Page 72 of A Wife's Duty

Rolling over in bed, she turned to look at him. It was so rare for her to catch a glimpse of him as he slept. He looked so peaceful. She didn’t want to wake him up. Time was ticking, she knew this. Frank still hadn’t returned, but Boone’s cell phone had been ringing, almost off the hook for the past day.

Stuff was going down, and it was only a matter of time before he had to leave. When he did, she knew there was a slight chance he was never going to come back, and that terrified her more than she liked to admit. She had grown to love him so very much, and that scared her. She wasn’t used to loving anyone. With him taking on the Bonaldi mafia, there was a chance he was not going to make it. The very thought of never seeing him again filled her with such anguish.

“I can feel you thinking,” Boone said.

“I can’t help it.”

Boone opened his eyes. She didn’t know why she was surprised to see him awake.

“You were awake?”

“Of course.”

“How did you look so relaxed?”

“I’m a good actor.”

This made her laugh.

“You’ve got to stop worrying,” he said.

“How do you know I’m worrying?”

He reached out and put a finger against the center of her brow. “Right here.”

“You don’t have to go.”

He opened his eyes again and smiled up at her. “You know, if I don’t complete this mission, they’re going to come back harder than ever before. People are going to die. Innocent people.”

“You’ve told me before that people die every day.”

“Yeah, and some of those deaths can be avoided. The shit Bonaldi was into ... it has to stop. No one else has been able to stop it.”

“But you can?”

“I’ve been able to cut some of their operations. In a few days’ time, it is all going to end. This needs to happen.”

She wanted to argue with him, but the truth was, she didn’t want to let him go. She was being selfish.

“You’re right.”

“I know I’m right.” He lifted up and pressed a kiss to her lips.

She looked at him, trying to get her fill of every part of him as he pushed some of the hair back behind her ear.

“It’s going to be all right.”

He kissed her again and he climbed off the bed. She figured that was the end of the conversation, but all too soon she was being dragged from the bed, and she let out a little cry. Betty was still in her bed, looking so tired. Their dog lifted her head, watched the two of them, decided there was no threat, and snuggled back into the covers. She was no good as a protector dog, not that she needed one of those with Boone around.

He had her over his shoulder, like she weighed nothing at all. She let out a little scream, not that she felt afraid. He carried her through to the en-suite bathroom and didn’t let her go until she was on her feet. Only then did he turn on the shower, and she screamed again. “What are you doing?”

She laughed, and he quickly stripped her of her clothes. One moment they were on, and the next, they were gone. She had no time to complain as he took possession of her mouth in a searing kiss. It was one that made her toes curl in all the good ways. She wanted to melt for him.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he asked.

“No.”

He took her hand and pressed it against his cock. While he’d been undressing her, it would seem he’d been working on removing his clothes as well.

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