Page 40 of Married With Malice

“Why? They’re nice people. And you seemed pretty interested in them this afternoon.”

Her mouth falls open. “You werespyingon me!” She says this like I’ve been caught peeping in the bushes with a pair of binoculars.

“I was innocently looking for my wife. And there you were, lounging on a beach for everyone to see.”

“That doesn’t mean you can, um…” She sputters and fades, hearing how ridiculous she sounds. This has quickly become my new favorite hobby, getting her so flustered she can’t speak.

“Anni, I like watching you. You like being watched. I thought we figured that out already.” I rub my middle finger, the same finger that went exploring in a really thrilling place earlier, across my jaw to remind her what happened in the bathroom.

She’s reminded all right. Her eyes widen and she freezes in place. I’m unsure if she’s getting wet or contemplating murder. There’s still a steak knife on her plate. The mood will be spoiled if I’m forced to stop her from stabbing me in the heart.

But after a few deep breaths she regains her composure. The wary glint returns to her eyes. “What do you want from me, Luca?”

We’re too far apart for this important conversation. I push my chair closer. And then closer still. My knee bumps into hers. I slide my arm across the back of her chair to make the situation even more intimate.

“I want to finish what we started, Annalisa. On your terms. Tonight is all yours. You call the shots. So the real question is, what doyouwant?”

She doesn’t scream. She doesn’t jerk her chair away. She doesn’t unleash a flood of curses. She appears to be thoughtfully considering the question.

Then she rises from her chair and calmly proceeds to the exit without so much as a sexy over-the-shoulder glance.

Okay. I’ll just have to assume she wants me to follow her.

Though George insisted that the meal was on the house, I pluck a few hundreds out of my wallet to leave on the table as a tip for the wait staff.

Anni can move fast in her heels. She’s already turned the corner. I spot her on the other side of a huge tropical atrium, heading for the tall glass doors that open to the boardwalk.

She’s disappeared through the doors by the time I make it over there.

Outside, the salt-scented breeze has picked up a little and there are more stars overhead. To the left, the pier is all lit up and to the right the private beach is dark. A handful of other resort guests are taking an evening stroll or stargazing at the boardwalk railing but I barely spare them a glance.

I thought I’d find Anni walking in the direction of our suite.

Nope, she’s walking the other way.

She bypasses the pier and keeps marching.

It’s no hardship to follow closely behind and enjoy the view. Her long bare legs are perfectly toned and each sexy sway of her hips gets my pulse racing. I can easily picture myself bending her over, rudely pushing that dress out of the way and committing a full scale invasion.

These thoughts are so pleasant and distracting that I hardly realize how the scenery is changing.

The pier has been left behind and we’re approaching the massive lagoon-sized swimming pool. I doubt she’s interested in taking a swim but I guess anything is possible.

“Anni.”

She keeps walking.

“Annalisa.”

She stops. The rising moon is full. When Anni turns around, the sight of her face stirs an emotion I’ve never felt before. It’s primitive and possessive and leaves me with the certainty that I’d fall at this girl’s feet.

How can Inotkiss her?

My right arm snakes around her waist and my left hand tangles in her hair. There’s no resistance from her when I claim her mouth. A needy sound leaves her throat and she hooks her arms over my shoulders the instant we connect.

I’m not satisfied with going slow and my tongue slides through her lips, tasting the sweetness of the dinner wine. Kissing her is so addictive. I doubt I’ll ever be able to live without it.

No word has yet been invented that describes the way I need her right now. My arms tighten around her, crushing her body against mine on purpose so she can feel exactly what she does to me. We’re out in the open and my hands are roaming in places they shouldn’t roam in public.

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