Page 28 of House of Lies

My checks are on fire. I shake my head, trying to get enough hair in my face so I don’t see him looking at us with an expressionless face. My husband doesn’t react as I thought he would if ever put in a situation like this. He’s not horrified. He doesn’t slip out of me. He doesn’t stop.

“We have a situation, sir.”

“Is it urgent?”

“It’s—”

“Nothing’s more urgent than making my wife come. Now leave us.”

Domenico nods and turns on his heels.

“You were so close, Wildfire. Weren’t you?” He whispers in my ear, making me forget all the embarrassment. I nod. “Let’s fix that,” he bites my earlobe, his fingers finding my clit.

My head falls back on his shoulder. I’m not prepared for Mattia to grab my chin and kiss me like it’s the last thing he will ever do. His mouth claims mine, his tongue driving me insane as it moves in the same rhythm as his fingers. He pours possessiveness into this kiss, which I didn’t think he was capable of. And I melt in his arms, tension building up in my core. My body trembles and fireworks explode everywhere when I climax. He always keeps me wrapped in his arms while he waits for me to come down from the high, and this time is no different. His rhythm slows down like he’s taking a second to watch me and breathe me in before chasing his orgasm and letting out a moan. I wish I didn’t find it so hot.

I hate how dangerous these moments are. How vulnerable I am.

I hate how, even for a split second, I falter and wonder … What if? What if I don’t kill him? What if I don’t run away? I know it’s stupid. But the thoughts are there, and they scare the hell out of me. If a life like the one he showed me lately is possible, would I take it?

CHAPTER 19

Kaz

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Caelia is as fragile as she’s beautiful. I’m not being fucking sexist. She has more inner strength and courage than half of the men I have met. But when she pointed that knife at me, I didn’t think she knew what to do with it. I need her to be able to defend herself if she ever needs to. I hope she won’t ever need to.

“Most of the attacks will take you by surprise, Wildfire. Are you listening to me?”

She’s lost in thought, looking at me like I’m a stranger again—one step forward, ten steps back. I know how this works by now. It must seem strange to see a man with the face of her assailant trying to teach her how to defend herself.

“Look at me.” I take a step forward, cupping her face in my palms. “You’ll need to learn how to defend yourself, no matter how big or heavy the attacker is.”

She blinks slowly, coming back to earth.

“And you’re going to teach me how to do that?”

“Yeah, I am.”

She changed into an oversized T-shirt and leggings, but she could be dressed up to face a harsh Russian winter and still be able to distract me. The mansion has a gym I have used twice daily since I moved here, but Caelia doesn’t seem too familiar with it.

“I’ll teach you some techniques, Wildfire. You’ll start training with me from now on.”

Sometimes, her eyes soften, tricking me into thinking she’s getting comfortable around me. Now is one of those moments.

“Untie your hair.” She does as she’s asked without questioning me. My dick is awakened again by the obedience. “Now walk.” I wave my hand. “I want to see how you react.”

“How I react to what?” She frowns.

“To whatever I’m about to do to you,” I smirk. “There’s no right or wrong. Just do what comes naturally to you.”

“Okay.”

She gives me a confused look before she walks away. I let her pace for a few seconds, waking right behind her.

“Stop looking at me,” I warn when she looks over her shoulder for the fifth time.

I give her more time to get comfortable enough that she won’t be able to predict my next move. When she’s not watching, I grab a fistful of her hair.

“Escape me.” She doesn’t react. “If you’re not taking this seriously, we’re done.”

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