Chapter 60
CHAPTER SIXTY
Drago
Song, Constellations, Piano Version, Jade LeMac.
“Baby, let me tell you everything. I need to get it out. I don’t want anything getting between us again,” I whisper against her lips.
I don’t want to ruin this moment. God knows I don’t. But lies rot things from the inside out, and I’ve already learned that lesson the hard way.
Because her knowing I’m the one who rescued her that night, isn’t the end of this.
Being the man wearing that cologne isn’t the whole truth.
I was worried that even finding out this, she’d push me away.
But she hasn’t. And she deserves to know just how far my obsession with her runs.
How the last five years of my life have been dedicated to her, in ways it probably shouldn’t.
I didn’t mean to fall for her. I tried my fucking hardest not to. I wanted to keep her at a distance, keep her safe even from me. What if she thinks I’ve manipulated this moment? That I’ve been fucking with her life behind her back to drag her to me.
Because that can’t be further from the truth. I’ve purposely punished myself to keep her away, keep her out of the darkness so she can live in the light.
“What else can there possibly be, Drago?” she asks softly, her voice trembling.
I close my eyes and take a slow breath. Here goes.
The real moment of truth. “It was no accident that I was at your ballet show that night, Lily,” I say quietly.
“I was there because that was my job for your father. I went to all your big events. I stayed in the shadows. Your graduation. Your birthdays. I protected you from afar. That’s all it was for years. A duty I had to uphold.”
Her breath catches, and even that breaks something in me. The guilt spreads even further.
I pause, my chest tightening. “That was… until I saved you that night. Until I held your shaking body in my arms. It was that moment I vowed to protect you with my life.”
Her brows draw together, confusion flickering across her face.
“After that… it wasn’t just check-ins or updates for your dad anymore,” I continue. “I became almost obsessed with your safety.”
She sucks in a sharp breath. “What did it become, Drago?”
I huff out a bitter breath. I don’t even know what to call it.
“I watched you. I hacked your phone. Your emails. I opened doors for you without you ever knowing. I ensured you would never find out who I was. But I couldn’t leave you alone.
I couldn’t risk that happening to you again.
I broke more privacy laws than I can count, Lily. ”
It’s not even a relief to say it out loud. It’s fucking killing me. I can’t read her expression. But, she doesn’t look away. Doesn’t flinch. Just listens.
The silence stretches, crushing me second by second.
“H-how much of my life did you fuck with, Drago?” she asks, her voice breaking.
Fuck.
“I tricked your father into giving you the money for the art gallery. I threatened the last owner to sell it to you. Someone else came in with a much higher offer, but he accepted yours. I’ve stopped you from having second dates with men I thought weren’t good enough for you.
I’ve sat in my car and watched you fall apart in your own and fought every instinct I have not to break my vow to never reveal myself to you. ”
I’m almost out of breath by the time I let it all out. And there’s more. Because I couldn’t stop myself.
“I’ve been doing this, every day, for almost five years, Lily.
And I’m sorry. I’m really fucking sorry that I invaded your privacy.
That I went behind your back. That I still didn’t tell you anything, even when I fell for you even harder.
And when you let me go after Monaco, I really believed it was for the best. That I don’t deserve you. That you are better off without me.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting back the tears that are threatening to explode. Because that is one truth I believe. I am not good enough for Lily.
She shakes her head, glancing down at the floor. “But, I fell for you, for real, right? This isn’t some wildly constructed game? You didn’t plan this whole thing? Me moving in with you. My dad coming back. Marco wanting me to go to Monaco? My life is real, right? Not some Drago-coded simulation?”
There’s a current of anger in her voice, but not hatred. She’s asking questions instead of walking away. I have to take that as something. I have to hold on to the fact that she will forgive me.
“No, baby. None of that was fake. Everything I did was for your safety. If anything, it was to push you further away from me, never bring you closer. I promise you. I swear on my life. This is real. What I feel for you is everything.”
Her hand trembles as she brings it up to my chest, placing it over my heart. I can feel how hard it’s thumping, and I know she can too.
She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath, and the faintest flicker of a smile twitches on her perfect lips.
“I know what I feel for you is real, Drago. I fell for the man you showed me. The one who protects me. That makes me feel safe enough to finally breathe again. So long as that man is truly you, then I forgive you.”
I blow out a breath like I’m finally coming back from the dead. The relief is washing over me. My eyes lock on hers, and I lean in, showing her who I truly am.
“The man I am with you is the man I want to be, forever,” I tell her.
Her hands slide up my chest and lace around my neck, pulling me closer to her. “Then you have my heart, Drago.”
I can’t help the tear that slips down my cheek. She spots it and carefully wipes it away before resting her palm on my cheek.
“I’ll make sure I spend the rest of my life deserving your heart, lastochka.”
She nods, just once, as her thumb strokes my cheek. “Will you kiss me now, baby?” I whisper.
She grins against my lips. “I think you’ve grovelled sufficiently to deserve one.”
And before I can respond, her lips are on mine. I pull her flush against me, so tight, like I’ll never let her go. And by the time she pulls away, I’m breathless. But, I’m happy. I’ve never been happier in my goddamn life.
“So…” she says carefully, “You were basically my stalker? But… not a creepy one? One that was trying to keep me alive?”
