Page 29 of Honor and Claim (A New Reign #2)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

COSIMA

I make Z mingle with everyone to put them at ease a bit. He’s always appeared to be the more laid-back one, but now everyone is leery of him. I mean, they should be, but it was more a warning shot to the other families. Don’t fuck with us and get out of line, and we won’t fuck with you.

It doesn’t take long with my dazzling charm and Z relaxing to get the temperature of the room to come back down. Even War is being extra chatty. It’s still crazy to me how much his demeanor has changed since he and Tova tied the knot. Then there is Ronan who remains as stoic as ever.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I ask Tova.

“I bet my life I am not thinking what anyone else in this room is thinking.” Yeah, she’s still reeling from that whole scene. “Dinner and a show.” She shakes her head, and then a giggle bubbles out of her. “All right, what are you thinking?”

“That we need to read all the tea Z has on everyone. I bet it’s so juicy.”

“I don’t know if I can handle any more tonight.”

“All right,” I sigh. “Maybe next weekend. We can do a girls’ night.”

“Right,” she snorts a laugh. I bump my shoulder with hers.

“Look at us two married broads and knocked up too. Not to mention my dress. It’s killer.”

“Not as killer as your hands,” Tova deadpans.

I spread my fingers out. “These hands are deadly.” I wiggle my fingers. I still can’t believe all that went down. It was all very Z, though. The man is sneaky and plots further ahead than any of us can imagine. I think his hands are actually the most deadly in the room if you're going off tonight.

“Are you ready to get out of here?” Z comes up behind me, wrapping one arm around my stomach, the other over my chest. I grip his forearm, dropping my head all the way back to stare up at him.

“If you are.” I lick my lips. I don’t think the scene that played out in front of me tonight should be a turn-on, but God knows I can’t control what turns my vagina on these days.

“More than ready.” He spins me around in his arms, taking my mouth in a kiss. This one is different from all of our others. I can’t even explain it. It’s possessive but also freeing.

It’s the first time that everything is out in the open to everyone when it comes to our relationship. We no longer have to hide. We can finally show our love for one another openly.

“Take me home.” Z wastes no time, lifting me into his arms and heading toward the doorway. We don’t even bother saying goodbye. I merely wave over his shoulder at Warren and Tova as I’m carted away.

I expect to see the car we came in waiting for us when we exit the restaurant, but it’s nowhere in sight. What the heck?

“Did you call for the car?” I ask Z, who begins placing me down on my feet.

“We’re not taking the car.” Confused, I follow his line of sight. That’s when I see his motorcycle. Holy crap. I’ve dreamt of Z taking me out on his bike so many times. Fantasized about it actually.

Z grabs my hand, leading me over to it. I can’t help but reach out and run my fingers along it. Excitement courses through my veins. “Ready for a little adventure?” I bounce on my heels, extra excited.

“No. I’m ready to finally start our lives together.” I know Z was probably waiting for me to say something sarcastic or smartass, so I don’t let him down. “You’re buying me a new dress and shoes if these get ruined.”

“I’ll be ruining that dress by the end of the night.” He grabs one of the helmets left on the seat, putting it onto my head before holding up a leather coat for me to put on too. The man really has planned this night out, and there is nothing sexier than a man with a plan.

Z puts his helmet on before throwing his leg over the bike and sitting down. He offers me his hand, helping me on. I wrap myself around him as he fires the thing up and takes off.

I keep a tight hold on him as he moves through the city, and to my surprise, it’s not in the direction of the family farm. When he pulls into an underground parking lot, I know we're at his place in the city. I suppose if we're married, it's now mine too.

Up ahead, I see a giant door slide open, and Z drives right in, with it closing behind us. Half a second later, I feel it start to move. It's a freaking elevator for a vehicle. Z turns off the crotch rocket and removes his helmet.

"I know you've been wondering about this place," Z says after helping me off the bike along with my helmet.

"A little." I shrug, both of us knowing I'm full of crap. I hated this place when I knew Z would come here and not stay at the farm. In my mind, it was a bachelor pad. I don't think that at all anymore, but I still want to see it.

I love the family farm. We all grew up there, but I also love the city.

"Well, feel free to change anything, or we can find a new place." The door slides open to enter right into the penthouse.

"Holy Batman." I gasp. "That is totally cool.

" I step inside to the open floor plan. My eyes go straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows that line the entire wall of the living room, which leads into the dining area and kitchen.

I love how it all flows. "Is that a balcony?

" I ask. I bet you can see the whole city from up here.

"One of them."

"One!" I squeak.

“There is a roof with a big patio and garden area. I might have a pool up there too.” He takes my hand, leading me up to show me. Then he brings me back down, showing me the rest of the place. At every turn or new area, I’m more shocked.

I can tell from all the details that this place isn’t a bachelor pad on any level. It was never close to that. From the start, he built it with us living here as a couple in mind. It shouldn’t surprise me that Z carefully planned our lives out in advance.

“Don’t cry.” He cups my cheeks.

“I’m not crying; sometimes a girl gets overwhelmed.” I sniff.

“That’s good because I still have one more thing to show you.

” I can tell from his smirk that whatever it is, it’s the grand finale.

How, I’m not sure, because the closet in the master is a studio all on its own with custom cabinets for my clothes, display areas for my shoes, and a glam area.

There was even a freaking stage surrounded by mirrors for me to see myself from every angle!

He leads me to a wall that has a thin but long accent table against it. "It could potentially be used for a piece of art," I tell him, making him chuckle.

"I'm sure you can find us one, but you'll have to cut it in half."

"What?" I ask with a laugh.

Z puts his hand under the table. "Your finger goes here.

" He guides me to it, and I feel something smooth and cool.

