Page 61 of Damaged Beast
Nobody threatens what’s mine.
“Prime? You haven’t said anything since we left.” Deanna’s taking off her earrings in the bathroom and looking at me in the mirror.
I can’t meet her gaze. God, what does she think of me right now? What kind of man lets another man openly threaten his wife? Weak, fucking pathetic. And I kept my mouth shut, only because Carbone can get me closer to my final goal than anyone I’ve ever met before. He’s one step away from Fontana’s inner circle. I need him more than I want to admit.
And still, I’m going to cut his fucking throat.
“I shouldn’t have brought you to that dinner.” I lean against the bathroom’s door frame and unbutton my cuffs. “I should keep you far away from those fucking bastards.”
“Stop it, Prime, we talked about this already. You need me.”
“Like hell. I won’t get you killed.”
“I know that.” She turns to me, the diamonds gone, now left beside the sink. I like her like this better: simple, plain, beautiful, the woman I’ve been obsessing about since she came into my employment all those years ago. Now the fire’s lit in me and I don’t know how to stop it.
“When Carbone invited you to this meeting, I assumed it would be less formal. But now I see it was a ploy from the start. He wanted to test our marriage, and he wanted to make it clear what the stakes were, and he did it straight to your fucking face.” I spit the last few words, disgust rising in my throat. “You must hate me now.”
“I don’t hate you at all.” She seems surprised. “Prime, why are you so upset?”
“I let another man threaten you. I didn’t do anything about it.”
“What should you have done? Jumped across the table and killed him?”
“I could have smashed a glass and used the shards to rip out his tongue.”
She blinks, laughs like I’m joking, but her smile disappears when she realizes I’m not. “Come on, Prime. That’s crazy.”
“You don’t understand these people. Carbone responds to strength.”
“He also responds to not getting killed.” She comes to me and puts a hand against my cheek. “You want to know something? I was terrified in that room. Carbone scares the shit out of me. But I also know you won’t let anything bad happen to me, right?”
“Right. Fuck, Deanna.”
“But I need to know something.” She leans forward and places her lips near my mouth. I want her kiss so badly it’s like a curse. But instead, she leans close to my ear. “I need to know your plan, Prime.”
I step away, heart racing. She watches calmly. Sometimes I’m amazed at Deanna’s poise. When she said she’s been practically running my business for the last two years, she’s only exaggerating a touch.
I’ve been a shitty boss, but only because I’ve been able to rely on her. She’s smart, organized, and ruthless when she has to be. Deanna has an uncanny ability to see through bullshit, and it’s part of what I’m drawn toward in her. There’s strength buried under her fear, an iron core at the heart of her. Watching her father’s disease progress and being responsible for her parents’ wellbeing has helped mold her into the fierce and impressive woman I married.
But no matter how much I want her, there are parts of me I don’t want to speak out loud. Even if she deserves to hear them.
I retreat into the bedroom. She follows, unzipping her dress as she comes. I struggle not to look but it kills me when the fabric pools around her ankles. Black bra, black panties, pale skin. Dark hair spills around her shoulders. My heart races and my blood rushes to my cock. She stands there watching me, and I know what she’s doing, and it’s fucking working.
“Talk to me, Prime,” she urges softly, sitting on the edge of the bed, not bothering to get dressed.
“You’re using your body against me.”
“I would never.”
“But it’s going to backfire.”
Her mouth opens, lips pulling into a smile. “You think so?”
“You aren’t a distraction, love.” I unbutton my shirt and toss it aside. I remove my belt, whipping it off. Her eyes snap to the leather as I drop it on the ground. She chews on her lip. “You’re a fucking feast.”
“Prime—“
I walk toward her. She shuffles onto the back, eyes wide.
