Stolen Lies (Truths and Lies 2)

“I know you don’t want to hear me tell you I’m sorry again,” I say softly, gripping her thigh and squeezing. “So I’m not saying it. You don’t respond to that shit anyway.”

She hisses at me. “Fuck you!” she bellows, kicking out and sending the goddamn vase on the table flying across the room. Her fucking periods will be the death of me.

“What I mean,” I growl, staring at yet another broken vase, “is you do better with actions. I made you a charcuterie board.”

“You can’t win me over with your fancy cheese plate,” she bites out. “Not after you threw my dinner to the floor, Kostas Demetriou.”

I snort, which earns me another hiss from her. “You didn’t even look at it.”

She peeks out between her fingers that still cover her face. “Is that chocolate icing?”

I’m a smart fucking man.

“I bet the grapes taste good dipped in the chocolate icing,” I offer, reaching over to pluck a grape from the vine, and then run it along the fudgy sweetness. “Should I taste it first?”

She pops her lips open like a petulant toddler finally giving in to receiving her medicine. I pretend to put the grape to her mouth, but then replace it with my lips at the last second. Her gasp is one of surprise, and before she can push me away, I nip at her bottom lip.

“I love you,” I murmur before finally treating her to the chocolate grape.

“Mmm,” she moans, her eyes fluttering closed. “I still hate you, but just a little less.”

“Then I better keep feeding you.”

“You better.”

“I put your favorite movie on,” I tell her.

She laughs, but it’s a mean laugh that gets my dick hard. “I hate this version.”

“But you know all the words,” I argue. “Your eyes light up when you watch it.”

“It’s cheesy,” she grumbles.

“I’ll show you cheesy.”

“Oh my God.” She fights a smile as I pile salami and cheese onto a cracker. “You’re totally cheesy. This is ridiculous. Twenty minutes ago you were furious and slinging shit around our kitchen. Now you’re telling me dumb dad jokes and watching corny chick flicks? This is why I hate you.”

“You love me,” I explain as I shove the whole cracker in her mouth to keep her quiet so I can speak. “You love me because I am nothing without you.”

Her brows crash together as she chomps on the cracker in such an unladylike way it makes me want to lick every single crumb that falls onto her thighs.

“You make me want to be better than I ever thought I could be. I never cared to be better until you. Now, this villain thinks he can be your hero.” I lean my forehead against hers. “I’m going to be really honest here. I’ll suck at it at first. You’ll hate me at least once a week. But I’m fucking trying, Talia. For you. For Zoe. For our family.”

She swallows and pouts. “You make it sound like I don’t appreciate you. I do, even when you’re an asshole.”

“I see your pretty face and every horrible thing I’ve ever done is forgotten. All that matters is you and our daughter. I fucking bask in your presence, whether you’re beaming at me or burning me with your anger. As long as you’re the one doing it, I fucking want it. All the warm, happy moments and the raging, hot terrible ones. You, Talia. I want you.”

“I want you too. I hate that we’re being deprived of our happiness because of him.”

I grip her jaw and kiss her softly. “I’m going to try harder. To leave the stress at the door. By bringing it in our home, I’m letting him win. I’ll be damned if I let that weasel win.”

“We win,” she tells me firmly. “You and me, Kos. We’re a team. A filthy king and his adorable queen.” She laughs and it sounds like music.

“Accept my apology,” I demand, nipping at her bottom lip. “Now, woman.”

“You’re such a prick,” she says with a sigh. “My prick.”

I grip her hand and run it over my cock. “Your prick’s right here.”

“Your prick is being punished,” she tells me primly. “Go on. Feed me some more. I’m enjoying the groveling.” She leans forward to grab the vodka and makes a seductive show of unscrewing the lid before wrapping her dick sucking lips around the bottle.

With my eyes on her so I don’t miss the way her throat bobs as she swallows down the burn, I fix her another cheese and meat cracker. The movie plays in the background—the soundtrack working in my benefit to seduce my wife. As the food disappears and the bottle empties, I warm my woman up. All anger has dissipated as giggles take over.

“What’s so funny?” I murmur, my lips tracing kisses along the side of her neck. “Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy.”