Page 25 of Thorns of Love

She pushed herself off me and slid out of my arms. Then she discarded the coat onto the ground and stepped over it as she studied the room.

Her bare feet padded silently over the hardwood and onto the rug. Her sparkly red toenails caught light every so often as she moved across the floor as she moved around.

“Not our home,” she remarked, her eyes traveling over the large room. I had the rooms redone last year. My parents kept separate but adjoining bedrooms. I had no intention of keeping separate bedrooms with my wife.

“Our home,” I said.

Just the thought of her leaving had me turning into a fucking crazed beast. It was my fear that Tatiana would get so far under my skin that I’d become my father. I didn’t want that. It’d be a bad ending for both Tatiana and me. For our children. For our family.

My wife glanced over her shoulder playfully. “So everything you own, I own.” I nodded and her lips curved with that smile that promised trouble. “That’s good to know.”

Tatiana knew as well as anyone else in our world. Marriage was for life, hence no reason for a prenup. Besides, it wasn’t exactly as if she was penniless.

“Where is the closet?” she asked, then followed my eyes to the corner of the room. She padded to it and pushed the door open. “Oh, a walk-in closet. That’s good.” She strode in and I followed. “Kind of small,” she remarked.

“We can make it bigger.”

She met my gaze. “I was being sarcastic,” she teased softly. Fuck, I loved when she was soft. Pliant. I loved every single side of her. I had yet to find something I didn’t like about my wife. “Wow, I see you weren’t joking when you said you’ll have everything here.”

Her graceful fingers trailed over the clothes. Chanel. Burberry. Armani. Valentino. Hermès. Dior. Gucci. Prada. It should be all her favorite brands.

“I rarely joke around.”

“Yeah, you’re not exactly the comedic type.”

“Whatever is missing, you can order. The top drawer on your side has a black Amex with your name on it. And some cash.”

She slowly turned around, then casually leaned against the cabinet, resting her elbows on it.

“You know, I have my own money. And my own black Amex. All you have to do is give me my purse back.”

A sardonic feeling pulled on my chest. Any other woman would be falling to her knees and thanking me. Not Tatiana. She’d rather point out she had it all.

“From now on, you’ll use my money for your needs.”

Her fingers tapped lightly against the flat surface of the cabinet that her elbows rested on. Her French manicured nails clicked against the wood. The vein in her neck showed her pulse beating wildly. She held her mask in place, keeping her cool. But she was nervous.

I didn’t like it. I wanted her trust. Her love. Her devotion.

These feelings surrounding her were visceral. Carnal. A hunger that roared in my chest grew with each taste of her. Unknowingly, she fed my obsession.

“Or what? You’ll punish me?” Her voice was sultry. Slightly breathy. Sassy.

In three long strides, I closed the distance between us and scooped her up.

“Both of us know you get off on punishment,” I drawled as I carried her through the bedroom. Tatiana’s delicate fingers grabbed on to me, a knowing smile on her lips.

“And so do you,” she purred. “So why deprive us both of it?”

I entered the bathroom and kicked the door shut behind me. Tatiana’s eyes instantly hazed with lust and her cheeks flushed. The blue of her eyes was notably starker against the black marble of the bathroom.

“Let me down,” she demanded softly. Her lips were only a few inches away, tempting me. I wanted to draw a bath for her and then let her rest tonight. But her lips were impossible to resist. I took her mouth and her lips parted with a soft moan spilling from them. I lost all semblance of control.

I claimed her lips like it was the last thing I’d do before the world exploded. Her body molded against mine, her fingers pushing into my hair and her fingernails scraping against my scalp. Satisfaction ran hot through my blood.

And determination.

I’d make my wife love me. Then when she learned the truth, she wouldn’t leave me.