Page 67 of Scandalous Kingpin
My gaze flicked to my sister-in-law, slightly agitated that she’d put us all in this position. Of course, she couldn’t have known when she set out on her revenge path that Ivy’s father would be on the list.
Ivy said something to Juliette who was seated on the other side of her, and the latter smiled, but if you looked carefully, you’d notice the steady worry in Juliette’s eyes. She was going out of her way to be there for Ivy, probably plagued by her guilt and fear that her secret would come out. If it did, it’d destroy more than one life.
Fuck, if only Dante wasn’t so obsessed with her.
Ivy was seated next to me, and thankfully all my cousins, brothers, and brothers-in-law worked to distract me from my birth mother’s presence, who sat next to my papà on the opposite side of the dining room table.
“The gelato we ate in Rome was so delicious.” My wife beamed, speaking about our honeymoon, leaving out the main reason we were there. It was just who Ivy was. A softy with a positive outlook on life. She made it too easy to feel comfortable around her. “And the cappuccinos are to die for.”
“Let’s not talk about gelato and cappuccinos until later,” Aisling said. “Otherwise, we might spoil everyone’s dinner.”
My hand on Ivy’s thigh tightened, and she gave me a curious look, but she didn’t say anything.
“I’m always in the mood to talk about gelato,” Juliette commented, slicing off a chunk of her filet mignon and popping it into her mouth.
“Give me gelato anytime,” Wynter teased, grinning at her husband with a smug look in her eyes. “Anywhere, anytime.”
“Ivy can talk about anything her heart desires,” I said, offering Aisling a tight smile. “In fact, if she or anyone else at this table is interested in eating ice cream right here and now, please feel free to do so.” I narrowed my eyes. “Ivy is a grown woman and certainly doesn’t need any permission from guests.”
Was it skirting the “passive” and going straight to aggressive? Probably. Did I care? Fuck no.
Aisling pursed her lips, flashing me an uneasy smile, while my father looked about ready to explode.Good.
“It’s okay, darling,” she assured, patting his hand.
Ivy glanced at me, then at Aisling, uncertainty in her wrinkled brow. I kept my gaze locked on my father, a muscle in his face twitching. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Dante jumped in.
“Maybe we can sample some ice cream after dinner.” He smiled at Aisling with too much gusto. “Heck, maybe even eat it all night.”
“I vote yes,” Juliette said, once again going out of her way to take Ivy’s side. “Let’s take a vote, shall we?”
Aisling went perfectly still, her eyes bouncing between Ivy and me before standing to her feet.
“I’m going to call it a night,” she said with a strained smile, my father taking her lead. It wasn’t until the two of them left the dining room that the tension left the room. The commotion andjokes started, turning our dinner unexpectedly lively and full of discussions on the best and worst desserts while I remained quiet, observing.
Ivy and her friends threw around some jokes about the extra-curricular activities that’d put them on our radar two years ago. Ivy’s brothers grumbled, unamused.
“Clearly we should have brought our sister back to Ireland a long time ago,” Bren muttered.
I drew her hand to my mouth and pressed a kiss to it. “Too late. She’s mine now.”
And I wouldn’t let anyone take her from me.
Ready to get this dinner over with, I gave Ivy a look and we stood as one, wishing our guests a good night. I’d become greedy for my wife, and I couldn’t wait to get her alone.
She followed me down the hallway, but before we could even reach our cabin, I spun her to face me, grabbed the back of her neck, and kissed her deeply as her body molded to me and her arms wrapped around my neck.
“You must have a fetish for dark hallways,” she murmured into my mouth, her voice breathless.
“Only when it comes to you,” I admitted.
I brought my hands to her breasts, groaning at the feel of them in my palms, my hips grinding against her soft, welcoming body. Achingly hard and ready to fuck her, I grasped her upper thighs and hoisted her up.
She met my gaze, bearing down on my shaft and chasing her pleasure, and it had to be the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. I bit down on her throat, then licked the spot, soothing the sting while she moaned.
It was then that the sound of footsteps registered and Aisling’s voice rang through in the distance.
“Frank, we can’t?—”
