Page 43 of Hot-Blooded Killer

I’m startled into releasing my hold on my cock—but I find myself wanting to drag her into the shower with me.

But when I open the door, I find my beautiful new wife glaring at me, her chest heaving with anger.

“What is it?” I ask calmly, reaching for a towel and wrapping it around my waist. As I glance back up at her, I catch her staring wide-eyed at my hard cock, and it jerks in response.

God, I want her.

She shakes off the momentary distraction, turning her furious attention back to my face. “You won me in a bet?”

It’s a question, but she doesn’t wait for an answer. “How dare you treat me like I’m something to be owned? Like I’m worth nothing more than the money it would take to pay off a gambling debt?”

I raise my eyebrows at her and shut the shower door, leaning back against it and crossing my arms over my bare chest.

Her anger has made her even more beautiful, bringing a sharp brightness to her eyes, and I want to convince her to expend all that violence in sex—but somehow, I don’t think that suggestion would go over all that well right now.

So instead, I shrug. “You’re worth a lot more than the value your father assigned to you,” I agree, keeping my voice calm and even. “He didn’t deserve to have that much control over you.”

She lets out an actual growl, primal and fierce, as if it’s the only sound violent enough to give voice to her emotions. “Neither do you,” she snarls.

“Probably not. But now I have you—and you agreed to the contract, so I expect you to abide by it.”

For an instant, I half expect her to raise her hand to slap me—it twitches, and I can practically see her forcing her arm to stay down by her side. But she gains control of herself, and I wait, curious to see what she’ll do next.

Finally, she clenches her teeth together and inhales sharply through them. When she exhales, the breath is shaky, but controlled.

“You’re right,” she says, standing up straight and baring her teeth in an expression that has very little in common with a smile, despite her best effort. “I did sign a contract. And I will abide by the terms—strictlyby the terms—of the agreement. You got your wedding night consummation. Now I owe you nothing more until after I finish my degree.”

She turns on her heel, her back ramrod-straight, and takes one step toward the bedroom. But I flash my hand out like a snake striking and pull her back toward me. With a single move, I spin her around and pin her up against the glass door of the shower, pressing my body against hers as I hold her hands above her head. “Not so fast, Principessa,” I murmur. “You’ve had your say. Now it’s my turn.”

She starts to speak, but I transfer both her wrists to my right hand and hold my left forefinger to her lips. “Hush. Listen.”

Gia glares, but clamps her mouth shut, and I nod. “Very good.” I trail my fingertip down her chin, along her neck, and across her collarbone, tracing the lines of her body until it dips down inside her designer blouse, where I stroke along her cleavage.

I lean in even closer, until every part of my body is pressed against hers, holding her in place, and whisper in her ear. “I don’t blame you for being angry.”

I nip her earlobe, and she shivers.

I’m glad to know she responds to me, even now.

“And you can deny me, it’s true.” I pull back just enough to make eye contact with her, watching her pupils dilate as she stares into my eyes. I smile, allowing the darkness I’ve held so tightly inside ever since Pops and my brothers were killed to leach into my expression.

I see the moment Gia recognizes it. Fear flashes across her face, and a deep sense of satisfaction settles inside me.

“But I won’t be waiting until after you finish your schooling.” I inhale her scent, allowing it to shoot straight down to my cock. As I harden against her, I push in again and whisper my dark promise.

“No. Long before that happens, you will be on your knees, begging me to take you again.”

I give her wrists a final squeeze and with a tiny shove, I push her back into the glass door. And then I turn, drop my towel to the bathroom floor, and stride out into the bedroom, leaving her panting behind me.

I move into my walk-in closet and pull on my clothes, already mapping out a plan to seduce my wife.

Again.

Any suspicion that she might have known about her father’s plan to set El Toro on us dissolved when she made it clear she knew nothing about the bet.

Whatever she might believe she’s been doing, that betrayal stung her to her core.

And somehow, I find myself more resolved than ever to protect her.

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