Page 25 of Crowned in Sin
I push my chair back, stand up, and start walking towards her. She recoils at the sudden motion but she doesn’t back away. A flush rises to her cheeks as she watches me come closer and closer.
When I stand over her, I place a single hand on her shoulder and lean down until we’re face to face. "Remind me again what you are."
She opens her mouth, takes a slow trembling breath, and says. “Your wife.”
"Exactly." I stare into her eyes. "And that means I won't accept you refusing my help. Now, tell me what your mother needs."
"Never."
My hand moves from her shoulder, up her neck, and comes to a stop on her cheek to feel the unmistakable warm flush against my palm.
"Have it your way,piccola." I keep my voice even as I lean in closer and closer. "But don’t think for a moment that I won’t find what you’re so intent on hiding from me."
“I don’t doubt that at all.”
Her face and lips are now inches from mine. But the ice has returned to her eyes even as her skin burns hotter and hotter under my touch. We’re close enough to share a single breath, and I realize that there are things I would do for her that I won’t do for anyone else.
This woman has power over me that’s utterly unbreakable, and I’ve never been weaker than whenever I’m in her presence.
“One more thing,” I say. “You’ll need to accompany me to church on Sunday.”
“Let me guess.” She blinks. "Refusal’s not an option?”
I nod. “Good girl.”
A familiar satisfaction courses down my spine at the slight tremor she gives me at those words. I let my eyes move over her cream blouse, the grey sweatpants, and all the way down to her feet before I bring my gaze back to her face.
“As a Don’s wife, I expect you to also look the part when you show up to church.”
She curls her lips defiantly. "Are you about to send me another dress that doesn't fit?"
"No." I brush the pad of my thumb against her lower lip. "You get to go buy them yourself. I won’t have my wife showing up in ill-fitting garments. I told you, there are privileges to being a Don’s wife. This is one of them."
“You’re sending me out of this house? Alone?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I reply. “I’d never let you go out there alone.”
“So you’re coming with me like a good control freak so you can dress me up like the Barbie doll of your dreams?”
“No,” I reply. “I have Family business to attend to."
“Family business,” she repeats. “You mean killing people.”
"Yes,piccola." I curl my fingers under her chin and tip it up toward me. My thumb continues to make small circles around her soft pink lips, savoring the warmth in her breath from every shaky exhale. "Killing people."
"Who gets to be my lucky babysitter?"
"Anastasio," I answer. “You met him this morning, and before you get any funny ideas, know that I gave him permission to drag you back to me.”
“I expected nothing less, dear husband.” Her lips remain in that stubborn defiant smile. “But what if I decide that I want to run off with your precious boy toy?”
“Anastasio knows better than to shit where he eats.” My jaw clenches and my voice thickens as I tighten my grip around her chin. “And so will you. I expect you to be on your best behavior when I let you out of my sight tomorrow.”
The flush from her cheeks now expands to the base of her throat. Her chest is already moving faster than she wants it to even through the loose fabric of her blouse.
My cock has been pressing painfully against the front of my trousers ever since I put my hand against her skin, and it’s only gotten harder from her wet lips and hot breath.
Instead of answering with words, she parts her lips further, and then closes them around my thumb. Blood drums in my ears, pulsing hard and wet, as her tongue moves against my skin in one slow, unhurried stroke.
