Page 140 of Joey

She bites her lip and those amber flecks in her dark brown eyes sparkle with mischief and joy. “I’ll try my best, but I’m sure you can remind me if I forget.”

“I will, baby. Every single fucking day for the rest of my life.”

Epilogue

JOEY—FIVE MONTHS LATER

“You need anything, Mrs. DiMarco?” Ace asks as we walk into my office alongside two of his colleagues, Ash and Romeo. I have four armed guards with me wherever I go these days. Unless I’m with Max, of course.

“No thanks. I’m good.”

“I’ll be outside then.” He gives me a polite nod and walks out of the room to stand guard in the hallway with his buddy, Jenson. Ash and Romeo take their usual seats. They’ve perfected the art of being in the room but not disturbing me, and half the time I forget they’re even here.

Leaning back in my chair, I look around the space and can’t help but smile with pride. Since Dante and Lorenzo gave me the casino to run four months ago, I’ve doubled our profits, and we’re currently in negotiations to open a new one in Atlantic City.

My office.I will never tire of saying those words. It took a lot of convincing for Max and my brothers to allow me to make my base here, but it makes good business sense. I don’t live at the mansion any longer, and Max and I obviously don’t want to conduct business at our penthouse, so I needed a space of my own. The corner office suite at our newest hotel casino was the perfect solution.

I chose all the furniture and the single piece of art on the wall. It’s an erotic yet tasteful original by a young up-and-coming local artist. The whole room is all me and I love it.

I feel Maxwalk into the room before I look up and see him. My breath catches in my throat. The sight of him will never ever not give me butterflies in my stomach and an ache between my thighs. Especially when he’s wearing one of those finely tailored suits that hugs his body like it was painted on him.

“Can you give us the room?” he says to Ash and my newest guard, Romeo.

The two men nod and leave the room, closing the door behind them.

Oh, shit!I’m in so much trouble. I roll my chair back as he steps toward my desk, his dark eyes burning into mine as that thick vein bulges in his neck.

“Did you forget something today, baby girl?” he asks, his cool tone disguising the anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

“I’m sorry. I was busy—”

“You think being busy is an excuse to make me worry about you? Wondering if you’re okay?”

The ensuing eye roll is more out of habit more than anything else. Dammit!

“I know you did not just roll your fucking eyes at me, Joey.”

“Well, I know you always know where I am, Max. I have no doubt you would’ve called Ash when I didn’t check in. He would’ve told you that I’m fine,” I insist. There’s no chance in hell that Max didn’t make sure I was okay after I forgot to check in with him after my meeting with the Strauss brothers today.

He plants his hands on my desk, leaning his face close to mine. Damn, he smells so good I want to jump his bones. “That is not the fucking point. You want to do this, then you follow the fucking rules.”

“Your rules?” I arch an eyebrow at him.

He stands straight, running a hand over his beard and dragging his tongue over his bottom lip. Without another word, he shrugs out of his jacket.

“I’m sorry,” I say, even as warmth builds in my core.

“Now that would’ve been the appropriate thing to say when I first walked in here, wouldn’t it?” I bite my lip as I watch him roll up his shirt sleeves. My pussy quivers with anticipation. “Notafterthe eye roll and the snark?”

“Yes,” I whisper.

He goes on glaring at me, making heat sear through my core. When he’s finished rolling up his sleeves, he unbuckles his belt and slides it off slowly. My legs tremble while my pussy clenches with need. He’s so skilled at building tension and anticipation. I’m going to be dripping wet for him before he even touches me, and he knows it.

“What do you think the appropriate punishment for making your husband worry like that should be, baby girl?”

I press my lips together and look toward the ceiling, pretending to be deep in thought. “Three orgasms and a cinnamon roll from the bakery in the lobby?”

He narrows his dark brown eyes at me. “You really are bringing the spoiled brat out to play today, huh?” He palms the buckle and wraps the belt around his hand. Holy shit. He’s going to spank me hard enough that the guards outside will hear, and he won’t give a single fuck. In fact, he’ll make it his mission to make me scream. Not that I’m overly concerned about that. I actually kinda like when people hear us fuck. I adore this man and I want the entire world to know it.