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I rolled my eyes. “How magnanimous of you.”
Constantine flipped me onto my back. “Come here, you,” he growled, pulling on my legs until I had my butt was right on the edge of the bed. The ferocity of his features left me breathless as he nudged my legs apart and moved between them. Wearing an open dress shirt and slacks, he leaned over the bed, a fist on either side of my head, and placed his face dangerously close to mine. “I told you that this is where you belong, and I meant it.”
I smirked, wrapping first one leg and then the other around him in slow, deliberate movements. “I’m really coming to enjoy this possessive side of you.”
“And if we weren’t expecting company in the next twenty minutes, I would show you just how deep that possession runs.”
I squeaked and pushed against him, struggling to sit up. “Who’s coming? Only twenty minutes? Constantine! I’ve got to get ready. Let me go!”
“The way I feel about you right now, I don’t know if I could ever truly let you go. I would have to cut out a piece of me. And as I’m battered enough as it is, I don’t think I would survive that.”
Stunned by his sudden confession, I lay perfectly still as he threaded his fingers through my hair and brought my face up for a swift, hungry kiss. It addled my brain enough that the flutter of my heart turned from panic about unexpected company to being consumed by passion. Constantine deepened the kiss, pulling my body close to his. I moaned into his mouth, gripping him tight.
When he finally broke away, we were both panting hard. He reached for the soft, thin bathrobe and held it up for me to scoot into. I obeyed. Constantine reached around and tied it firmly in place, brushing his lips against the base of my neck. “Because I know how much care you take to get ready, I’m granting you these precious few minutes to tend to those needs when by all rights I should be burying myself deep inside you right now.”
“You also take a lot of care in the way you dress and present yourself,” I murmured, turning my head to find his lips.
He frowned against my cheek and let out a harsh breath. “We’ve already discussed that.”
“We have,” I agreed. “But as this relationship progresses, we’re going to need a lot more discussion.”
“Mmm,” he grunted.
I wriggled around enough to move the dress shirt and press a kiss onto the bare skin of his shoulder. “There’s time aplenty to build and get to know one another. We’ll make this honeymoon stage last far longer than is the norm—because we can.”
My words seemed to have more of an effect on him than I’d intended. He tightened his arms around me again, and he buried his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply. I didn’t know that the move could be so damn sexy, but the way he seemed to scent me was almost animalistic. The primordial gesture had my insides pulsing with erotic need, moisture arrowing between my legs.
“I don’t intend for this relationship to become anything ordinary, princess. We might lose the honeymoon discovery in the days to come, but I swear my passion for you won’t dim as I discover who you truly are.”
I smiled at him. “As long as we have the passion, we’ll always have a connection.”And maybe there can be more someday.
Constantine hummed in agreement as he released me and retreated into his closet. Although I was sorely tempted to trail after him and fall on my knees and show him just how passionate I could be, the looming appearance of others drove me to scurry from his room and rush into my own closet. Not knowing who was coming, I slid into a casual business dress with only a bra underneath. The lack of panties was something I was hoping to tempt my husband with at an inopportune moment. Sliding into short-heeled sandals, I went into the bathroom and scooped my hair into a chignon. I kept my makeup light and neutral, focusing mainly on accentuating my eyes and moistening my lips.
There, the warpaint’s off.I flashed my reflection a smile before rushing from my room. Too fast! I clutched my side and breathed through the spasm of pain. The call of voices from below alerted me that our mysterious guests had arrived. At the breezeway, I peered over the rail, and my heart jumped in surprise. While I wasn’t afraid, per se, it was the natural reaction of any creature in the presence of a predator.
The beast of a man who was shaking hands with my husband made Constantine’s large frame look tiny. The woman beside him was introduced as his sister, and she was petite yet with an energy that dared anyone to pick a fight with her. Whereas the brother was dark and swarthy, mouth tilted in a cruel smile, the woman was fair and delicate in her coloring. Her snowy hair wasn’t dyed, and her skin looked as if it would burn in the sun rather than hold a tan.
Quietly, I picked my way down the stairs. But the brute had excellent hearing because he turned and cut a knowing look toward me. “Ah! The daughter of the devil, now a tamed wife to the butcher.”
There was a slight accent, nearly polished off, but it was still noticeable. I was struggling to get a read on this newcomer. Russian? I narrowed my gaze at him. “Hardly tamed.”
A deep, resounding laugh filled the room. The beast didn’t seem the least bit put off about my response or that Constantine was shooting daggers in his direction. “I am Viktor, and this is my sister, Sophia. We’re here to honor the debt we owe Drakos and grovel because of the added interest due to his injuries.”
What?There was a pause while I scrambled to process what the man said, and I opened my mouth to begin peppering questions in their direction, but Constantine cut me off in a string of Greek.What’s going on? Injuries...?I cut a look to Constantine’s side. He’d told me those were from a smuggling incident. These must be the clients he was speaking of, but why was he being secretive? I knew about that part of his life; he’d promised I could take a share in his kingdom.
A flicker of distrust skittered through my chest. With a deep inhale, I snuffed it. I trusted Constantine. And his odd behavior no doubt had a reasonable cause. I would be patient. Maybe these guests didn’t want me to know their business? Yes, that was it. I was the daughter of the devil, and in the underworld that apparently held more weight than I’d ever know. Looking at Constantine, I told myself to let go of my frustration at his use of another language, saying with my gaze,I trust you.
“I am Russian. Why are you using that gods-forsaken language?” Viktor grumbled, shoving his hands in his pocket.
“Because,” Constantine said as he came to my side and rested his hand on my lower back, “my talented bride is fluent in Russian.”
And what are you hiding from me?I met Constantine’s calculated gaze.
“Sophia will be tightening my cyber security,” he said to me. “Her education is second to none in that field.”
“Why do we need the cyber security updated?” I asked. We weren’t doing this at the shipping offices, which meant it probably had to do with Constantine’s smuggling operations. I felt silly for asking, even sillier when I saw the Russians were holding back a smirk.
“Because I’m going to do everything in my power to protect my family.” Constantine finished the statement by pecking my lips and then turning to usher our guests into the office. They passed us by. I made to step away, but those strong fingers dug into my back. “I’m going to do everything to protectyou, princess. You are my family now. And that means there’s one or two things I haven’t found the time to tell you yet.”
