Bonus Chapter 1
LOGAN
Three years later
Shoulder propped against the doorframe, I stand and watch the guests dance.
We didn’t want to have too many people and still ended up with almost eighty.
My family, Yana’s family, our friends, my teammates and their wives and kids.
It should be crowded and too loud, but I think it’s just right.
Everyone came here to celebrate our wedding, and they are here to support us on this new journey.
If someone told me that I’d get together with the love of my life after spending only four days stranded in a cabin during the storm, I wouldn’t believe them.
Because before Yana I thought that for the relationship to be strong, you need to get to know the person you’re getting together with in and out.
Like you need to see them in good and in bad, you need to learn about their past and their plans for the future.
Surely, we talked about some of it, but it wasn’t that deep.
And yet, after just four days together with her and Camden—I knew she was the one.
And every day since I’ve been falling for her more and more.
I find her on the dance floor and drink her in.
Hair collected in a neat bun, not a lock out of place.
Minimal makeup that I knew took some time to make, highlighting her beautiful eyes in the most exquisite way.
The dress, though? I’m speechless. It moves along with her like it was made out of light.
From the front, it’s simple—clean lines, smooth fabric falling in a long, elegant sweep behind her.
The cap sleeves shimmer every time she turns, tiny beads catching the soft lights like they’re winking at me.
But it’s the back that kills me.
When she spins, the open back flashes into view.
This deep, breathtaking V edged with delicate lace that looks like it was stitched right onto her skin.
The detail is unreal, all soft floral patterns tracing her spine, disappearing into the curve of her waist. And the row of little white buttons at the bottom…
damn. She looks ethereal. Like she stepped out of some dream I’ve been having my whole life without knowing it.
A bright smile lights up her face as she twirls my sister, making the latter laugh.
Lucy is eleven, and she absolutely adores my wife.
I kid you not, whenever we visit my parents, Yana is the one Lucy wants to spend her time with, not me.
Though I’m not complaining. I’m happy and grateful that my family accepted the woman I love as their own and that they accepted our nontraditional relationship too.
This one was probably the hardest, but after three years together, I think everyone who had doubts, now knows that we make it work.
Because being in a relationship with Yana, while she’s also in a relationship with Camden, is the only way I know. The only way I want it to be. They are my everything.
“There you are.” Camden ambles closer and stops in front of me. He holds out a glass of whiskey to me, and I take it. “I thought you’d be dancing.”
“Decided to step away and just watch the crowd.” I take a sip of my drink. “Having fun?”
He shrugs. “Yeah. Never thought I’d be a fan of weddings, but yours is cool.”
“It took way too much time for us to plan everything for you to say you don’t like it.”
“I said it’s cool.” He smirks, shifting to stand by my side. His eyes immediately land on Yana with Lucy. “She’s stunning. This dress looks like it was made from clouds. Light and pure.”
“She is.” I smile. “And you’re absolutely right about the dress. I just…I had no words when I saw her for the first time today.”
“You were also crying.”
I chuckle. “Says the guy who almost tripped over his own feet when her dad brought her to me.”
“Guilty.”
We fall in a comfortable silence, both calm and content.
He’s been my best friend since forever, and I can honestly say he’s never been more at ease than he’s been in the past three years.
Our friendship grew stronger, and the understanding we share is just out of this world.
I often don’t even need him to say something to know what he is thinking about.
In tune. With each other, and with Yana.
She is our fire, while we are the oxygen and heat.
One is out of the equation, and the fire starts to wither.
That’s why we always try to sneak at least one trip to each other a month.
It’s harder when she’s on the road for her tournaments, flying all over the world from country to country, and we have our regular season.
Harder, but not impossible, because she is our motivation.
Our guiding force, and I think I love her even more just for that.
Because she gave me the purpose.
“Are you going to join us tonight?” I ask, not taking my eyes off Yana.
“No. It’s your night. Your first night as a husband and a wife, and I don’t want to ruin it.”
