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CH.32

Author: Golden Butterfly
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

I could not tear my gaze away from his, searching those Osbidian depths for any hint of deception or guile. But all I saw reflected back at me was sincerity and...could it be tenderness?

A profound sense of confusion washed over me as I tried to reconcile this softer, more compassionate side of Karl with the harsh, brutal man who had tormented me since our wedding.

I instinctively pulled my hand back when he tried to grab it, needing to put some distance between us as the flashes of my suffering at his hands bombarded my mind.

The phantom pain of bruises long healed made my skin prickle uncomfortably.

"Karl, it's not that simple," I said, trembling faintly with repressed emotion. "What you put me through...the things you did to me...it's not something I can just forget or move past so easily. Those memories are seared into my psyche. I need time to process it all, to heal."

I took a shaky breath, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. "Every time I close my eyes,
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    We finished our meal in comfortable silence, though my mind was still buzzing with unanswered questions. The restaurant's ambient lighting cast a warm glow over Karl's chiseled features as he signaled for the check. I watched him sign the bill and leave a generous tip that surprised our waiter's eyes.Karl got up from his chair gracefully and held out his hand to me with a roguish smile dancing around the edges of his mouth. "Come, my dear. I have something special planned for us today." His voice held a hint of excitement, like a child with a secret they were bursting to share.I eyed him warily. My curiosity was piqued despite my better judgment. After hesitating for a moment, I placed my hand in his, allowing him to help me to my feet. His touch sent a familiar jolt of electricity through my body, reminding me of the inexplicable connection that seemed to bind us together.Karl led me out of the restaurant. His hand rested possessively on the small of my back as we stepp

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    The day unfolded in a relaxed and joyful manner, contrasted with the intensity and darkness that so often cloud our lives. We visited various iconic locations in the heart of Moscow, Russia—strolling through the vast Red Square, which was bustling with tourists, marveling at the vibrant onion domes and intricate architecture of St. Basil's Cathedral, and taking a guided tour through the imposing Kremlin walls. We even participated in some cheesy but fun touristy activities together, like riding one of those goofy-looking pedal cart bikes and taking a river cruise along the Moskva River. That was the first time in longer than I could remember that we behaved just like any other regular couple would on vacation.There were no shadows lingering over us, no darkness seeping into the corners of our minds. It was honestly really refreshing and gave me a glimpse into what life could be like if we weren't constantly weighed down by the baggage of our troubled pasts.The sun had begun

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    Karl carried me all the way up to our lavish hotel suite, still ignoring my token protests until he had gently laid me down on the plush king-sized bed. I sighed in defeat and let him carefully remove my boots and socks then watched him leave to fetch something from the dressing room.He soon returned with a set of clothes and I realized he intended to help me change out of my snow-dampened outfit. A flush of embarrassment crept up my neck at the thought of being undressed by him like a child.I placed my hand over his to stop him. "Really, I can do it myself," I mumbled, avoiding his intense gaze.Karl ignored my embarrassment and removed my hand from his arm with a gentle firmness. He proceeded to undress me with an achingly tender touch. His fingers skimmed reverently over my bare skin while each piece of clothing fell away."I've seen every single inch of your gorgeous body so many times, Lavinia," Karl murmured softly. His eyes burned into mine with an intense heat

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    "Lavinia!"Karl's deep, commanding voice sliced through the heavy silence like a razor-sharp knife, causing my heart to immediately start pounding rapidly in my chest. A slight dread coiled in the pit of my stomach as I slowly turned to face the intimidating figure standing in the doorway, apprehension washing over me in icy waves.Karl stood bare-chested after clearly just stepping out of the shower, his tanned, muscular skin still glistening with beads of water. The only thing preserving his modesty was a small, fluffy white towel wrapped loosely around his narrow hips. Rivulets of moisture trailed in meandering paths down the ridges and valleys of his powerfully built torso, drawing my eyes instinctively to the intricate tattoos that danced across his skin like living ink.The sight of him like this, barely clothed and exuding an aura of raw masculinity, was both intensely intimidating and undeniably captivating in a way that made my breath hitch. There was an almost feral sor

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    The crudity of his words made me flinch slightly. My cheeks flooded with scorching heat as realization set in with dizzying force. Oh god, what had I gotten myself into? How would I extricate myself from this rapidly escalating situation without angering Karl?Before I could formulate any sort of response or plan of action, Karl took my free hand in his and firmly placed it directly over the thick, rigid length straining against the soft cotton of his pants. The sheer heat and hardness of him seared into my palm like a brand, making me suck in a sharp breath of mingled shock and something darker that I refused to put a name to."You can't tease me like that and not follow through, baby," he growled in a voice rendered husky and thick with naked arousal. "You need to take responsibility now."My hand rested awkwardly over the prominent bulge, feeling it twitch slightly against my splayed fingers as if reacting to Karl's commanding tone. I felt utterly trapped, caught between the

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    I stared up at Karl in shock and disbelief. His crude demand left me feeling utterly exposed and helpless like a fragile insect pinned beneath his intense scrutiny. It was as if I had gotten irreversibly tangled up in an inescapable grasp of his own depraved making, the silken threads binding me tighter with every passing second until I could scarcely breathe."What do you want now, Karl?" I managed to ask in a voice strained with fear and trepidation, feebly attempting to wriggle free from his overwhelming physical dominance and the iron grip of his large hands.But Karl wasn't letting up, not even for a fraction of a second. He intertwined my hands with his in a bruising grip, holding them immobilized above my head in a display of sheer strength as his other hand began exploring the soft curves and valleys of my body with an unhurried sort of dark possessiveness."Did you really think one little teasing touch would be enough to satisfy me, hmm?" he growled in a low, grating

