Page 105 of Thorns of Death

She sighed, but her eyes glimmered with that mischief that I saw the first night when she blew me a kiss.

“I guess I’ll just have to call you Daddy.”

A strangled laugh escaped me, tension slowly draining out of me. Instead of feeling relief, though, I got rock hard. Clearly my dick loved it when she called me daddy. Good Lord.

“I like that,dolcezza. I like it very much.”

She sat straighter and leaned over, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “I guess we’ll have to show them all not to fuck with us, huh?”

My lips pulled into a grin. “That’s right. Nobody fucks with us. Especially not with my queen.”

THIRTY-SIX

ISLA

Imulled over all the information Enrico shared for the rest of the ride.

Admittedly, I hadn’t expected such an explanation. Not sure what I expected, but this wasn’t it.

“How old are you?” I blurted out. If he wasn’t his older brother, he was younger.

“Forty-three.”

“Oh.”

Enrico let out an amused breath. “Yes, I’m still much older than you.” I nodded in agreement. He wasn’t quite double my age, so I guess it was an improvement. His hand landed on my inner thigh, squeezing lightly. “I’m still your husband when your cunt strangles my dick. When your ass rubs against my cock, inviting me inside even though you refuse to say the words.”

My cheeks reddened at the explicit images those words painted in my head. Gosh, this chemistry between us sizzled and buzzed with a current so strong, the small spark threatened to explode.

I caught his hand that was inching closer to my hot entrance. Even through my jeans, his touch burned. I caught it, tangling my fingers with his strong ones.

“Thank you for telling me.” Surprise flashed in his eyes. “It’s not insignificant, and your willingness to share it means everything. Not to be left in the dark and be blindsided.” My shoulders tensed and I swallowed. “Like learning that my brother killed my mother.”

His surprise changed into guilt. After all, it was Enrico who dragged those words out into the open.

“That wasn’t the right way for you to find out.” Leaving our fingers interlaced, he shifted my arm onto his muscular thigh and kept it there.

“You’re right,” I agreed. “My brother should have told me himself one of the million times I asked him.” Enrico’s jaw tightened. “I know he’s not bad or cruel… so why would he do it?” A vein in my husband’s neck throbbed. “Do you know?”

He flicked a look my way. “I don’t,piccolina. But I agree with you. Konstantin isn’t unnecessarily cruel.”

We came to a stop, and I realized we were back at the hotel. Swiftly, he jumped out of the car and came around to open my door, beating the valet to it. The valet who ogled me as if I were naked.

Enrico threw him the keys. “I got my wife. You park the car.”

Surprise flickered on the valet’s face. It was the first time he glanced my husband’s way and he reeled back, seeing his dark expression. “Yes, sir.”

The valet didn’t spare me another look.

I slipped my hand into Enrico’s—for the third time today—and relished in the simple act. It felt natural, almost as if we’d been doing it for years.

We entered the hotel when a voice called out to Enrico.

Both of us turned our heads as one to find a tall man standing there. A good-looking, fifty-something-year-old man.

“Ah, Cortes. Thank you for coming.”

The man approached us. His silver-gray beard had Athena’s soprano voice singing the words, “Look at this foxy, foxy, silver fox daddy go,” in my head.