15. The Sound of Silence
Chapter fifteen
The Sound of Silence
I hate to say this but I beat the shit out of Xavier because it kept me from putting my hands on her . And it doubled as a warning to the rest of my staff that they better not even think about fucking with me, or double crossing me. So far my staff have been employed by me while I was a bachelor, and have never seen this house run with a woman in it.
And despite how loyal my staff have been, it is never a guarantee that shit won't pop off under the right circumstances.
I've seen the most well run houses crumble and fall because a staff got too cocky, or a family member too oblivious, and I won't have it.
What they all, and that's Isobel included, are going to have to learn about me, is that I had better be given some goddamn respect in my home. If I ask you to not put your body under any circumstances on top of my wife while putting her in a restraint, then you had better fucking listen or your ass is getting sent to the hospital. It's literally in their contract .
I want to feel guilty but I don't, because this served as a clear warning about what I'll tolerate. That's to including inappropriate behavior from staff, as well as harming her during implementing a restraint.
My heart beats wildly, almost out of control at the sight of Isobel's fingers slipping inside her beautiful body to spread herself open like I commanded. But it's not enough for me. "Further," I murmur, watching her carefully spread her beautiful pussy even more.
I pump my erection a couple times and tap her sensitive clit harshly with it, keeping her with me and not in her head. I ate her viciously through three orgasms back to back, hoping it would soften her enough to tolerate the way I'm getting ready to fuck her.
Even with all her begging, I'm not sure three was enough.
I guess we're about to find out.
A wince passes my face as I notch the tip of my dick into her opening. I'm not going to just thrust into her this time. No, that first scream she gave me when we fucked while she was drunk for the first time in the limo was concerning, but this time we're sober, and drunk sex and sober sex are two different things. I'm not out to hurt her on purpose, though I suppose there'll be time enough for pain.
Right now isn't one of them. But I just know, deep down in my soul, that that time will probably be coming sooner rather than later.
I flex my hand on her throat and feel her pussy clench around me. "Fuuuccck, Isobel. Why are you so damn hot?"
It's the fucking demon that's inside her burning her up from the inside out, I'd be willing to bet money on it.
I feel a muscle in my jaw twitch as her warmth sears me. Literally burns me. My body immediately breaks out into a full sweat as my chest tightens, my brows furrow, and I'm suddenly afraid this woman's going to fucking kill me. If that's the case though, I'm going out like a man and hopefully buried balls deep in what's quickly becoming my favorite place.
Inside my mother fucking wife .
Who apparently cannot shut up even if her life depended on it .
"If you're not happy with the merchandise then by all means, feel free to grant me an annulment and find yourself a new woman to abduct and take my place." Her eyes are defiant, even though she was just screaming for me mere seconds ago.
This little. Fucking. Bitch.
"Shut up," I snarl and snap my hips forward, hearing her cry out.
I only manage to sink in her halfway before she clenches so hard I wince in pain because she's so tight. I'm an inch away from her face, staring deep into her eyes as she arches her head back and her mouth drops open. I tighten my fingers more on her neck, keeping her eyes on me. Silence swells thickly between us as she shudders, and her face becomes shiny with sweat. Her nostrils flare as a whimper escapes through my grip. But she keeps my eye contact, as tears swim in hers.
Submission, tenderness, happiness, freedom. It all floats at the surface, and it's so beautiful. Cloaked in her special brand of wildness.
"There it is," I say, my chest heaves as my breathing sounds out loud between us. "That thing you just won't admit to yourself. It's right there, plain as day."
Her nose twitches. "You need glasses," she snarls up at me, turning her face away stubbornly.
My own eyes narrow, feeling like I'm in a hell of my own making because I willingly shackled myself to this woman. Glad to be tortured by her for the rest of eternity, I groan, feeling her flutter around me.
"You had better let me in, Izzy." I thrust testily. She's clamped down so hard on me I can't breathe right.
"I'm trying," she gasps through the grip around her neck. I relax my hold a little, seeing her breasts shudder as she sucks in the biggest breath I think I've ever heard another person take.
" No you're not."
"I am!" she yells, bucking under me.
"No you're not!" I say, pressing deeper, feeling her arch her neck even harder under my hand as her throat pushes out a breathy gasp.
"I am! I am, I am."
"Well, you're not trying hard enough for me," I grit at her.
Carefully leaning my weight into my elbow against the mattress I move my free hand to her breast.
