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“What happens now?”
“Whatever the fuck you want.”
“I didn’t expect to have choices,” she admits, her voice soft. I can see she’s surprised by this turn.
“I’m not my mother, Elena.” I pull her into me, my arms wrapping around her back.
“Women in our world are generally pushed into a cupboard and only brought out when needed.”
She’s not wrong about that. My mother is not the norm. She drags my father around by his dick.
“Don’t misunderstand me,” I tell her. “My word is law. This is my syndicate, and I won’t allow you to rule me as Charlotte does my father, but I do want you happy. Free. You’re not a trophy I won. You’re my wife.”
Her nose scrunches up. “You were doing so well until you just said that.”
“I realise it might sound like I’m being a bastard, Elena, but there can only be one head of this family. I’ve seen what happens when another is given power. My father is weakened by his relationship with my mother. His refusal to prevent Charlotte’s meddling damages his reputation. Everyone knows who really wears the Fraser crown. That makes Anthony vulnerable. It also makes the family exposed to danger. To keep us safe, I must be in charge. I have to show a hard line to those who would consider coming at us.”
She pushes back from me and crosses her arms over her chest, which pushes her tits up. I want to touch her, so I reach out and squeeze the nearest one through her tee. She blinks but doesn’t pull back or scold me. I continue to massage her breast as she asks, “So you want me silent?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That’s what you mean though.”
“The family business is my domain. It has to be. I have responsibilities to keep my brothers and sister and their families safe. Now, I have you too. I won’t apologise for doing whatever it takes to ensure that.”
Her jaw loosens a little and the heat in her eyes fades. “I understand that. I’d do anything for my brother and sister.”
I feel a little relieved that she backed down so easily. Elena is a strong woman, and she isn’t someone who feels the need to be controlled. She and I are very similar in that way.
“Shall we get dressed and go down for breakfast?” I ask.
Elena nods. “Sure. I could eat.”
I stop touching her and pull her down onto my lap. She struggles to gain purchase for a moment before I wrap my arms around her. I press my mouth to hers. She kisses me back, her tongue flicks far more tentative than mine. After a moment, though, she finds her confidence.
My fingers tangle in her hair, pulling her head back so I can deepen the angle. If this is what marriage is, so far, I like it.
When we break apart, both of us are breathless. She peers into my eyes, and I see the confusion there. Before she can dissect what is going on too much, I speak.
“Breakfast. I want to get my wife fed.”
Her lips pull into a smile. Fuck, I love how it changes her face completely, and for the better.
“I’m not going to get used to being someone’s wife,” she says.
“Not someone’s. Mine.”
I nudge her to get her moving, and she climbs off my lap. “Are you always this possessive?”
“Only with things that belong to me.”
Her expression changes, her mouth pulling into a line. “I need to shower,” she mutters, and before I can challenge her mood swing, she disappears into the bathroom, sliding the lock into place.
I remain on the edge of the bed, unsure of what just happened. When she emerges from the bathroom, clean and wearing jeans with the tee she slept in, she ignores me as she moves around the room, collecting her things up.
Unsure how to navigate this, I shower myself. I dry myself off when I’m done and head into the bedroom to change. She had done so in the bathroom, but that is not a precedent I want to set. She’s sitting against the headboard, her knees drawn to her chest. Her damp hair hangs loosely around her face. Her eyes come to me as I move into the room, clutching the towel slung around my hips.
I sink onto the opposite side of the bed and start to dress myself. I’ve barely got clean boxers on when she speaks.
