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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I t was pitch black in our bedroom, and yet, I stared at the ceiling beyond the darkness. Too many thoughts were running through my head to even think about sleep. Too much was happening for me to be able to quiet my mind.

In the past, I would’ve gotten up and occupied myself with work or poured my conflicting thoughts into my art. But I would rather saw my arm off than move.

Surprisingly, everything seemed to work out in my favor, with much fewer hiccups than I’d anticipated. Was it because of her?

Had my luck turned because of her?

I stared at Jemma, then pulled her closer. I was a married man, and instead of feeling trapped, I felt like I was finally ready and able to live the life I’d always wanted.

I nuzzled my face into her hair, then inhaled deeply. Her scent, a mix of the remnants of the perfume she’d been wearing and something uniquely her, filled my senses .

I tightened my arms around her, relishing the feeling of her closeness. The soft curves of her body fit perfectly against mine, and her skin was soft as silk.

“Why are you staring at me instead of sleeping?” Jemma’s voice was soft, curious, and sleepy.

My heart swelled with emotion. “Because you’re beautiful,” I whispered, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on her skin.

She shifted slightly, her breath tickling my neck as she spoke. “It’s dark; you can’t even see me.”

I pulled her even closer, as close as possible. “I see you,” I murmured, my voice low. “It doesn’t matter if it’s dark, what you wear, or your hair color. I always see you.”

She put her leg over mine, and her heart beat against my chest. Her hand found my face in the darkness, her thumb gently caressing the stubble on my cheek. “Oh wow, didn’t know you were a closet romantic.”

I leaned into her touch, savoring the tenderness of the moment. Despite the challenges we faced, here, right this moment, everything was just right. “What did you think I was?”

“In the beginning?” She hesitated. “Mean, the Anti-Christ, evil, overbearing, dominant, completely unreasonable.”

I grinned and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Her blunt assessment was so her. And her honesty was refreshingly endearing. And she was right. I had been all those things, could be all these things.

Well, maybe Anti-Christ was a little mean, but with everything else, she was mostly spot on. “I can’t believe you married me, thinking about me like this. ”

“I can’t believe I married you either,” she murmured, her breath tickling my neck. “But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you. What did you think of me in the beginning?”

My chest tightened, then expanded at her words.

Love.

Not a concept I ever thought I’d invite into my life.

It still felt surreal to hear her say it. I traced lazy circles on her lower back, savoring the warmth of her skin against mine. Then chuckled, thinking back about the opinion I’d built of her before even meeting her. “I thought you were a spoiled mob princess who needed some disciplinary action.”

Jemma’s hand on my chest stopped for a second before she continued her soft strokes. “Disciplinary action? How old are you, fifty?”

“Well,” I said, my hand sliding down to cup her ass, giving it a playful squeeze. “Old enough to have some experience under my belt. And I can think about a thing or two I want to do to you that would fall under disciplinary action.”

Her fingers trailed down my side, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. “You’re really kinky, aren’t you?” Her voice sounded pensive.

I pulled her closer and inhaled the scent of her hair. “I prefer open-minded.”

“So you were open-minded about me?” Jemma’s voice held a hint of challenge.

I chuckled, remembering my initial impressions of her. “Hell no, I hated you and everything I thought you stood for. When some of the data pointed at you, I couldn’t believe it. I thought you were an airhead. And that and hacking into our system didn’t quite gel.”

It was actually pretty amazing how far we’d come in such a short time. From enemies to lovers, from mutual suspicion to mutual trust.

“I don’t know if I should be insulted or not.” Jemma’s voice vibrated against my chest, a hint of amusement in her tone.

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and grinned into the darkness. “Not. I didn’t know you then.”

She trailed her fingers across my collarbone, then settled on my pulse point. “And you think you know me now?”

My heart swelled with affection. Despite everything we’d been through, there was still so much to learn about each other. I tightened my arms around her, relishing the feeling of her softness against my hardness. “Well, I’m getting there. I know you’re fierce and loyal. I know you’re considerate. My dog likes you. My siblings love you. I know you’re wicked smart, and you will keep me on my toes for the rest of our lives.”

Her breath hitched slightly, and she pressed her lips against my skin. “Well, that is a very positive view you have of me.”