"Press it firmly on there." I do as he instructs, jumping back when the table starts to move, splitting in half, along with the wall, to reveal, well, another wall.

Only this one is concrete with a screen in the center.

"Stand here." He moves me over so that my face is right in front of it. The screen is coming to life. My face appears on it, and I watch as it scans my features before the wall once again moves.

"This really is Batman style, but not in the basement or in a cave."

"My wife would hate that. Would think bugs could get in."

"Ahh!" I laugh because he is not wrong. I can stare down a man with a gun, but a spider and I'm out. It's every man and woman for themselves.

I’m so overwhelmed at the sight in front of me I press my hands to my cheeks, in a very Tova fashion.

“Do you control the world from in here?”

“Mostly yours.” I elbow him. He grunts, making a show like I could actually hurt him. “Come on.” His hand goes to my back, guiding me into the giant room.

“How did you do this?” I ask. It’s not the giant display of computer screens that takes up one area, like a command center, that I’m talking about. Or even the area next to it with a pearly white desk that’s decorated in my style, like in my bedroom.

No, it’s all the small knick-knacks that are the same as the ones I’d bought over the past few weeks to decorate his desk he has placed here.

“You bought everything online.”

“Do you track everything I do?”

“Yes.” I roll my eyes at him, even though it doesn’t shock me in the least. It would have pissed me off in the past, thinking he was trying to control me, but now I find it really hot.

“Hey!” I point to one of the screens. “Is that like tracking me?”

“Of course.” He scoffs like my question is a stupid one. Okay, it might be.

“You have me lojacked?”

“Yes.” I turn my head, hiding my smirk.

“No hiding, I already know it turns you on. You’d be pissed if you found out I wasn’t tracking you.”

“Maybe.” I roll my eyes again, making him laugh.

“Brat.”

“Jerk!”

He kisses me until I’m breathless.

“This place is pretty badass,” I tell him. His hand slips under my dress to my ass, giving it a squeeze. “Bet Marks would love it.”

“Sure she has her own setup.”

“I don’t know. She travels.”

“It can be safer to move around for her.”

“Really?” I scrunch my nose. “Why? You don’t move around.”

“We don’t really engage in the same shit. Marks can be…” He trails off.

“What?”

“Trying to think of the right word. A little Robin Hood at times. Petty?”

“A petty Robin Hood!” I laugh hard. “Oh, that’s amazing.” I can totally see her being that. Now that’s something to aspire to.

“Bold, highlight, and underline the petty part, and people are really keen when you not only steal from them or out from under them and let it be known it was you but also blast them to others.”

“Okay, it’s not so funny now.” I say now that I’m really thinking about it. “I haven’t heard from her in a few days, and before that she’s been flighty.” I stare up at Z, worry filling me that something has happened to Marks.

“Sweetness, you just have to ask what you want to know or have me find.”

“Can you just tell me she’s okay? That would make me feel better.”

“All right, let’s have a look.” Z steps over to his computer, sitting down in his chair. I grab mine, rolling it over.

“Wait, I’m not ready.” I rush back over to my desk. Damn, he really did make sure he got everything. I find my faux glasses and put them on before rushing back over. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

“Perfect.” He kisses my cheek. “You look the part and everything.” I nod because, obviously. Z clicks away at his computer. I’ve got no clue what the hell he is doing. “Come here.” He lifts me, sitting me in his lap, my back to his chest. “I shouldn’t have gotten you a chair.”

“Anything?” I ask after a few seconds.

“Hang on.” I peek over my shoulder at him. His brows are pulled together.

“Z?” I don’t care for that expression.

“I can’t find anything at the moment.”

“Z?” I whisper, a knot forming in my stomach.

“It could be nothing. I’ll have to keep checking, but it’s not abnormal not to be able to find her. She could be dark right now.”

“Dark?”

“Just all the way off the grid. I’m sure she does that whenever she goes home or wants to lay low. But I’ll ding her.”

“Ding her?” I know he doesn’t mean a text.

“I’m making it clear I’m trying to find her, and I’m not doing it subtly, so she’ll know that. Which in turn she’ll know I need to talk to her.”

“Because if you were trying to be sneaky, she wouldn’t know?”

“Yeah, for now.” He shakes his head.

“For now?”

“I’d be ignorant not to think Marks has the potential, drive, and?—"

“Pettiness.” I slip in.

“Pettiness, to not be better than me one day.” He shakes his head, a smirk on his lips. I turn in his lap to straddle him.

“A lot of men would be annoyed that a girl beat them, but not you.”

“My whole world centers around you, Cosima. I know and understand the power a woman can possess. Wars are created and fought over them. I’d lay down my life for my family, but I'd burn down this whole world before I ever gave you yours.”

“How do I even respond to that!” I blink, trying to not cry again.

“You don’t. You just let me have you.”

“I can maybe do that.” I shrug one shoulder. “But I do like a good chase every now and then.”

“And I do love pretending to let you run.”

“Hey!”

“Come here.” He grips the back of my neck, his hold possessive. My favorite kind.

“I am here,” I say against his lips.

“Tell me you love me.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“You better.” I nip his bottom lip.

“Watch it,” he warns. I shift in his lap, my sex rubbing against his cock.

“Or what?” I sink my teeth into his lip, making him groan.

“You need me to make you sweet again?” I nod, my body heating. How does he always know what I need? I think even before I do. I let my heels fall off my feet. Z releases his hold on me, lifting his brows in a silent challenge or maybe it’s more of a head start. “Run.”

“Ah!” I spring up from his lap, taking off on a dead run. It’s not long before I hear him behind me. “Yeah, head start,” I shout, but it’s too late, I’m scooped up into his arms, where I have always belonged.

“I’ll never play fair when it comes to you.” Good, I wouldn't want it any other way.

We play to win, no matter the cost.