Page 33 of Wicked Knight 2

“Thank you, Papa.” Maxim walked him to the door. He really loved this man as his own father.

My heart rate spiked when Maxim shut the door again and turned around to face me. His gaze bore into mine in a silent promise. I had to bite my tongue to keep me from screaming at him that he wasn’t Maxim, that he was my Luca.

“I need a cold shower.” He groaned, then headed for the en-suite.

I had so many questions for him. None of them could wait, so I followed him. I stomped toward the bathroom, determined to find out how the hell he’d gotten here. But when I pushed the door open, he was already running the water, and completely naked.

How did he undress so fast?

I stood there like an idiot as he let the spray hit his muscled back and then his inked chest. Jeez, he was way hotter than I remembered. I didn’t think that was possible. My gaze swept from his wet hair all the way down to his abs, butt, and muscular thighs.

“You can join me if you want,” he grumbled. “Or leave. You standing there is defeating the purpose of the shower.”

I swallowed. “Am I required to attend this ridiculous party? We’re not newlyweds.”

“We married recently. That, by definition, makes us newlyweds.”

“We’re not a happy couple.”

“Maybe after tonight, we could be.” He shifted his body toward me.

My breath hitched. Oh fuck. The last thing I needed was a reminder of how big he was. “You’re delusional.” I stormed to the door and slammed it behind me.

His laughter filled the suite and reminded me of all the happy moments we had together. Since the beginning, our relationship wasn’t perfect. But then he became a wanted man, hunted by his own uncle at first, and then, by every enemy our family had ever made. Tears ran down my cheeks as I plopped myself down on the bed.

I didn’t blame Luca for wanting to forget his life. He’d been on the run for almost six years. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that kind of horror would do to a man. With the Brotherhood, he was the good son. He was revered and loved by all. He had a good life here.

“I’ll see you tonight.” He called from the door. “Wear something nice. Papa likes to go all out.”

“How do you know that?” I shot to my feet.

“Because he’s done it all my life.” He ran a hand through his wet hair. “Don’t be late.”

“Yeah, I got it. Papa doesn’t like that either.”

With long, languid strides, he closed the space between us. He braced his hands under my elbows and helped me to my feet. His tenderness disarmed me. I let him run his fingers down my cheek and wrap them around my neck. He pressed his forehead to mine. Unlike before when he was out of control with desire, he was calm and collected.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in my ear. “My beautiful wife.”

Destiny could be so cruel.

He released a breath. “Stay in your room until the party. We haven’t heard the last of Boris. He likes to hold a grudge.”

“I can handle him.” I tilted my chin up.

“I know you can.” He scoffed. “You were giving him hell when I found the two of you.” His body tensed as his eyes darkened with fury. “I should’ve killed him for laying a hand on you.”

“He’s a coward.”

“I promise. He will answer for what he tried to do. Today’s been a busy day.”

“Right.” I smiled at him, feeling the pull that had always been there between us drag me toward him.

“Fuck, Donata.” He captured my mouth and kissed me hard once more. “Stay in your room,” he warned as he walked out of the room, leaving me so confused andfrustrated.

“Arghh.” I fell face first on the pillow and screamed.

After a long while, I got up and went to the walk-in closet to look at dresses to wear. I still had a handful of hours to get ready, but I had nothing else to keep me busy. As annoyed as I was that Maxim thought he could just order me to stay in my room, I had to admit he wasn’t wrong.

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