Page 107 of The Reluctant Wife

"Reminding you who’s in charge, baby."

"Like I can forget." I bat my eyelashes at him, continuing to swipe my clit against that velvet-sheathed shaft of his.

I begin to pant in earnest, that familiar melting feeling radiating out from the point of contact. I squeeze my eyes shut, focusing on those incredible sensations slinking up my spine and down my front, circling my nipples, my belly button, and my clit, oscillating faster and faster until it pushes me over the edge in a gentle swell. I collapse against him, and he holds me closer, running his fingers through my hair.

"That was incredible," he rumbles.

"Mmm-hmm," I say sleepily.

His stomach rumbles, and I chuckle, then laugh when my stomach decides to join in.

He pushes up and, holding me in his arms, steps onto the floor. "I hope you’re hungry enough to eat a full English breakfast?"

That was two days ago. He proceeded to cook breakfast for me, followed by lunch and dinner. We didn’t leave the house that day or yesterday. He fucked me every way possible. On my front, on my back, sideways, and on almost every surface.

Two full days of bliss, and here we are on the third day, seated at the outside table on the patio. It overlooks the infinity pool, beyond which, the waves shimmer in the early evening sunlight. I see a boat in the distance, one of the two patrolling the waters to ensure we're safe.

Ryot told me Quentin and Tyler are on individual boats with their teams. They’ll keep a distance and they’ll be sure not to invade our privacy while patrolling the perimeter.

Every time I look out the window, I spot one of them. Between that and my husband’s presence, I feel secure enough to relax.

Now, he sets the table for dinner for two, complete with a vase of flowers he picked from the garden. Daylight has started to fade, and the colors of a glorious sunset form a perfect background to the dinner.

He serves us starters, then pours champagne into two flutes, one of which he sets in front of me.

He raises his own. "To us."

I clink my glass with us. "To us." I take a sip, and the bubbles pop on my tongue. Zesty notes of green apple, laced with peach and raspberry, seduce my senses.

"That’s so good." I take another sip and roll it round my tongue before swallowing it.

"It’s from my personal collection," he tells me.

"You have a personal collection?"

A flush appears across his cheeks. "Not something I’d admit to, except to you."

"Why not?" I regard him with curiosity. "It’s normal to collect bottles of wine and champagne that you like, no?"

He takes a sip of the champagne and contemplates his flute. "You already know how much I hate that I came from money?"

He laughs, the sound self-deprecating.

"When I joined the Marines, I didn’t keep in touch with Arthur for nearly three years. I tried my best to disown my background. But when my team-mates were wounded in war and found it difficult to adapt back to civilian life, I realized I could use my money to help them.

“I began donating to veterans’ funds to help them find a softer landing. That’s when it hit home that if I embraced my inheritance, I could make a huge impact." He rubs the back of his neck. "It wasn’t an easy thing to acknowledge."

"No, it isn’t." I run my finger up the stem of my flute. "Not when you’ve spent your life running from who you are."

He looks at me with curiosity. "You seem settled in your role as Duchess of Verenza."

I blow out a breath. "It’s different when you have a birthright thrust upon you.” I take another sip of the Champagne. “When I was little, I would dream of running away and starting life as someone else. But every time, Viktor talked me out of it."

It’s my turn to chuckle without humor.

"He knew how it felt, and the responsibility for him was, and is, much higher. It’s a crushing weight, knowing everything you say and do can affect your family and your country. It was either let it get the better of me or come out fighting."

"And you fought." He reaches over and places his hand on mine. "What are the chances that the two of us would find so much in common?"

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