Page 44 of Darkest Love
“We figured we should return home soon,” Natalya says. “I want to have the baby in New York and I can’t travel on a plane for much longer.”
“I understand,” I say, giving her a hug.
“And we’re going too,” Sasha adds, nodding at Irina. “This is your time to spend with your husband. But if you ever need to come home, you always can.”
I glance at Adrien with a small smile. “I think I’ll be ok.”
My sisters and their husbands leave. The last person to go is my mom.
She gives me a long, fierce hug. “I love you. Stay safe. Please.”
“Adrien can do it. He can keep me safe. I believe it now.” I pull back from the hug. “And thank you for not telling me I was wrong to marry him. At first, I regretted it. But now… now I have hope. I have hope that I can make this work with him.”
She gives me a tender smile and pushes my hair back behind my ear. “I hope for that too.”
After she leaves, it’s just me and Adrien.
We stand in the foyer together, awkwardly, neither of us knowing how to navigate this situation.
Remy’s attacked changed something in us. For the past week, we’ve been dancing around each other. Wanting to be together but not knowing how to bridge the gap.
Adrien is afraid to love after losing his mother horrifically as a child. I have to show him that he doesn’t need to be afraid of it. That we can be stronger for it. We already are. If there wasn’t some sort of care between us, neither one of us would have saved the other one from Remy.
So, with a deep breath, I cross the space between us and kiss him. Adrien responds to the kiss eagerly, scooping me into his arms, and carrying me into the bedroom. I’ve wanted him to touch me for weeks now. Ever since he put his mouth on me, I’ve been desperate for his touch.
Now I just have to trust that he’ll open his heart to me fully. That sex won’t just be physical but that it can also be a loving experience between us. An adventure of our own.
“Are you sure about this?” Adrien asks, pulling back from the kiss. We’re both breathing heavy. My arm is sore but that won’t get in the way of how I’m feeling.
I cup his face. “Will you promise to love me?”
“I think I’m already there,” he admits, his eyes softening. “After you got hurt, I knew I had feelings for you. More than I was ready to deal with. But I know I have them.”
“You don’t need to be afraid of them. We can do this together. I’ve never been in love. But I know I can love you. I was ready to give you my heart the first time we met. You just have to give me your heart in return. Can you do that?”
His smile is crooked, making him look even more handsome somehow. “I can do that.” And then he kisses me again, stealing my breath away.
Chapter Nineteen
Adrien
Kissing Ana just feelsright. Like I’m returning home from a war. Like she could be the person I spend my forever with. I never thought I would want to be monogamous with one woman but Ana has proven me wrong.
After almost losing her, I know I want her. It’s not just about sex. I want all of her. If I’m being honest, holding myself back from love was always tiring. Never allowing myself to get close to anybody before was a lonely existence.
But I don’t feel lonely anymore.
Ana lets out a soft moan as she arches into me. I still remember what she tasted like on my tongue. Now, I want to claim all of her, including her heart.
I sit up and help her lift her summer dress off. She winces slightly when I brush her arm.
“It’s still sore,” she says.
“Then I’ll make sure I’m careful.”
I make quick work of her bra and the sight of her in nothing but her panties makes me hard beyond belief. I need her now. All of her.
I kiss down her body to her stomach. Ana arches and rolls her hips around, clearly desperate for this. I know how badly she’s wanted an adventure since we first met. Well, now she’s finally getting it.
