Chapter 19
Nadia
Time in the Bahamas moved like it had been dipped in slow motion. The sea breeze, the sunlight, and Roman Sokolov's dangerously tender moments stretched each day into something scorching and endless.
Ever since that night on the terrace watching fireworks bloom just for me, we'd fallen into an unspoken understanding. He no longer came at me with pure predatory intent, and I'd stopped bristling like a porcupine every second I was near him.
We still bickered. Still locked horns when his control-freak tendencies flared.
But most of the time, the Bahamian sun, sand, and starlight created a vacuum sealed off from the real world.
We burned through our hours on this lavish island—riding horses along the coastline, diving in secluded coves by day, drowning in skin and whispers by night.
We hadn't mentioned the ring at the bottom of the ocean. Hadn't talked about what happens after a year.
Like we were just a normal newlywed couple lost in honeymoon bliss, dreaming about the future.
But we both knew better.
This was beautiful pretend.
We had this delicate understanding—I didn't ask about his past, he didn't mention our expiration date. We were so damn careful maintaining this bubble, terrified one wrong move would pop it.
It was intimate and unspoken and maybe a little self-deluding.
We touched like lovers but kept our distance like strangers when it came to what was really inside.
But honestly? I'd stopped caring.
At least right now, when he pulled me close, when he kissed my forehead, when he looked at me with those drowning-deep eyes—I had him.
That was enough.
"Nadia! Roman!"
Chloe's voice shattered my thoughts. She bounced over in a bright bikini, waving enthusiastically. Ben followed, arms full of brochures.
"You guys have to come with us!" Chloe thrust the pamphlets at me, practically vibrating with excitement. "Skydiving! Picture it—jumping from ten thousand feet, the whole Caribbean spread out below! This'll be the most unforgettable part of your honeymoon!"
I stared at the images of people tumbling from planes, my heart lurching.
"I don't know..." I hesitated. "Looks kind of... dangerous?"
"Not even a little!" Ben grinned. "It's tandem jumping—a pro instructor strapped right to your back. Chloe and I went yesterday. Absolutely insane!"
"Come on!" Chloe grabbed my hand, practically begging. "Let's do something crazy together during our joint honeymoon! How meaningful would that be?"
I glanced at Roman.
He lounged in his chair, sunglasses on, that hint of a smile playing at his lips.
"You want to?" he asked.
Honestly? I was scared shitless. I'd never done anything this reckless. But watching Chloe's eager face and Roman's "your call" expression, something reckless stirred in me.
Screw it.
This whole honeymoon was already surreal enough. Why not push it further?
"Okay," I said. "We'll go."
Chloe shrieked and threw her arms around me while Roman just removed his sunglasses, something approving flickering in those dark eyes.
"That's my girl," he murmured, his voice carrying an emotion I couldn't quite name.
The jump site sat on the far end of the island—an open stretch of grass with the blue horizon visible in the distance. Small planes lined the runway while instructors in bright jumpsuits checked equipment.
"Nervous?" Chloe bounced out of the car, appearing at my side.
"A little," I admitted.
"Don't worry! I researched this place—perfect safety record! And we get one-on-one tandem instructors. You just enjoy the free fall!"
They assigned us instructors. Chloe and Ben each got paired up, and mine was a weathered forty-something guy who looked experienced. But before I could walk over, Roman stopped me.
"I'm taking you," he said.
"What?"
"I'm licensed." His tone was flat, his gaze sliding past me to the waiting instructor. "And I trust myself more."
The instructor shrugged and stepped aside. Chloe whistled from the side. "Roman, you skydive too? Is there anything you can't do?"
Roman ignored her, focusing entirely on checking my gear—chest strap, leg straps, every buckle tested and tugged to ensure nothing would fail. When his fingers brushed the belt at my waist, I shivered.
"Don't squirm," he warned quietly, but that dangerous smile curved his lips. "Unless you want me pinning you down in the cabin at ten thousand feet?"
"Shut up!" I glared, face burning, but my pulse hammered out of control.
He chuckled, leaning close to my ear. "Relax, Kitten. I won't let anything happen to you."
After suiting up and sitting through the safety brief, we boarded the tiny plane.
The ascent lasted longer than I expected. The engine roar filled the cramped cabin while the ground shrank outside the window—buildings became toys, roads turned to threads, the green coastline giving way to endless blue.
Chloe sat across from me, eyes bright as stars, mouth moving but I couldn't hear over the noise. Ben adjusted her straps with easy familiarity.
Roman sat beside me, his hand wrapped around mine.
