Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
We eat in silence.
His hand rests on the table next to mine, but he doesn’t touch me. His eyes, however, caress every inch of my body, running up and down my green minidress. A dress that clings to my figure and reveals more than it conceals. The plunging neckline exposes my chest from throat to abdomen, my nipples barely hidden by the thin fabric.
I know he personally picked out this dress. He’s always had a thing for my small boobs in green.
We move on to the main course, a perfectly cooked steak for him and a seared salmon for me, paired with an exquisite bottle of Bordeaux.
I try to keep the conversation casual, but my heart isn’t cooperating. It pounds so hard I’m sure he can see it in my exposed chest.
“This is nice, Monty.” I tip the wine to my lips. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble. I’m just glad to be off the island.”
“I can’t bear to see you unhappy.” He sets his fork down and paws a hand through his hair. “It’s killing me, Frankie. The guilt…”
“Guilt?”
“I’m responsible for your misery.”
“What?” The salmon lodges in my throat, and I grab my water, gulping it down. “How?”
He presses his lips together, and for the first time since we arrived, he takes his eyes off me, darting them around the private dining room.
Two guards stand outside the door. Two more patrol the perimeter of the restaurant.
He’s not worried about the security. He’s stalling.
“You arranged an intimate dinner,” I say. “If you have secrets to share, the moment is now.”
He takes a long swig of his whiskey, drawing my attention to his thick throat, the way it jogs with each swallow. If I pressed my nose to his skin, I would smell traces of fine Italian leather and smoky vetiver beneath the sweet-earthy, musky-marine aroma of his aftershave.
I miss his scent.
“I helped Leo and Kody pursue their dreams to distract them.” He meets my eyes. “I knew their careers would consume them and keep them busy. I knew it would keep them from you. I needed them out of the way so that I could win you back.”
“You wanted to win me back by keeping me isolated?”
“I’m a monster. I knew what I was doing. I still know what I’m doing. I can’t stop.”
“Jesus.” My heart flinches.
“Here’s the kicker. You’ll enjoy this part.” He braces an elbow on the table. “I’ve grown to care about those guys on a level that fucks all my monstrous plans to hell. As it turns out, I actually want them to be happy.” He huffs a self-deprecating laugh. “I bought boats for them last week.”
“You what?”
“And motorcycles.”
“Oh, God.”
“It’s a surprise. They’re driving your shit cruiser back and forth to Sitka, and I’m worried it’ll break down and leave them stranded. It’s maddening. I’m supposed to hate them.”
“No, you’re not. They’re your family.”
“They’re fucking my wife.”
“I kept my promise. We haven’t been intimate.”
“You love them.”
“Yeah. I do.” I move my hand, lacing my fingers through his. “Sounds like you do, too.”
“I love you.” He runs his thumb over my knuckles. “Let me in.”
“You’ve always been in.” I stare at my plate. “In my thoughts, in my heart. I can’t get you out.”
“Is that what you want? Would my absence make you happy?”
I pull my hand back, needing the distance to think clearly.
“If you have secrets to share,” he murmurs, “the moment is now.”
“I don’t think you can handle hearing what I want.”
“Try me.”
“No.”
“A year ago today, you had no problem telling me precisely what was on your mind. You wanted our baby, rightfully so, and you refused to take no for an answer. Where is that woman now?”
“I want the impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible.”
“I want the four of us to be together.”
“We are together.”
“Don’t be daft, Monty.”
“Spell it out.”
“Fuck.” I gulp, going for it. “I want the four of us to be in love and naked together for the rest of our lives.”
His eyes darken, and he leans forward, his voice low and cold. “I will never fuck my brothers.”
“Leo is your nephew.”
“He’s my blood.”
“Monty.” I haul in a calming breath. “Leo and Kody don’t have sex with each other. They’re weirded out if they accidentally touch. Well, mostly Leo. Kody’s pretty open. But they keep a clear line between them. No contact during sex. No sword crossing.”
“No double penetration?”
I don’t get embarrassed easily, but as my cheeks burn with the fire of a hundred midnight suns, I realize I’m completely unprepared for this conversation.
I never imagined sharing the sexual details of my threesome with anyone, let alone with my estranged husband.
“Answer the question.” He angles over the table, scorching me with those inescapable eyes.
“No double penetration.”
“Because they’re related?”
“That and…” I clear my throat. “The childhood abuse.”
Leaning back, he rubs his hands over his face.