She shouldn’t have been in art school to begin with.
She was a natural.
Every night, we would have dinner together then go to bed. And every night, she was on her back with her head on the pillow, and I was in between her legs, buried deep in her arousal. I made love to her the same way every single night, slow and deep. I kissed her and felt her lips tremble against mine. It was so domesticated, so vanilla, but I’d never loved sex more. I loved making love to this woman every night, no matter how slow or repetitive it was. There was nothing I enjoyed more than sinking her into the mattress, kissing her like I loved her, and feeling her come around my dick over and over. She just lay there, and I thrust deep and slow, enjoying every single moment of the bliss.
I was pussy-whipped, and it didn’t bother me at all.
I was sitting in my office when Max called.
“Hey, man. How’s married life?”
His taunt didn’t bother me at all. “No complaints. How’s jerking off every night?”
He chuckled. “Not as good as pussy.”
“You got something for me?”
“I do. I’ll send you all the info over our server.”
“Where?”
“Turkey. The guy has been doing some illegal nuclear work down there, selling information he shouldn’t be selling. The client has put a huge price on this, so I’m sending you and Shane. I think this is a two-person job.”
I didn’t mind having backup. “What’s the payment?”
“Sixty million.”
Split two ways, that was more than enough. “I’m in. When do I leave?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
“I’ll send you the information now. Let me know if you have any questions.”
“Okay. I’ll coordinate with Shane.”
“Alright.” Max hung up.
Vanessa sat across from me at the dining table, a spot of blue paint on her neck. She’d showered after working all day, but she somehow missed the tiny dot.
I didn’t tell her it was there because I liked it.
I made salmon and greens, my most popular dinner. Packed with protein with no fat or carbs, it was the superfood I needed to maintain my size.
“This is really good. I’ve never cared for fish, but this is great.” She took small bites as she ate her dinner, sipping her wine every now and then. Her eyes were down at her food, her small mouth moving as she chewed.
I hardly looked at what I was doing because I preferred to look at her. “Thanks. How’s the artwork coming along?”
“You spy on me, so you tell me.” She looked up, a small smile on her lips.
I didn’t deny it. “You have five new paintings now?”
“Seven, including the two I have at my old apartment. Next time I see my family, I’ll hand them over so they can be sold at the winery.”
“Maybe we should seriously consider opening a gallery for you.”
“We aren’t doing anything. When I’m ready, I’ll open one on my own.”
“Or you could just let your man take care of it.” I could buy a building for her, prime real estate in Milan, and I could pay to have it designed into the perfect gallery. She could live her dream and sell her paintings and not have to worry about the overhead expenses.
“I don’t need a man to take care of me.”
My eyes narrowed.
“In this regard,” she added. “I want to do this on my own. I’ll save up some money for a down payment, and then I’ll go from there.”
She was taking the hard way, and while it infuriated me, I also respected her for it. She wasn’t looking for the easy way. She wanted to do something on her own, stand on her own two feet the way she’d been raised. Instead of trying to spoon-feed her, I let it be. “I’m leaving tomorrow, and I may be gone for a while.” Since this operation was more extensive than the others, I might be gone longer than usual.
She stopped eating, her body tensing instantly. “Where are you going?”
“Turkey. I’ve got a mission. Shane is coming with me.”
“Why is he coming with you?” she asked. “Is this a bigger operation than usual?”
“A little. This guy deals with nuclear weaponry, so my job is to eliminate him. He’s selling secrets when he shouldn’t be, and it’s a threat to pretty much everyone.”
She dropped her fork back onto her plate. “Griffin, this sounds dangerous.”
“Obviously. I kill people for a living. What did you expect?”
“Nothing this intense…” Her calm manner completely disappeared, and now she was just as distressed as she was the night she saw me with another woman. A thin layer of moisture covered the surface of her eyes, and her breathing had escalated almost instantly.
“Baby, I’ll be fine.”
She looked down at her half-eaten food, her appetite gone. She dragged her fingers across her mouth, deep in thought.
I never would have said anything if I’d thought it was going to make her this upset. “Baby.”