Page 42 of Stolen Vows

“There we go,” I say, my voice low and tight. “Can’t have you wasting that when I’ve spent seven years saving it for you.”

She slowly closes her lips around the leather and licks it clean, swallowing audibly. As if stuck in some haze. Finished, she blinks, and I remove myself so she can speak. “What does that mean? You haven’t?—”

“Been with anyone else?” I finish, deviant sensations spinning around my sternum. “How could I, knowing you were out here all by your lonesome, waiting for me?”

That seems to catch her off guard, and she spends several seconds just looking at my throat.

“Beautiful,” I mutter, mesmerized by her mouth, her stare—every-fucking-thing about her.

Those brown eyes are wide and lust-filled, and I grit my teeth to keep from bending her over right here, right now. My cock stirs, likely ready to go again, but I need to play my cards right.

Otherwise, I’ll leave empty-handed, and I refuse to do that.

Pinching her cheeks with my free hand, I push my fingers back in until she gags, then pull them all the way out. Before she has a chance to escape, I tilt my head down and plant a smothering kiss to her lips, swirling my tongue and tasting myself on her.

The mix of musk and her minty blueberry breath sends delectable tension spiraling through my chest. Our teeth clash, and she uses her tongue to push the remnants of my cum into my mouth, sharing like the good little wife she is.

With a frustrated groan, I disconnect. She looks so goddamn ethereal standing there, her red lipstick smudged from me, that I turn away immediately to avoid taking more than she’s ready to give.

“Are we even then?” she asks, dabbing saliva from the corners of her mouth. Her mask of discontent slips back into place. “You got me off seven years ago, and now I’ve gotten you off. Our deal is done.”

She’s putting words in my mouth, but I don’t feel like correcting her yet.

I do have to wonder if she’s purposely misremembering our arrangement and themarriageit promised. Consummation was just an excuse—extra.

Then again, perhaps she’s hoping I forgot or changed my mind. That her sucking me dry would sate me.

Or she thinks I’ve grown tired of her in our time apart. That my interest waned.

Unfortunately for her, it’s never been stronger.

“I don’t remember agreeing to a new deal.” I toss her a grin that has the tips of her ears turning pink—or maybe it’s from me finally bothering to pull up my pants and put my cock away.

It doesn’t matter, I suppose, so long as I know I can affect her. That’s my in here.

I’ll keep her safe, driving her back into my waiting arms.

Before she can blink and try to stop me, and before I can make an even greater fool of myself, I stalk toward the exit and grip the doorknob in one fist, twisting violently. More so than necessary.

“Yousaid?—”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I interrupt over my shoulder, slipping out of the room and into the shadows.

She scrambles after me, her breathing frenzied as she screeches to a halt, her head swiveling left and right as she searches the darkness. Fury radiates from her figure when she turns the wrong way and stomps off to find me.

I smirk at the plain-colored wall as music from the ballroom trickles into the corridor like rainwater.

Tomorrow, my wife.

Frankie handsme a red silk tie, then flops down on the sofa across from the wall-mounted mirror. The guest rooms at the auction site are straight out of anArchitectural Digestspread,complete with massive beds, luxurious satin sheets, and remote-controlled blackout curtains.

It’s the picture of ultimate comfort, yet I barely slept at all last night.

A part of me is simply unhappy with being away from home, as I’ve never had much luck sleeping anywhere but my own bed. The other part is filled with an inordinate amount of adrenaline from thinking about my wife sleeping somewhere else in the mansion, all alone for the last time.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Frankie asks, kicking his feet up over the sofa arm and reclining with his hands behind his head. “Your uncle isn’t exactly scouring the earth to find her. Maybe we should just leave her be.”

“Gino might say he’s not looking,” I respond, knotting the tie at my throat, “but I don’t believe him. Since the Elders haven’t been able to make me pay for my crimes fully, I have no doubt they’ll be closing in on her soon. There’s no way her presence is going unnoticed. Not when they know I’m also here.”

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