I blink, caught off guard.
“I guess,” I admit quietly. “I’d never hurt you. Never. I thought if I stayed invisible, I could keep you safe without interfering. But you were already under my skin. From the moment I touched you, I knew I’d never be able to stop. That’s why I kept my distance.”
Her hand comes up, resting gently against my cheek. “Drago…”
My chest aches like it’s being split open.
“If I weren’t Lev’s daughter,” she asks, barely above a whisper, “would it have been different?”
“Yes,” I answer instantly.
Her lips part, disappointment flashing across her face—and it damn near kills me. “Yes,” I repeat, softer now, “because I wouldn’t have stayed away. I would have made you mine. I stayed away to protect you both.”
She swallows hard. “And what about now?”
I lean in, pressing my nose to hers, breathing her in like oxygen.
“Now? Nothing—not even your father—gets between us. If you’ll have me.”
Her smile is slow. Certain. Devastating. “You can’t get rid of me, Drago.”
Something in my chest finally gives.
I kiss her then, full of everything I’ve been holding back as the curtains on the stage begin to rise behind us.
Now, I know for certain a truth without fear…
I didn’t just save her that night.
She saved me, too.
There is no future for me without Lily. All this time, protecting her has been my purpose in life. That will never change. But now, I get to love her too. And for the first time in my damn life, know what being loved in return feels like.
The music plays loudly behind us, but even that doesn’t break the spell we are under.
“Would you like to watch the ballet now, lastochka?” I ask, running my fingers along her cheek.
I know she’s nervous about this. But I also know how much she loved dancing. That held part of her spark, and I want to help her get it back.
That’s why I booked this entire place out. So she is safe to be whoever she needs to be to get through this. There are no eyes on her, only mine.
Her panic grips her. I want to teach her how to embrace it. Use it. Lily is stronger than she realizes.
“I’d love that,” she whispers.
We’re in our private box, looking out on the empty stalls, with the best view in the place. I lead her to the seat, and she shakes her head.
“I’d like to stand,” she says confidently.
I step behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. And as the performance goes on, her body starts to move to the music. She closes her eyes, letting it flow through her.
My heart fucking aches for her.
“You’re beautiful, Lily,” I whisper against her neck, pushing her hair away.
“You’re strong. You’re incredible.” I pepper kisses on her throat.
She hums in response.
I don’t watch the ballet. I only watch her. The smile on her face as she does. The odd tear that slips from her cheek that I wipe away. And in that moment, I know exactly how I can help my girl get that love back.
Sliding my hand over her chest, I rest it around her throat. Feeling as she sucks in a breath and tips her head back against my chest. “Will you dance for me, lastochka?” I ask.
I feel her stiffen against me, so I tighten my fingers around her neck.
“I-I’m probably awful now. I haven’t practiced in years.”
I lean in, running my tongue along her jaw. “You don’t lose talent like yours,” I tell her.
I run my other hand along the split in her dress, touching her thigh. Just as the dancers are extending their legs up near their damn heads.
“I bet you can still do that,” I say, guiding her head back to look at the stage.
Her heart thrashes against my palm, but her breathing is calm.
“If you’re a good girl for me, I’ll reward you.”
She blows out a deep breath, keeping her eyes fixed on the stage.
I smile as she drags her foot up the side of her leg, stopping at her knee, and then extends it. Gracefully. Beautifully. Into the air. Her fingers are gripping the balcony rail with one hand, and her other is in the air. Just like they are on stage.
I run my hands along her smooth, outstretched leg. “Perfect, lastochka.”
“It’s called Développé,” she tells me.
I hold her ankle, keeping her in place, while my other hand dips in the slit of her dress and along her panties.
“Is this all for me, baby?” I mutter in her ear.
“Y-yes, sir. Always for you.”
“Good girl,” I tell her, pushing her panties to the side, circling her clit.
“Does this feel good, hmm?” I ask.
She nods, and I press a kiss against her throat, sliding two fingers inside of her. “Would you like to enjoy the ballet while I enjoy you, lastochka?”
Her breath hitches, and I grin, her walls clamping around my fingers.
“I want to grovel on my knees properly. Let me, please.”
She turns her head to look at me, a naughty grin dancing on her lips. “Get on your knees, Drago. Show me how deeply sorry you are,” she teases.
A low growl erupts from my chest as I pick up the pace of my fingers.
“The fact that your pretty pussy is dripping all over my fingers tells me that you have forgiven me. But, because I like to keep you deeply satisfied, I’ll gladly clean you up with my tongue, baby.”
Her cheeks flush a deep red.
“Hold on to the railings,” I tell her, as I lower her leg and step in front of her, my back to the railings.
I sink down onto the ground and hoist her leg over my shoulder. She helps me by pushing up the dress further.
“You got a dress with a slit down the front on purpose, didn’t you?” she whispers.
I bite my lip and wink. “Maybe.”
With my hand on her ass to keep her firmly in place, I push her panties to the side, and I get to work, devouring her. Earning forgiveness. Showing her how she deserves to be worshipped. How, even in a place she believed would be a trigger for her, that actually, she can enjoy herself.
Lily is free to be whoever she wants to be.
I just want to be here to love her. To see her happy. And if that means having my tongue buried inside her at the ballet, then so be it.