveta and when I walk over to the playpen, I smile at the sight of Samantha sprawled out and in a deep sleep. I reach down and graze her cheek, whispering that I love herbefore going in search of Sveta. I find her by the side door that leads outside. She’s staring at the spot where I’d been stabbed, so lost in thought that she doesn’t realize I’m next to her until I’m standing right behind her.

She lets out a sigh and leans against me when I wrap my arms around her chest. “I’ve never been so scared in my life,” she whispers.

I lower my face to hers so our cheeks are touching as we both stare at the floor, remembering the night I almost died. “I’m fine,” I remind her. “I’m right here, and I’m alive and well because of you.”

She gives a quick nod, unable or unwilling to look away and turn her back on the memories that still haunt her.

“I dream about it sometimes,” she admits. “Except in my dreams, I can’t save you. I scream at you to stay awake, to stay with me, but you just slip away, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

Her voice is shaky and low, and I can hear the tremor in her words.

“I hate that you have nightmares about me, and I hate that you still worry.” I kiss her face and tighten my grip on her. “I wish I could take it all away, but I can’t. There’s no changing the past, I live with that painful truth every damn day, but we can’t let the memories ruin our future,pcholka. We’re together. That’s all that matters.”

She nods and turns her head enough to see me. “You’re right. I just get scared thinking about something happening to you. I don’t know what I’d do.”

I step in front of her so I can cup her face. “You’d survive, Sveta, because you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

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