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Staring down at his dark head, his thick hair shining in the sun, I ask, “Do you still miss them a lot?”

He glances up at htens “But that’s the past, and we’re the present You’re my family now” His voice lowers, the timbre dark and heated as he brushes his knuckles over er one”

A flush of heat creeps over“It may take time,” I warn I’ve only been off the pill for a month

Lowering his head, he holds aze with unmistakable intent as he breathes the words over et to practice every day”

That h “You just want to i e”

His eyes crinkle in the corners He purses his lips, trying hard to hold back his smile My heart soars

Grippingour bodies collide “Are you teasing me, Mrs Volkova?”

The sudden asp Theue My knees groeak I cling to his ar the muscles flex under my palms as he splays his broad hands over h to arch ainst my stomach

A graveyard is hardly an appropriate place Thenot to see make it even less appropriate, but I couldn’t extract myself from his embrace if I tried He renders h my body to my core

He clasps ainst him The men in their black suits and the black cars fade away Where we are doesn’tof surows into a bubble that isolates us in happiness In euphoria

My phone rings

Alex groans

Flustered, I pull away and say breathlessly, “Not here”

“You’re right,” he says in a gruff voice “You should get that” He spears his fingers through his hair and et where I am” His lips tilt in one corner “You have that effect on ht”

Tearingfor my phone and look at the screen “It’s my mom”

“Take your time” He fishes his own phone fro to his ive me an illusion of privacy, he says, “Say hi to Laura for me”

I take a steadying breath before I press the phone against my ear “Hi, Mom”

“Katie! You sound out of breath Did I catch you at a bad time?”

I glance at Alex’s i”

“How’s the honeymoon?”