Page 67 of Of Murder and Matrimony

“I’ve got you covered.” He took my hand and led me to the changing rooms, where my suit hung on a hook on the wall. “Get dressed. I’ve got half an hour before I need to head back in.”

“Right away, Mr. Neretti.” That earned me another sound swat before he tugged the curtain closed behind him. I kicked my shoes off, stripped out of my clothes, and slipped the one-piece suit up over my body. After seeing my hair in the mirror, I leaned over and pulled the hair tie off, doing my best to finger-comb my hair into place before twisting the strands into a bun.

“Come on in; the water’s fine.” Dante was already in the pool, his arms spread out across the side as he lounged in the cool water. The sun made water droplets glisten on his tanned skin, and his honed muscles flexed with every movement as he showed off.

I grinned mischievously and took a running leap into the deep end, tucking my body into a ball and landing in the water a few feet from my husband. It was a game we’d played as children, and seeing him there brought back fond memories of our summers together.

I burst to the surface, gasping for air and wiping the water from my eyes. I barely had time to plant my feet on the bottom of the pool before they were knocked out from under me. Dante picked me up, holding me over his head.

“Somebody needs an etiquette lesson,” he growled playfully before tossing me back into the deep end. The water cut off my squeal, bubbles floating from my mouth to the water's surface.

I clamped my mouth shut and kept to the bottom, using the ripples on the surface to conceal my movements as I propelled myself toward Dante. He treaded water above me, and I reached out, pinching the back of his ankle. His shout was muffled under the water, but he immediately moved toward the shallow end. I wasn’t done, though. Grasping his black swim trunks, I pulled them down his thighs and pinched his muscular ass. Then I swam like hell to the opposite side of the pool, gulping in air when I surfaced.

“You’re going to regret that!” Dante’s voice boomed across the water. He created a wave as he lunged for me, making it difficult to get away quickly. I dodged him twice and kicked wildly when his hand wrapped around my ankle. My freedom was short-lived because he was faster and captured me around the waist as I tried to climb out of the pool.

I put up a good fight, but I couldn’t even land an effective punch, and I suddenly understood why Diego thought it was futile to rely on my fists to save me. Finally, I gave up, going limp in Dante’s arms.

“You done now?” he asked, sitting on one of the steps and wrapping my legs around his waist.

I nodded and laid my head on his shoulder. “Yeah. But I reserve the right to try again another day.”

“You can try,” he teased, stroking my bare back. “But you’ll still lose.”

“We’ll see about that.” I yawned, and he chuckled. Lifting my head, I pressed my lips to his, muffling the sound.

Dante’s surprise only lasted a second, and then he was cradling the back of my head as he moved with me, plying my lips with his, nipping, licking, sucking. “Open for me, Olesya.”

My lips parted, and his tongue slid inside, languorously tasting me as I met each movement. The water made my body feel weightless, but Dante’s kisses left me boneless. I was his to take, his to use, his to love.

The chime on my husband’s phone interrupted the moment, and he pulled away, licking his lips as if to lap up the last of my touch there. His voice hitched. “I have to get up to my office.”

“Mhm,” I mumbled, still in a daze. My fingertips brushed against my swollen lips, and Dante groaned.

“Fuck, I don’t want to go.”

“You could stay,” I suggested, rolling my hips and grinding against his hardened cock at my cleft. He felt so good, and I could feel the slick liquid of my arousal between my labia. “It would only take moving a couple scraps of fabric, and you could be inside me.”

Dante’s large hands grasped my hips, forcing me down against his erection, grinding me against the rigid flesh until the pressure reached my clit, and I moaned. He repeated the action, then gently removed me from his lap. “I can’t.”

I whimpered at the loss, and he roughly wrapped his hand around my neck, dragging me to him and kissing me deeply. He left me breathless when he released me and climbed out of the water.

He stalked off toward the dressing rooms, and I shivered without his body heat, though the air was sweltering. I dipped below the surface and swam a couple of laps before giving up. My muscles ached, and the pool didn’t have the same appeal without my husband.

Dante emerged from the dressing area fully clothed as I approached, his hair damp but styled. He halted in my path and cradled my face between his palms, planting a quick kiss on my lips, then one on my forehead.

“I’ll see you at dinner.” He kissed my cheek for good measure and whispered against my ear, “I love you.”

He didn’t demand I return the sentiment; he just smiled at me and returned to work. I was already nearly dry from the sun’s warmth, so I pulled my shorts and tank top over my suit and bundled my undergarments into the towel, tucking it under my arm as I slid my feet into my sandals and walked the path back to the patio. It was cooler in the shade, so I set the towel on a table and reached for my gardening things.

Dante left my mind muddled, and tending to Antonella’s roses was a good way to clear my thoughts. I had time to do a little pruning before I needed to shower for dinner.

I hummed to myself—and maybe a little to the flowers—while I worked, lost in my task. The shadows lengthened as the late afternoon sun lowered behind the house and surrounding trees, and the birds chirped their evening melodies.

It was peaceful, and I was content.

Until I wasn’t.

I tensed when I felt a looming presence at my back.

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