I felt the heat of his palm, that steady, solid grip. Every time the plane jolted through turbulence, his fingers tightened slightly—silent reassurance: I've got you.
"Nervous?" He leaned close, voice cutting through the engine noise.
"I'm fine," I lied, though my white-knuckled grip on the safety strap told the truth.
Roman laughed softly, then covered my death grip with his other hand, gently prying my fingers loose and lacing them with his.
"Listen, Kitten." His voice rumbled against my ear, low and magnetic, slicing through the plane's roar. "We're about to jump from that door. Forty seconds of free fall. It'll be wild—weightless, deafening, wind so strong you can't keep your eyes open."
"Is this supposed to be comforting?" I asked tightly. "Because it's not working."
"I'm not done." He squeezed my fingers. "But after that, when the chute opens, the world goes quiet. You'll see the most beautiful thing in your life—clouds, ocean, the whole sky yours. And most importantly..."
He paused, turning to lock eyes with me.
"No matter what happens, I'll catch you. I won't let you fall. Understand?"
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"Promise?"
"Promise." He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Always."
In that moment, all the fear dissolved.
Replaced by this strange calm—because I knew as long as he was there, I was safe.
"Ten thousand feet!" the pilot shouted. "Get ready!"
The cabin door slid open and freezing wind blasted inside. I peeked out—nothing but clouds and endless blue. No ground visible.
My legs went weak.
"Hey." Roman's voice came from behind me. He'd already clipped us together with the harness. His chest pressed against my back, warm and solid. "Eyes on me."
I twisted awkwardly to see him over my shoulder.
"Remember what I said." His arm wrapped around my waist, almost too tight. "I'll catch you. No matter what, I'll catch you."
"Okay." I sucked in a shaky breath. "I trust you."
"Good girl."
Chloe and Ben were ready. After a three-count, they launched from the cabin, their screams swallowed by wind.
Then it was our turn.
Roman walked us to the edge. I looked down—saw nothing but clouds and void.
"Don't look down," he said against my ear. "Look at the horizon."
I obeyed. Far away, where sky met ocean, a perfect curved line.
"Ready?" he asked.
"No," I said honestly.
"Too bad." Laughter threaded his voice. "Because I'm counting to three and we're jumping."
Panic spiked. "Wait—"
"Three. Two. One!"
He pulled us into the void.
Everything inverted.
Weightlessness swallowed me whole—like invisible hands yanking me down. My stomach flipped, lungs compressed, couldn't scream even though I tried.
Cold wind sliced across my face like knives, tears streaming. I squeezed my eyes shut instinctively, body rigid as stone.
"Nadia!" Roman's voice cut through the howling wind. "Open your eyes! Trust me! Open them!"
I forced my eyes open.
And then—I saw it.
We were above the clouds.
Pure white seas rolled beneath us, endless cotton oceans. The water beyond glittered like diamonds, sunlight shattering into a thousand shades of blue—navy, aqua, turquoise, sapphire. The sky was impossibly clear, flawless blue stretching forever.
Unfiltered sunlight poured down, gilding the world in gold.
"Oh my God..." I couldn't breathe.
"Beautiful?" he asked, voice warm with satisfaction.
"So beautiful..." I whispered, tears still streaming, but not from fear this time. From awe.
"I knew you'd love it." His arms tightened, pressing me closer to his chest. "Now relax. Spread your arms. Like a bird."
"What?"
"Spread your arms, Nadia. Feel the wind."
I hesitated, then slowly extended my arms.
Wind caught me immediately, lifting, cradling. For one impossible moment, I really was a bird—free, weightless, tearing through the sky at unimaginable speed.
"I'm flying!" I screamed, but this time from joy. "Roman! I'm flying!"
He laughed behind me, deep and pleased, vibrating through my back.
We fell for maybe forty seconds. Impossible to describe—terrifying and thrilling, making me want to scream and cry all at once. Every worry, every anxiety, every fear about the future—left behind.
Just wind. Just sky. Just him.
Then Roman pulled the chute.
Massive force jerked us upward—like invisible hands grabbing our backs. Our plummet slowed instantly, the parachute blooming overhead like a giant flower.
The world went silent.
Deafening wind vanished. Only gentle breeze whispered past, fabric softly snapping above.
We drifted down slowly, like two leaves carried by wind.
"How was that?" Roman asked, voice returning to that low, magnetic register.
"Just..." I breathed deeply, lungs filling with freedom. "The craziest thing I've ever done."
"Crazier than marrying me?" he teased.
"About even," I laughed. "You're both equally life-threatening."
He chuckled, then said, "Look down."
I did.