Sweet and Vicious(Margarelli Brothers 1)

“I know, Evie, but you already have a leave of absence. I don’t think you can go back now.”

“I could catch up. See my professors and ask for assignments to cover the ground I missed.”

“Maybe,” he hedged. “If you give me what I want.”

“What is that?”

His eyes burned into me like twin coals.

“You know what I want.”

“A baby,” I said quietly.

“We may have already made one,” he said with a small smile. “I’d like to keep trying.”

“What would it mean, Antonio? What would our child’s life be like?”

“Our children,” he vowed with an intense look on his face, “will be protected. Well educated. Loved.”

“Oh,” I said, biting my lip. That sounded pretty good. They certainly wouldn’t want for anything. My husband was extremely wealthy.

“We could even raise them somewhere else. Outside the city. I had plans drawn up. I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

“You did?”

“Let me show you,” he answered. “And then we can get back to bed.”

Back to bed? In the middle of the day? But I found that I didn’t mind. I was eager for everything he’d showed me before. I didn’t want him to see how eager I was, though. How completely under his spell I was.

He dried me off before using the same towel and gave me a look.

“I can’t convince you not to put clothes on for the rest of the day, can I?”

I stammered out a ’no’, staring at him in shock. I felt shy enough in the bedroom and bathroom like this. He really expected me to run around the house in the buff?

“Didn’t think so,” he said mournfully, handing me a big, fluffy robe. His robe, I noted, watching as he wrapped the damp towel around his waist. “Come on.”

He led me into the living room and folded down the desk that was built into the bookshelves. I tried not to notice the way his back muscles moved when he bent over, pulling out a roll of paper and spreading it wide.

I leaned forward without thinking to stare at the architect’s rendering.

“Ohh . . .”

It was beautiful. Part modern, part industrial, part rustic lodge. It even had features that gave it a cottage vibe, like broad porches on each side, chimneys, and dormer windows.

“Those are for gas fireplaces. No smoke. Better for your lungs and the environment.”

I looked at him.

“What? I care about the environment. Only an idiot couldn’t see that the planet is in trouble. And one of my cousins has asthma.”

I couldn’t hold back my smile. He was a tough guy. Brutal to his enemies. But he cared about the planet and his family. I wanted to hug him, so I did.

He looked pleased and surprised at the same time.

“It’s beautiful.”

“You can change anything you don’t like.”

“I like all of it,” I said honestly. “But if you really want kids, those staircases look a little, um, exposed.”

He stared at the plans then back at me.

“Holy shit, Evie. You’re right.” He pulled me in for a hug, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Let’s go over this over the next few days. Anything you can think of or dream up.”

“Anything? I asked teasingly.

He nodded, pulling a strand of hair away from my face.

“Does this mean we can make a baby? On purpose this time?”

I gave him a coy smile. I might be getting more on board with the baby thing, but I still wanted something in return. My freedom. Or at least, part of it.

He lifted me up and carried me back to the bedroom. I noticed the big patch of blood in the center of the bed.

“Watch this,” he said with a smile, bundling the top sheet and blankets. Then he pulled off the sheets to reveal . . . another sheet.

“What? How?”

He tapped his forehead and shook his head with a laugh. Then his eyes changed. The laughing man was gone, replaced by a sex-crazed animal. I didn’t mind, I realized. I liked them both.

He was my sex-crazed animal.

His shoulders moved up and down with his ragged breathing. His hands were loose by his sides. The tent in his towel was getting bigger by the second.

“Get on the bed, Wife.”

I didn’t even hesitate. I sat down quickly then scooted back onto the bed. It felt almost clinical without the sheets, blanket, or pillows. There was no place to hide. He crawled onto the bed like a panther stalking its prey. His towel didn’t last long. In seconds a huge naked man was above me, bending down to take my mouth in a long, mesmerizing kiss.

With one hand, he pulled the robe apart and licked his lips. He dipped his head down, lapping at my nipples as if he were looking for milk. I whimpered, running my hands through his silky hair and over his broad shoulders.

“I can’t wait, Evie. Tell me you’re ready for me,” he murmured. I nodded.