Page 43 of His to Keep
A tinge of redness touches Eilidh’s cheeks. She bites her lip coyly. “To me,” she says with a chuckle. “And to my apparently romantic husband.”
I rub the back of my neck awkwardly. “The credit should really go to Rosalia.”
“Did she choose my wedding dress?”
“No.”
“Then I repeat. To my apparently romantic husband.”
We clink our glasses together and both take a sip. Less used to drinking alcohol than I am, Eilidh screws her nose up. “That’s kind of sharp.”
“You don’t like it?” I hold out my hand to take the glass from her.
She clutches it dramatically to her chest. “I didn’t say that.”
She takes another couple of sips.
“Do you want me to scrub your back for you?” I offer.
“No.” Eilidh lowers her gaze then gives me a coquettish glance. “I want you to feed me chocolate cake.”
“And then?”
“Then I might let you kiss me.”
Adopting the same flirty tone she’s using, I move a little closer so my face is mere inches from hers.
“And then what?”
“That depends, on whether or not you’re a good boy.”
“Oh, I can be good.” It goes against my nature, but I’ll be whatever my wife needs me to be. “For you, I can be very good.”
CHAPTER 15
Eilidh
As I finish drying off after my bath, Gio offers me his hand. Without hesitation, I take it and let him lead me through to the bedroom. After bathing for more than an hour, with Gio topping up the hot water whenever it started to cool a little, I’m feeling relaxed. I may have been reticent about taking a bath, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Being fed chocolate cake and champagne made the experience so decadent, I felt like Gio was worshipping me.
We stop at the center of the room and Gio walks around me, taking his time to examine every inch of my naked body. I have to remind myself I’m in safe hands with him because this brings back unpleasant memories of the not so distant past.
Jason used to inspect me like this. Though he never laid a finger on me, his intrusive gaze made my skin crawl. Without fail, he found something to criticize, telling me to do a better job of shaving my intimate parts or that I needed to lose weight, even when I knew I didn’t. It’s only thanks to the self-belief myparents fostered in me as I grew up that I was able to drown out his negative remarks. There is nothing wrong with my body, even if I am a little skinnier than I’d like.
Having Gio look at me this way is different. His appreciative murmurs tell me he likes what he sees. To have such a stunningly handsome man desire me is a real boost to my ego.
“You’re beautiful, kitten.” Coming to a stop in front of me, he places a finger under my chin and tilts my face upward. “Inside and out.”
He kisses me, claiming my lips with a gentle reverence. I open my mouth, and his tongue flicks out to taste and tease me with feather-light touches. My moan of pleasure at the tingle running down my spine spurs him on, and he deepens the kiss.
Wrapping his arms around me, Gio lifts me and carries me to the bed. It’s not until he lays me down that he tears his lips from mine. With a cocky grin, he steps back to undress.
Although I’ve seen him naked before, it was in the midst of our hurried coupling on the train, and I didn’t get the chance to appreciate him in all his glory. Propping myself up on my elbows, I lean back to enjoy the show. He strips off his shirt first, revealing a sculpted torso. His muscles are beautifully defined, and his skin is flawless, but it would be impossible not to notice the gnarled skin where the bullet hit him or the long, red surgical scar that runs down his chest.
As I stare at the scar, my stomach twists. I realize now I’m inextricably linked to this man and not just because of our wedding vows. Something deeper binds us. If he dies, a part of me will too.
That maudlin thought is banished as Gio removes his dress pants and boxer shorts. My eye goes briefly to the scar on his thigh, a lasting reminder of the second bullet that hit him. It doesn’t hold my attention for long, not now that his gloriously erect cock is on display. That’s impossible to look away from.
Gio takes a step toward the bed, but halts when I shake my head. “No, I want to see you. Turn around, nice and slow.”
