Page 96 of Mob Princess

Sean shakes his head. “It’s not what you think. I can tell you know what that usually means. I have to go somewhere I don’t want to, but it’s unavoidable. I’m sorry.”

That makes me stare at him, my stomach sinking. What the fuck does that mean?

“I have a meeting at one of our strip clubs. The people who’ll be there do not want the finer parts of society seeing them with my family. They want the dim lighting and the distracted clientele for anonymity that doesn’t exist.”

“One of your strip clubs?”

“Yes. Among my brothers, cousins, and me, we own ten. We have nightclubs and casinos too. Finn and Cormac both own some restaurants. You’ve seen Fleur and McGinty’s. They’re totally reputable.”

“Do you spend a lot of nights at them?”

“No. None of us like going to them. It hasn’t been our thing since we were in college. It got old fast. Short of holding this meeting under a bridge somewhere a drone or telephoto lens could catch us, there aren’t too many more obscure places to go than a club. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? Are you planning to do something you already feel guilty about?”

“No. But it wouldn’t thrill me to have you surrounded by swinging dicks.”

I stifle a giggle. “Daddy, you looked like you were going to cry or puke when we discussed threesomes. I’m not worried about you being around other naked women. I don’t love it, but I’m not scared of it. As for swinging dicks, there’s only one I’d want to see in a banana hammock.” I cup his dick.

“I still don’t like putting you in this position.”

“Do the women come on to you? Do you have pasts with many of them?”

“No. I’ve known some of them since we were kids. I’ve been with a few of them, but that was in high school and college. Nothing recently. It just feels dirty to go to a place with tits and arses hanging out all over the place when I’m in a monogamous relationship.”

“Work is work.” I shrug because what else can I do? Then something hits me. My gaze hardens as I watch my boyfriend—we defined the relationship the third day we were here.

“This is what I’m worried you’ll think. I’ve told you there’re no limits to what I’ll do to protect you. You know the man I am, so you know there aren’t many limits period. But I will never have sex or the suggestion of sex to get what I want. I will not cheat on you, Lina. Never. If it’s that or go without what I need from that person, I’ll find another way. I don’t want you to think I see an out or a loophole.”

“Sean, I told you. You looked sick when we talked about bringing other people into our sex life. You were willing to make concessions for me, but you made it clear with your body language how opposed you are to being with another woman. I know you won’t cheat. Besides, if I didn’t castrate you, you have a massive family who probably own every type of pliers ever made. Someone would do it for me. Come on. We’ll be late.”

I didn’t lie. I know he won’t cheat. He just wouldn’t. Regardless of his feelings for me, he wouldn’t disgrace himself that way. But I don’t love naked women fawning over him, offering lap dances and delivering drinks with their tits in his face. I’ve accepted how I’m built, and Sean obviously likes it. I have love bites all over my boobs, ass, inner thighs, and belly. He touches me every chance he has. But it doesn’t feel great knowing beautiful women will surround him.

“Lina, wait.”

“Sean, you’re making a bigger deal out of this than you need to. I’m okay with it. I swear.”

“I’m still sorry that it means cutting our night short with the others. And it means I probably won’t be home until two or three.”

“I already figured that. Come on, Daddy. All that worrying is giving you wrinkles.”

I lace my fingers through his and tug. We head out, and in twenty minutes, we’re sitting down to dinner with the two other couples. It’s fun watching Sean’s brother and cousin with their wives. They’re so much like Sean. They pull out their wives’ chairs. They stand whenever one of us gets up. They don’t take the first bite until the three women have. It’s little chivalrous things probably drilled into them since the womb. But at the end of the night, the other couples are going to their respective homes together. Shane meets us outside the restaurant and takes me back to Sean’s place.

“I’ll be in the guest bedroom if you need anything, Nikki. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

It didn’t surprise me when Sean explained Shane would stay over until he gets home. Sean has security outside his building and in the lobby. No one who isn’t a resident gets past the building’s front door without showing ID and being checked. All packages that arrive for him get x-rayed and opened. I didn’t love learning that, but I feel safer knowing it.

I climb into bed as my phone buzzes.

Sean

I’m here. I wish I weren’t. I’ll be home as soon as I can.

Me

I’m just getting into bed. I’ll be here when you get home, honey.

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