Desolation Road (Torpedo Ink 4)

It was no wonder he wanted to fall to his knees and worship her. How could he not? He couldn’t look at her, not yet. Not with his eyes burning like hell. He just stood in the middle of the room, looking around at the stark beauty. Hearing the silence. Seeing the rolling bubbles, the various shades of green in the garden in their courtyard. He looked down at the cushion beside the chair. Slowly he turned to look at Scarlet.

His wife looked so anxious, those green eyes of hers searching his face, causing his stomach to do a slow roll and his heart to turn over. He stalked across the room to her and framed her face with both hands, leaning down to take her mouth. She even tasted like love. Like sweet fire.

“I love you so much, moya literaturnaya ledi. You have no idea what this means to me.”

“You like it.” She let out her breath.

“I would never have thought of this, not in a million years. I don’t know how you did, but I’m grateful. This is going to top the library and I didn’t think anything could.”

She gave him a little smirk. “We’re not finished yet.”

“We’re not?” He rubbed his palm over his heart. “You’ve already given me more than anyone ever has, Scarlet. I don’t know if I can take more.”

“They all helped. Your brothers and sisters. I couldn’t have done it without them,” she confessed. “I’d like to take all the credit, but they all helped me.”

He knew they had to have done so, because this room alone with the extraordinary glasswork should have taken months. Scarlet took his hand and led him out of his quiet room and down the hall toward their master bedroom. He wasn’t positive what to expect, but anticipation was building fast. She opened the door and stepped back to allow him to enter. He saw one hand go up to cover her mouth, her fingers pressing tight to her lips. She really was nervous.

He stepped inside their enormous bedroom. Like the living room, the bedroom had also been transformed. The fireplace had been removed and in its place was a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. The entire wall was taken up with the case. In front of the shelves was a solid oak desk, almost a replica of the one she sat behind at the library, only this one was much more suited to him and his fantasies.

There was a very large space under the desk where his kiska could be hidden while he sat working late. There was a cushion on top of the desk, this one matching the color of the carpet in the bedroom, with the same Yego kiska embroidered on the front of it in flashy letters. A golden stand sat to one side of the desk holding several jeweled collars.

The closet doors were open, and he could see that another wardrobe had been added. She took him over to it. Inside was an array of her library clothes. Her pencil skirts. The swing skirts. The prim tops. On a shelf above was an array of glasses in all colors to match the various clothing. Boots and high heels were in a separate stand beside the prim clothing.

His woman could give him whatever he wanted, his librarian or his kiska, or, if he preferred that night, his sexy woman in her sensual lingerie.

“I stocked the shelves with a few books I thought you’d be interested in based on what you were reading at the library,” she explained. “I also included some interesting studies on sadism, which, by the way, Savage doesn’t really fall into the true meaning of a sadist. I thought if we came at his problem from a strictly intellectual view, we might find ways to help him. You said you subtly influenced him over the years to be the way he is. Is it possible to reverse that need just as subtly?” She shrugged. “We can’t know until we try it, right?”

“Babe.” He had to sit down. Not only had she removed one of his biggest triggers, but she was trying to find ways to help Savage even after he had really frightened her. “I’ve tried. I don’t know if it lessens for him or not, I can’t tell, and I don’t ask him because then he’d know what I was doing and it wouldn’t work.”

“I’ve thought a lot about the things I really want as well in our relationship. Not just want from you, but need to make us work, Absinthe.” Scarlet sat on the bed. “Savage is a huge problem for you. You take on too much with him. And now there’s Destroyer adding to the mix of really ugly memories that will run around in your head. I want some assurances from you and I honestly don’t think they’re too much to ask.”