Page 59 of The Devious Husband

“You already have several islands anyway,” Tiff reminds him.

“You do,” Xave agrees, “and don’t smile at my wife like that. Actually, don’t even look at her.”

Tiff laughs and lightly punches his arm as we walk onto the beach. “Never thought I’d witness you being jealous or possessive, Xavier, over a man whose engagement party you just attended, no less.”

“If it isn’t an island, what could it be?” Enzo asks, his voice playful. It’s clear he enjoys winding Xavier up, and I have a feeling we’re going to get along really well.

“See for yourself,” I tell him, my voice faltering when I spot Valeria stepping out from behind her bodyguard, her long blue dress flowing with the wind.

Enzo follows my gaze and freezes in place, his expression fracturing as disbelief and longing fight for dominance in his eyes. “Valeria,” he whispers, before he takes off running, bridging the distance between them until he’s cupping her cheek with one hand, his other hand buried in her hair. “It’s you,” he says, his voice breaking. “It’s really you.”

Enzo drops his forehead to hers, and her arms wrap around his neck as she bursts into tears. Xavier tightens his grip on my hand, almost painfully so. “That’s the first time she’s cried since?—”

“She’s back,” Tiff whispers, staring ahead in shock. Something that looks a whole lot like heartbreak crosses her face as she watches Enzo hold Valeria, but then she seems to snap out of it and rushes up to them, wrapping her arms around them both. Even so, Enzo doesn’t loosen his grip on Valeria at all, not even for a moment.

Fifty-One

Xavier

“Where are you taking me?” my beautiful wife asks as I lead her onto the yacht I bought for Enzo’s birthday a year ago.

“To one of the islands Enzo owns,” I reply, grinning at her. “It’s a private spa and resort that he spent years building, only to then never use it.”

Sierra falls silent, her gaze pensive. “Maybe he just didn’t have anyone he wanted to bring to the island.”

I look away, hoping she won’t say more than that. I’m not blind. I saw the way Enzo hugged my sister, and it didn’t exactly seem friendly and innocent to me. He looked at her like all of his wishes had come true — like she was a mirage, one he was clutching to in fear of it fading away. It would explain the way Valeria responded when she learned of his engagement, and her sudden decision to come when I usually have to coerce her into joining me at events.

“Come on,” I murmur, leading her toward the yacht’s deck, where chocolate coated strawberries and champagne are waiting for us.

My gorgeous wife gasps and whirls around to face me, the brightest smile lighting up her face. “God, I fucking love you,” I say without thinking, and her eyes widen a fraction.

She sighs happily as she wraps her arms around my neck. “I love you more, Xavier.”

Sierra giggles when I lift her into my arms and carry her to the thick cushions at the front. I lay her down gently and move to lie next to her, both of us turning on our sides to face each other. “Do you really?” I ask, studying her face. “Love me, that is.”

She follows the curve of my brow with the tip of my fingers, before sliding her fingers down to my cheekbone. “More than anything,” she says, cupping my face. “If there’s one thing you should never doubt, it’s my love for you, Xavier. No one but you has ever even been able to capture my attention, let alone more than that. No one ever will.”

I wrap my hand over hers and sigh. “I guess I’m just having a hard time believing you could love me after everything I told you. I was certain it’d be the end of us, and to be honest, I’m scared you’ll change your mind.”

“Xave… Valeria had already told me enough for me to have a reasonable understanding of your family’s background, and the things she’d gone through. I knew, and I’d never blame you for protecting your family and doing whatever it takes to accomplish that. What mattered to me was trust, and you gave me that when you told me the truth. I knew who you were when I married you, Xavier. I’d heard the rumors, and I knew there was at least some truth to it, but I married you anyway.”

I stare at her in surprise, and she smiles sweetly. She knew. Of course she did. There isn’t much my kitten misses, and I should’ve realized, shouldn’t have underestimated her intelligence. “Not by choice.”

She laughs. “Perhaps so, but loving you certainly is a choice. Asking you to let me in, admitting that it hurt when you kept things from me, those were choices. That was my attempt to fight for what I thought we could have, and you stepped up to fulfill my needs, even when it was hard, even when it required you to step out of your comfort zone. Falling in love with you was a choice, Xavier. One that I’ll never regret.”

I lean in, my lips brushing against hers, and she sighs happily as she kisses me, pulling me closer. My gorgeous wife giggles when I move on top of her, and her hands begin to roam over my body. “If not for the risk of reporters catching us on camera with their damn telescopic lenses, I’d have taken you right here, right now.”

She looks up at me with so much love in her eyes, and I can hardly believe that she’s mine. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve her, but I’ll never be any less grateful to have her. “I’ve always wanted to do it on the beach,” she says, blushing fiercely. “So I was pretty excited when you told me you were taking me to a private island.”

I smirk as I pull her up with me. “We should be there in about ten minutes,” I tell her, trying not to let on just how hard my cock is. The mere thought of laying her down on the beach, her long hair spread out around her and a soft breeze caressing our skin… fuck.

Sierra looks at me in a way that can only be described as seductive, and I swallow hard when she bites into a strawberry. “You live to torment me, don’t you?” I ask, pained.

She grins. “Yes,” she replies instantly. “Surely you didn’t think marrying me would save you from my schemes? No, Xave. That just made you my prime target. You’re in for a lifetime of torture.”

My sweet kitten squeals when I reach for her and throw her over my shoulders moments before we’ve even docked. “Torture, you say?” I tell her as I carry her off the yacht and onto the wooden dock. “Two can play that game, baby. Since you’re being sassy, I’m going to torture you three times — three times, I’m going to get you close to coming, only to pull away and leave you begging.”

My wife gasps. “I’ll never forgive you,” she claims, and I laugh as I step off the dock and onto the beach. “Did you forget I’m petty? If you do that to me, I’ll pay it back a thousandfold.”

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