Page 48 of Lust and Honor

A righteous, virtuous guy? God knows that’s what I should’ve done from the start. But for some reason, I don’t regret what I did. I raise an eyebrow at him. “You said I’m not your prisoner.”

His voice grates through clenched teeth. “I can change my mind anytime.”

The venom in his tone steals my breath, and I instinctively step back. But he grabs both my arms and yanks me around, slamming my back against his chest. One hand clamps around my throat, forcing me against him. He buries his face in my neck, his voice seething:

“If I wanted, I could train you to crawl on all fours like an obedient dog, begging me to fuck you until you pass out. I could break you so bad no glue could piece you back together.”

This is it; this is what terrifies me. His grip tightens on my throat.

“I know a thousand ways to break you, but you know why I’m being so civilized? Because you’re the mother of my daughter. I forgave the mountain of shit you’ve pulled with me and Carlo because I won’t risk even a single scratch on her peace. I let you breathe easy, let you mouth off, and I don’t rip you apart because hurting you means hurting Aurora.”

His grip tightens so much that breathing becomes a struggle. I place my hand over his fingers, trying to ease the pressure, and gasp, “I can’t breathe.”

With a sudden shove, he pushes me forward and lets go. I gulp air into my lungs, my eyes trembling as I stare at him. He sees the fear he’s sparked and clenches his jaw, his fists balling at his sides. He turns his back to me, grabs the glass of water I’d left on the counter, and downs it in one go. A deep line of muscle divides his sculpted back, every ridge taut and contracted. Unlike his inked-up chest, his skin is bare of tattoos except for his shoulders. When he turns back, he’s fully composed. The burning rage is gone.

“Do whatever the fuck you think is best.”

He takes a step toward me. When he sees my panicked flinch, he stops.

“Go ahead and fuck any bastard you want. I don’t give a fuck.”

He turns and leaves without another word.

***

Maxim is lying shirtless on the couch, legs stretched out, with Aurora sitting on his stomach. She’s wearing yellow pajamas, her hair clipped on both sides, definitely Maxim’s doing, and she’s leaning over his chest, carefully studying the numbers inked over his skin. After a moment, she reaches to the side, grabs a wooden block with a number on it, and hands it to Maxim. He raises an eyebrow at her and flashing his teeth in a playful growl.

“Wrong answer!”

Aurora squeals with laughter, trying to squirm away, but Maxim wraps an arm around her and buries his face in her neck, pulling more giggles from my daughter. She’s not afraid of his thunderous growls anymore. Sometimes she even messes up on purpose, just to get chased by him like he’s a hungry bear.

I walk over, smiling. “Lunch is ready.”

Without letting Aurora go, Maxim growls again, “I’m eating Aurora for lunch today.”

He moves his head to the other side of her neck, growling again. Aurora shrieks with delight, swinging tiny fists at him and trying to squirm free. I smile, turning to set the food on the table. I don’t know if Maxim plans to stay for lunch, but I set a plate for him anyway.

After our fight last week, he disappeared for two whole days. Stupidly, I worried about a man who nearly choked me during that violent outburst, a man who’s probably one of Europe’s deadliest killers. Still, his absence weighed on me so much that I finally called Emily, tiptoeing around the subject before asking about him. She didn’t say where he was, just that Maxim’s like a cat with nine lives and I shouldn’t worry.

Since he’s been back, he comes home late at night, spends a little time with Aurora during the day, then leaves. He’s been practically ignoring me.

Their giggles die down, and moments later, Maxim carries Aurora into the kitchen, setting her in her highchair. He sits at the table, bringing a spoonful of mashed potatoes to her lips.

Aurora eats without protest but grabs the spoon. “Me do it,” she insists.

Maxim kisses her hand and lets go of the spoon. I still can’t believe how quickly he’s settled into fatherhood. He’s patient, attentive, and somehow manages to spoil her without letting her turn feral. My gaze drifts to the tattoos on his chest: a woman with flowing black hair, seemingly random dates, a liquor bottle, stacks of hundred-dollar bills, and a tiger on his wrist.

If we were closer, I’d ask what all these markings mean, but it seems Maxim only wants one thing from me, sex, which, in his words, I’m not “breaking for.”

Fingers snapping in front of my face pulls my eyes from his body. There’s a glint of mischief mixed with mockery in his gaze. I feel the heat rush to my cheeks but keep my composure.

“Need something?” I ask.

He leans back in his chair. “Emily hired a new nanny for the kids. After lunch, go with Alex to the hotel. Drop off Aurora, then head to the mall for clothes shopping.”

Alex is the young bodyguard who lives in a small room in the courtyard.

“I’m fine. I already bought what I needed the last time I went shopping with Aurora.”