Page 102 of Lord of Debauchery

He ripped off his shades, securing them in his tropical, floral shirt before easing mine off as well. “You mean so you can determine if I’m telling you the truth?” He gingerly secured my sunglasses on the front of my dress, purposely tweaking my nipple.

“Ouch and why, yes.” I held out my arm, waiting until he took my hand. As we walked through the beautiful foliage close to the new hotel, he shook his head.

“How did you manage this?”

“I have my connections as well, a few my father didn’t obliterate when he lost his mind.”

Sighing, he lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry about your family. It wasn’t my intent to remove them from you.”

“Nonsense. You did what you needed to do. My father was looking for an easy way out. He was always influenced by power and money, which is what happened with all the men who became involved with the infamous Death Squad. My brother was exactly like him, cold and heartless.”

“Very true but Boris was your father.”

“Who I had no doubt somehow killed my mother.”

The way he was now looking at me almost broke my heart. “You’ve always suspected that.”

“Not really. Not until the end but it made sense with things you’ve told me about your family and how your mother was strong enough to talk your father out of becoming involved. My mother hadn’t been brought up to be in the world of brutal criminals. She wasn’t used to being lied to all the time. While I always considered her a strong woman and I know she talked back to my father, she finally couldn’t take it any longer. She would love this place and what I’ve done with it.”

“Truly beautiful, just like the woman who envisioned something amazing out of her own personal nightmare.”

I pulled my hand away, pressing the tip of my index finger against his chest. “And I’m serious about the bed and breakfast. Although I did ask Janie to handle more of the day-to-day operations and she agreed.”

He clasped my hand, pulling it to his lips. In his now trademark move, he brushed his lips across my knuckles and instantly I was wet and hot all over. “I would never take anything away from my precious little fighter. I promise you that. So, I’m curious. Are we to eat bananas and mangos for sustenance, because given the sadistic and delicious things I plan on doing to your body, I will need protein.”

Seeing his playful side was as special as everything else had become. “I do come as a full-service gal.” I backed away on purpose, taking off running toward the beach. I still had other tricks up my sleeve.

While he was no longer intimidating to me, he certainly had a lockdown on creating intimidating expressions. How many times had I reminded him that they didn’t work on me?

He caught me as intended only seconds later, snagging my wrist and pushing me against the trunk of a massive palm tree.

“You really do need to be taught a lesson in manners and that you are not allowed to keep a single secret from me.”

“Does that include around Christmas and your birthday? If so, you’re going to be a very disappointed boy toy since you’ll always know what’s been wrapped waiting for you to open.” I did so adore teasing him.

While nothing in life was perfect, no job or marriage, no friendship or business relationship, with him I could truly be myself.

A little bit sassy and a lot in your face.

He loved it, although he did his best to keep me in line.

“You are pressing your luck, little missy,” he growled.

In response, I took a sip of champagne, rolling onto my tiptoes as I curled one arm around his neck. Without any difficulties, I slipped my tongue past his succulent lips, filling his mouth with the bubbly.

Maybe the magical moment was my way of telling him there was no other place I wanted to be.

The kiss was just as powerful as always yet sweet and tender, as he’d been since rescuing me what now seemed like a lifetime before. I was shocked how much his powerful need to protect me had altered my life. I was also pleasantly surprised his family had continued to be nurturing, acting as if I was their long-lost daughter.

This man was the love of my life, and I was happier than I thought I could be after the shit we’d been through.

His domination had changed, becoming even more possessive, but I loved every moment of it. He was the one who broke the kiss, powering back half of his champagne before tugging the glass from my hand. He took a giant whiff of the ocean before he eased the flutes carefully onto the sand, making certain they didn’t tip over.

As I’d seen so many times, he wagged his finger before spinning me around to face the tree.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, although of course by now I knew exactly what he was up to. How could I not?

“Well, first of all, giving you a lesson in forgetting I own you. I’ll follow it up with a reminder you are not allowed to lie to me. And almost like dessert, I’ll add a few more savage cracks of my hand just for good measure.” He ripped my tropical dress to my waist, holding it in place while wrangling my thong past my hips to my knees.

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