Page 79 of Unholy Vows (Original Sin)

She grinned wickedly and clinked her glass against mine. “Cheers to men who want to fill every hole on their wives at once but would shoot any other man who dared to touch her.”

Fill every hole?Embarrassment flooded through me, and I clapped a hand over my face. Then I remembered the note in my pocket, and I jumped on the chance to distract my mind. “Show me.”

24

CHARLIE

That night, I was trying to read in my new bed when Renato appeared in the doorway. Trying, because the words kept moving. An entire pitcher of margaritas was a little past my tolerance level, it turned out.

Despite feeling like I was on a merry-go-round, it felt good to be done sharing a room with my sister. Her sullen mood was contagious, and I couldn’t live like that. I had to carry on with things. After all, I’d agreed to all of this. And with the police breathing down my neck, it was hard enough to keep myownmood stable.

“What are you reading?” Renato’s sudden voice from the doorway made me jump.

I dropped the book on the bed and glared at him. He lounged in the doorway, staring at me.

“How long have you been there?” I accused, unsettled by his warm expression.

“A while,” he murmured and came into the room, taking off his suit jacket and revealing a black dress shirt. It was unbuttoned at the throat, and a hint of his tattoos peeked through.

My gaze lingered on the long, muscled curves of his torso. The man was insanely hot. I couldn’t deny it. My gaze found his face, and his knowing smirk had me picking up my book again, embarrassed.

“It’s okay,bambina. I like when you watch me. I like watching you, too,” he pointed out. He undid more buttons on his shirt, leaving it open, and I studiously avoided looking at his inked torso.

He wandered toward the bed in the open shirt and his black dress pants, perched low on his hips. He stopped beside me and slid a finger under the satin strap of one of the new pajama sets that he’d bought me.

“This suits you,” he mused.

I fought the urge to squirm under his touch. “If you want to waste your money, I’m not going to stop you,” I quipped.

The bed dipped when Renato sat on the edge beside me and closed my book. I gave a pained sigh, looking everywhere but at him.

“Spending money on my wife isn’t a waste. You deserve to have nice things. Tell me whoever made you feel differently, and I’ll teach them that fact, slowly.”

I shrugged. “Life taught me that, so just calm down. There’s no one to shoot for it, thanks for asking.”

Renato’s mouth pulled up in a half-grin that was sexy as hell. He glanced at my lap. “What are you reading?” He turned the book and raised an eyebrow. “The Prince. Machiavelli. Light bedtime reading, then?”

“Your library isn’t exactly stuffed with rom-coms, or books in English for that matter,” I blustered. Truthfully, I’d been drawn to the book because it was one of the most dog-eared. Like a book could help me understand the man sitting beside me.Yeah, right.Still, something was better than nothing.

Renato lifted the book and set it on the bedside table, then spoke quietly.

“…since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.”

He listedhis eyes to mine. “I’ve studied the thoughts in that book for years, but I’ve only just come to understand the meaning of that particular quote.”

His tone was cryptic, and with him so close, it was hard to concentrate on anything. The margaritas from earlier still swam through my veins, making me relaxed and fearless in front of this man who owned me.Does that mean I own him, too?

“Are we really going to be sleeping here together every night?” I asked, my mind latching onto the next stray thought that came along.

“Yes. We’re married, this is our room.”

“You just don’t seem like the kind of man who…sleeps with one person.” Crap, I had no idea who was controlling my mouth, but they were doing a terrible job.

Renato raised an eyebrow. “What gave you that impression? I believe the only woman you’ve seen me with besides yourself is Giada.”

I waved a hand over him. “It’s all of this. This whole thing,” I elaborated, like that would help.

A faint grin touched Renato’s mouth. “Are you complimenting me, mia moglie?”

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