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"It's not the place I was taken to; it's theogreI had as company."
"Ogre?!"
"Right, that may have been a little harsh," she inhales sharply, and then, "But the brute qualities are the same!" I don't think she realizes her finger is on his chest and she's on her tiptoes to do her best to get in his face. Holy shit, it's the most alive I've seen her since the plane incident.
She's breathtaking.
A little red in the face, sure, but the energy between them is palpable and I'm getting a little hard watching her simmering anger burst a bit. It's like a sparkler on the fourth of July.
Fuck, I love it.
Maksim grabs her hand and flattens it on his chest, and he smirks cruelly at her. "Abruteyou didn't mind having in your bed."
What?
"That'sdifferent,and you know it." She argues right back.
"Is it? Moaning my name in the middle of the night like my slutty little Duchess." He hisses.
The slap comes out of nowhere. Well,almost-slap. Maksim catches her other hand coming at him, but he doesn't even flinch, just stares down at her, dark eyes wild. He breathes a little harder and she shrinks, taking a step back, but he doesn't let her go, just clutches her wrist a little tighter so his knuckles are white. "Try it again,Duchess, I fucking dare you," he growls.
"I'm s- I'm so s-sorry. I was way out of line. I'm sorry." She lets out a gasp and wretches her hand out of his grasp with a strength that causes her to stumble back, and I catch her.
"Get her the fuck out of here," he says without looking at me. "I have too much shit to do today. Be grateful you didn't draw blood, little wife." Then before he leaves the room he says, "Welcome to the shitshow.” And the door slams behind him, making Sabrina flinch in my hold.
"Are you okay?" I ask.
She runs to the bathroom and retches followed by "Oh my fucking god! I almost assaulted a Mafia boss slashPecanin the face," she replies with a shaky voice. I hear the commode flush, and then the sink is on.
I grin, head into the ensuite to join her, cross my arms over my chest, and lean on the door frame, watching her. "It was kind of badass."
She moans, water still dripping from her face. "What did I do, Savage? I could've gotten myself killed."
I shake my head. "I think you could point a gun at that man's face, and he'd find you adorable. I know I would."
She stands straight and her eyes find mine in our reflection. "You're both crazy."
I lift my shoulders and let them fall. "Reckon I’ve been called worse, Miss Winters."
I don't miss the way she inhales a little deeper. "You should get some sleep but let me bring you some food first. The wives taught me how to make calzones. They're probably terrible... but you need to eat. I'll be back in a bit."
So she leaves me for a few beats while I take in my surroundings, the dark oak antique bed, the white of the comforter against the brown of the bed frame, matching nightstands, the plush pillows, and last of all, the view. It's fucking beautiful.
Even from miles away, it looks so tranquil. So... peaceful. It kind of reminds me of home. Hmm. Haven't thought about that in a while. Since I've been with Sabrina, I haven't thought of going back. I’m grateful she always loved when Rory visited from college and never pressured her to leave during any breaks. Sabrina makes everyone feel welcome (except Maksim), even when she wants to be alone. Which is why this villa, grand as it is, is also cozy. I know it must make her feel a certain way -notlike Maksim's penthouse will make her feel. There's no personality there. It's not a home. It's a mausoleum-in-waiting.
She comes back, hands me the warm calzone on a plate. I take a bite of the buttery crust, and the perfect ratio of sauce, cheese, and vegetables concoction hits my tongue, and I practically moan. When I take another bite quickly, the tops of her ears turn pink, and she smiles so brightly it fills me with more warmth than the food, the shower, and the sweats ever could.She leaves me to eat.
Once I'm done eating, I pull back the comforter and slip in. My eyes shut and soon, I'm back in dreamland, my favorite place, where I can touch and kiss Sabrina as much as I like.
"Parker?"
I blink a few times, the blurry vision of blonde hair and green eyes angelic. "Yeah?"
"There's a touristy place in town. La Vita Dolce. We have to ride gondolas to get to it. Wanna go?"
With her? "Absolutely."
And that's how we spend the next three days - shopping, eating, visiting museums, taking the train to different cities, just the two of us, like it was meant to be.