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We make it to the front of the venue and Mia stops short. “I didn’t,” she starts to say, then stops, her wide eyes on the vintage Rolls Royce I rented for us. “Did you?”

“I did. You planned everything, but when I asked Janine about our ride home, she said you hadn’t requested anything.”

“I didn’t realize I needed to. I didn’t think of it.”

“Well, I did. I thought you might like it.”

“I do.” She smiles up at me and my fucking heart swells in my chest.

The driver steps out and rounds the car, opening the rear door for us.

“Thank you,” Mia politely says to him before she maneuvers into the car. I pick up the train of her dress and lift it in behind her, and the sweet smile she gives me in return has my heart doing that weird stammering it’s only done since she’s come into my life.

Mia is quiet for the first ten minutes of our drive, her eyes glued out the window. “This isn’t the way to the hotel,” she finally says.

“No, it’s not. We’re not going to the hotel.”

Her head whips towards me. “Where are we going?”

“Home.”

“Home?” She eyes me speculatively. “And where’s that?”

“Manhattan. I wanted to start our marriage off where we’ll be living, not in a hotel where a lot of our family and other guests are staying.”

“You’re taking me to your apartment in the city?” Her voice is laced with panic.

“Yes. It’s your home now, too.”

Mia rolls her lips between her teeth. “I had important belongings in my hotel room.”

“I’ve already got that sorted. Everything is already waiting for you at the apartment.”

She goes back to looking out the window and I wish I could read her mind.

“What did your brothers say to upset you?”

She twists her fingers together in her lap and she shakes her head. “They pulled me aside to talk to me about us being…” Pausing, her eyes dart to mine and then back out the window. “Intimate,” she finally finishes.

“Excuse me?” I grind out, pissed off. “What the fuck did they say to you exactly?”

“They were reiterating to me that I don’t need to do anything I don’t want to do and I shouldn’t let you touch me. They were speaking to me as if I don’t have a mind of my own and am perfectly capable of keeping you in line.”

My anger dissipates when I realize what she just said, and smile at her in disbelief. “Excuse me? Keep me in line?”

“Yes,” she says smugly. “Don’t question my capabilities to do so when I’ve already gottenyouto begme. Besides, I’m more than certain you won’t force me to do anything because you seem to have a begging kink. You don’t want easy.”

“No, I don’t,” I rasp. “And you’re right.” I lean in, brushing the tip of my finger along her jaw and bottom lip. “I may have a begging kink. I didn’t before you, though.”

“It’s good to know I’m special,” she whispers.

“Oh, you’re special,farfalla. Very special.” Mia licks her lips and my eyes follow her tongue, wanting her to lick my lips in the same way. “I can’t wait to find out what other undiscovered kinks I have with you.”

Her eyes are on mine and her breathing is steady, but I can see her pulse pounding in her neck, and I want to feel it beating against my tongue as I lick up the column of her neck to her sweet spot below her ear that I know drives her crazy. For now, I slide my finger down her throat and over to her jugular. Her pulse picks up speed at my touch and I look at her expectantly.

“I love feeling your heart rate spike when I touch you,farfalla. Do you want to feel mine?”

Mia raises her hand slowly and brings it to my neck to mimic mine. Her cool, gentle touch on my heated skin has me clenching my jaw so I don’t scare her away by either slamming my mouth against hers or hauling her up onto my lap and burying my face in her neck.

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