I pluck at her nipple repeatedly, feeling a corresponding twitch around my dick with every hard tug. I become rougher and rougher with her nipple until she's twitching in earnest then begins shaking. I pause, licking my fingers and rolling it. Her eyebrows slam together and her mouth drops open as she attempts to arch against me, and I suck in a sharp breath of my own feeling my forearm start to burn.
"Hmmm," I growl. Looking down I see she's got all ten of her nails sunk into my forearm, and it's a bit too close to my hand for my liking.
I have one rule; don't fuck with my hands, they're my money maker. She can rip everything else to shreds but the tools used to keep my empire going.
As if she heard me, she reaches over to try and stop me, snatching at my fingers. Because it's like she knows exactly what buttons of mine to push without even being told. I twist my wrist to wrap my hand hard around hers, and then tighten down even more in a warning.
"Stop it."
But Izzy's still fighting against me. Arching and thrashing her head to the side, freeing me to place my lips to her ear so I can get her attention while I speak, and I hope that fucking demon hears me too.
Demon needs a name.
"Izzy, don't fuck with my hands, baby. Leave them alone, I mean it," I say to her, my voice deep and rough because I'm holding myself back. I let her hand go and then wait a couple seconds, feeling her settle her hand on my hair and then grip. "On my hair is okay. Just be nice, little demon," I say to her, seeing her eyes searching mine. I begin to saw my hips back and forth, trying to coax her to open up for me. I play with her nipple again, but her body's still resisting me. "Do you need me to go back down there?" I ask quietly, seeing her face pinken as my words seep into her consciousness .
I pull away from her breasts and then reach down, swiping my fingers through the juices between the two of us and then return back to her nipple, rubbing her wetness into her and then lowering my head to her other nipple, latching on tightly.
That did it.
I feel her stiffen and flinch on a shocked gasp right as a burst of warmth floods my dick allowing me to sink in a few more inches, drawing a wail out of her that's broken, tortured, and desperate. It keeps going and going until something happens within me that catches me off guard.
The sound lights me up from the inside out.
Every muscle tightens, a shiver races down my spine and down my shaft, and I gasp at the torturous, hot, almost sickly wave of pleasure that I'd never experienced before. I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling like razor blades are raking it's way down my skin.
"Oh God!" I groan. "Isobel, please…"
Overwhelmed, I wrap my hand around her mouth, cutting the sound off and then thrust hard the second I feel her pussy relax, shoving the rest of the way in her mercilessly.
She screams against my hand and her eyes open wide, finding mine in a panicked expression. A lone tear falls down her temple, and I let go of her throat to put my other hand over her eyes, cutting off her sight. I don't want to fucking look at her right now seeing as I think her ass might be trying to possess me, put a spell on me or something.
Nothing else can explain this feeling that just came over me. I'm unnerved that this woman has this kind of power, and probably has since the very first moment I laid eyes on her.
Pulling out to the tip, I begin to pound against her hard, keeping my hands over her eyes and mouth, feeling her breath shoot out hot and fast over my hand. Her fingers to come up to pull at my grip, irritating me further.
"Get your hands away from mine, " I snarl sternly down at her, beginning a punishing rhythm. I see a bead of my sweat fall and splash against her collarbone as I begin my assault on her body.
Despite her muffled screaming and moaning, she hears me, and drops her hands immediately to sink into my shoulders and neck instead. Her nails are clawing at me everywhere and it makes me even more feral for her. The headboard pounds loudly against the wall as I give myself permission to let loose, growling and grunting as we tear into each other like animals.
Me into her pussy, and her into my skin.
It's perfect.
I thrust hard, and with every correspond smack into her body, lewd slapping sounds echo from my balls tapping her ass, and her breasts slapping against her ribcage.
"If I ever see your cum on anyone else besides me I will make you pay. I don't care what the circumstances are, you irritating-" thrust, "hardheaded-" thrust, " disobedient-" thrust, "conniving little demon."
I fuck her hard, until I feel the sting from the force of my pelvic slapping against hers, but I'm determined to drive my point home.
She's grappling against me, trying to get her knees in between us to get me off her but I persist, fucking her so roughly we're rocking the bed, and my irritation ramps as a corner of the sheet rips off, sending us sliding slightly.
I firm my knees against the mattress and keep thrusting, feeling the other corner rip off now, which pisses me off so bad I let her face go and grunt, snatching at the sheets and getting them out from under us. While I'm working, her nasty mouth decides to make an appearance .
