Azira
One year later…
Blaine stands at the helm of the boat, navigating the sea as if he was born for this. The change I’ve seen in him in the past year has been immense as he opened up to me little by little, letting go of all that hurt and anger that he harbored toward himself.
When he finally told me about what he’d done before Oak found him, I can’t deny that I was freaked out. He’s a murderer-one that got away with it-but I know that’s not what defines him. His past further back haunts him and he still won’t talk about his life in Russia before he emigrated to Toronto with his brother.
I swallow hard as I place a hand on my swelling stomach. We’re expecting twins in the fall, less than four months away. When I told Blaine I was pregnant, I think his brain misfired in shock. After all, we’d only just decided to start trying that month and it happened instantly.
And then when we had the first scan, and the lady told us it was twins, he almost ran out of the room. I could see the panic in his eyes, but I think he’s come around to the prospect of there being two babies rather than one.
He gazes back and smiles. “How are you feeling?”
“Happy,” I say.
“Come here.”
I stand from the little bench seat I’m sitting on and walk toward him. My heart always races when he looks at me the way he’s looking at me now. As if I’m the brightest star in the night sky.
He grabs my hand when I’m close enough and yanks me into his powerful arms, wrapping them around my stomach as he keeps his chest pressed to my back. “We’re almost there.”
“Almost where?” I ask. We rented the boat in Florida a few days ago and now we’re in the Caribbean.
“You’ll see,” he murmurs as we approach land for the first time in over twenty-four hours. Navigating toward a small island that can’t be much more than a few miles across.
“Where are we?” I ask, leaning back into him.
“The Bahamas. This little island is uninhabited, but there’s a beautiful little cove and beach on the west side.”
I lick my lips. “Is it private?”
He kisses the back of my neck, sending a thrill down my spine. “Of course. It’s not accessible without a boat and a well kept secret.”
A thrill erupts to life inside of me as I shut my eyes, wanting nothing more than to feel him inside of me.
It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been together, the blistering heat of our desire only amplifies with time. The more we get to know each other and what makes one another tick, it deepens that unbreakable connection.
Blaine navigates into the deserted cove and it looks utterly magical.
“Wow, how did you find out about this place?”
He sighs. “Archer told me about it.”
Bly didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would know about this kind of place. I’m pretty certain before we met, romance wasn’t in his vocabulary.
His hand gently caresses my huge stomach. “Are you sure you are feeling okay?”
“Certain.” I turn my head to kiss him. “Let’s go.”
Bly turns off the engine to the boat and removes his arms from me, walking to the back to drop the anchor so we can swim to the beach. Once the anchor is firmly set, he pulls his shirt off and my mouth goes dry.
He’s utterly stunning and always takes my breath away. My eyes take in every dip of his hard muscles wrapped in scarred and tattooed skin. Some would find the scars ugly, but they complete his beauty and tell a story-a story he’s not ready to tell me yet. “Strip,” he orders.
I bite my bottom lip and slowly drag the left strap down my arm before doing the same on the other side, teasing him.
His eyes darken as I allow the fabric of my dress to drop to the floor at my feet, revealing my skimpy red bikini.
The way he looks at me makes me feel more desired than ever, even in my pregnant state.
“Come here.” He holds an outstretched hand to me.
I stride toward him, trying to be sexy and stop just out of his reach. “Are you going to devour me, master?”
A soft, wolf-like growl rips from his throat. “Don’t tempt me. I told you to come here.”
I tilt my head, pursing my lips. “Or what?”
He steps closer, a thrill starting at the base of my spine. “Are you looking for a punishment?”
I smile at him. “Perhaps.”
He groans and yanks me firmly against him. “You can be a naughty little brat once we’re on the beach.”
I lick my dry lips and nod. “Fine.”
His hand entwines with mine and pulls me toward the ladder. “I’ll go down first.” He hops over and climbs into the shallow water below, waiting for me.
I get onto the ladder and climb down, anticipation making me shake. Once I’m at the bottom, his hands find my hips as he pulls me toward him.
“I want you so badly, Miss Sidorov,” he whispers into my ear.
I shudder. “I want you more,” I murmur.
“Impossible.” He kisses my neck.
I wrap my legs around his waist in the shallow water. “Are we even going to make it to the beach?”
He tilts his head. “Sand is annoying, don’t you think?” His lips move lower over my collarbone, his height meaning he can stand up in this section of water. “Much better to stay in the water.”
I swallow hard. “Whatever you want, sir.”
He groans, the hardness of his erection pressing into my center. “Good girl.”