Page 15

J esus fucking Christ.

This woman was trying to kill me. For days, I stayed away from her. Determined to give my wife some space so she wouldn’t think me an animal.

I never got like this. I didn’t know what was fucking wrong with me. My dick thumped behind my zipper, but I made no move to adjust myself.

The elevator was close quarters as it was. So close, I left my men downstairs, so they weren’t in here with us.

I didn’t want to share the space with them. Not when Michaela was occupying it with me.

Didn’t want them to smell her lilacs. Those were mine. And I never was a good sharer.

Fuck.

She smelled so good. Looked even better.

Gorgeous.

When we were married and she wore an ivory dress, I thought it was just for our wedding.

But no, my Pretty Baby seemed to just like the color.

She decked out from head to ankle in an ivory suit that should have looked professional. It was demure and concealing, for sure.

But instead of turning me off, it only brought to mind the wildcat I knew she was in bed.

I knew all the delicious peaks and valleys that made up her soft, sumptuous body. All the secrets her expensive suit concealed.

She looked stylish. Smart.

I said ankle before because her feet were concealed in bright red leather boots that matched the bag she was holding.

“Do you have an idea what you’re gonna say to your father?” I asked.

“Well, since you’re coming with, I guess we should tell him about the marriage,” she murmured, blushing prettily.

“Of course. What about your job?”

“Uh, I’m not sure. I mean, I was going to start with that and maybe ease into the wedding. What do you think?” she asked, and her warm dark eyes lifted to mine.

I think you are so damn pretty.

I think I’m a fool for staying away.

“I think that sounds good.”

I glanced down at my empty hands and moved to take her bag. My wife wasn’t going to schlep that around with me here to do it for her.

She gave it with a whispered “thanks” and I grinned.

I knew her family. Knew what the men were like, and I imagined she was used to behavior like that.

I didn’t mind. In fact, having worked for her father, I was pleased I had so many of the same values.

We were a good match. But maybe I was a coward for staying away the last few days.

Michaela might not need a man to hold things for her, like her bag or the door, but I would always do that if I were around.

It was just who I was. So, as the elevator door opened with a pinging sound, I gestured for her to go first, then I watched her walk in front of me, my eyes glued to her ass, and I bit my own fist to stop myself from groaning aloud.

One of my men dipped his head, following my line of vision, and I moved fast, slamming my fist into his gut.

“What happened?” Michaela spun around eyes wide, but I didn’t answer her.

I was busy leaning over, whispering exactly what I was going to do to the motherfucker if I caught him anywhere near me or my wife again.

I stood up, my gaze landed on my head of security, Angus, who merely raised his eyebrow and dipped his chin.

He knew this joker was done, and I knew the rest of my guys would tell the tale to everyone in my organization.

That was good.

I was feeling a little proprietary. Even if this marriage was mostly a business deal, that didn’t give anyone the right to take a gander at what was mine.

And Michaela was mine.

“Let’s go,” I said to my wife, grabbing her elbow and opening the car door for her.

She blinked her dark eyes at me, bit her bottom lip, and climbed into the seat, scooting over for me.

“Good girl,” I murmured, and got in after her.

“Um, maybe an explanation is in order?”

Michaela turned towards me, and it sounded like there was a question mark hanging on the end.

“An explanation?

“Yeah. For the punch you threw at one of your security detail,” she said, like I was an idiot.

“Oh, that,” I said, leaning over to grab her seatbelt. “Safety first,” I remarked, getting a good look at her for the first time in daylight.

The late November sunlight filtered in through the tinted windows and I was struck by how damn pretty she was.

I’d seen plenty of beautiful women in my day, but Michaela was something else.

“I can do it,” she said, meaning the seatbelt, but I didn’t let go.

“Liam,” she huffed, giving in to my desire to click that buckle in place. “Explain what that was about.”

“It was nothing, Sweetheart. He was just looking where he shouldn’t.”

“Be serious,” she said, rolling her eyes.

I didn’t know what she meant by that, so I shut up and just stared at her.

She had this look like she thought I was kidding. Rolling her midnight eyes, it was almost like she didn’t believe anyone would find anything interesting about her appearance.

Now, I’d had a background check done on my wife the second Maggie had brought the whole idea of marrying her to me. It took a few days for it to be completed, but I had it now. From what I read, she’d had a few boyfriends though nothing too long or too serious.

