Sitting up, I move to swing my legs off the side of the massive bed, already thinking about joining him in the shower.
“You stay put, little wife.” He grumbles, his voice low and firm. The commanding tone sparks heat through my body. With a sigh, I cuddle back into the soft pillows to wait.
“I’ll be quick,” he promises with a wink.
“Leave the stubble husband. It feels good…” I bite my lip and let my words trail off in a teasing manner as I slide my hands up to cup my breasts seductively. They have grown over the past month, and the sensitive mounds overflow my hands, my nipples poking against the soft cotton. His answering grin is untamed, his pupils expand, turning his eyes into endless black pools. I’ve only seen that happen when he’s turned on, so I guess I nailed it. He crosses to the bed in a couple of long steps, lowering himself to his elbows, trapping me under his bulk.
“You’re such a little tease.” his deep voice is rough and dark, but I’m not afraid of him. I can’t stop myself from smiling happily into his stern face. Pushing up on my elbows, I gently lift my face to his and softly kiss his lips. A groan rumbles in his throat as his thick lashes drift shut, hiding his passion-filled eyes from me. I balance myself carefully so I can slide a hand over his shoulder and thread my fingers through his hair, pulling him down onto me.
He gives in for a moment, allowing his weight to rest against me before pulling back and levering himself back up to his feet.
“Be good, sunshine.” He looks less tense after our brief interlude, as he gazes down at where I lay. “I’ll be right back.” Understanding his unspoken message that he needs a few minutes to himself, I nod and settle back, content to wait for him. He is always worth the wait.
Xavier
My phone is ringing in the bedroom as I turn off the shower and slide open the steamy glass door. I can hear the low murmur of Ana’s voice answering it moments before her soft footsteps stop outside of the slightly open door. I reach for a towel as the door opens the rest of the way, and her worried face peeks around it.
“It’s security.” She holds out the phone, a little wrinkle crinkling between her eyebrows, and I wrap the towel around my hips before reaching out to take it from her.
“Yes?” I bark sharply as I lift the phone to my ear. It’s Geno. I had told him to take the night off. Apparently, he didn’t listen.
“Xavier, I need to report a security breach.” My security team in the building was decent before, but ever since bringing in K&S to advise, they have been doing even better. If someone managed to breach our new measures, I already know that whatever he is going to say will piss me off.
“What happened?” I growl.
“It’s your uncle, X.” He states blandly. “We’ve been watching for him since you left, but he got onto the casino floor in disguise during the shift change. He’s had to have been watching us for a while. He knew when the security room would only be staffed by one man.” His tone changes from coldly professional to hot with anger in an instant.
“Where is he now, and what the fuck did he do?” I bite as I storm into the walk-in closet and start grabbing clothes off of hangers.
Still, on the line with Geno, I snap, “Ana, call Travis and let him know Dominic is in the building.” I register the shock on her face, but I can’t comfort her right now. I put my phone on speaker as I slide into jeans while Geno quickly gives me the rundown.
“Donny was in the security room when Dominic came back. He’s ok, but sustained a pretty heavy blow to the head. I have him on the way to the ER now. The security cameras were disabled, so we have no idea where he is right now. I’m sorry sir,” Geno never calls me sir, that he’s doing so now, shows how badly Dominic’s reappearance has shaken him.
I sigh. “I anticipated a direct attack from Dominic, I just didn’t expect it so soon. It’s not your fault Geno.” I know he is blaming himself for this, but it’s my fault for not making sure that everyone was prepared for this. Dom has never been one to make a move quickly. This is out of character for him, and that worries me. He’s desperate, and desperation is not something that we Cerelli’s are familiar with. There’s no real way to anticipate what he is going to do under these circumstances.
“Stay where you are. Watch the cameras on the other floors, and get teams everywhere searching for him in case we missed him. Assume that he is armed, and please try not to alarm our guests.”
Across the room, Ana ends her call and hurries into the closet to get dressed. I’m pissed about the whole situation, but seeing the fear on her pale face raises my anger to an almost crazy level. If that bastard shows his face anywhere around my wife, I’m going to kill him.
Geno agrees with my instructions, and we end the call. Storming down the hall I knock softly on the guest room door and push it open. Grayson is still awake, holding Nikki in his arms. It looks like she is finally asleep.
“He’s in the building,” I tell him. A burning anger flares in his eyes. I don’t have to tell him who. He knows. As I turn to leave the room, he is leaning his head forward and whispering to wake her up. I don’t wait around to see her reaction. I know it’s not going to be pretty. The poor girl has already suffered unbearably at the hands of my uncle. Him invading the place she was brought to be safe is the worst possible thing that could have happened.
Ana is peeking through the peephole when I walk into the living room. ?
?It’s Travis and Faye,” she says over her shoulder. When I nod, she opens the door and lets them in. Faye looks as scared as Ana does. Travis stands behind her, his face a mask of fury.
“I called Blake. He’s headed down to the security office to help Geno, and to call in some more guys.” He says.
“That’s good,” I reply. Before I can say anything else, I hear Grayson’s quiet voice coming down the hall and settling Nikki on the sofa. Closing the door behind themselves, Travis ushers Faye inside.
With a last lingering look at my wife, I turn away, leading the men into my home office where I can fill them in without the women overhearing. Especially Grayson’s girl. I’m disgusted that Dominic is this close to my friends. Fuck that. This is my family. The one that I choose, not the disaster I was born into.
Chapter Thirty-One
Ana
For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Faye and I are left alone while our men go off without us. It’s somewhat medieval, I suppose, the men fighting battles while we sit at home wringing our hands with concern. It is what it is though, they are warriors, and the same as women for centuries before us, we will stay here where we will be safe so they can do what needs to be done without worrying about us.