Page 26 of Brutal Power

“Look, Brody—” I should turn him down. We just got finished talking about how we have to find a way to keep me sexuallysatisfied, which is actually kind of mortifying now that I think about it, but the look in his eye makes me stop.

Because would it be so bad? Sleeping with him? I could at least try to be his wife, and if not his wife, then his partner.

“No sex stuff, okay?” I say after a pause. “This is purely an informative visit.”

“Right, purely informative.” A sly smile presses at his lips. “But I wasn’t kidding inside. I could take care of you, wifey.”

I shiver and turn back to the house. I’d bet good money that he’s absolutely right, except I’m not sure I want to find out. “Take me home first and we’ll see about all that other stuff.”

Chapter 14

Elena

Ihonestly thought he was fucking with me.

But when I walk into his house for the second time, I’m absolutely stunned.

It looks like someone lives here.

And not just anyone, but someone with really good taste. There’s lots of vintage-looking art on the walls, new furniture, even some fresh flowers on the coffee table. Little plants line the front windowsill, and even the kitchen’s been covered in small touches, like a little rooster statue next to the butter dish.

“Who the hell did all this?” I ask him, perplexed, because there was no hint of stuff the last time. “Seriously, there’s no way you did this alone.”

“I hired people,” he admits, looking pleased with himself. He steers me back into the kitchen, his hand on the small of my back, and pours us wine. “And they were obscenely expensive. That’s before all this shit.” He waves a hand in the air.

“This shit looks great. I mean, I can almost believe you have a personality.”

“I have a personality. Not everyone can be just overflowing like you are.”

“I don’t overflow.” I swirl my wine at him. “I’m just a lot to handle.”

“You’re not kidding,” he mumbles and takes a drink. “Does this solve our problem? You didn’t want to live here because it was too plain. Now it’s full of fucking stuff.”

I lean back against his counter, head tilted to the side. “You did this because you want me to move in?”

“We can’t keep living in separate houses.”

“And why not?” I cross my arms, once again flashing back to earlier. “We’re not a real marriage, right? Nobody really expects us to sleep in the same bed and pump out babies.”

He grimaces and rubs a hand over his face. “You have to know how this looks, don’t you? I marry a Bianco girl, but she still lives with her family. I’m the boss of my family, a powerful man, but I can’t even get my own wife to stay with me.”

I chew my lip and don’t respond. He’s got a point. The mafia world’s not exactly known for their open-minded ideas toward marriage and gender. I’m sure there are already whispers and rumors running wild all over the city, but what the hell do I care about that? Brody’s a means to an end, just like I’m a means to an end for him in return. He scratches my back, I scratch his. He fucks me?—

Nope, dirty mind at work once again. I glare at the wine. It’s making my brain go all mushy. I take a long drink. Stop making me horny, stupid wine.

“You’re more than welcome to come live at the oasis,” I tell him.

“My people are all here. You saw what it’s like on Sundays. The Irish expect their boss to be available, and you better believe they won’t love if I suddenly go off and live with my Italian wife’s family instead of sticking around the neighborhoods we’ve been calling home for generations.”

I gesture at him, exasperated. “But you’re a fancy lawyer.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He grunts and comes closer. “I want my wife in my house. Ineedmy wife in my house.”

I know he’s only saying this because the optics are bad, but my god, thatneedsends a shiver down my spine. He’s very close now, and I’m extremely aware of how alone I am in his kitchen, in his very nicely decorated kitchen, and the wine’s going straight to my brain. I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly watering at the smell of his skin, and I want him to touch my hips again. I want him to grab me, pull me against him, and show me exactly how he can make sure my needs are always met.

“The oasis has always been my home. I’ve never lived anywhere else.”

“You won’t be far. You can visit as often as you want.”

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