Page 123 of Wrapped in Perfection

"Yes," she whimpers against my lips, her breath merging with mine, her body already quivering.

"I don't want to lose you," I admit, choking back emotions.

She kisses me harder. "You aren't." Her fingers dig into my shoulder and the back of my head.

"This isn't a world for you."

"Shh. You're my world." Her tongue is fire, blazing against mine, scorching everything in its path, leaving no room for me to resist her.

I get lost in her, barely noticing the lights blinking on buildings. Her whimpers and cries soothe my nerves. She gives all of herself to me, like always, wrapping her perfection around me, as if I didn't just reveal every dark part of my soul.

"I'm yours," she whispers in my ear, her body trembling around my flesh. "You're mine."

"I love you, kotik. I'm selfish for it," I murmur in her ear.

"No. You're selfish if you discard me."

Her statement affects me. I choke up again at the suggestion she would ever believe I could ever toss her aside.

"I...oh...oh...God!" she cries out, her body arching off the glass and pressing into me. "Dmitri!"

I release all of me into her. Violent as the man I am, growling her name and creating no air between the glass, her, and me.

I'm only whole with her. Without my kotik, I'm broken, and I never knew how much until she entered my life.

In our aftermath, the fog on the glass dwindles, and streaks of moisture drip down it, outlining the edge of her body. But I don't move.

She doesn't loosen her hold on me. In a firm, don't-argue-with-me voice, she claims, "The truth is out. There are no more secrets between us. Going forward, we won't have them, either. And I will decide how to take care of you now."

Everything I assumed was wrong. I thought I was the one who needed to take care of her. But her words cut into my soul, and I can't deny it. Every part of me needs her to do whatever she sees fit. She, and she alone, is the only person on earth who understands how to find any salvation within me.

25

Anna

Truth is a funny thing.It can destroy you or make you stronger. In Dmitri's and my case, it only binds us closer together, creating a bond so thick, no one could ever unravel it.

Our love is untouchable. I don't say it to be arrogant. It's my truth. It's weaved so tight in my heart, there's no room for error.

I don't disregard his past or the beast that lies within him. I know at any point, he could shred someone to pieces and go on with his day, as if nothing occurred.

Before I met him, I would have run and assumed I was safer away from a man who could do what he can. But it is his demon who would die to protect me. It's the man who stopped Mitch from harassing me and eliminated my anxiety that he would find and hurt, if not kill, me.

My acceptance is selfish. I want Dmitri's protection. At this point, if I left him, he would still give it to me. He would let me go and allow me to live how I wanted, but he would always have someone watching me, making sure I am okay. He told me this when he tried to understand why I refused to leave him.

But I can't exist anymore without his love. And those two things allow me to let the truth be what it is and not run from it. Instead, I embrace it.

I tell no one our secret. My family wouldn't understand. Harper or any of my other friends would never stop urging me to run. Part of me does wonder if Chase has any idea about Dmitri's ties. But since I made it clear that I would choose Dmitri over Chase, my brother hasn't said anything. He treats him like anyone else I would date. Well, excluding the last few years with how he acted around Mitch.

Dmitri keeps teaching me Russian, and I pick up more bits and pieces of conversations he has. I don't ask about things. Once he told me the truth, a calm swept over me. If he needed me to worry about an issue or be aware, he would tell me.

Viktor goes everywhere I go. I should be annoyed, but I've gotten quite used to him. He stays in the shadows most of the time, but I always know he is there. It's also become a daily challenge to see how many times I can get him to talk or smile. As much as he tries to maintain his stoic demeanor, I think I'm growing on him and wearing him down. I caught his lips twitching three times yesterday.

"Try this. I added coconut flakes today." Dmitri leans over me and sets two bowls of yogurt, fruit, nuts, and seeds in front of me. He just got back from his workout with his brothers. I'm still in my robe.

I tip my head back for a kiss, and he dips down to meet me. I glide my fingers over his head and deepen our kiss. "What's your schedule today?"

He sits next to me. "My brothers and I are going through which of our guys to send over to work on Vivian's foundation project."

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