Page 101 of Bought to Bear Bratva Heir

Hell, I had seen the discomfort in her face all the time back at the penthouse. Yes, it was our home and the place we had fallen in love, but she never really felt comfortable there. There were just too many horrible memories for her.

And almost all of them had been of my making.

"But the penthouse—"

"If you’re okay with it, I’m putting it on the market," I said raggedly. "We need this fresh start."

"Yeah." Her eyes darted away. "And thank you. Sometimes I couldn’t help but remember—" she trailed off.

"Marguerite?" I whispered, ashamed of myself like I always was when I thought about the woman I had engaged myself to in revenge. I’d had no feelings for the snake-like bitch, but my need to hurt Daisy had superseded my common sense.

"And the others," Daisy whispered.

I did a double-take. My eyes sweeping across her face. Others? What others? I racked my brain, trying to figure out what the pain on her face was about, and then it hit me.

The string of women I had brought back to the house. Mostly high-paid call girls who knew their job was to sound like they were having fun even when I didn’t touch them.

Fuck, I was such an imbecile.

I had wanted Daisy to think she was nothing, and by the look on her face, I had succeeded.

"Come with me." Slowly, I slipped my hand down her arm until I could hold her hand and pull her away.

"Where are we going?" she asked, but her feet fell into step with mine without any hesitation.

"To talk."

"And we can’t talk here?"

"Not if I want to kiss you properly, no."

She giggled, a light, airy sound.

Up the wide, curving staircase and towards the master bedroom I led her, not saying a word until I closed the door behind us.

The second I did, she was in my arms and pinned against the glistening wood. I trapped her there with my body. Hands on either side of her head as I lowered my mouth over hers.

It was a wild, passionate kiss. I put everything I was feeling and had ever felt into the way my lips slipped against hers, and there was no hesitation when she kissed me back with the same kind of urgency.

Five minutes passed, five glorious minutes when she just gave me her mouth, and then with a sigh, she pulled away.

"What’s gotten into you, Ilya?"

I made a show of looking confused. "What do you mean? Can't a man kiss his wife?"

"Of course you can." She rolled her eyes. "But—"

"There was no one else," I blurted, bending down to rest my forehead against hers.

"What?"

"After you," I murmured, my eyes still closed. "There was no other woman."

Epilogue 4

Daisy

"There was no other woman but you."