His finger tap my forehead, startling me.
I blink, look up. He is just watching me.
“Claire, I told you. You have nothing to fear. I won’t hurt you.” His fingers brush over my cheek and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’ll take care of you. I won’t ever let you be unhappy.”
His gaze drops to the certificate. “That’s not just binding you. It’s binding me.” His smile is soft now, the one that always disarmed me, made me forget what I should be doing.
“Promise?” I ask, heart thudding.
“I swear it.” He pulls me into his arms, tucked my head under his chin. It is warm. It is safe. And I don’t know what could feel better than that.
Sure, it’s scary that Aleksei knows men like that. Maybe he is dangerous. But he cares about me. He’s willing to be with me. He likes me more than any man
