Page 92 of Of Desire And Deception

I shrugged. “Wait for Remi to come back.”

“And then?”

“I’ll remind her why she fell in love with me,” I summarized, rising from my chair and snatching a cannoli for the road.

“Will it involve kidnapping or dead bodies?” he asked warily.

I smirked and headed toward the door. “What would be the fun in telling you that?”

Dante swore under his breath as I strutted down the hall, stopping by the kitchen to sweet-talk Martina into giving me a box of cannoli to take to Remi. Everybody appreciated cannoli.

It didn’t take long to gather my cleaning supplies and head to Remi’s apartment. The tracking device indicated she was on the way back to Chicago, and I wondered what she’d been trying to accomplish on such a brief trip. I dared hope she might have missed me once she put distance between us.

I spent hours scouring every surface in her place, making it shine like new. Satisfied, I took a break to run out for dinner and stopped by the store before returning. I placed a fresh bouquet of white peonies in the center of her dining table. With a proper vase this time.

Judging by Remi’s progress on the road, I had enough time for a nap before she got back. I kicked my shoes off and climbed into her bed, burying my face in her pillow and willing my cock to stand down. I set the alarm on my phone and let myself rest for the first time in several days, cocooned in the comfort of my wife’s scent.

My eyes snapped open two hours later when the alarm on my phone buzzed, but I lingered on Remi’s bed, watching her little dot move closer on the tracking app. She was on the outskirts of the city, and my excitement increased with her proximity. Finally, I climbed out of her bed and snapped the covers back into place.

Remi’s car stopped moving when she parked, and I pocketed my phone, slowing my breathing as I waited for her to reach her apartment. It had only been a day since I last saw her, but I felt like it was our first date all over again. The nervousness was foreign and unwelcome.

The scraping of a key in the lock drew my attention, and I held my breath. I frowned as Remi struggled with the door, finally getting in on her third try. Her steps were slow and heavy as she trudged in, shoes thunking on the floor. I stepped into the doorway and leaned against the frame as she stared at the flowers on the table.

Her short, black hair was disheveled, and she had coffee stains on the sleeve of her white sweatshirt. More of the tan drops on her jeans. She seemed tired. That was understandable after everything.

Then Remi turned, her gaze meeting mine, and my cock hardened instantly. The possessive beast inside me reared its dark head, and I wanted to devour my wife. She sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

I frowned. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Remi was supposed to scream at me. Fight me. Run so I could chase her. But she did none of those things. Instead, she stood there, immobile, a solitary tear running down her face.

Unable to take the sadness radiating off her, I stepped forward, drawing her to me. “What’s wrong?”

“Seriously?” She choked out a laugh. “You ruined my entire life.”

“Did I?” My thumb brushed over the wetness on her cheeks as I pondered her tearful accusation. “You were the one who started it all. I didn’t invite you into my life. You challenged me. I simply chose to win at all costs.”

“I let my father down,” she cried. I stiffened, unsure how to fix whatever the hell was wrong with her.

I tried for empathy. “I always let my father down.”

“All I ever wanted was to follow in his footsteps.” Her tears dampened my t-shirt as she continued, “I wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted to fight for justice like he did. He wasn’t supposed to die.”

Her pain was palpable, and I wrinkled my nose. I couldn’t relate because I hated my father with every breath I breathed. Her dad must have been more like my mother. I thought about how her death made me feel.

“I’m… sorry.” I wasn’t made for emotional shit. My specialty was eliminating emotions and looking at things in black and white. But for Remi, I’d try. “You may not work for the feds anymore, but you don’t have to give up your desire for justice. But it might involve breaking the law.”

“Don’t give me logic right now,” Remi said, her body shuddering with her sobs.

“Tell me what you need,” I pleaded, at a loss.

She looked up at me with those tragic, watery blue eyes. “I need a safe space. Just… be safe.”

My throat constricted. I loved Remi, and she still didn’t understand that she could trust me completely. I ran my hands up her back, cupping her face in my hands so she had to keep looking at me.

“Can’t you see that’s what I’ve tried to be for you?” My fingers pressed into her jaw. “No matter what, you’ve always been safe with me. As long as I live, you always will be.”

“Promise me,” she whispered, her tears touching my fingertips. “I want to hear you say it.”

“I promise,” I growled, imbuing the vow with everything I had. All those places in me that sparked to life when she was near. “I’ll always be your safety.”

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