Page 27 of Heartless Sinner

I’d known that sex with her would be spectacular—but I still hadn’t been prepared. That was the hottest goddamn sex I’d ever had. She was so inherently sensual, so good for me, responding beautifully to everything I did to her body. And she’d been just as dirty as I’d hoped. I was going to have so much fun with her, unlocking all the ways I could make her moan and scream, teaching her all the ways I could bring her to ecstasy, over and over, until she was practically begging me to give her a reprieve.

Maybe the best part, though, was right now. Right here, as I kissed her, and felt the soft, sated weight of her body against mine as I soaked in her warm, smooth skin and the slow, lazy slide of our lips and tongues.

I’d had my fair share of hook-ups. Nothing serious, and I’d certainly never taken the time after fucking a woman to do . . . this. To simply enjoy kissing my partner, to run my hands over her curves for the simple pleasure of it. It would’ve given my previous flings the wrong idea, I’d figured, if I’d gotten too close and intimate with them.

But Marla was going to be my wife. The woman I’d spend the rest of my life with. I could be as affectionate with her as I wanted. One of the few people I would ever be benevolent with.

Her soft kitten sounds she made as we kissed, our bodies sliding together, was intoxicating, but it was the contentment that got to me. I had a suspicion that Marla didn’t often allow herself to be complacent, but right now she’d dropped her guard with me, even if it was only temporary.

At last I pulled back, admiring her swollen, kiss-bitten lips and her glazed, shining blue eyes. With her dark hair spread out all around her and her skin flushed, she looked nothing short of divine. Fuck. If I was twenty again I’d be hard and ready for round two.

But I wasn’t twenty anymore, and duty did call. I reluctantly got up and held out my hand to her. “C’mere, sweetheart.”

Marla gave me a suspicious look that told me I’d better not be trying anything funny, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread over my face. Getting this stubborn, proud woman to follow my lead and trust me was definitely going to take time, and I relished the project.

She eventually took my hand and I led her to the shower, turning the water on nice and hot.

“Oh, God yes,” Marla said, stepping in. She gave a soft moan as the hot spray hit her body, and despite my exhaustion after that orgasm, arousal spiraled through me anyway, making my dick twitch with lust.

But it was already getting to be later in the day and I didn’t have time to just indulge. There was far too much at stake right now and I couldn’t afford to fall further behind. This person causing trouble, whoever they were, had a head start on us. And I needed to close that gap any way I could.

I stepped under the showerhead behind her, sliding my hands over her skin to feel the heat and texture of it with the water. With my palm splayed on her stomach, I guided her to lean back against me, the two of us just standing under the spray, soaking it all in.

After a moment, I felt her relax, gradually letting down those emotional walls and trusting me. “Good girl,” I murmured, almost without thinking.

Marla shivered, but just put more of her weight on me in response. Yes. She responded well to praise, and I loved learning those little nuances about her.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” I murmured, reaching for the shampoo. I’d never really been able to do this—again, it would give my flings the wrong impression—but I’d always enjoyed the idea of washing my girl’s hair, giving her a massage, and tending to her needs in these quiet, private intimate moments, so that she felt cared for, never wanting for anything.

I worked the shampoo gently into her hair as Marla made a noise of surprise, then a soft, almost-moan as she closed her eyes and tipped her head back into my fingers. “Good girl,” I murmured again, and she shivered once more.

Yeah, I could definitely get used to this.

We didn’t really talk as I gently massaged her scalp and washed her hair, but we didn’t need to. It felt comfortable between us, nothing awkward. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been able to just sit in silence with a person, to enjoy their company and not feel the need to fill the air with inconsequential conversation.

When I finished with her hair, the soft, silky strands falling between my fingers, Marla grabbed the soap and turned around. I grinned in surprise, watching as she lathered up her hands and slowly ran them over my body, cleaning me up in return. Her smirk was sassy but also… soft. I felt like I was getting to see a side of her that most people didn’t.

“What’s the plan for the day?” she asked. Her eyes were on my chest, not like she was ogling me, but as though she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to ask me the question.

I took her chin in my fingers and lifted it up. “This is going to be a partnership. I don’t want a wife who’ll just warm my bed and look good on my arm at parties. I want you to give me your opinions.”

Marla looked like she wasn’t quite sure that she believed me, but she nodded. “I’ll need to see my mother. She’ll be panicking about all of this. We’re lower level, our family, we’re not used to… this kind of thing. Or at least, she’s not.”

I rinsed off and then shut off the water. “I need to launch a proper investigation into your brother’s murder, and the attempt on your father’s life. Discreetly, of course. Toby will be with me but I’ll appoint a bodyguard for you.”

Marla bristled a little, even as she took the towel that I passed her as I stepped out of the shower stall. “I’m not used to going everywhere with a bodyguard. I’ll be fine on my own. I’m a big girl. I can tie my own shoes and everything.”

I chuckled at her snarky tone but then shook my head. “You’re not a lower-level woman anymore, Marla. You’re not part of a small family paying tribute to a bigger one. You’re a Russo woman now, my woman, and you’re going to be protected accordingly.”

Marla blinked in surprise at me, and to my shock, she blushed a little. “Sorry, I’m just… still getting used to that, I guess.”

I wasn’t sure if she was referring to my claim on her as my woman, or that she’d now have her own security team, but went with the latter. “It’ll take time. I just want you to be safe wherever you go. You could be a target now. Someone is clearly after your family which puts you doubly in danger.”

She nodded in understanding. “When will we announce the marriage?”

“Not until I have a better handle on what’s going on here,” I said, rubbing the towel over my damp chest before securing it around my waist. “For now most people will assume, if they figure out I’m investigating, that I’m doing it because your family pays tribute to mine. Simple food chain, protect your assets.”

Marla dried her hair and I couldn’t resist a long, slow look at her body in the bathroom light, flushed from the water and glowing, fully bare before me. She was so fucking gorgeous. I had truly lucked out. I couldn’t wait to know every inch of that body as intimately as I knew my own.

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