“Will you zip me up?”
“Calm your tits,” she teases me as she tugs at the zipper, finally getting it up, thankfully. “Now, go surprise my brother. Everyone knows you’re the only one that can. I’m going to take Lucas to a movie and ice cream.” She gives me a hug.
“Thank you.”
I give Lucas a kiss, who looks every inch his daddy, before I slip out and head downstairs to the bar. I thought what better place to surprise Archer than where it all started? As soon as I enter the bar, I realize the same spot I sat in all those years ago is vacant. I take a seat, making myself comfortable.
“Mrs. Valentine, can I get you something to drink?” the bartender Lina asks, placing a napkin down in front of me.
“I’ll just take some water for now, if you don’t mind.”
“Coming right up,” she says before making her way to get it for me.
I don’t bother to text Archer. I’m sure security alerted him the second I stepped onto the casino floor. I had to cross it to get to this particular bar. I learned he kept tabs on me rather early into our marriage. He would often show up to where I was when I was on property. At first, I was annoyed. I’d thought we’d put to bed that I would never run from him again. Well, unless we were playing one of our naughty sex games.
After I took a small fit, I’d ended up laid out over his desk while he fucked me from behind, the whole time telling me how he kept tabs on me because he worried. And that he found comfort in knowing where I was at all times. He always thinks someone is going to kidnap me. Which I told him is ridiculous. He rebuffed by saying he’d thought of doing it himself when I kept saying we weren’t getting married.
The man really does have a way of getting me to agree to things. I told him to track away because after he laid it out for me, I found it to be kind of sweet and damn, did it turn me on. The man is so in love and smitten with me, he’s sure everyone else would be too if given the chance.
I’m sure a therapist would say this is unhealthy and terribly codependent, likely even link it to my childhood and how my parents were with me, but I don’t give a crap. I can track him too. Not that he goes anywhere besides work, but still.
“This seat taken?” a man in a three-piece suit asks, pulling out the chair next to mine. He doesn’t give me a chance to answer before he takes a seat. His blond hair is slicked back, and he makes a show of the gold flashy Rolex on his wrist so there is no way I could miss it. How is he missing the giant ring on my finger?
“You don’t want to sit there.” Lina sets my water down in front of me.
“Let me get you something a bit stronger,” he says, ignoring Lina altogether.
“I’m married,” I informed him.
“And you’re wearing that dress?” He lifts a brow, his eyes going straight for my tits. “I would say you’re looking for a night of not being married.”
“We’re going to need security,” Lina sighs.
“Security? I’m not doing anything,” the man scoffs. “Get me a whiskey neat.”
“She means we need security so that I don’t snap your fucking neck.” Archer’s deep voice rumbles from behind me.
He places his hand on my hip as he leans down and kisses me on my bare shoulder. It’s not a brush of a kiss either. It’s open-mouth, his tongue taking a taste of me before he nips at me, making me gasp.
“Hey, man I was here first. If you want—” Archer strikes like a snake. His arm shoots out, his hand wrapping around the men’s throat. He yanks him off the bar stool like he’s a rag doll.
“Apologize to my wife,” he orders the man, whose eyes are so wide I’m shocked they haven't popped out of his head.
“Sorry,” he manages to get out.
“Get the fuck out of my casino.” He shoves the man backwards and into the two waiting security guards.
Archer turns to face me. I nibble on my bottom lip. “Oops?”
“Oops?” he repeats.
“It’s not my fault. When I bought this dress it fit, and then you knocked me up, and now these boobs are out of control so really it’s your fault,” I blurt out.
“Mila.”
“Oh! Happy anniversary,” I quickly add. “Love you.” I give him my best smile.
“You really make it hard to stay mad and punish you.”
“Really?” I lick my lips. “I wanted a little bit of punishment.” I peek up at him through my lashes.
He sinks his fingers into my hair, giving a small tug. I gasp as his mouth descends onto mine. The kiss is hard and possessive. His need for me is as strong as it was that very first night we met here. When he lifts his mouth from mine, we’re both breathless.