I shake my head and turn to look at him. “You never ruin anything. You are part of us. Part of our family.”
“I know it, Logan. She’s mine, just as much as she’s yours. And I’m still staking my claim on the first baby.” He flashes an unashamed grin.
Head thrown back, I laugh. We’ve had this talk several times, and I’m fine with it, just like Yana, but his constant desire to remind me about it is ridiculous. “You sound like Rumpelstiltskin. You know that, right?”
“I don’t care. The firstborn will be mine,” he says cheerfully. “And I don’t think I should join you tonight also because we’re hitting the road quite early tomorrow morning, and if I’ll be in the bedroom with the two of you—the night will be long.”
“You have a point. The cabin is waiting for the three of us.”
He shivers. “I only hope at least this time we won’t be stuck there like last year we went there for Christmas.”
“Dunno. I kinda like the whole ‘snowed-in’ fantasy.”
“I’m sure you do.”
The song ends and Lucy runs to our parents, leaving Yana alone. I push myself away from the doorframe and glance at Camden. “I better go join my wife.”
He nods, a smile playing on his lips that is open and genuine. “You better do it. Red looks way too gorgeous to dance alone.”
I can’t even argue with that, but truthfully, she can do whatever the hell she wants. She’s a queen. She sets the rules, and I just happily follow.
For her, I will do absolutely anything.
The party has finally begun to settle, the once-packed dance floor thinning until only a few couples sway in the soft glow of the string lights. I barely notice anything else, though, my world shrinking down to one thing only as my eyes are trained on Yana.
My wife.
Yana Lipnitskaja Reid. I don’t know, but to me, it sounds right.
The music changes and “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran starts playing for the third time tonight.
A deep chuckle rambles out of my mouth, and I pull her tighter against my chest. Her skin is hot.
I can feel it even through the fabric of her dress.
Eyes glimmering, she holds my gaze, a beautiful smile on her lips.
“You and your love for this song,” I murmur.
“It’s not a crime to love a song so much, especially when you fantasized a lot of times on how you would dance to it at your own wedding.”
“I remember.” I drop my forehead to hers. “God, I can’t believe you’re my wife now.”
“Konechno twoya1.” She sighs and closes her eyes. “A ty moy muzh.2”
“Yeah, only yours,” I reply.
I’m happy I decided to study Russian two years ago.
I can better understand her now, even though this language is hard as fuck, especially considering how different it is from English.
But I’m a determined guy, and I can proudly say that I can even hold a little conversation with Yana’s parents now.
We sway to the rhythm, lost in the moment and in each other. It really feels like it’s just the two of us. The rest of the world doesn’t exist. She shifts and puts her head against my shoulder.
“Are you tired?” I whisper.
“Just a little bit.” She lets out a giggle. “But I’m not tired for our wedding night.”
“I’ve been counting on it.” I lean away and look her in the eye. “I can’t wait to spend eternity with you.”
“Me neither.” She closes the gap between us and kisses me softly. “Ya lyublyu tebya3.“
“A ya lyublyu tebya4,” I say. Then I kiss her again.
Even when the song ends and another one starts, we don’t stop. We dance, we smile, we kiss. Because this—the quiet moment on the dance floor with other people surrounding us—is still just ours.
Sometimes love really just sneaks up on you when you least expect it.
It’s like a little seed that takes a root in your heart after you meet your person, and with each day it grows, it blooms. Bad days happen, we’re all human after all, and we all make mistakes.
What makes the difference is our desire to protect our love no matter what, to cultivate it, to make it stronger, more tangible.
Until it becomes bigger than you, bigger than the person you love, bigger than life, and that’s why it’s never-ending.
Yana is the love of my life. I fell in love pretty much at first sight. I still love her, and no matter how many years would pass—I’ll love her forever.
1 Of course I’m yours
2 And you’re my husband
3 I love you
4 I love you too