Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
She focused on her food, her eyes averted to her plate.
I stared at her as I ate, only breaking my look to cut into my chicken, which was crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside, full of lemon juice and herbs. She had a lot of qualities that impressed me, but her ability to cook took the cake.
“Were you going to tell me?” she asked.
“Tell you what?”
“About what happened with the sex worker.”
I appreciated that she didn’t use the word “whore” again after I’d said I didn’t like the term. Probably figured out it had something to do with my mother. “Only if you asked me.”
She stopped eating, and her eyes flicked up to me. “Excuse me?”
“Not really much to tell. We played cards.”
“But if you had told me about it before Leo mentioned it, that big misunderstanding wouldn’t have happened.”
I smirked. “And that would have been a shame.”
“Wolfe.”
“What?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. I’m glad it happened, and I’m not the least bit sorry.”
She gave me this look, like she was about to erupt like Mount Etna. “You’re playing with fire right now.”
“Ooh…burn me, baby.”
“I’m gonna chuck this damn plate at your head.”
“Looks like we’ve leveled up from slapping.”
“Wolfe.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But you still should have told me.”
“You want me to report every interaction I have with women?” I asked incredulously. “Your head would explode.”
“Why would my head explode?”
“Because it happens all the time,” I snapped. “Every fucking day. When Leo and I went to the docks, Davide Romano’s daughter made a pass at me. I politely told her to fuck off. Last night, one of my regulars asked me to come over and fuck her in the ass—free of charge. And then a different girl sent me nudes, for no fucking reason.”
The fire erupted in her eyes.
“I didn’t look at them. I just deleted them.”
“Then how did you know they were nudes?”
“Well, a nipple is pretty distinct.”
She set down her fork and released a breath that could knock over a stone house.
“And all of that was just yesterday. So you really want me to tell you every little thing?”
She grabbed her glass and took a big drink, like it was grape juice instead of wine.
“You said you trust me.” I didn’t realize how much that meant to me until I heard her say it. I’d never been in a monogamous relationship before, so commitment and trust were things I’d never experienced before. I wanted her to be jealous because her possessiveness turned me on, but I didn’t want her to worry that I would fuck around on her because I never would.
I was locked in.
She took another drink of her wine. “I do trust you.”
“Then don’t expect me to share all the offers I get. I always tell them I’ve got a woman at home.”
“Did you tell your card buddy?”
“Damn right I did. You can hear it in the video. We talked about it for a while.”
“Yeah?”
“I said you were Leo’s sister, and she said when he finds out, he’s gonna be mad that I spent the night with her. And I explained that was why I filmed the whole thing, so when that day comes, I have irrefutable proof to your brother that I’m committed.”
She grabbed her fork again and started to push her food around her plate.
“I love it when you get jealous.”
She looked at me again.
“But I don’t want you to feel insecure.”
All the anger and resentment slowly drained from her face.
“If you do, then I’m not doing my job right.”
She took a breath then ran her fingers through her hair, so sexy and irresistible without even trying. All these little moves she made, even the way she took a breath, were intoxicating to me. My obsession was borderline dangerous, a walking red flag. If she were smart, she would stay away from me, not because I would fool around and break her heart, but because I would possess her so hard, she might suffocate.
She finally responded to what I said. “I don’t feel insecure.”
A slow grin moved across my lips.
“I was just blindsided and…”
“Heartbroken, devastated, utterly fucking distraught.” I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. “At least you don’t have to worry about feeling that way ever again. Because I would never fuck this up. I would never hurt you. I would never betray you. I would never lie to you. You’re the only person in this world who has my unconditional and unquestionable loyalty.”
“What about my father?”
“I’m loyal to him—but I’m loyal to you first. If you asked me to shoot him in the back of the head, I would do it, no questions asked.” I grabbed my glass and took a drink. “I would do anything for you, no questions asked.”
23
FRANCESCA
I lay in bed wearing his shirt, his face pressed between my thighs while his mouth worked my sex with expert execution, eating me raw, sucking and pulling and even biting, bringing me to the edge over and over, but never letting me actually drop off the cliff.