"My cum wouldn't have been on him had you given me my panties like I fucking asked you to, you bullheaded, arrogant asshole. You did it to yourself!" she hisses, fighting against me.
My eyes narrow and I pop her in her mouth, lightly, yet hard enough to let her know I mean business. Letting out an indignant sound, she rears her hand back to slap me, but I catch her by her wrists and jerk them both into the bare mattress and press hard, slamming all my body weight into her pussy now, bouncing off her and causing the headboard to bang into the wall.
"Shut that fucking mouth up. I don't submit to you," I grit down at her.
Her eyes narrow, but we keep contact as I feel her pussy contract around me. Her face pinches before she sucks in a sharp breath, and then throws her head screaming through another orgasm that hits her so hard my hips falter at how viciously she clamps down on my dick. I tuck her knees under my arms and tighten down hard, restraining her with my body and fuck her through it, not letting her up or giving her any room to recover.
She's bowing down to me today whether her ass likes it or not.
"King," she cries out, her head raises back to find my eyes. "Oh God, K-King!"
My eyes roam down her body, her slightly darker skin is flushed red, the round globes of her breasts are sweaty, her nipples hard and elongated, scraping my chest with every thrust. Her tummy is concaved from how hard she's clenched her abdomen. Her wild moans are everything I'd ever dreamed of.
"You like that?" My voice is hoarse as I'm breathing hard, feeling like I'm actively killing myself. Isobel bites her lip and nods. I smack her breasts, causing a startled look to cross her face.
"Yes!"
"Then tell me you like it. Use your words. What do you like, little demon?"
"I like you s-slapping me and choking me, sir!" she yells out, and a sound escapes her that startles me and causes my hips to falter once more.
"Make it again," I say, desperation making my voice hoarse. "Make that noise again."
Isobel's brows furrow and she licks her lips. "W-what noise?" she asks in a small voice.
I slow my thrusts. "The one you just made. Don't be difficult, fucking do it again." I tilt my head. "Come on, baby, I need to hear it, let me hear it, " I whimper, feeling precum shoot out the tip and my eyes water. "Fucking do it, Izzy, stop fucking with me."
My eyes narrow and I begin to beat against her in earnest, fighting past the obviously swollen tissues of her vagina, seeing her body bob up and down violently underneath me.
I'm fucking pissed because there's no way she's going to be able to walk after this.
Angry, I let go of her wrists to grab both of her nipples in my hand and roll them hard. Her pretty mouth drops open, her nails slash red lines down my forearms as she tries to snatch my hands away, and her entire body seizes up as every sound, and yes the one I just begged to hear, comes out.
And I think the fucking demon comes out with it.
Finally.
"No, no please, please, King, please! I can't take anymore!" she screams, reaching her hands up to grab the side of my face but I'm in the grip of my lust, losing my mind, fucking her with everything I've got. She tries to flip over to crawl away but I snatch her back and lay my body down on hers. Keeping her eyes pinned with mine, I force her in a vicious battle of wills that I'm determined to win.
"Then bow to me."
Her eyes widen and a sob bursts through her throat. Discomfort wraps around the muscles of my lower back, but I keep my tempo steady. She shakes her head.
"Bow," I enunciate slowly. "Bow."
"N-No!" she pants.
My hands tighten on her and I fuck and fuck and fuck until I feel her body becoming more and more lax under me. "Now, Isobel!" I snap.
Her eyes widen almost in fear.
"Hakkunamatata," Isobel cries up at me. Slightly confused, my head tilts as my hips slow my pace. "Ha-haku-hu-" Her body bows in a violent arch. "Na-maaaaa... aaaahhhhh!" She's full on screaming now but there's another sound that's got my attention. A siren that's suddenly blaring in my head as she clamps hard on my dick, making me suffer. She starts up again, this time smacking my arms with her hands. "Hakkunamatata. King! Kinnngg!"
My brows furrow. What the fuck? And then it hits me; Isobel's using her safe word .
I still immediately.
Mid-thrust, actually.
I hold myself above her on my hands. My back is burning, blood pebbles up on the slashes she's made into my arms, the muscles in my body are straining so tight that I know I'm going to suffer later for this. I stay right where I am, half-submerged inside of her. My chest heaves as I struggle for air, and my sanity.
It hits me, full awareness, like an actual slap in the face that I need to stop.
I look down at her, feeling my heart skip a beat.
Her hair is wild, a bit curly at the roots where she's sweated her blowout out, she's got saliva smeared on the corner of her mouth, and she's panting. A tear falls down her temple as she looks up at me with eyes so big that it swallows me up. She's submitted to me.
