Page 75 of Vicious Heir

“My employees know not to mention super-secret Canadian drug pipelines, not even to my wife.” He licks his lips. “What should I be expecting right now, baby?”

“You know what!”

“You?” he asks, tilting his head.

“Yes,me,” I say, cheeks turning bright red.

“But I said such a nice apology.”

“Stop it. Also, no, you didn’t.”

“I’m so, so sorry I left you, my beautiful wife.” His smirk is devilish and sends a thrill right into my core. God, am I seriously getting wet right now? I’m cold from the water drying on my skin, and I’m not sure if my nipples are hard because of that or because of the way he’s staring at my body. He comes closer, grinning ruthlessly now. “I’ve controlled myself long enough.”

“Oh, good for you, you were amazing at ignoring me.” I rip a shirt off the hanger. “You may go now.” I try to drape it over me, but Adriano moves fast. He destroys the distance between us, grabs the shirt, and tears it from my hand. I yelp as mycompletely naked and vulnerable body is yanked against his, and warmth envelops me.

“I wasnotignoring you,” he says, his voice low and filled with need. His eyes rake down from my lips to my neck and back up again. “I had business. That’s all.”

“Then why do I feel abandoned?” I regret it the second I say it out loud. How pathetic am I? Adriano doesn’t owe me anything, not even after the other day. He was mourning his father and emotionally raw at the time. I can’t seriously think our relationship is going to progress to something more than a business deal.

Goosebumps shiver across my naked flesh. “I don’t want you to feel that way,” he whispers.

“It’s not your fault. I have my own issues I’m trying to work out, okay?”

“You don’t have to work them out alone.”

“Maybe I do.”

“No, baby.” His lips brush my neck. “I see that I screwed up by not communicating with you. I’m not used to having someone else to think about. I’ve been on my own for a very long time, but you’re in my life now. I’ll keep you informed if I have to leave town for a few days.”

I don’t even know why, but hearing him say that sends a wave of emotion through me. I don’t know the last time someone cared about me enough to admit they were wrong, much less to try to change. It’s a small thing, telling me he’s going to disappear on a business trip, but it’s clearly a compromise.

“You don’t have to,” I hear myself saying, and it’s pathetic because I don’t mean it.

But he doesn’t fall for my bullshit. “You’re right. I don’t. But you want me to, and so I will.” One hand brushes across my cheek. “I won’t leave you, Lucy.”

“I know. I mean, we’re married, right? You can’t.”

“No, baby. I mean, I won’t leave you because I don’t want to.” He bends down and brushes his mouth across my throat.

I choke back tears. “Don’t say shit like that,” I whisper.

“It’s hard for you to believe. I can tell you’re struggling with it. But you are more to me than our deal. You have been since the first time we met.”

“In your office?” My voice is tiny. My heart’s racing hard. I feel like I’m ripping open, and he’s running his vicious fingers through my delicate insides. One wrong move and he’ll rip my heart to shreds.

Hope blossoms, and that’s the worst of all. Living without hope has protected me for a long time. I stopped hoping that I’d find friends who cared about me for who I am and not just for my name and my social status. I stopped hoping Grandmother would be proud of me. I stopped hoping Pierre would turn into a supportive, loving older brother. I learned to live without hope, and that helped me wrap a layer of armor around myself.

Now it’s coming back. That horrible emotion, hope. Because once it’s here, then I can be hurt again, and I don’t want to ever hurt. Not the way I was hurt after my parents died and our family fell to ruin. Not like that, not ever again.

“The first second I saw you, I knew I wanted you.” His lips move toward mine.

“That’s just sex.”

“No, Lucy. It’s possession. It’s obsession. I told you, I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s ruining me, and I’ve been trying to run away from it for a while now.”

“What’s different now then?”

“The only difference is maybe I’m not as strong as I thought I was.”

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