Which was kind of a shame because that meant there was no one for me to kill. I wasn’t ruling it out, though.

She was well traveled and versed in business and arts. Nothing I didn’t already know.

But what the report didn’t say was the spoiled brat I was expecting was anything but.

She didn’t act like a snotty little rich girl.

In fact, she was more the brutal honesty or nothing type. And that was intriguing.

She had secrets, my wife, and I found myself curious.

There was a certain sadness about her, too.

Like a lack of expectation.

The kind of thing someone developed when they were used to being overlooked, and I couldn’t understand that.

How could a Volkov princess not get enough attention at home?

The woman was smart.

Really smart.

Had the degrees to prove it. But her thinking she wasn’t worth looking at was just dumb. And I couldn’t for the life of me fathom what her reasoning would be.

I knew she saw her reflection in the mirror. I walked in on her, doing her face up, of which she applied very little makeup, and I found that so damn sexy.

Michaela had her own style, and she obviously had good taste.

Hell.

She was stunning.

We rode together in silence, and I observed slight changes in her demeanor as we neared Volkov Towers.

The driver stopped inside the underground parking facility reserved for employees and exited the SUV, waiting for my signal before he opened the door.

Behind us was another black SUV outfitted with the rest of my security team, sans the asshole I punched.

It seemed excessive, but my recent return from Asia was not without threats. There was danger everywhere in the kind of global business I was involved in.

More so than when I was a kid running guns for my father’s criminal organization.

Ain’t that a kicker?

Michaela inhaled a breath and nodded to herself. I frowned. It was like she was bracing herself for something, and I wanted to slap myself in the head.

Of course, she was nervous.

We were about to drop a huge bomb on her father, for fuck’s sake. She probably needed some assurance, so I gripped her elbow and pulled, waiting for those midnight eyes to flash up at me.

“Hey, we’re going in there together as a team, understand? You’re not alone, Michaela.”

I watched her visibly relax and was stunned by the small smile she offered me. My heart thudded beneath my ribs, and it felt like my temperature rose ten degrees.

“Thank you, Liam. That means a lot.”

Was that what it felt like to offer comfort to someone? To care about something other than myself?

How had I lived so damn long without experiencing something like that?

“Anytime,” I replied, shocked by how much I meant it.

She tucked a strand of hair that had escaped the bit of silk wrapped elastic holding it in place behind her ear. That tiny smile was still visible on her pretty mouth.

I couldn’t help myself, I cupped the back of her neck and turned her towards me, slamming my mouth to hers.

Fuck. Me.

I should have been ready for it. For the insurmountable tide of desire that swept through me the second I touched her.

She smells of lilacs. And tastes of home.

I wanted to deepen the kiss. But I forced myself to let her go.

I’d been stupid to stay away for the past week. Thinking space would quench some of the yearning I felt towards my own wife was a mistake.

I should have known better.

It was like being on a diet then being locked up with your favorite indulgence. Was I expected to resist? How?

I was only fucking human, and more so where she was concerned. Her eyes remained closed for another beat, and I took the opportunity to drop one more close-mouthed kiss on her lips.

“You ready?”

“Yeah. I’m ready,” she whispered and squeezed my hand where it was still cupping her neck.

I didn’t even realize I was still holding her. I forced my fingers to relax and turned to nod at my driver. He opened the door and out I stepped.

I turned back towards Michaela, pleased to see she was already sliding across the bench to get out on my side.

I hummed my approval, offering her my hand, which she took. Then I took her red bag from her other hand, and walked towards the private elevator that would bring us right to Adrik Volkov’s floor.

The security guard looked up, his eyes widened when he saw me with Michaela but he was professional enough not to say anything.

“Visiting your father, Miss Volkov?” he said, speaking directly to my wife and annoying the shit out of me.

I wanted to correct him. To tell him her name was O’Doyle, but I wasn’t exactly sure that was true.

Shit.

Had I neglected to see to that?

I gritted my teeth, realizing my fuckups as a husband went beyond ignoring my new wife in my efforts to deny my growing obsession with her.

But I would fix it.

I would fix everything.

As much as I wanted ODI to succeed, I was starting to think it wasn’t the only thing I needed or wanted in my life.

Starting today.