Page 40 of While You Sleep

She ran her hands over her hips, her mouth twisting to the side. “It’s a bit more revealing than I’m used to.” Her long, blond hair was down in soft waves, and her pale blue eyes locked on me. “I feel kind of naked.”

My stomach clenched, and my palms grew fucking sweaty. My mouth actually watered. I wanted her to like it. Usually, I’d have to search my mind for the right thing to say, what was appropriate, something I’d seen in a movie. I didn’t need to this time. “You look beautiful.” My voice was deep and gritty as fuck.

The heavy lashes that shadowed her cheeks flew up, and she eyed me almost suspiciously. I wasn’t surprised. I’d never said those words to anyone in my life.

“You don’t think it’s…too revealing?” she asked, her cheeks growing pink.

I shook my head, on the verge of telling her I’d changed my mind and dragging her upstairs. I couldn’t seem to get enough of touching her.

I’d been waking her every night with my hands, my mouth. Making my wife come was an addiction. I didn’t need to be still and silent and gentle anymore, not like I had when I’d held her in her apartment. Instead of making sure she stayed asleep, I teased and toyed with her, growling dirty shit in her ear, touching her, playing with her until she woke from her deep sleep, wet and writhing and desperate for more.

Someone tapped on the door. It opened and Conor walked in. “You ready?” His gaze slid to Sophia and his chin jerked up, just a little, but I didn’t miss it, before his gaze sliced down her body from head to toe.

I wanted to growl like a fucking wild animal. Instead, I forced it down, and when Con looked over at me again and realized I’d seen him ogling my wife, he grinned.

Sophia walked out the door.

“If you were anyone else,” I said to him.

“You’d slit my throat?” he said, not in the least bit worried.

He and Dec were the only two people in this world I completely trusted. Sophia was fucking gorgeous, and Conor had eyes. Still. “No, but I will fuck you up.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. Best you sharpen your knife, big man, you’re about to take a tasty little snack into a room full of hungry lions.”

* * *

Sophia

I sipped my drink and glanced around the room again. I felt like a minnow in a shark tank.

I didn’t know anyone here, but several people had been over to congratulate Cillian and me, shaking his hand and kissing my cheek like we were old friends instead of enemies.

Alto Leone stood in front of us now, and he smiled kindly down at me. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Sophia. I must say, you are breathtakingly lovely. I see why Paolo was so enamored of you.”

Cillian stiffened beside me.

Alto chuckled. “I’ve spoken with him. He’s no threat to either of you,” he said to Cillian.

“Walter Mazzo stopped by my house a week ago. I still have his car—and the zip ties and duct tape he had in the trunk,” Cillian said to him. “If he wants it back, tell him I’ll be waiting.”

Alto stiffened. “That’s the first I’m hearing of this.”

“He got away, and he hasn’t been back.” Cillian held the other man’s gaze. “Please pass on that if he comes anywhere near my wife again, he’ll be coming back to you in pieces.”

Banked rage blazed in Alto’s gaze. “Our families have a truce, he broke it. I’ll take care of it.”

Cillian nodded. “Or better yet, you send him to me when you find him.”

He gave a stiff nod. “I can arrange that.”

My stomach twisted. Cillian was going to kill Walter.

“Right, enough of these unpleasantries,” Alto said, and the warm smile was back on his face. “Tell me, Sophia, how are you enjoying married life? Does your new husband treat you well?”

I forced myself not to think about the murder that had just been so easily discussed and arranged in front of me and plastered a smile on my face. I had to keep Tommy safe, and that meant lying through my teeth. I could feel Cillian’s stare burning into me. “Yes, very well.”

“Glad to hear it. I know these alliances can be difficult at the beginning. My own wife, Luciana, took some time to adjust when we first married.” He pointed to a scar on the side of his throat. “She wasn’t happy about her father marrying her off. One night I woke with her knife at my throat.” He chuckled, eyes dancing like he was remembering something heartwarming. “She didn’t cut the artery, thankfully. Now look at us, married thirty-seven years, with five children.”

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