"Oh?" She straightens. "Are we going out somewhere?"
"It’s not safe to leave the house. At least, not until we catch whoever shot at us."
"Aww..." Her lips turn down. "It would be nice to get out of the house. You have so many bodyguards. Surely they’d be able to protect us?"
"All of the guards in the world couldn’t stop them from getting to us yesterday," I remind her.
"So, you’re going to change your way of life? You’re going to show them they managed to throw a scare into you?"
"That’s not true, and you know it." I scowl.
"Then show it." She draws herself up to her full five-foot, four-inch height, which means she’s at eye level with my heart.
She already has my heart.Cazzo, when did I fall for her? The feelings crept up on me and I didn’t notice. I take a step back.
"I know what you’re doing. You’re my sub. You’re trying to be bratty, poking at me, trying to undermine me, trying to test me and my masculinity."
"Oh?" She flutters her eyelashes. "You’re the big, bad Mafia guy. I am but your obedient little wife."
"Right." I snort. "I understand why you do it, though."
"Do you, now?"
I nod. "It turns you on to challenge my authority. You ache to get a reaction out of me, and it’s communicating your desire to play. You get off on testing my limits. You adore it when I rise to the occasion and punish you. You can't wait for me to claim mastery over you. The dynamic makes you aware of your sexuality. It reaffirms that you’re attractive, the center of my attention. You love the interest and the cerebral connection that comes with the mind play. The feelings it conjures up keep you aroused all day. The words, the orders, the reprimands, the harsh commands, the audacity with which I tell you to turn your body over to me so I can treat you like an object, a thing that is made to pleasure me, a slave whose only goal in life is to service me... No one else can speak to you like this. You’d never allow anyone else to have such access to your mind, your body, your heart—"
"Stop,” she whispers, "stop Seb."
"If I touch you now, I’ll find you even wetter than before, won’t I?"
"Yes." Her chin trembles.
"Yes, Master," I correct her.
"Yes… Master." She bows her head, and in that moment, I fall for her even more. This gorgeous, strong woman who has been through so much, who’d do anything for the well-being of her daughter, who put her trust in me when she asked me to be her Dom, who agreed to marry me because she was confident that I could help her… She lowers her gaze to the floor in front of me.
Does she have any idea just how much she has ensnared me? And it’s not only about her looks or her sexy little body… It’s her spirit, her ability to roll with the punches and come out on top. It’s her little quirks, especially her proclivity to quote from that infernal actor whose name I shall not mention. All of it makes her even more attractive.
And how can I refuse what she wants?
"Okay." I jerk my chin.
"Eh?" She peers up at me from under her eyelashes. "What do you mean, okay?"
"You want to go out, we’ll go out."
"But didn’t you say it’s too dangerous?"
"It is," I raise a shoulder, "but you’re right. Now is the time to show we’re not afraid. Whoever shot at us wanted to scare us. If we stay inside, we're allowing them to control us. It’s time we take a stand instead."
"Wow, so you’re actually agreeing I was right?"
"When you are, I have no problem accepting it."
"Didn’t think your ego would allow that." She laughs.
"I’m a Sovrano. Of course I have an ego, but that doesn’t mean I won’t back down when I’m wrong."
"Macho, dominant,andreasonable?" She shakes her head. "You’re almost too good to be true."