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“Thanks.”
I wrapped both arms around the small box and marched down the stairwell to find Santino. How we met and how we ended up together didn’t matter now. We were a married couple. Holidays were the sort of thing we had to discuss and work out together. I wasn’t asking for a lot. Just a few things to make our home look festive, and to make me forget that this was my first Christmas without Dad, without my family.
When I asked Santino about going to Chicago for Christmas, he responded with a resolute no. I didn’t push back on that one because, without Mom and Dad, Christmas wouldn’t be the same anyway. New York or Chicago, the hole in my chest burned no matter what.
I shouldered open the double doors to the dining room, and my breath hitched. Santino sat at the head of the table, wearing a dark tailored suit, and yes, looking regal, unattainable, and so out of my league. A buzz heated my core instantly. How long before this desire I had for him subsided? How long until the want in his intense gaze didn’t make me forget about everything else in my life?
I wasn’t Santino’s prisoner anymore. Though sometimes I felt like a prisoner of my desires. I was sure I read a historical romance novel with that title when I was in high school. Back then, I didn’t fully understand the meaning behind it. I did now.
He met my gaze across the room and smiled. I stopped to inhale and get the sexy ideas reeling through my mind to hold off a bit until we had our talk. The second he shifted his attention to the box in my hands, he furrowed his brows and rose to his feet. His imposing figure made me step back. But then I thought about how sad our holiday would be without some festive cheer and ambled toward him.
“That shade of deep green is definitely your color.” He cupped my face as soon as I was within arm’s length and kissed my lips softly. “Are you hungry?” He pulled out the chair for me and waited.
Surprise fluttered in his eyes. He knew what was in the box. But he was choosing to ignore it. Now, I realized, the “we’ll see,” was a “never going to happen” unless I put my foot down.
“Thank you.” I took the seat he offered and set the box beside me. I could play his silly game too.
“How was your day, dear?” He sat and placed the napkin over his lap.
Oh, we were the picture of civilized. But I knew better.
“Boring.” I drank from my wine glass. “I had nothing to do all day.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Where do you think I go when you’re gone all day?”
“Honestly?” He licked his lips, and his gaze darkened. “I always picture you tied down in our bed, naked.”
“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” I scoffed. “I’m being serious, Santino.”
“We’ve already gone through all of this. More than once, if I recall correctly.”
“Saying no to me isn’t discussing anything.” I glared at him and focused on his hard eyes, instead of his soft lips and broad shoulders. Christmas wasn’t the only thing he’d denied me recently. I was his wife now, but he still treated me like he did when we first met, when I was his captive. “Donata called again today. She said her job offer was still on the table. And was wondering why you hadn’t called her to arrange my security detail with her.”
“Red.” He cleared his throat. “The hospital isn’t safe for you. Find something else to do.” He motioned toward the rest of the penthouse. “Here.”
“I miss being a nurse. I miss helping people.” I reached for his hand. “Please.”
His chest rose and fell as he held my gaze. I hated when I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“I want you here.” He shifted his gaze toward the box by my feet. “Where did you find that?”
Oh, now he wanted to talk about the Christmas ornaments.
“The storage unit in the garage.”
“What were you doing in there?” He drank deeply from his wine glass.
“I was bored and decided to go looking for Christmas decorations. This was all I could find.” I waved toward the pitiful container full of raggedy ornaments and nutcrackers. “You don’t celebrate?” I rose to my feet and closed the space between us.
His gaze roamed my chest before it moved up to my face. A slight smirk pulled at his lips as a spark of lust flashed in his eyes. In an instant, the air around us shifted and crackled with a raw energy that was both familiar and hypnotic. When he reached for my hand, he already had me under his spell.
“Red, sit down and have a meal with me.” He nibbled on the pads of my fingers. His velvet tongue lingered on my skin and sent a shock of adrenaline straight to my core.
“Santino.”
“Hmm.” He stopped to look up into my eyes and pressed my own hand to my pussy.
