God. How did this happen? I’m addicted to this man and everything he brings out in me.
“Harder,” I say.
He only lathes at me harder, sucking, licking, nibbling harder until I’m writhing on the sheets and shoving his face against my body. Not once does he stop or complain. He doesn’t lift his lips from my skin until I’ve stopped shuddering from the strength of my orgasm.
I feel like he’s turned me inside out. My arms fall away from his hair, and he crawls up my body, then turns to lie beside me and drag me into his arms.
Curled against his shoulder, I run my hand down his abs, intent on giving him back some of the pleasure he gave me. When I reach his shaft, he stops me and brings my fingers to his lips. “This was for you. I don’t need anything in return. Yet.”
The tag on seems ominous, but it still starts a new desperate throb under my skin. When will I have enough of him? And how can I rectify everything I’ve lost with everything I’ve gained?
18
ADRIAN
She’s reading in bed again. Her knees are drawn up, and a book rests in the cradle her thighs make. I watch her for a minute while she’s completely oblivious. My wife is so beautiful. Looking at her creates an ache in my chest.
After I’ve looked my fill, I cross the room and lay a garment bag across the bed. She peers over at me, her eyes bouncing back and forth between me and the bag. “What’s that?”
“A dress.”
She gives me her best try at a stern look, and it’s so fucking adorable. “I have a whole closet of dresses you’ve bought me. I don’t need another.”
“This one is special.”
When she closes the book, she slips her index finger between the pages as if this conversation won’t take long enough for her to properly mark her spot. “Oh?”
I unzip the bag and spread it open to remove the dress. It’s black velvet and cut exactly to her measurements. It will fit her like a second skin, and I am already hard thinking about her wearing it.
“Wow, it’s beautiful,” she breathes. “What’s it for?”
“The end of the season party. It’s time to take you out and present you as my wife.”
My statement throws her. I watch emotions chase across her expressive face as she tries to figure out how she feels. A part of me expects a fight, but after a few seconds, she nods and gives me a soft, “Okay.” Then she opens her book again.
My fingers tingle as a surge of adrenaline batters me from the inside. “Does this mean you finally trust me to keep you safe?”
She glances up from the pages. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you specifically. It’s hard for me to trust anyone at all. No matter how much I want to.”
“Do you think you can do this for me? Come to the party and stand on my arm, look pretty, and smile.”
She makes a face when I say the word smile, but then she nods. “It will be hard, but if you’re with me, then it might not be so bad. What if my father is there?”
“From our intel, it doesn’t look like he’s attending, and he didn’t RSVP. But if he does show, well, it’ll make for an interesting night since he can’t do anything to me on neutral ground. Nor can he take you away since you’re legally my wife.”
“And Sal…?” she barely whispers.
I smile now, and she looks shocked by it. “If Sal shows up, it’s going to be an excellent night because I’ll finally get to hold up my end of our deal and give you everything I want. He has it coming.”
I leave the dress and go to my closet to gather my own clothing. “I’ll ask Andrea to come help you get ready.”
Her eyes are shimmering with tears, and my heart clenches. I want to comfort her, but she needs to do this. She needs to face these people for herself. And while she does, I’ll keep her safe.
I meet Valentina and my team at the elevators when it’s time to leave. As usual, she looks stunning. She fidgets with the tiny bag in her hands as if she has no clue what to do with her fingers.
When she reaches me, I lift her chin and stare into her eyes. “You are my wife. You’ll be the mother of my children, and you should keep your chin up. No one talks down to you, no one touches you, and no one but my team goes anywhere with you alone. Understood?”
She swallows heavily and then nods. I’m proud of her as she keeps her head high all the way to the car. Once inside, I settle her on the seat next to me, needing to touch her before I have to slip into the mask of society.