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The tip of his nose follows the shell of my ear, and his lips are so close I have to close my eyes, doing my best to contain the chills that want to erupt everywhere. "Mmm... seems he's by the bar. Drink in hand. Blending in. Eyes on you, little star. Always on you. You smell so fucking good, Sabrina."
He leans back again, and I turn my head to find Parker in a fresh suit and tie as well, eyes on me. His face looks... well, he looks either confused or constipated. I face my husband. Before I can open my mouth and reply, he whispers, “My mouth keeps watering at the thought of going under this table and tasting your cookie myself. Devouring it in one… single… bite.”
Oh my god.
I keep my eyes on his as he draws back, and Angie gets my attention, telling me she had been able to snag a cupcake and that itwas delicious. To which brings a snort from Maksim beside me, and I flare up and giggle a thank you. I lean over to Maksim to make it look like a kiss while I whisper to him to shut up.
It’s on the long way home, getting closer to Brooklyn Heights, that the tension seems to rise. It’s quiet in the backseat, but he’s so large, when he spreads his massive thighs, his knee touches mine. “If we stay at my home, we could be done with this evening a lot quicker.”
“No.”
I swing my gaze to his. “Why not?”
“You reside with me.”
“I have multiple guest rooms you can sleep in.”
“Any of them close to yours?”
I groan. “They’re all on the second floor.”
“Then no.”
“You’re being childish, Maksim. What’s the point of having my home if we won’t use it for instances like these? It’s rubbish. If we stay there, we’ll be home twenty minutes earlier, and I can get out of this fucking dress and into the bath and in my bed twenty minutes sooner rather than later.”
His nostrils flare, and his almost-obsidian stare goes down to my breasts and back up with a slow blink. “By all means, Duchess, if you want to get out of that dress so quickly, take it off.”
“Are you drunk?” The question is rhetorical. He hasn’t taken a sip of his usual whiskey since that one night I let him know he would essentially never have my heart. He also comes home earlier instead of being out until God knows when at the club. We eat dinner together now, too. Sometimes. It’s kind of nice.
He leans over, so fucking close that I have to hold my breath. “Does it smell like I’ve been drinking, Duchess?”
“No,” I whimper. The tires make a sound that tells me we’re crossing the bridge to get to the city just as Maksim moves away from me. “Do you think we could alternate weekends? One weekend at your penthouse, the next at my house?”
“Ourpenthouse, wife. You’re on the deed.”
My eyes go wide. “What? Why?”
“Because if something happens to me, you’re set. The clubs also go to you. Besides, who better than a lawyer?”
“But nothing is going to happen to you, is it?”
He shrugs. “Anything can happen and in this life, what I’m dealing with, I can’t promise anything.” he grins. “Why, you worried about me, Duchess?”
Yes.
The vehicle coming to a stop saves me from answering him. I may not like the brute, but it doesn’t mean I want anything to happen to him. But he doesn’t need to know that. My secrets can still be my own. He helps me down and soon we’re stepping through the revolving glass door to get to the elevator and up to our -hispenthouse as Parker takes the SUV to park it in the underground garage. It’s silent in the elevator, but his presence is loud. Our reflections stare back at us on the impeccably waxed steel doors, and I can feel him watching me. I let my gaze fall, unwilling to meet his.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Which was?” The elevator comes to a whirring stop and the bell dings as we step out, I punch in the code on our door.
“Do you worry about me?” His voice is low and soft.
I open the door with a very unattractive snort. “No,” I scoff, stepping through the threshold to the vast, frozen apartment, now warmer with all the decorations I’ve been putting up.
"Am I that terrible, Duchess? Huh? All fucking day you play the perfect little wife-"
"I'm not doing this." I turn to go, but he grabs me by the elbow and my spine is soon flush to the wall. I could merge with it. He cages me in by his arms and body, careful not to touch me but it doesn't matter, all of him is invading my senses, from his citrus and patchouli scent, to the way his arms are caging me in. He's so large and imposing. I should be frightened.