Page 81 of Jetmir

“No, you’re home.”

I looked at him sadly. “Just because you say it’s home, it doesn’t make it so.”

An emotion—sadness, or maybe it was fear—flickered in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.

“You’re my home. I hoped one day I would be yours.”

You could have been, my mind screamed while my heart yelled that he was my home.

“Why did you approach Gabriel to make a trade for me?” I asked, changing the subject.

“I wanted you. From the moment I first saw you, it was game over for me.” There was no apology in his voice. No regret. “I love you, Anya. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you, and I will love you until my dying breath.”

My steps faltered and I stopped dancing.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” My voice was so low, I barely even heard my own words.

He nudged me and my body instantly obeyed, starting to slow dance again.

“Why not?” he inquired.

“Because…” I trailed off, my mind a fuzzy mess. He knew the reasons. It was pointless for me to parrot them again. So I took a sip of my tequila and said, “Thanks for stocking up with the top shelf.”

“Only the best for my wife.” I scoffed, but didn’t say anything else. The song had finished and another slower melody filled the space between us.

“You shouldn’t have lied, Jetmir,” I said softly.

“I’m sorry.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry for betraying you. I’m horrified that I hurt you, but I’m not sorry that you’re mine. This is our chance. This life. I’ve brought you somewhere where nobody will find us. Only you, me, and the stars. That’s all I wanted.”

“You’re impossible,” I grumbled under my breath, taking another sip of tequila. Gazing up at his face, the stars glittered high above us. How was I supposed to respond to something like that? My heart liked it. Heck, even my body did. It was incredibly romantic, yet… wrong. “I feel like you’ve been reading too many romance books, Jetmir.”

“I had to turn up my game so I can stay ahead of those book boyfriends of yours.”

“Well, the kidnapping trope isn’t my or my book boyfriends’ thing.”

He smiled. “You’re my wife, so technically I swept you up onto a romantic getaway.”

“You’re delusional,” I muttered.

“I prefer… hopeful.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course you do.”

“Anya, I just want a second chance. I want to be the reason you’re smiling for the rest of our lives. I want to be your everything like you’re mine. Please, my angel… give us another chance.”

The yearning in his voice was my undoing, even if I wasn’t ready to admit it. Ever since he kidnapped me, my walls had slowly started crumbling and I was desperately trying to keep the foundation up because I didn’t think I’d survive him and chaos that followed the second time around.

“Please stop,” I whispered.

“The day I stop and give up on us is the day my heart stops beating.”

“Haven’t we done enough damage?” I rasped, my heart trembling behind my rib cage.

“Show me this little mercy, wife, and pretend just right now that I haven’t fucked up,” he said, his voice hoarse and his eyes burning. “Show me that you belong to me or let me show you that you belong to me. Let me prove to you how good we are together.”