Joy fills me. Because thank fuck .
I look over to the side to see the clock and this time it's my eyes that widen, seeing I've been fucking her for almost two hours straight like a madman. I look back down at her and then place my hand to her mouth, wiping the spit away.
"Finish in my mouth," she says, yanking me down by my neck for a harsh kiss that lets me know she's still here with me, but I need to be gentler with her pussy. It's only our second time together and I know, I know she wasn't having sex hardly at all before me.
I groan, pulling my hips back from hers, hearing a soft sucking sound as I exit her body and look down, seeing traces of blood mixed with our excitement.
"No," I say simply. "I'll finish on your tits."
I crawl up her body and begin to pump between the heavy globes, pushing them around my cock and squeezing tight. Isobel sticks her tongue out to lick the tip of me at every advance, and after a few minutes where I'm using her body, thrusting heavily, I throw my head back and groan, feeling the hot spurt of my ejaculate blow out of me and onto her beautiful, creamy breasts.
I stay right where I am, straddling her torso and will Hendrix King back into place, not the devil who has surely taken over my body. Because what the fuck possessed me to lose control with her like that? I look back down at her and arch an eyebrow as it hits me.
Her ass did.
She fucking crawled inside my body and made me do it .
I shake my head. "Isobel King," I chastise with a grin I can't help. "What the hell am I going to do with you, hm?"
Isobel looks up at me and gifts me a rather tired, shaky smile. I chuckle quietly, seeing I fucked her so good she can't even move her lips right. Pure male triumph fills me.
"I think you'll figure it out," she whispers weakly, heaving a long exhale that flushes across my now semi-hard dick.
I roll off her and lay on my back for a minute. Just breathing. "Come here, baby," I murmur, pulling her until she's snuggled against my side. "Fuck girl. What are you doing to me?" I breathe out a harsh exhale, putting my fingers up to my eyes and rubbing at the dull pounding that's echoing through my head.
I fucked her so rough I have a full blown headache at how hard I orgasmed.
"No- I-I gotta shower," she whimpers, pushing my chest.
My eyes narrow in irritation at her trying to get away from me because that's not how aftercare works. Though I sense she's never been fucked to the point she needs aftercare, which makes it even more important. There's no way I'm letting her get into a shower without me. Why?
So she can cry when she crashes off her orgasmic high?
Nope. Not my Izzy.
"Isobel, baby, stop." I snatch up her hand that's pushing against my chest and roll into her, pressing every inch of me against her. "I don't want you to take my scent off you yet. Lay here with me, let me rub you down." I lower my head, taking her plump lips in a lush kiss. "Let me touch you." I run my hand down her side and rub firmly, soothing muscles I know hurt. When I get to the spot where her hip meets her thigh, I bunch it between my fingers and rub. "Let me relax you."
Isobel lets out a little moan and tilts her head to the side where I see her lick her lips and huff out a deep breath. Her eyes flicker beneath her lids. We're getting somewhere. Finally.
"That's right, baby, just feel it. You don't need to shower right now." I lean down and rub my face, which still smells like her pussy, across her cheek and jaw. "I like the smell of you, of us , together. Do you?"
Raising her arms to loop around my neck, she lowers her arms in one long stroke down my back. "I do, it smells… good." She sighs rather wistfully as her fingertips caress me in ways that I've only dreamed of. All those months I've spent fantasizing about her touch and it's nothing like the real deal.
She nestles into me and even though I'm sweaty, we both are, she runs her hands full length down my back until she reaches my ass and cups me. I smile against her cheek, seeing this is something she likes and that I enjoy as well.
"You did so good, baby. I'm so proud of you." I kiss her ear and blow in it, making her seize up and giggle. I love her laugh almost as much as I love that feisty attitude.
"Yeah?" she turns to look up at me.
Her eyes are hooded, and I can tell she's tired, but there's still a sparkle there that refreshes me as well. My headache begins to dissipate, and just then it hits me that even though she has the power to place me in my own personal level of hell, she also has the power to chase it away and bring me that sunshine I crave at times.
"Yeah," I chuckle back, continuing to stroke down her body gently.
Isobel's head lifts, and she still looks a bit out of it as her eyes drag down my arms. She pauses on the blood still beaded up against the red slashes, and her eyes widen. "Are you okay?" she asks, her words slightly slurred.
