“Did you feel that?” His lips hovered close to hers. “How it felt to have your mouth against mine? How your body’s still shaking from a simple kiss?”

She licked her lower lip, a hesitant yet deliciously tempting act that stoked his barely contained control. If the subtle move hadn’t given away her thoughts, the wide dilation of her pupils and how heavily her eyelids hung would have answered for her.

“I know that I have never felt that response with any other woman,” he said, rather than give her what they both wanted. “I know that we see eye to eye on many issues, and that you are as driven as I am to succeed at whatever you do. I know that we both have pasts that fuel our desire to prove ourselves. That I find your mind as intoxicating as your body, and that I could listen to you talk about anything for hours. Time will fill in the details for me, but right now, you are clarity enough.”

A shaky breath whispered past her parted lips. “You can’t mean that.”

“I never say anything I don’t mean.” He pulled back enough to make sure she saw every bit of his expression. The truth of his words echoed behind his eyes. “I made a mistake letting you walk away from me the first time. I will not make that mistake again and I will not stop until you agree. You and I will be. The only unknown is how long it will take for you to accept and surrender to what is inevitable.”

Her fingers dug into his shoulders, the barrier of his jacket doing little to disguise the uncertainty and fear behind her grip. Her gaze shifted from one side to the other, distant and yet frantic. As though her mind desperately sought steady purchase. A foothold to keep her from plummeting into the unknown.

He gentled his arms around her. Skimmed his thumb along her nape and teased his lips against hers. “It’s all right, Cassie. You have nothing to fear. Not from me. Not from my family. Not from anyone.” He pressed his mouth to hers, the fit as perfect and intimate as their bodies once had been. As they would be again.

“I’m not afraid of your family,” she whispered. “Or you.”

“Then what?”

Her eyelids lifted slowly, such honesty and vulnerability shining from behind her blue-gray eyes. “I don’t know how to be a part of something like you have. My family is nothing like yours. I don’t know how to be anything but single Cassie figuring out how to do things on her own.”

He cupped her face. “You don’t need to know, vozlyublennaya. All you need to do is let go.”

He should have waited. Should have given her time to voice whatever concerns lingered.

But the tentative hope and need written on her face was too great. His own fears and impatience too powerful to risk logic taking the upper hand. He claimed her mouth. Kissed her with all the determination in him. Willed her to understand all the unspoken fears and faith now laid at her feet with each sweep of his tongue.