“I don’t remember you complaining at the time.” He takes one of my tangled tresses between his fingers. “Why does your hair smell like baby powder?”

“It’s the soap. I didn’t want to smell like you.”

His arms wrap around my middle, pulling me to his chest. The next moment, he leans back, fully submerging us both.

I spit the water from my mouth after he allows us to surface and mumble, “I guess, this means you’re not a fan of my new fragrance.”

“You’re correct.”

Behind me, there’s the distinct sound of a bottle being uncapped, and then his hands are in my hair, massaging my scalp, as the scent of his shampoo envelops me.

“This doesn’t change a thing between us, Rafael,” I whisper.

“I know.”

He turns on the shower wand and begins rinsing my hair. I tilt my head and close my eyes while he rakes his fingers through my strands, his ministrations incredibly gentle. Cherishing. Tender. The ache in my chest is unbearable. I can’t let this man have my heart. Even though I want to. I want to so damn much. But I’m afraid he’ll crush that fragile muscle so terribly that there will be nothing left of it in the end.

“You win, vespetta.”

“Win what?”

A kiss lands on my shoulder blade. “You’re going home.”

Air gets stuck in my throat. Slowly, I turn around and meet his gaze. “You’ll take me to Chicago?”

“Yes.” He cocks his head to the side. “I thought you’d be ecstatic.”

“I am. It’s just . . .” I stare at him in confusion. “Last night, you threatened to wipe out my family. Is this another one of your games?”

“No. You’ll be home within forty-eight hours.”

I laugh and leap on him, splashing water all around the bathroom.

“We need to come up with some story for my dad,” I say into his lips between kisses. “I don’t think he’d be thrilled that I was kidnapped.”

“I’m sure he won’t be.”

“We’ll think of something. I can’t wait for you to meet my sister. Yulia is the only normal person in our family.” I kiss his chin. “God, I hope Sergei won’t be there when we arrive. I don’t want to shock you right away.”

“Very few things can shock me, Vasilisa. And I’ve already met your uncle.”

I lean back. “What? When?”

“We’re in the same line of business, so our paths have crossed more than once. He really is something else.”

“He is.” I grin. “Most people don’t get Uncle Sergei, but the truth is—he’s just a big golden retriever.”

“A military-trained, trigger-happy, seriously deranged golden retriever.”

“I guess that sums him up rather well.” I glide my palm down Rafael’s chest and wrap my fingers around his cock. It’s rock-hard. I arch an eyebrow. “Again? We just had sex. Twice.”

“You’re lying over me, naked. What do you expect?” He takes my waist and slides me down onto his rigid length.

Being in the water makes the sensation of him sliding into me surreal. Just like the first time we made love.

“I wish we had time to go out on your boat again. To that Kraken spot,” I pant as I ride him.

The corners of Rafael’s lips tilt upward, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes. They seem . . . sad, for some reason. “Aren’t you still worried about the water creatures?”

I wrap my arms around his neck and slam my mouth to his. “Well, yeah. But, you’d save me, wouldn’t you?”

“Always. From anything,” Rafael rasps as he drives into me from below. “Myself included.”

I don’t get a chance to ask him what he means by that because, suddenly, he’s slamming into me as if something’s possessed him. Usually, his initial strokes are slow and gentle until I adjust to his size, but not now. I like it.

He surges deeper with every thrust, filling me up completely, making me gasp for my next breath. His muscles are hard under my palms, taut with strain. He’s so much larger than me that it makes me feel protected, even without a threat of any kind nearby.

Even though I don’t need his protection.

Strange how I’ve never felt threatened by him. Not even in the beginning.

I cling to Rafael’s neck as he pumps into me, staring into his sultry eyes.

“Today, you’ll be wearing nothing but my shirt,” he grunts as he keeps pounding into me relentlessly, bringing me closer to the edge each time he hits my G-spot.

Despite the bathtub being huge, I don’t think it was meant to be used like this. It wobbles left and right from our frenzied pace, water spilling over the rim and flooding the tiles.

“Do you understand, Vasilisa?”

“Yes!”

Air escapes me in short, shaky huffs while my pussy spasms around his cock. My mind is all mushy. Gone. Nonexistent. Another powerful slam, and I’m destroyed. Throwing my head back, I scream my pleasure, just as Rafael’s roar thunders through the room, and we both sink into rapture.

* * *

“Gray or black?” I lift two hangers in front of me.

“Gray.” Rafael nods toward the shirt in my left hand. It’s the one I wore when he took me shopping at Albini’s. His favorite.

“Am I allowed to wear underwear underneath? You said shirt only.”

“You can go without. I banished all men to beyond the house walls.” He opens the nightstand drawer and starts taking out the velvet jewelry boxes. A minute later, he approaches, holding the necklace of gray diamonds and gold. “Will you wear this for me today?”

I smirk and turn toward the mirror.

Rafael comes up behind me and pushes my hair away. “How did you get this?” he asks as he sets the necklace around my neck.

“What?”