I chuckled, the sound rumbling in my chest. My hand moved to cup her face, and I gently stroked her cheek with my thumb. “Oh no, I know you’re a pain in the ass, cuss like a sailor, call me out whenever, have a wicked right hook, and are able to lie in my face without losing sleep over it. You’re also a bit of a bully and a brat.”

Her body shook with silent laughter, and she nuzzled closer to me. “Well, I’m your brat. ”

I smiled and pulled her tighter against me. “That’s why I’m looking forward to that disciplinary action I mentioned before.”

Her body tensed slightly against mine, and she remained silent for what felt like an eternity. “Not sure I like violence,” she murmured, her breath warm against my skin.

My grin deepened. I pulled on my arm, then scooted down until I lay face to face with her, our noses almost touching. “I love you, Punk, and trust me, violence will have nothing to do with it.”

She sighed, her body relaxing into mine once more. Then suddenly, she stiffened again. “How did your meeting go?” Her voice held a hint of concern.

I chuckled. We hadn’t even had time to talk about anything after what had happened earlier. After fucking her bent over the conference table, I’d carried her upstairs where she’d promptly fallen asleep in my arms after our joint shower.

The memory of her coming with my finger in her ass sent a wave of warmth through my body and would forever live in my head, rent-free. I couldn’t wait to fuck her in the ass for the first time, couldn’t wait to watch her suck me off for the first time, either.

So many firsts to look forward to.

“Vince?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Hmm?” I responded, running my hand along her side.

“The meeting?” She hesitated for a moment, and I could almost feel the weight of her thoughts. “Are we going to be okay?”

“Yes, we are,” I murmured and brushed my lips against her forehead. “My father going after me in this kind of way lost him all the support he still had. By now, if everything is going according to plan, he should’ve gotten the message and be on his way to our villa in Calabria and will stay there for the time being.”

As I spoke, a mix of relief surged through my body and temporarily replaced the lingering tension. I tightened my arms around her, drawing strength from her presence. Having her here, safe in my arms, filled me with a sense of peace.

Jemma sat up, the sheets rustling softly. “So it’s over? Just like that? That’s a little anticlimactic.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, reached out, and squeezed her cheek. The silky texture of her skin against my fingertips was another reminder of how perfect she was. “What? One helicopter assault, and a masked assassin almost killing you isn’t enough for you?” We still hadn’t identified the man, which was still a thorn in my side.

She grabbed my wrist, opened my hand, and leaned into my touch.

Her warmth radiated through my fingers and up my arm. The memory of those terrifying moments flashed through my mind and made my chest tighten. The wound on her ear was only superficial, just a scratch—but it could’ve been so much worse. I could’ve lost her, right then and there.

I pulled her closer, needing to feel her safe in my arms. My heart swelled with love for this incredible woman who’d turned my world and my convictions upside down.

She cuddled back into my arms, her head on my chest. “I’m okay. We’re okay,” she said.

I nodded and pulled her tighter. Right now, we were okay .

“What if he hired someone else?” Jemma’s voice was barely above a whisper, but I could hear the seriousness, a sign of her fear.

I shrugged, trying to appear confident despite her voicing a worry that had been gnawing at my insides for a while. Just because Zotov only knew of two teams my father had hired, didn’t mean there weren’t more. If only I were the target, I could take it, but not with my siblings’ safety on the line or Jemma’s.

“Hawk’s guys, my brothers, and I, we’re all trying everything we can to find out who my father talked to and if he might’ve hired someone else.” And until we found proof of that, all we could do was wait.

“I saw Zotov before our wedding.”

I tightened. Zotov. One more thorn in my side. He must have some kind of secret career as an escape artist, the way he Houdinied his way out of his lock-up. “Did he say anything?”

She shook her head. “He smiled and nodded at me once.”

I narrowed my brows. Smiled and nodded once? Not what I’d expected a Russian Bratva boss would do while escaping. None of Ivan Zotov’s actions were congruent with the type of person he should be.

Another thing added to the long list of nagging worries persisting in the back of my mind.

I released the tension in my body. All of those worries were things I would deal with as soon as the sun came up.

I ran my hand along Jemma’s arm, relishing the softness of her skin, anchoring myself in her presence. Because right now, I had only one priority .

Spending my wedding night making my wife feel as good as I possibly could and enjoying this comforting cocoon created around us—the smell of crisp, clean sheets mixed with her unique scent, and the warmth of her skin against mine.