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“I won’t touch you.” I smirk at her mixed reaction of relief and disappointment. “Not until you beg me to. Then we’ll see how real our marriage is.” I wink, and her face flushes a beautiful red that I bet would feel warm against my palm if I cupped her cheek right now. Which also has me picturing her ass blooming the same beautiful color after I’ve spanked her for thinking she could deny what I know she feels for me.

“I’d even bet you’re wet for me right now as you remember how it felt to have my hands all over you and in you,” I continue. “I know I’ve been replaying it on a loop since that night, and if it’s not your hand, mouth, pussy, or ass taking care of my constant hard-on, then know I’ll be jerking off thinking of you and having my cock in all four of those places.”

Mia’s eyes go from hard and angry, to molten and turned-the-fuck-on.

Fucking gorgeous.

I want to see how they look when I’m buried deep inside her for the first time and she realizes just how much she’s been missing out on by denying me. Because I know she’ll fight it, which will make her surrender so much sweeter.

Just as quickly as her eyes melted for me, they harden right back up. “I hope you have a good imagination, because that’s all you’ll be using to get off for as long as we’re married.”

“I have a great imagination.” I nod. “But you’ll be begging me to kiss you, touch you, and fuck you within the first week of being my wife. I would say the first day, but I’m not that cocky and you have a stronger will than I first anticipated. I’m not disappointed by that, though. Quite the opposite, if I’m being honest.”

Mia scoffs haughtily. “I’ve gone my entire life without being touched prior to a few days ago. I think I can last a while longer until I divorce you and find a real man to fall in love with and have him touch me as much as he’d like.”

“So now I’m not a real man?”

“Not a real man I’ll ever consider as a serious husband.”

Anger slashes through me, and all teasing is gone when I tell her, “This is a real marriage whether you like it or not, and you will be my wife for however long I say you are. You’re not getting out of this and you’re not divorcing me unless I say you can.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Wow, what a man you are. I can’t imagine why you needed a contract to get a woman to marry you.”

“I don’t need a contract to get a wife,farfalla.I needed a contract to getyouas my wife.”

That shuts her up, and her mouth opens and closes twice while she tries to think of another snarky comeback. “You… What?”

Chuckling, I stand and button my suit jacket. Her eyes follow my movements, and when I round the table to leave, Ilean down so my lips are at her ear. She stiffens and inhales a sharp breath as she shifts in her seat, confirming what I already knew. “I’ll see you at the altar,farfalla,” I whisper, and she expels her breath in a short puff. “I’ll give you the kiss when we’re pronounced husband and wife for free. After that, you’ll have to beg me for more, and I can’t wait for that moment, Mia. I can’t fucking wait.”

Straightening, I hear her release the rest of the air in her lungs and take another shaky breath in, keeping her eyes straight ahead and not giving me a sassy retort or looking at me again.

Yeah, she’ll beg me all right.

I walk out of there smiling like a fucking king and right into the conference room next door, taking a seat in the chair beside Nico rather than across the table and separate from them like I’m being interrogated.

“So, we’ll sign the contract the night of the wedding?” I get right down to business.

“Yes.” Leo opens the folder in front of him. “I have the agreement drafted here for you to look over.”

I take the papers from him and read them over. “It looks like you’ve gotalmosteverything here.”

“What else is there?” he asks, his voice calm and level, ever the emotionless Boss.

“You forgot the part where we’re partners. I told you I want in on your business, and I want it in writing. The wording in this agreement only states that I give you the trucks you need once you help me get out of my contract with the Gulf Cartel. I’m not handing over any of my trucks if I’m not cut into the business.”

Leo stares at me blankly, studying me in a way only a man like him can – cold and calculated, without giving anything away.

“I don’t let outsiders in on business.”

“We’re about to become family, aren’t we not?”

“That doesn’t mean I trust you.”

“After my father, I understand that, but I’m not like him. I want a partnership, Leo. If you trust me enough to ask for my help and marry Mia, then I’d think you can trust me enough to be official business partners.”

He stares at me for another long moment. “I suppose. For the explicit part of the business where your trucks will be used, though. You don’t get a hand in every aspect of our businesses.” I nod my agreement, satisfied with the compromise for now. “But just so you’re aware,” he says, pausing to lean forward with his palms pressed to the table, “if you do anything to harm Mia, physically or mentally, then I, or either of them”–he wags his finger between the two men flanking him–“will kill you without a second thought and take over every aspect of your family and businesses therein. Including your brothers. Don’t think because you’re marrying Mia, it means we won’t be watching your every move and won’t hesitate to take her back along with everything you have. Understand? Or do you need me to spell it out for you in there, too.” He jabs his finger towards the papers in front of me.

“I think I’ll remember that without seeing it in writing.”

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