Leah POV
As I walk back hand-in-hand with Vlado, I can't resist looking up at him. He notices, of course, and gazes right back down at me. A contagious grin tugs at his lips.
"What?" He smiles. But I just shrug.
"Nothing." It isn't nothing though, it's everything - he is everything. There's just nothing hidden between us anymore. Everything was out in the open. Everything is piecing itself back together, and I just can't find the words to make sense of it.
His smile grows somehow, and he raises my hand to his lips. "Sei così incredibile." His soft lips brush against the back of my hand, before he holds it back by my side.
You are so incredible.
The words make me blush. Incredible... I could get used to this. I think I am already.
When we reach his room, Vlado suddenly strips off his clothes, revealing every inch of his scarred and tattooed body. My cheeks feel hotter with every piece of clothing that falls to the ground. He never tears his gaze from mine, not even as he unbuttons his shirt, and not even as his pants fall onto the floor, until he is left standing in a pair of dark boxers.
"What are you doing?" I manage to ask when he finally stands still. The moon dances in his forest eyes, and the corner of his lips tug into a sweet smirk.
"I want there to be no barriers between us." He states simply as he stepped closer, backing me against the locked door of his room. "I've seen your body before, but I never had the chance to appreciate every part of you, amore." His hand rests against my head, and suddenly, the room flashes out of the darkness and light seeps into every corner.
There's something in the back of my throat that refuses to be swallowed, and I watch numbly as Vlado takes the lead, drifting his calloused hands down to the bottom of my shirt. There's a question in his stare, a hesitancy in his touch, but there is nothing dragging my thoughts down. There's only an out of body feeling of comfort.
I nod. My silent invitation is all my man needs before he slowly lofts my shirt, letting it fall from his hands to the ground at our feet.
His eyes refuse to travel down before I nod again, and even then, he's purposeful with his movements. Each touch is carefully considered, each flicker of his eyes is sincere, and it makes my heart swell. His harsh fingers trail over my stomach, admiring every bump of scarred skin with heavy eyes. That's when I felt my insides twist into knots.
It doesn't matter that he had scars, he has earned them, fought for them. They are there because he was strong.
But mine are there because I was weak. And that memory, those feelings are never going to change.
So I am surprised when he steadily falls to his knees, letting his face hover above my naked stomach. His cold lips on my scars make me shiver, but I keep quiet, waiting in a stunned silence for him to say something, anything.
His eyes are drawn back to mine, and my mind fogs at the gentleness in his gaze.
"You're so beautiful..."
My heart stops.
"Beautiful..?" I repeat quietly, and he nods, letting his hands slide up and down my thighs. "Why's that?"
A slight smile graces his lips. "Have you seen yourself?" His hands drift behind my thighs, supporting my weak knees as he spoke. "I shouldn't need to convince you how stunning you are." His lips brush against my hip. "Like you're from the gates of heaven."
His words make me smile, a wide, uncontrollable smile that hurts my cheeks. "Vlado..." His hum vibrates softly against my skin, and I let my hands wander into his hair. "I love you."
While his face never betrays him, his body stills. My lungs race for air as I peer down at him, waiting for his response. I didn't mean to say that, but I don't regret it. I couldn't help myself. Feeling him kiss all over my scars, and hearing his words made my mouth speak before I could stop it.
I don't want to keep anything between us again, and if that meant I had to be the first one to say those words, then so be it.
He slowly drags his head back up, meeting my eyes with a piercing gaze. The silence buzzes between us, filling the room with an unfamiliar ache in my chest as I wait for him to open his mouth and say something. I don't expect him to pin me with a glare and grit out-
"How dare you say that before me."
I'm not used to that tone, nor that irritated glare from Vlado. So his words only manage to confuse me. "What?"
Without missing a beat, his fingers dig into my waist and he lifts me into the air with ease, rising to his feet with me in his arms. Throwing me onto the bed with a gentle strength, I'm forced to gape up at him as he spreads my legs apart and moves between them, standing at the edge of the bed where I sat.
Again with a glare, he mutters a response. "I wanted to say it first."
Slowly, it finally dawns on me what he was saying. And a laugh erupts through my chest.
"Really, Vlado?" I laugh, struggling to take him seriously. "Does it matter who says it first?"
"Yes," he mumbles childishly, fingers toying with the waistband of my pants. "I've been wanting to say it for ages."
"Why didn't you?"
He scoffs, rolling his eyes in the process. "I was going to before that bastard showed up. Ruined my plans..." He mumbles the last part, looking down at his hands as they fiddled with my pants.
A sated smile spreads across my lips, and I cup his face in my hands to slowly bring his gaze back up to meet mine. "You still haven't said it back." I tease in a singsong voice.
His eyes widen, and he launches himself at me. I bounce against the soft mattress as Vlado falls above me, catching his weight before he landed on my chest. A delighted look is on his face as he leans down to whisper to me like the room was full of people we know. "I love you..."
My grin manages to grow as I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down closer to me. "I guess I love you too."
He raises an eyebrow at me, but his lips pulled into a smirk. "You guess? Didn't you just confess your love to me?"
"You make it sound like I was the one on my knees." His body rumbles with a laugh and he closes the gap between us, sealing his lips over mine.
His tongue slips against my bottom lip, and I open my mouth for him without hesitation. Vlado is a man I will never be able to resist, in any way shape or form.
A blissful feeling rushes through me as I trail a finger across his chest, appreciating the tiny bumps of his scars and muscles. It's impossible to feel unsafe with Vlado holding me so close, kissing me so gently, yet filled with a desire and passion that could never be put into words.
"Thank you, Vlado." I murmur between his heavy kisses.
"For what?"
"I'm so happy I met you. I don't know where I'd be if I never ran into you."
He smiles against my lips. "You'd be right here, in my arms."
I can't resist a small laugh. "What makes you so sure?"
He pulls back slightly, looking down at me with a gentle smile as he shrugged. "I don't know. Something tells me we'd find each other."
That answer makes me happy. Cupping the back of his neck, I pull him back down to me, capturing my lips with his. The night passes in a euphoric haze, a night that I will never be able to forget. The night I was worshipped and praised like I deserved it. And I do. When the sun burns our cheeks, I look over at the man sleeping soundly beside me. And unable to resist, I let my hand admire his cheeks, his scars, everything.
I will spend my life proving that I deserve Vlado. He's shown me what it means to be loved, to be put above everything else. After so many years of torment and abuse, he's been there with open arms.
And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him.
The End.
Thank you to everyone who read this book. You are all so incredible dealing with my inconsistent updates and silly writing. I wish you all the best, and I love each and every one of you. <3