Page 21 of Captive Mafia Wife

The transfer of power has begun.

The door closes behind Callum. We’re alone. The room is silent. We stand only an arm’s length apart, but I won’t reach for her. She must close the space between us herself.

“Freya,” I say, every bit of heat from me pouring out of my gaze. “Come here.”

She crosses her arms over her chest with a haughty, “I am here.”

“Come,” I say. “To me.”

Warily, she eyes me. Finally, she offers, “Being alone in a room with you is dangerous enough. I’ll stay where I stand.”

Never breaking our gaze, I wait.

An internal battle rages inside her, one she’s quickly losing. Something shifts in her eyes, a flush rising on her face. And without a word, she slides over to me, closing the space between us.

I want to call her my good girl, to take her into my arms, smooth her silky hair down her back, and whisper sweet words to her.

I have so much to learn about her, her preferences, which touches will make her melt like butter in my hand. Instead, I think of something I’ve done once before and not been slapped, a touch she softened to.

I cup her face in my hand, her skin cool against mine. I stroke my thumb over her bottom lip. At my touch, herlashes flutter a touch, betraying her before she steels her gaze, saying, “Don’t touch me.”

She doesn’t pull away.

I want to laugh. I don’t. I drag my thumb down, her lip popping up, then resting it on the cup of her chin. I know she’s scared; recent events turned her life upside down. She’s not bitten me yet, so I take my chances, moving slowly as I did with a feral kitten I once saved from a storm drain. I slip my other hand along her face, sliding fingers through her silky hair and holding her.

I lean in, reassuring her. “Everything will be alright, Freya. They’ll come to their senses. They know your loyalty.”

Finally, she relents, breaks, and allows me to bring her closer as she rests her face on my chest, releasing a shaky sigh as she won’t allow herself to cry. Wrapping my arms around her, I hold her. “I can ease your mind,” I say. “I can make you feel better.”

“Nothing but clearing my name will make this better.”

I bring my mouth to her ear, whispering, “But I can make you feel betternow. For a few moments at least.” Softly, I kiss her cheek. “Let me.”

She gives a soft moan. “No.”

“Yes.” The hand I have on her back trails down lower, resting on the scoop of her waist, pressing her lithe body hard against me. I know she feels my hardness, my desire for her pulsing against her.

“No.”

Strands of her hair stick to my mouth as I murmur, “Yes.” I nuzzle against the curve at the base of her neck. I run myfingers over her shoulder, pushing her hair back and exposing her pale skin. I brush my lips over the nape of her neck.

“No,” she moans; the soft sound of her pleasure makes me grow harder, and I pull her tighter into me. Her head arches back, giving me access to the sensitive area of her delicate skin.

I kiss her, sucking, nipping, leaving the first of my marks on her flawless skin. “Yes.” Many more will come as I explore every inch of her. I am a patient man; soon, she’ll be all mine. I’ll have a lifetime to discover her, and I’ll never tire of her taste.

I smooth down her side, over her stomach, brushing over her breast?—

She snatches up my hand, tearing it away from her breast. “No.”

I pause. This time, the no is different. The air in the room shifts. She won’t meet my eye, her flush growing more profound as she shifts her weight. Something with that touch wasn’t right. I need her to know she can trust me. With her mind, her body, her life.

I bring her hand to my lips, softly kissing her fingers. “I understand,” I say.

Needing to get her back to that relaxed, loose, sultry place of pleasure, I take her other hand in mine, so now I’m holding both of hers.

I guide her carefully, her taking backward steps until we’ve reached the nearest wall, resting her back against it. Firelight dances over her stunning face as she watches me, intrigued by me.

I lift her arms, holding them stretched out as I stare down at her, burying my eyes into hers. “You never have to explain yourself to me. But if I do anything, anything at all, that doesn’t feel good, feel right, you tell me.Tu comprends? You understand?”

---