"I'm okay," I assure her softly. "Do you hurt anywhere?" I press my fingers where her muscles are tight in her hip and knead.
"Hmmm…..I think you got it. Th at's really, really nice," Isobel says. I grunt lightly and spend a couple minutes rubbing her before it happens. Her face contorts on a wince and then she starts to cry softly. She sniffs, bringing a hand up to wipe it away but it doesn't matter. Another tear joins the first, then another, and another. "I'm sorry," she gasps, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't ever cry during sex."
I kiss her tears away, humming my displeasure at her hands faffing against me. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're crashing, experiencing sub drop. It's okay, I got you."
"King, p-please get off me," she sobs, trying to turn her face away as she attempts to disassociate.
I pull her back with a finger hooked under her chin and pin her with a stare. "I'm not getting up." I say softly, but sternly. "I'm not abandoning you. Not after the kind of sex we just had. I need to hold you, make sure you're okay." I rub her cheek with my thumb, seeing her eyes flickering between mine as she gasps through her lips. "Will you let me hold you, please?"
There's a tense silence between us. Just as I fear I'm about to be rejected, she nods, right as rain hits the windows in a soft pitter-patter that matches my heart beat. I love her submission. And as if the universe itself was moved by it as well, the sky opens up, filling the room with an almost deafening roar.
A sharp crack of thunder splits the air and then she suddenly moves, wrapping both her arms and legs around me and snuggling into my neck.
"Shh…" I rock her gently. "I got you, sweetheart."
"Hendrix," she trills softly, and I work to hold her even closer, moving us to where I'm on bottom and she's draped over me.
I work the sheets over us both completely covering us up and making us our own little world where it's just me and her. She glances around at our little cocoon, then looks down at me, giving me a tentative smile. Reaching up, I wipe the rest of the wetness under her eyes away with both my thumbs before moving inward, smoothing over her lips.
"Tell me why you safe worded," I ask, ignoring her twitching at the next crack of thunder.
Isobel's face goes so red that I'd smile and tease her about it if I wasn't being serious trying to get to the bottom of what happened.
"I need to know, Izzy."
"Why?" she asks, lowering her eyes. Underneath that tough exterior is a softy, I just know it.
"I need to know so I know how hard to push you," I reply, keeping my voice calm and unassuming.
"You…you were fucking me too hard," she whispers, clear embarrassment draping her tone. She averts her gaze before lowering her head till it rests against my chest so she's hidden from me.
I bring up a hand and stroke down her hair slowly. "It's not anything I said? I didn't… hurt anything else besides your pussy. Did I?"
She shakes her head and gives me a 'no' that I'm not certain I believe.
"No, look at me. Give me your eyes." I wait until she looks back up and I feel myself melting. Becoming vulnerable. "I want you to tell me, as best as you know how, what happened. If you don't know what happened, then tell me what you think happened."
She swallows hard, and I watch her pretty throat convulse as she struggles to find the words but I continue to stroke her, giving her patience. "I think… I think it was too much on top of the spanking you gave me. My ass hurts, and you were hitting it pretty hard just now. My skin might be too irritated."
I stare at her hard before shoving the covers off and then rolling out from under her, pushing her flat onto her front. I took her missionary so I didn't see her ass during us fucking. At the sight of her skin I narrow my eyes, seeing red handprints on her beautiful dark flesh.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I'm pissed at myself, because I know I spanked her hard this morning, but not this hard.
Guilt swamps me. "I'm sorry," I say quietly. Lowering my head, I begin to rain kisses all over her ass, rubbing gently with my fingertips. "I'm so sorry. This was my mistake, Isobel. I'll never spank you that hard again, I promise. Please don't be scared of me," I beg her.
I don't want her to think I'm a monster.
She lays there quietly, letting me love on her. Letting me worship her.
I worry for a second that I'm about to be rejected, terrified because she has that much power over me.
"It's okay, King. You're making it all better now. You can do what you want to me as long as you put me back together again afterwards." She breathes this last part out like a prayer. "But we need to talk about this marriage thing, King." She rolls onto her back and then sits up with both hands planted behind her. I'm busy trying not to be distracted by her breasts because they're just so big, and there that I can't help it, when she sucks her teeth hard making my eyes fly up to hers. "King, look at it!" she says in a shy voice, pulling her left hand up with the back of it facing me.
I smile at the sight of the huge diamond, almost getting hard at how expensive it was. Best sixty grand I've ever spent, if you ask me.
