Page 157 of Coerced Queen

Claire takes his right hand while Emma takes his left.

“The crispy onions are mine,” Nicole says as she cuts a beeline for the back door with an evil laugh following in her wake.

Dante chases after Nicole, dragging his goddaughters with him.They run shrieking and laughing through the kitchen.

Logan follows the others with a lopsided grin.“I guess I better reheat some of that meat.Nice car, Sav.Anya, you did well.”

Livy’s phone pings with a notification in her pocket.She takes it out and checks the screen.“Oh.”

“Is something wrong?”I ask.

“Thurston Rigas invited me to do a special performance with him on stage.”

“TheThurston?”I ask.“The biggest rock star in the States?”

Livy types a reply and pushes the send button.“The one and only.He asked me to be the frontline dancer at the opening concert of his world tour in June.”Continuing with pride, she says, “He’d like me to do my specialrepertoire.”

“How do you even know Rigas?”Saverio asks.

Livy lifts her chin.“From After Dark of course.That’s where he saw myrepertoirethe first time.I did a demonstration on the bar counter.”

“That’s wonderful,” I say.“You’ll be amazing.”

“Of course I will,” she says with a coquettish wink before going after the others.

“Finally,” Saverio says, tightening his hold on me.

My smile is coy.“Finally what?”

He lowers his head and whispers in a heated voice over my lips, “I’ve got you alone.”

I arch backward as he dives for my mouth.“You heard Nicole.The food is getting cold.”

“The food can wait.”His expression turns serious.“Thank you, Anya.”

My chest warms with that happiness of earlier again.“I’m glad you like it.”

“I don’t mean only for the car.I mean for everything.For this day.For giving me a beautiful family.For giving me two beautiful girls.For giving me more than I could ever dream of.”His voice drops an octave.“For you.”

I don’t answer because he knows all my answers.He knows my dreams, my hopes, my fears, and my questions.And every single time, he gives me the right response.

He yanks me closer, pressing our bodies together.His tone turns raw and dark, the promise underlying his words wicked.“I think we should inaugurate the car.”

I quirk an eyebrow.“Is that so?”

“Your naked ass will look stunning on the red leather.”He adds suggestively, “And bent over the hood.Especially with your skin painted with my handprint.”

I laugh, but desire spreads through my veins like wildfire.“We have guests, remember?”

His comment is callous.“They’ll wait.”He nips my bottom lip and licks away the sting, fanning the flames to a raging inferno in my belly.“I’ll get two glasses and bring a bottle of champagne.”

It’s never beneath my husband to use incentives to get what he wants.

“The champagne will have to wait for a while.”I intertwine my fingers behind his neck.“For seven months to be exact.”

Astonishment washes over his features followed by surprise.Hope.Reverence.He freezes for a second before dropping his gaze to my stomach.“Are you…?”

He almost seems scared to say it out loud, worried that it’s just a dream and not our life.

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