Page 13 of Ice & Steel

“Still asleep,” Olivia said.

“Well, get him too,” I said.

“Alright,” said Marco, skipping out into the hall. Ever the agreeable child.

The kitchen was silent as we listened to Marco pad upstairs and out of earshot. Olivia leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. I could see a little tilt of chagrin in the curve of her brows.

“What is it, Liv?”

She tilted her chin. “We didn’t finish our conversation last night.”

“We both finished, if I recall.”

“Lucien, not everything is about sex.”

I drew close to her, pressing her against the counter. Her lids flickered as I dragged my palm down her neck, gripping it gently.

“Do I need to put a meeting on your calendar so we can get through a conversation without you trying to put your cock in me?” she said quietly.

“We can talk well enough with my cock inside you.”

“And yet, it never happens.”

I bit back my words and bent, pressing my lips to her forehead. The heartbeat in her throat slowed beneath my fingers. Her muscles relaxed and I eased her against my chest, stroking her silky waves.

“Let’s go to the banquet, pay our dues,” I said. “Then we’ll stop by the office and we can talk. Just you and I. No sex.”

She slid her arms around my waist. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry we don’t have more time together,” I said, pulling back. “I’m doing my best, but sometimes it’s fucking hard.”

Marco walked around the corner just then and I winced, knowing he’d heard me. He paused, a twin balanced on each hip, and lifted his brow slowly. God, he looked so much like his mother when he did that.

“You said ‘fuck,’ dad,” he said.

“Marco!” Olivia gasped.

“He said it upstairs too,” Marco replied coolly.

“Snitches get stitches, son,” I said, taking the twins from him and setting them in their highchairs. “Watch your back.”

He stared at me, his gaze widening. Olivia shook her head and turned, but not before I saw her roll her eyes. Unbothered, I stared at her round ass, apparent beneath her robe. Tonight, when I got her alone, I was going to bend her over and remind her to keep her habit of rolling her eyes in check.

“Who’s staying with us while you go to the banquet?” Marco asked.

“Aunt Enza,” Olivia said. “She’ll be here any minute.”

His face brightened. “Can Uncle Cosimo stay with us too?”

“Absolutely not,” I said. “You only want him over because he shot off fireworks in the back yard last time. And I told you, none of that.”

He crossed his arms. “He does lots of fun stuff. He can juggle and fly a kite.”

“Oh, can he?” I said absently.

Hugo popped up behind Marco, narrowing his hazel eyes on me. He had chestnut hair that stuck straight up from his head. In the summertime, Olivia shaved it off to make it more manageable. “Yeah, dad, juggle for us,” he said. “Cosimo can do these cool hand tricks where he makes a ball swirl all around his fingers.”

“I can do all kinds of tricks,” I said. “Ask your mother.”