Page 28 of Daddy's Claim
“Fine. But keep Nora out of it. I can’t focus on this and worry about her at the same time.”
Now the smile did light up my cousin’s eyes. “I could send her shopping with Luca. I’m sure he’d have fun spoiling his pretty new sister-in-law.”
“Absolutely not. You put those two together and I’ll never get her under control.”
“Probably true. I’ll find… something to keep her occupied.” With a wave, he headed for the car we’d ridden to the docks in and climbed into the back.
“Trouble in paradise?”
“Fuck off, Lexi.”
Alex’s smug smile disappeared and he scowled. “You know I hate that nickname.”
“I do. Now, make yourself useful and call in some reinforcements.”
Mikey
By the time I finally made it home, well after the sun had gone down over the harbor, all I wanted was some food, a cold drink, and my bed.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true, I realized as I closed the front door behind me. I wanted my wife. I wanted my hands on her ass, I wanted her sweet, needy little whimpers as I fucked her senseless.
I wanted her in my arms, warm and happy and satiated as we drifted off to sleep together.
Less than forty-eight hours of marriage and she’d already burrowed so deep under my skin I wondered if I would ever get her back out. And then I wondered if I even wanted to.
Before I had a chance to process those thoughts, she appeared at the top of the curved staircase wearing nothing but a short silk robe, as if just thinking of her had conjured her. “You’re home late.”
The stiffness in her voice immediately set me on edge. “I was working.”
“Right.” Snorting out a laugh, she rolled her eyes. “I’ve been around long enough to know what men like you are really doing when they’re out this late ‘working’.”
It took my tired brain far too long to catch up to her meaning, and by the time it had, she’d disappeared down the hall again.
More than anything, I wanted to go to the kitchen, make myself a sandwich, and grab a beer. But there was no way I was doing anything before I set the record straight.
I found her in our bedroom, stretched out on her stomach and tapping away at her phone. Closing and locking the door behind me, I crossed the room and plucked the device from her hands, tossing it aside without bothering to see who she’d been so furiously texting or what she’d been saying. Trust went both ways, and if I wanted her to trust me, I couldn’t go around snooping on her phone.
“Hey, that’s my—Michael!” Her squeal of surprise echoed around the room as I flipped her onto her back and positioned myself over her, caging her in with my arms. I ignored the fact that she’d failed, again, to call me Daddy in order to get to the more pressing message.
“We’re going to get something straight right now, princess.” Lowering my head, I nipped at her full bottom lip before locking eyes with her once more. “I made a promise before God and fucking everyone to love you and cherish you. Until death do we part. That means you are mine, and I am yours, until the day they put my body in the ground. I may be an asshole, and you can hate me all you want, but I swear on all that’s holy, Leonora DeCosta, I will never so much as look at another woman for as long as I breathe.”
“Don’t do that.” Her voice was as fierce as the fury burning in her eyes. “Don’t make promises you have no intention ofkeeping. I’ve known men like you my whole life. Marriage is just another accomplishment for you to wave around, another trophy in your case. So, you can fuck around and do whatever you want, just do me the courtesy of not lying to my face about it.”
My fingers dug into the mattress as I fought back my own anger. I was tempted—too tempted—to flip her over and let my belt do the talking, all over her ass.
But what would that get me, really? She wasn’t going to magically trust me, just because I spanked her into submission. No, all that would teach her was that she couldn’t be honest with me about how she was feeling.
And that was the last thing I wanted.
“Nora,” I murmured, leaning down to brush a kiss across her trembling lips. “Beautiful, fierce, sassy Nora. I’m fucking wild about you.”
“What? No you’re not.”
Chuckling, I kissed my way down her neck to her collarbone, inwardly crowing when she arched her back, silently offering me her breasts. “Yes, I am. Let me show you.”
She gasped when I rolled and shifted our positions, dragging her up so her knees were settled on either side of my head. Running my hands up her thighs, I cupped her ass, drawing her down so her delicious, dripping pussy hovered directly over my mouth.
“Relax, princess. I want to taste you again.”