Page 63 of Barristers & Bones

Ivan winced. “And she’s a Spade. Good luck with her.”

Drakos rubbed his hands together. “I know. She’s fucking perfect, isn’t she? My sources tell me Lionel didn’t have his daddy’s permission to try and take Luna yesterday.”

I shook my head. “The police caught his accomplice, but Lionel is still at large. Lionel’s a fucking idiot, so I’m sure he’s getting help.”

Ivan leaned forward. “If the drug syndicate thinks the Stracks could mess with their business by going after your wife, they may take them out for us.”

My head came up when I heard the shower in my bedroom turn on. “Luna’s awake. I’ve got to go. Let me know if you hear anything about Lionel.”

I hung up and went to the kitchen to make some food. A few minutes later, Luna walked in, dressed in a black robe and no bra. I tried not to stare at her unfettered breasts and creamy skin under the silk. She looked a little less pale, and the bruise on her jaw wasn’t quite as vivid in the evening light.

“How’re you feeling? Do you need more pain medication?”

She looked around the kitchen. “No. Can I have some water?”

I got her a glass and set it on the kitchen table. “Sit. Let me feed you.”

Luna was too quiet. She probably struggled trying to dress, but didn’t want to admit she needed help. Usually by now, she would have commented on a dozen things that caught her eye as she wandered around my house in curiosity. Her silence concerned me.

I set two plates of pasta down and ate while she pushed her food around. Luna finally sat back and sighed. “This is… I should be raging at you for what you did. But my body still hurts and I just feel numb.”

Setting my fork down, I studied her. “We can skip the yelling and raging, I don’t mind. How about this? For the next two days, I’ll take care of you, and you work on healing. After that, you can yell all you want. You need a quiet place to rest and recuperate.”

Her intelligent green eyes probed me carefully, but I kept my face neutral. She sighed and picked up her water glass. “Forty-eight hours, and you tell me if you hear anything about Lionel Strack.”

“I will. Now eat.”

She took a bite and turned to me. “This is homemade. Do you cook?”

I shrugged. “I can prepare the basics, and I thought pasta would be easier with your sore jaw. My housekeeper picks up my groceries and usually leaves a few home-cooked meals in the freezer. This is her doing. I’ll introduce you tomorrow.”

We ate silently for a few moments but after a couple of bites, she set her fork down. “This is delicious, but I’m not hungry and I don’t want to make myself sick.”

“Then let me show you the house.” I stood and cleaned up.

Except for her uncharacteristic silence, having her here seemed to soothe the beast that usually prowled inside me. When I wanted to fuck and dominate a woman, we went to her place or I got an expensive hotel room. Having people here who weren’t my partners or employees sometimes irritated me, and it was more difficult to control the situation when I wanted them gone. But with Luna, the house seemed less cold and quiet.

“Come on. After you look around, we can sit out on the back patio. It’s quiet out there, and you can ask me about all those things I see percolating in your head.”

She rolled her water glass between her palms and watched me. “Alright. And you can show me which bedroom I’ll be staying in.”

I stilled at her comment. “Your things are already in it.”

She looked confused. “But that’s your room.”

“Yes.”

Emotions flickered across her face. Confusion, anger, and annoyance at first. And then I saw it, lust and heat. She could try to deny it, but her pupils had dilated and her nipples were hard. I knew she wanted me–our first kiss in my office had been explosive.

She carefully set her glass to the side. “Why? If you married me just to keep me safe from the Stracks, why do we need to share a bedroom?”

“Because I want you, and this needs to appear real.”

She stood and put her uninjured hand on her hip. The front of her robe gaped, showing me her flushed chest and the swell of her beautiful breasts. I wanted to pull the tie on her robe, slide my hands up her thighs, and finger her wet cunt. I fought down a groan and adjusted my length under the table.

“If it’s just us here, no one will know where I sleep.”

My temper and need crackled. “I’llknow where you sleep, and it’s going to be with me.” I stood and leaned over her. “I know you want me. You dry-humped my leg in my office and your nipples could cut glass right now. And we’remarried.”

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