Page 51 of Ivory Ashes

He’ll be safer here, at least. Until I know who the fuck killed Trofim, I’m not going to put Dante at risk by sending him out into the world.

“You can’t take him out of school. He has friends. Socialization is important at his age.”

So is his life, but Viviana either doesn’t understand the risks she took keeping Dante away from me for so long or she’s in deep denial.

“There are plenty of people to talk to here.”

“Maids don’t count.”

“Who’s haughty now?” My fingers tighten around her wrists. I can feel her pulse thundering against my hand. “Between the two of us, the maids, his tutor, and Raoul and Anatoly?—”

“Just what he needs: more chauvinistic assholes as role models.”

“He’ll have plenty of people to talk to,” I growl, ignoring her in an effort to keep hold of my control that is slipping away a little more every time she opens her mouth. “And when he’s ready, we’ll send him to a private academy.”

“When you are ready, you mean,” she challenges, dragging her body against mine again. My cock twitches as she stretches to her toes, her lips less than an inch from mine. “Because this has nothing to do with me or Dante. This is all about you, Mikhail. It’s all about what you want.”

“If this was about what I wanted, we wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation!” I shove away from the wall before I do something stupid.

For all Viviana’s talk, I see hurt flicker across her face.

She thinks I don’t want her—as my wife, here in my house. Maybe she even thinks I regret Dante. That I wish I’d never touched her that night in the bridal suite.

But if I had what I wanted, we’d be in Viviana’s room right now. Her clothes would be in shreds on the floor and that pouty mouth of hers would be wrapped around my cock.

Instead, Viviana’s lips flatten together. “Fine. Go to bed on your wedding night alone, Mikhail. Since that’s what you want.”

She storms into her room and slams the door in my face. A second later, she slides the lock home.

Good.

It’s for the best that we keep a locked door between us. Out of sight, out of mind.

I don’t have to think about the soft curve of her hips or the warmth of her thighs. If I can’t see her, there’s no reason to imagine her neck arching as I fill her. The way I know she can moan my name…

For both our sakes, I hope the lock is strong enough to keep me out.

19

VIVIANA

“I want to go swimming,” Dante pouts, lagging behind as I try to pull him down the hallway.

Stella greeted us this morning with the news that we have plans, but she is under strict orders not to “spoil the fun,” apparently.

Exactly how much “fun” we’re going to have remains to be seen.

So far, convincing Dante to get dressed in anything other than his swimsuit is proving to be approximately negative fun for me.

“I know, but we can’t go swimming every day.”

“Yes, we can!” he chirps back. “The pool is inside. It’s climack patrolled.”

Dante’s little chin is raised. He’s clearly proud of his argument, but I have no idea what he’s talking about. “What?”

“Climate controlled,” Stella chuckles. “I taught him that last night while you were… busy.”

Busy getting married, she means.

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