Page 63 of Desperate Actions

No, not my wife.

Aella is made of stronger stuff than even she knows.

She’s no stranger to violence.

To men like me.

After all, her father is a hard man.

So, maybe I’m not crazy for loving her like I do.

And maybe one day—she’ll love me like I love her.

I’m counting on it.

“Mmm. What time is it?” she murmurs.

Her sleepy, soft voice sends a wave of emotion and something even darker, deeper, more primal, rolling through me.

I brush my fingers through her tangled hair, the strands slipping like silk against my skin.

“Almost time to get ready for dinner,” I say. “I ordered some room service, though. In case you’re hungry.”

She blinks up at me, her crystalline eyes hazy and half-lidded, and for a moment, I can’t breathe.

I’ve seen beautiful things before—sunsets over the ocean, the raw, untamed landscapes of war-torn countries, places most men never get to see.

But nothing compares to her.

Nothing ever will.

Then, her stomach growls, loud and unashamed, and she flushes pink, biting her lip like she wants to sink straight into the mattress.

“Guess there’s no point in denying it,” she mutters, her voice sheepish, her lips fighting a losing battle with a grin.

I arch a brow.

“Why on earth would you deny it?”

She hesitates. Then—quiet, almost too soft to hear—she says, “Cause.”

She drops her head to my chest, her fingers tracing nonsense shapes over my skin, her words coming out in a rush.

“I’m chubby. Fat. I can stand to miss a meal.”

My whole body goes still.

And for a moment, I just stare down at her, my fingers tightening at her waist, over the soft curves I fucking worship.

“That’s my wife you’re talking about,” I warn, my voice low, serious.

Before she can protest, before she can say something else that makes me want to track down whoever the fuck put those ideas in her head and break their jaw—I attack.

Tickling her.

She squeals, kicking, writhing beneath me, laughing so hard she’s gasping for air.

“Oh my God! STOP! STOP! I’m gonna pee!” she cries, breathless and beautiful.

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