Consent (The Loan Shark Duet 2)

Not wanting to raise the issue in front of Magda, I search out Valentina after breakfast. She exits Charlie’s room with a laundry basket. What the hell? The thing is so big it blocks her view. She almost bumps into me. The collision is only prevented because I catch her waist.

Worry makes my voice sound angry. “What are you doing?”

She blinks. Her big, innocent eyes are wide. “ Laundry.”

I take the basket from her hands. “You’re not supposed to carry heavy things.” Scrap that. “You’re not supposed to do the laundry.”

A sweet smile flirts with her lips. They’re full and pink, and so fucking kissable. “There’s nothing wrong with my hands.”

“I don’t care. We have a service for this.”

“Don’t be difficult.”

“You haven’t seen difficult, yet.” I put the basket aside, tangle my hand in her hair, and drag her to me. “I can show you, but it’ll cost your tears and pleasure.”

Those soft lips part. She moans. A soft ripple runs over the delicate skin of her throat as she swallows. When I pull her head back farther to look into the dark pools of her eyes, she sags against me, her body warm and supple. Her pupils dilate a fraction, and her gaze becomes lustful.

My words turned her on. Me, there’s no word for what I am. Combusting, maybe. Exploding. Trapped between our bodies, my dick pulses against her stomach, showing her how she affects me. What I want is to rip off her clothes and fuck her right here against the wall. I may go crazy if I don’t.

Dragging my lips over her throat, I kiss a path up to her jaw. “Would you like that, beautiful? Do you want a bite of pain with your pleasure?”

Her breath catches. “Yes.”

I graze her earlobe with my teeth. “Why?”

“It feels good.”

The sadist in me roars. I want to spank her, whip her, belt her, but not while she’s pregnant. The confirmation that she wants this is enough. Letting go of her hair, I catch her face between my palms and crush our mouths together. My tongue spears through her lips without waiting for her to open. She whimpers, and I swallow every sound. My hand moves up under her dress, finding the elastic of her underwear. My fingers are a hairbreadth away from penetrating her pussy when someone clears a throat behind me.

Fuck. Not now. I let Valentina’s lips go with a sound close to a growl, blocking her body with mine until I’ve lowered her dress to protect her modesty.

Magda walks past us with a scowl. “You have a room, for God’s sake.”

That was a bucket of cold water on our moment. Valentina’s cheeks burn like light bulbs. She averts her eyes and tugs a strand of hair behind her ear.

“We have a meeting in ten,” Magda calls from the end of the hall.

Taking my wife’s hand, I intertwine our fingers. “No more laundry or any housework for that matter.”

“Laundry isn’t hard work.”

My tone doesn’t leave room for arguing. “No laundry.”

She consents with a huff.

“My men told me you ran into Agatha Murray, yesterday.”

“Oh.” Her brow furrows, as if the memory is unpleasant. “Yes.”

“You look upset. What did she say to you?”

“It was nothing.”

“Valentina, don’t lie to me.”

“Nothing important, anyway.”

“It is to me.”

Her shoulders sag. “You’re impossible.”

I take her other hand and pull her body against mine. “I have a video conference in five minutes. Start talking.”

A sigh moves her breasts against my chest. “She said the Portuguese threatened Lambert’s family with a war if they took me in. Apparently, he was bribed not to marry me.”

Every muscle in my body tenses. What the hell do I make of the information? It’s as I suspected. Lambert didn’t turn his back on his promised bride because he didn’t want her. He was forced to. The question is why.

The kiss I place on her lips is gentle. It’s my way of rewarding her honesty. “Be a good girl today. I’ll see you for lunch.” I squeeze her hands and set her free.

“Gabriel?”

I grin like a teenager. God, I love it when she says my name, especially with that sliver of shyness, as if she’s about to ask me for something and she thinks I’ll refuse her. If she only knows, I’ll bust my balls for her.

“Valentina?” I let her name roll over my tongue.

“I won’t be here for lunch today.”

“Where are you going?”

“To see Kris. With all the extensions in the practice…” She wrings her hands together.

“What is it?”

“She wants me to work with her again.”

Kris did what I’d ask of her. This will be good for my girl. She’s not the stay-at-home type. “Do you want to?”

“I’d like that.”

“Good.”

Her face lights up. Everything sparkles from her eyes to the happy blush on her cheeks. “Really?”

“Really. Be safe.”

Her look turns serious. “You, too.”