Page 46 of Obsession of the Bratva

“The day you told me you never loved me?”

Each sentence landed like a punch because I had said those things. Every single one of them, and I would never forgive myself for it. The kitchen became impossibly quiet. When he spoke again, his voice was lower. More dangerous.

“You don’t get to be angry about the women I have brought here after you ended us.”

“You practically paraded them in front of me.”

“And you told me you cheated on me.”

“That doesn’t mean I wanted to watch you climb all over strangers.”

“You don’t get a vote to leave me and come back claiming that you are jealous.”

My pulse was completely out of control. I hated it. I hated him. I hated that standing this close to him still felt like standing near a live wire.

“I didn’t come back of my own free will!”

His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth. “Yet you are here.”

The room suddenly felt smaller and the air much thicker around us. Neither of us moved or looked away. Every memory came flooding back. Every date. Every laugh. Every night. Every promise. Everything we’d lost. Everything we’d destroyed.

“When I left your office on that day, for one second, I was sure you were going to hate me forever.”

Something raw appeared in his eyes. Something a little too vulnerable and definitely familiar. Nico was excellent at hiding his emotions, and yet he was letting me see him. Fully and completely.

“I tried so hard to hate you, Vera. Trust me.”

The confession was barely audible, and yet it made my chest hurt. I could see I had broken him in ways no one deserved to be broken. If there was a monster in this situation, it was me. It had always been me. I inched forward and reached for him, just a small movement. A simple touch.

My fingers brushed his wrist warmly, and that was all we needed.

The reaction was immediate. His entire body went rigid, just like mine. The electricity between us was instant; neither of us pulled away.

“Nico.”

My voice came out soft, almost a whisper. He closed his eyes briefly as if he was savoring every single second. Like hearing his name from me physically hurt. When he looked at me again, all restraint was gone, and the distance between us disappeared. One second we were standing apart, and the very next second he was there. His hand cupped my jaw, and my breath caught. His eyes searched mine. Looking for something. Permission. Forgiveness. A reason not to do what I knew he was about to do. What I wanted him to do.

“I hate you sometimes,” I whispered.

A rough laugh escaped him.

“I know.”

“I mean it.”

“I know.”

His thumb brushed my cheek, and that was finally my undoing. I had wanted Nico with a desperation since the moment he had set foot in my bridal suite, and I could not deny myself that any longer. Months of separation stood between us. Months of grief and pretending and anger and betrayal, but the moment I stepped forward and slid my arms over his shoulders, everything was gone.

I stepped over all of it and kissed him.

The reaction was immediate. Explosive. Like a match finally finding gasoline. His arms wrapped around me instantly, pulling me against him with a force that I knew could crush me. Nico was so strong, yet he had never been anything but gentle with me. Except the kiss was anything but gentle.

It wasn’t careful. It was anger, relief, and heartbreak colliding all at once.

Everything we’d been holding back crashed between us.

My lips felt as if they had returned home the moment they connected with his, and within seconds, he was invading my mouth with his tongue, exploring places he had explored countless times before. I kissed him just as passionately, just as hungrily, as if my life depended on it.