Zak glances at me, his lips twitching, still talking on the phone. He reaches out with his free hand to bring my fingers to his lips. My heart!
We pull up to the mansion, and the driver opens my door. Zak’s already out, reaching for my hand. Then he grabs the cat carrier and one of my bags. A man in a black suit appears and takes the other bag.
“This way, ma’am,” the guy says.
We head inside, and Maria’s there, beaming.
“Welcome home!” She looks at the cat carrier. “And who’s this little guy?”
“That’s Crabby,” I reply with a smile.
She laughs. “That’s a perfect name. Let me show you where we set up for him.”
“You set up for my cat?”
Zak gives me a ‘duh’ look as he sets the carrier down and opens it. Crabby stalks out with his tail held high, exploring his new surroundings.
Maria leads us to a corner of the massive living room where there’s a plush cat bed, a scratching post, food and water bowls, and a litter box tucked discreetly in an alcove.
“I hope this works,” Maria announces, beaming.
“Oh, wow, thank you.”
Zak just shrugs. Like it’s no big deal. Like having an entire section of his luxurious house set up for my cat is normal. Should be expected. Something warm spreads through my chest. Soft and dangerous. More than my already insane physical attraction to him. My response to his body, his touch, the sound of his voice, the incredible way he smells. The fact that he shielded me against bullets, even if it was his fault I was exposed to them. More dangerous than the orgasms. Something that’s been growing with every ‘wife’, each embrace. The same butterflies that spread through my belly when he bonded with my cat, like two dark souls recognizing one another.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He steps close and cups my cheek, the pad of his calloused thumb running over my skin. “Anything for you, wife.”
Then he kisses me softly. With just a press of his full lips on mine. Warm, sweet. Like we’re not standing in the middle of his living room with his staff watching.
When he pulls back, I’m breathless.
“Come on,” he says, taking my hand.
We head upstairs and he leads me down the hallway to his…I guess our…bedroom. My bags are already there, set near the massive walk-in closet.
“There’s space in the closet, the dressers, bathroom.”
I walk to the closet, peeking inside. It’s huge. And the whole right side is empty. Zak’s suits, shirts, belts, watches, and shoes are neatly organized on one side. But the other side is completely bare… Did he…? Did he have his stuff reorganized to make room for mine?
I turn to face him. “This is a lot.”
He moves closer, his hands settling on my hips. “This is your home.”
I laugh nervously. “I don’t even have enough clothes to fill half this space.”
He leans to rest his forehead on mine. “Then we’ll get you more.”
I laugh, breathing in his warm, spicy scent. “I don’t need more clothes, honey.” Shit, that came out on its own.
“I’m going to give you the whole fucking world.” His gaze is intense. “Whatever you want. Whatever you need. It’s yours.”
I shake my head, my throat clogging. “I don’t want your money, Zak.”
“I know.” He crooks a finger under my chin, lifting my face so our eyes meet. “But it’s yours. Everything I have.”
“You’re crazy.”
