Page 135 of Forbidden Forget-Me-Not

For that brief moment, I saw what lay beneath the strangled control. The darkness Goran carried and kept locked tight. He was lethal, and he was mine.

Then he inhaled slowly, and his eyes fluttered open. They were glazed over as he pulled out.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

I had no idea what he was up to until I heard the water running. Lying back, I relaxed into the bed, letting my mind go still. It was rare, but it felt good not to think about anything.

Time lost meaning, and suddenly there he was. Goran lifted me effortlessly and carried me into the bathroom. The oversized tub was already filled, steam rising thickly around us.

He stepped in first, sitting down before lowering me between his legs. My back pressed to his chest, water sloshing over our skin. I melted into him as he lathered soap between his palms and began washing me. Every motion measured, every touch deliberate.

The aggression from moments ago softened into something deeper.

“You don’t get to see this part of me often,” he murmured against my hair. “You rarely see the real me.”

“Who is the real you?”

“I’m the man who wants to love you without worry. I hate that I can’t show this side of myself.”

His hands slid up my ribs, then wrapped around my body, holding me close.

“I don’t want to conquer you. I never have. I love your spirit, your drive, and how you take what you want from this world,” he said quietly.

“Even if that something is you, when you didn’t consent?”

Goran chuckled, the sound rumbling against my ear.

“I would’ve consented.”

I leaned back against him, looking up at his face.

“I meant what I said. I’ve never been able to say no to you. None of the rules matter when you ask for something.”

“But would you have said yes?”

“I’d marry you a thousand times.”

He kissed the top of my head, water rippling with the movement, and I snuggled deeper into his hold.

I turned my head slightly.

“Good.”

A low sound left his chest, almost a laugh.

He rinsed the soap from my skin, his palms gliding over me again.

“I’ll always choose you.”

There was no steel in his voice, only certainty.

I let my eyes close, sinking into him, warmth wrapping us together. And then the thought pressed against my mind. The words heavy on my chest.

Should I tell him now?

I’m pregnant.

His child. The start of our own family. A new heartbeat in a world that had never been gentle with either of us. I realized I wanted this child more than my next breath. I hadn’t even known how much until this moment.