Page 70 of Depraved

I take my time placing the diamonds around her wrists, bringing each to my lips and pressing a kiss on her skin as I fasten them. When I finish, she gives them a little shake and smiles.

“They’re beautiful. Thank you.” She beams.

She’s fucking perfection.

I reach out and grab her waist, pulling her flush to my body, and lean down to brush our lips together.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “Good luck getting away now.”

“Good luck getting rid of me.” She smiles back.

“Turn around.”

She does as she’s told, and I pull the piece from its place on the velvet inside the box, lifting my arms around and placing the cold choker against her skin. She pulls in a breath, and I give a small laugh.

Sarah brushes her hair over her shoulder, and I fasten the piece, locking it in place. She can remove it herself, but it’s designed to need assistance.

I feather kisses over her neck, hearing her moan as my hands roam her body.

“You look good as mine.”

She turns around and levels a look at me. “Where’s your choker?”

I laugh loudly, and she squeals as I pick her up by the waist, bringing her to eye level. “Billy, I think everyone knows who the fuck I belong to, and since women tend to be smarter than men…it won’t be an issue. Nobody’s trying to be on the other end of your temper.”

She shrugs as I lower her down slowly, her hands wrapping around the back of my neck. I let her drift down my body, and she plants kisses on my face as I do. Setting her to her feet, I squeeze her ass and smirk. “Let’s get you to work and show you off.”

The moment we walk into Church, eyes dart to her neck left and right. But Sarah doesn’t fidget or seem concerned. She’s undeniably comfortable with the meaning, the vow that’s been said between us.

And I’m in awe of her. This girl was meant for this. Meant for me. I don’t know what that says about how I feel, but I’m past the point of falling. I’ve fallen.

We walk into the main room from the entry, and I see Matteo sitting at the bar. Pulling her to a stop, I lean down and kiss her cheek. “Go work, I’ll be at the bar with Matteo. I have to speak with him.”

She gives me a nod and starts toward her office, looking back over her shoulder.

“Don’t miss me too much.” She winks.

I smile and make my way over to the large mahogany bar. The bartender notices me and begins to make his way over.

“Hey,” I greet, taking a stool next to Matteo.

“Hey?” he questions. “That’s what you’re starting with?”

The shit-eating grin across his face is almost too much to look at as he swigs his drink. He and I share this lifestyle in common. Not the one we’re born into, rather the one we’re sitting in. So I know he gets exactly what the shiny new additions on Sarah mean.

“Whiskey,” I say to the bartender and face Matteo. “Hey is a typical greeting. I don’t know what the fuck you’re looking for…Merry Christmas?” I laugh, pulling my cigar case out from the inside of my suit jacket.

“No way. Come on. That’s a lot of shine on your girl’s neck. And it looks suspiciously like something some people use to claim a person they want to keep. Tell me I’m fucking wrong,” he says, his face lighting up with a challenge. “You can’t because I’m not fucking wrong.”

Matteo takes too many allowances with me, but he gets away with it because I can’t help but love the dipshit. And he’s not wrong.

“I’m not telling you anything, prick. But yeah, she’s mine. And yeah, I’m fucking keeping her for as long as she’ll stay.” I pick up my drink from where it’s been placed in front of me.

“Well, goddamn,” he replies, holding up his glass and clinking it against mine.

I open my cigar case and pull one out, running it past my nose and inhaling the scent of tobacco. I place it between my lips. I fucking love the taste of these things.

There’s a no-smoking rule here, but none of those apply to me. Matteo twists, angling his body toward mine.