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    "Get off me, Karl, you're too heavy," I muttered breathlessly once I had regained some of my senses, trying in vain to squirm out from under the solid weight of his large frame pinning me to the mattress.He flashed me a wicked grin that held not a shred of remorse, his eyes still glittering with the lingering embers of satisfaction before rolling off me and tugging my sweat-slicked body flush against his chest in an almost tender embrace. As much as I wanted to resist the gesture, to push him away and create some much-needed distance between us, I couldn't deny the small flicker of comfort and security I felt being enveloped in the scorching heat of his arms and surrounded by his overwhelming presence.---I woke with a start to the first rays of golden morning light creeping through the edges of the heavy curtains, momentarily disoriented and deeply unsettled by the vivid remnants of the previous night's activities. It took me a few seconds to get my bearings and remember that I

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    When they finally broke apart, he maintained a feigned frown. “Is that all we’re going to do?” he asked gruffly.Lavinia giggled at his attitude. "You're being ridiculous."Before he could retort, she carefully lifted Jan from his arms and settled onto the couch, preparing to nurse the hungry infant. She pulled out her breast from under her light shirt and guided the baby's mouth to her nipple so he could contentedly suckle.Karl watched them for a moment with a complicated mix of tenderness and jealousy. "I think we need to start weaning him off breastfeeding soon so he can drink regular milk," he commented.Lavinia just rolled her eyes at him. She was long used to hearing this complaint from her husband. "Are you seriously jealous of your own child? He's still so young, I can't just stop breastfeeding him like that," she sighed.Karl turned his gaze away, feeling unreasonably envious of the peaceful intimacy between mother and child. He tried to push the feeling aside.“Finally, he's

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    It was truly a night to remember.Andre and Rosie found themselves in the quiet of their hotel room, where they were able to spend some quality time together.While Andre's hands were softly put next to Rosie's head against the door as he gazed into her eyes intensely."What are you doing?" Rosie's voice trembled."Why are you so tense? Are you afraid?" Andre asked before caressing her cheeks tenderly.Rosie offered him a smile and shook her head. "I'm not... I just...""Don’t be nervous, just let yourself go. I'll never hurt you, my love. Everything will be fine, trust me," Andre reassured her.Rosie battled to restrain her reactions as he moved in and pressed soft kisses along her neck. She bit her lip in an attempt to suppress her moans."I love you, Rosie, you know that," Andre murmured.Rosie nodded. "I know, my love, and I love you too," she managed to say before their lips met in a tender kiss.Andre carefully lifted Rosie in his arms before carrying her to the bed. He gently s

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    Karl’s grin broadened at her words and he drew the quilt over them both before they welcomed dreamland together.The next day, Lavinia was standing in the middle of the dressing room, clad in just her underwear, angling her body towards the full-length mirror. With a small smile, she ran her hands over the gentle swell of her baby bump, admiring the changes pregnancy was bringing to her figure.She grabbed her phone and started snapping a series of photos from various angles in an attempt to document this special journey.The bathroom door opened and Karl stepped in, fresh from the shower with a towel slung low around his hips.He raised an eyebrow at his wife's actions. "Uh, what're you doing there, babe?"Lavinia glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "I'm taking belly pics! Wanna get in on this?" She motioned for him to join her. "I want to have photos documenting my whole pregnancy so we can look back on it."Without hesitation, Karl crossed the room and wrapped his arms snugly ar

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    “Is my husband still angry with me?” she murmured.She could feel the scorching heat of his body through the thin silk of her negligee and smell the warm, musky scent of his skin. It made her head spin with a dizzying rush of want.Before Karl could respond, Lavinia closed the scant distance between them and captured his lips in a deep, hungry kiss.For a long, heated moment he seemed to melt against her. His mouth moved in tandem with hers as one of his hands slid up to fist in her hair.A low rumbling groan of pure masculine appreciation vibrated against her lips and it made her shiver with delight.Then, all at once, Karl seemed to come to his senses. He tore his mouth away from hers with a harsh curse. His hands quickly dropped away from her as if she had scorched him."Dammit, Lavinia," he growled.There was an unmistakable bulge tenting the front of his pajama pants. "Don't do this, not tonight. I'm serious."Lavinia felt her heart plummet at the rejection. "But Karl--""No buts.

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    Lavinia felt her stomach twist itself into an anxious knot when the realization struck her. Karl must have retreated upstairs to their bedroom, no doubt seeking the solitude and space his anger and hurt seemed to demand.She wavered in the doorway for a long moment, chewing nervously on her lower lip while weighing her options.Part of her wanted nothing more than to leave him be, to give him the time and distance he so clearly needed to process whatever emotions were raging inside him over the disastrous misunderstanding.Another, deeper part of her, however, knew that putting off a reconciliation would only breed more resentment and pain between them.No, better to bite the bullet and face the awkwardness head-on no matter how painful it might be.Drawing a fortifying breath, Lavinia finally turned on her heel and slowly headed for the stairs.By the time she reached the bedroom door, her heart was pounding a staccato rhythm against her ribcage. She could hear the muffled sounds of

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