Page 65 of Owned

Not that she did everything I said without protest. Despite my instructions that there be no arguments, there were plenty of arguments. She was just as fiery as she’d been when she was a teenager, though as an adult she was much spikier, able to find the chinks in my armor with uncanny accuracy and exploit them ruthlessly. I found her infuriating, maddening, and the most exciting woman I’d ever been with, and the pleasure I got from reducing her to a desperate wreck after an argument was astonishing. I’d never had anything like it in my entire life. I actually found myself looking forward to getting home after work to see her, to talk with her, argue with her, and then put her on her knees to give me the most intense pleasure.

Though the best times where when she was lying warm and sleepy in my bed, finally still, finally at rest. Sprawled over my chest, her hair a wild storm around us, tracing circles with her fingertips on my skin.

Don’t forget what she promised you.

Oh, I hadn’t forgotten. Not one word of the conversation we’d had the day after our marriage, with her sitting in my bed and asking me what my fantasy was.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t been asked that before — I had, numerous times — but I’d always replied that it was whatever a woman wanted, which at the time, was true. But Rowan had turned everything on its head.

Public sex wasn’t anything new, I’d done it before. But not with a woman I considered mine. Not deliberately showing her off as a treasured possession, getting everyone to admire her and then proving unequivocally that she only had eyes for me and only I got to touch her. Only I got to possess her. It had lurked in my subconscious for years, never to be acknowledged, another gift from Charles Blackwood.

But Rowan had asked me and the truth had come out, and I’d seen her gaze flicker as I’d told her. She’d been afraid. Of course then she’d tried to deny it, because Rowan was a stubborn woman, but I knew she’d be hesitant. And not just about the public nature of the sex, but about displaying what she thought of as her weaknesses for a whole lot of people to see. Yet, despite her fear there had also been challenge.

I’d told her that she didn’t have to give me anything beyond what she’d already given, and yet when she’d insisted, despite her hesitancy, all I could think about was that she wanted to do this for me. Something she wasn’t comfortable with yet had offered because I wanted it.

You’re not worthy of the offer and you know that.

I shoved the snide voice of my conscience aside. Shit, I knew I wasn’t worthy of it, but I was going to take it anyway, because after years of catering to everyone else’s fantasies, someone was finally going to cater to mine, and I wasn’t a good enough man to refuse.

Ten’s gaze became marginally less chilly. “Fair enough,” he said at last. “I certainly wouldn’t want Zara to get caught in any press backlash and I’m assuming you wouldn’t want that for Rowan either.”

“No. So can we leave aside the self-sacrificing bullshit?”

Ten inclined his head. “Fine. But that leaves us back at square one.”

“I can call some people,” Cal offered. “See if I get anything to use against her.”

Cal had once been an enforcer for a crime lord called Old Nick, the same Old Nick Blackwood Bank had been involved with. He’d then taken over from Old Nick when that prick tried to have Cal killed. Cal didn’t rule that empire now — he’d handed it over to others — but he still had contacts and could get dirty intel that could be useful on occasion.

“Do it,” I said, even though the chances of finding anything on the Hamiltons was slim to nil. They had the resources to cover up anything they didn’t want getting out.

Cal nodded. “Can’t promise I’ll find anything, since I didn’t when we were going through that shit with Isabel.”

“No, they keep their cards close to their vest,” Ten commented.

I looked at Cal. “What about this reunion Isabel keeps talking about? That an opportunity?”

Cal’s dark gaze was enigmatic. “An opportunity for what? I hope you’re not expecting Isabel to intercede for you.”

There was a distinct warning in his voice, but I understood. He and Ten both hated her continued involvement with the Hamiltons and would have infinitely preferred her to not have anything to do with them. However Isabel had wanted to know her mother’s side of the family and she’d been insistent on it. Both of them found it difficult to say no to her, so they’d reluctantly supported her, but that did not extend to Isabel trying to negotiate with Charlotte to give up her intel on Ten. I thought they were overprotective of her and that Charlotte would never do anything to harm her only grandchild, then again I wasn’t either Isabel’s father or currently fucking her. Also, I had the same protective, possessive feelings about Rowan so it wasn’t as if I could talk.

“Clearly not.” I picked up my scotch and took a good long swallow. “But if we could find something on Charlotte before then, it wouldn’t be a bad time for some negotiations. Remind her we’re all family, etcetera.”

“Being family is part of the problem,” Cal said acidly. “With all this baby bullshit, she’s trying to enmesh us into her dynasty and I don’t want a bar of it.”

“Agreed,” Ten said. “But we also don’t want to rush into anything. If we’re dealing with Charlotte, any plans we make will have to be airtight.”

“We have some time,” I pointed out. “Charlotte’s got a whole nine months before she shows up at Rowan’s bedside like fucking Rumplestiltskin and demanding our first born like.”

“Is Rowan pregnant then?” Ten’s stare was very direct.

“I don’t know.” The tight feeling in my chest that I got whenever I thought about the possibility of a child had returned. “She hasn’t taken a test yet. Which means we might have some time. Then again, I don’t know what Charlotte will do once she gets confirmation of a pregnancy.” I gritted my teeth at the thought. “She might very well insist on monitoring Rowan herself since I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t trust us not to plot against her. Which we’re doing right now, of course.”

“Well,” Cal murmured. “Once you get that confirmation, maybe you should move Rowan somewhere else, where Charlotte won’t be able to get to her.”

It was something I’d already thought about and had been considering options, though I hadn’t spoken to Rowan about it yet. She’d no doubt be annoyed about it and would refuse, which would then involve another delicious argument since I wouldn’t no take no for an answer.

Ten’s phone chimed and he grabbed it out of his pocket and glanced down at the screen. The hard cast of his features softened, which was always a giveaway. No doubt Zara had texted him.

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