"God, you were such a beautiful bride," I say reverently. "You were so fucking pretty." And she was, too. The vision of her in her wedding dress, in my arms because she was too out of it to stand up floods my mind. And I suddenly find myself wanting to do it all over again. I eye her ring, feeling my dick twitch at how pretty her hand is. "Do you like it, baby?" I grit out, my heart racing because I really want her to like it .
A little look of surprise flashes across her face before she sucks in her bottom lip between her teeth, and puts her hand back down behind her. She blinks almost sleepily and nods.
Relief fills me from head to toe, but I cross my arms and clear my throat. "Good, I'm glad. But I would have taken you to pick out another one if you didn't," I reassure her. My chest tightens, and I fight like hell to beat back this wave of insecurity that I am not used to feeling. "And…" I glance around at the mess we made. "I'm sorry we fucked your bed up."
Her eyes go wide and she looks around with an almost confused looking expression on her face, nodding slightly. "Yeah," she huffs.
We sit in silence for a minute until it's ruined by her tummy growling.
"Care for an early dinner?" I ask, holding my hand out to hers. She takes it and lets me haul her off the bed where her knees immediately buckle. I laugh lightly, hoisting her up in my arms bridal style. "Let's soak for a bit first, get you some of your strength back."
We share a laugh and she presses her hand against her mouth. We spend an hour soaking where she doesn't let me wash her hair, wanting to do it herself.
"What do you know about black hair?" She scowls at me, elbowing my hand out the way when I reach for her.
Attitude is back.
"A lot actually, I did my research." I smile brightly at her when she tilts her head. She's really scrubbing her scalp, making the suds rise high on her head. "Is that good for your roots?" I admonish, giving her a little splash of water that shocks her. "You're supposed to gently rub down the strands. You sound like you're trying to scalp yourself, calm down."
"King, leave me alone!" She gives me an annoyed look. "I've been doing my own hair for at least thirteen years. I think I know what I'm doing!"
I snort. "M'kay. Let' s just wait to see what you do when you straighten it before I determine that!"
She give me a nasty side eye before closing them, continuing to attack her scalp with everything in her, before she suddenly freezes then looks over at me again. "King, how… how old are you?"
I lean back, settling against the back of the tub. "Thirty-seven."
She does the mental math and her mouth pops open in shock. "You're twelve years older than me?" she hisses.
The demon's back. Great.
Sighing, I stand up to climb out of the tub, ignoring the water sloshing off me and onto the floor, not responding to her ire. I don't want to argue about this. We were doing so well. "I'm going to pick you out something to wear baby," I call out, grabbing a towel and exiting the bathroom.
Unlocking her drawers, I pick out a pretty black set and lay it out over the bed. An olive branch. My way of apologizing to her. I see her look at me out the side of her eye when she comes out behind me later, naked, with her long curly hair clamped into a clip. I take in the sight of her perfect body, waiting patiently.
Isobel holds up the lacy underwear and bra up with an arched brow. "Thank you," she says, but it's with a tint of irritation. Firmly putting us back into unknown territory regarding this marriage between us that I forced her into.
"You're welcome," I respond in a clipped tone. But that's all I say, because if she expects me to follow up with anything insinuating that I'll let her go, the answer is no. Problem is, I want her to fucking want to stay. I want her to want me.
What do I have to do for this woman to crave me the way I crave her?
I watch her through the reflection of the mirror as I put my cologne on and run a comb through my hair, seeing her carefully smooth the dress over her hips, hiding my handprints on her ass. Regret swells hot and fast within me.
Softer.
I can try and be softer for her.
"Let's have dinner, you must be starving," I say quietly, walking up to her and pulling her against my front to drop a kiss on her forehead. "You look beautiful, I love this dress on you so much. It goes so good against your skin."
She gives me a melancholy smile and tucks her hair behind her ear, turning with me as I lead the way out of the bedroom. Without looking I feel Gustavo's gaze piercing my back as we walk. Always watching.
"How's Xavier?" I call out, addressing him.
"He's in x-ray now, Sir. He should be back next week."
I grunt, happy to not lose my best man, but solidifying myself to sit them all down again for another talk about rules and expectations. I won't be defied. Isobel's the only one who comes close, but that's it.
"Thank you, Gustavo. Send him my regards and inform him he'll be seeing a ten percent raise on his next paycheck."
"Yes, sir."
The three of us are quiet as we make our way through the house, headed to the dining room. I clear my throat rather uncomfortably.
Because who knew that silence could be so loud that it's deafening?