Page 98 of Wicked King

“I know…”

“You never should have had to endure that. I only wish I could have been there to protect you from him. But I’m so damned proud of you for standing up for yourself and for becoming this incredible woman despite all of it. More than that, I’m now convinced I’m the luckiest man alive that after everything, you were finally able to put your trust in me. I probably don’t deserve it.”

She caresses my cheek, mirroring my pose. “I wanted to believe you were like him. I needed to in order to protect myself, but you made it clear from the start you were nothing like that monster. I just needed time, and I suppose it took being shot myself to finally see it.” A rueful smile tugs up the corners of her lips and Dio, she’s radiant.

I should be scared of the woman in front of me, of that quiet, demure demeanor and the murderer that lies beneath, but all I can summon is respect and admiration. Besides, we all get a little unhinged sometimes.

“So should I be worried you’ll shoot me if I get out of line?” I kiss the corner of her lip as it twitches.

“Damn right, you should.” She grabs my cock over my slacks, fingers biting into the material. “This is mine, and if you ever stray, I will punish you.”

“I would never dream of it, spitfire.” I lean into her touch despite the rough edge because I’m a total masochist, and I like this dark side of my new wife. It makes me feel less guilty about all the ways I plan on defiling her. I’m about a second away from splaying her out on the table again, when a horn blasts outside.

Merda, how could I have forgotten? “I have a surprise for you out front.” She removes her hand from my now once again hard dick, and I’m kicking myself for ruining the moment.

“You couldn’t have opened with that?”

“I got a little distracted when I saw you with the scissors, remember?”

“Point taken.” She slides off the table, and I wrap my hand around her soft one, leading her to the door.

A van sits outside with a grumpy driver. “Where do you want it?”

“Just set it right over there.” I point at the sidewalk in front of the boutique. “My wife will tell you where to hang it.”

Jia’s wide eyes flicker to mine. “Hang what?”

“You’ll see.”

The driver walks around to the back of the van and pulls out something big beneath a white sheet. A buzz of excitement and nervousness streaks through my veins as he unveils it. Dio, I hope she loves it. It’s a custom CityZen sign in bright neon with bold text.

Jia’s jaw drops as she takes it in, following behind the man as he lowers the huge sign onto the sidewalk. “It’s perfect,” she whispers as she crouches down in front of it to run her hand over the big, bold letters. She turns to me, tears in her eyes. “It’s exactly what I wanted. How did you know?”

“I may have grilled Arianna for design details. She was very helpful.”

She stands and leaps into my arms, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Thank you. It’s the best gift anyone’s ever given me.”

Heat burns my cheeks at the intensity of her gaze. I’m not used to being this guy, this supportive husband. “And between Ari and Mel, they’ve got everything ready for the grand opening. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”

She melts into my embrace, those dark eyes twinkling. “Have I told you how much I love you, Mr. Rossi?”

“Not recently, no, wifey.”

Jia smirks and captures my lips, pressing her body to mine. If she keeps this up, I’m going to have to take her back inside again and let the guy figure out how to hang the damned sign up himself.

The penthouse is too quiet without Jia’s energy filling it. Despite Arianna and Mel taking the reins for the grand opening, she still spends all day at CityZen which drives me nuts. But not tonight. She promised to be home early.

I slip my hand into my pocket and meet the small box hidden within. I pull it out for the tenth time and flip it open. The diamond winks at me, the overhead lighting setting the princess-cut jewel ablaze.

I’ve wanted to give Jia the engagement ring for days, but the timing has just never been right. She’s been so absorbed by the boutique’s opening, and I’ve been preoccupied with Esmeralda and La Sombra Boricua. A part of me wanted that handled and behind us before giving her the ring and embarking on our new life together. Which is crazy, I realize, since we’re already married and what difference does an engagement ring make after the fact?

But I want Jia to have the real experience. We skipped over all the fun stuff to race to the altar, and she deserves a true relationship with all the steps that come in between.

I glance at the clock in the kitchen and mutter a curse. It’s only four, which still leaves me two hours until her return. The dining room table is already set, rose petals strewn across the white tablecloth. The candles are in place, but not lit, and the caterer will be arriving at seven.

Everything is ready, so why the fuck am I so damned nervous?

My heart pounds an erratic rhythm, and my fingers tighten around the little red box. I stuff it back into my pocket and start pacing.

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