Page 16 of Torrent’s Treasure

He opened the dresser drawer and selected a pair of shorts to wear to bed. He normally wouldn’t bother, but it seemed his normal had changed. With Calliope in the suite, he’d be wearing shorts.

Envisioning Cecilia in the shower with water sluicing down her naked body and wondering if her breasts were as soft to the touch as he imagined had his cock thickening. He pressed his palm against it. Trying to stay soft while everything his wife did turned him on had been excruciating when Calliope was sitting on the other side of him. The last thing he needed was an inquisitive ten-year-old asking what that hard thing was in his jeans.

Which brought up—holy shit, did Calliope know about sex or was that something they’d have to explain? She was way too young for boys, but when she was, Torrent was going to make sure those little shits kept their filthy hands and other appendages off her.

He tugged the covers back and settled against the headboard, turning the television on.

Cecilia came out of the bathroom wearing a T-shirt and shorts. If he wasn’t mistaken, she’d left her bra on. It seemed a good indicator that she wasn’t wanting to jump him tonight, but the trembling as she walked toward the bed screamed to him that his wife wasn’t ready.

She walked over to the side of the bed and got in, pulling the covers up to her chest as she leaned against the headboard.

“How do we do this?” she whispered.

“Do you trust me?” he asked, his voice low.

He’d told her to trust him before he kissed her at the wedding. He hadn’t wanted to trigger anything with her, which is why he’d left his hands at his sides, even though he’d wanted to cup her face as he tasted her mouth.

“I’m not sure why, because we barely know each other, but I do,” she confessed, turning toward him.

“I appreciate your honesty. Tonight, all I’m expecting is a kiss from my wife—a kiss that you’re in control of. Then we can either watch a show if you’re not tired, or we can go to sleep,” Torrent assured her.

“I’m really tired from the day,” she admitted softly.

“Then sleep it is,” he agreed, turning off the television and his light.

He tugged the pillow down from the headboard so he could lie down flat.

“Now, kiss me goodnight. In fact, we should make it a habit that no matter what happens during the day, we kiss each other goodnight right before we go to sleep,” he said, watching her eyes for any panic. If anything, she was intrigued to be in charge.

She leaned over, pausing to stare at him, then placed her plush lips against his. Her breasts brushed against his arm because of their position. He let her lead, but when her tongue traced the seam of his lips, he opened his mouth, kissing her back.

Despite it being the most innocent kiss Torrent ever remembered, his breathing picked up, and he had to force himself not to wrap his hands in the lush, shoulder-length brown hair that was trailing over his chest.

When she eventually pulled away, they were both breathing hard, and her face was flushed. If she looked down the comforter, she’d easily see his cock trying to burst from his shorts.

Her smile after the kiss was breathtaking. Did it make him a sucker that he wanted to see that smile every day for the rest of his life, as often as he could? Something about her had hit him like a lightning strike. She’d awakened something in him that he hadn’t known existed.

“Thank you,” she said, flipping her light off and turning on her side to sleep.

This was not how he envisioned his week going. He’d gone on a run, helped defend a mafia princess in Dodge City, and then gotten married within forty-eight hours of arriving home. If next week was this exciting, Torrent couldn’t imagine what was heading their way.

Chapter Eight

After two days staying at the clubhouse, Cecilia had been going stir-crazy. She was used to going to work and being busy. There were only so many things to do around the clubhouse.

The club had a workshop where they built and finished the coffins. Torrent had been busy, but he’d made it a point to be home at lunchtime and for supper. He’d spend the evening with them, but there were hours during the day when Cecilia was bored. She loved reading books, but being forced to stay at home was different from taking an afternoon off for reading.

He’d been the perfect gentleman each night, accepting her kiss and not asking for more. Each night when she’d awakened from a nightmare, he’d been there to soothe her back to sleep. The first night, he’d held her hand as she drifted back to sleep so she’d know she wasn’t alone. Last night, he’d tugged her closer and had her lay her head on his shoulder. When he’d slipped his arm around her back, she hadn’t been scared despite his arm holding her close to his side. She’d been warm, safe, and had drifted back to sleep.

When Sally had offered to have Calliope and her come help at the funeral home, Cecilia had jumped at the chance. There were only so many cookies they could make or games they could play.

“We’re usually closed on Sundays and Tuesdays, but I had a special request for a funeral on Sunday. This week, we’re closed on Tuesday and Thursday. It will be just us today unless Chey is here working on someone. She keeps her own hours and has a key to come and go as she pleases. Let’s grab some drinks from the staff kitchen, and then you girls can help me with some flower arrangements,” Sally explained.

Cecilia noticed the clean, fresh smell. She had attended funerals over the years, and some of the places had a stale smell as if time had stood still.

They picked out drinks and followed Sally into a large room with coolers taking up one twenty-foot wall. A five-foot area of the cooler held flowers already in arrangements. The rest of the coolers had buckets filled with flowers and green stems separated by color and kind of flower.

“I need to make arrangements for a bridal shower this weekend. I thought you both might like some flowers for your rooms at the clubhouse, and it would be a great way to learn,” Sally proposed, gesturing toward the vibrant coolers.