21. Ilias
ILIAS
I t was hard to leave Galena asleep upstairs in my bed, but I was still woefully behind on work, so I’d pried myself away from my wife while she curled back up in the duvet, her moon-colored curls rumpled around her cheeks.
She was a gift. One I wouldn’t treat carelessly or callously.
I was proud of her for speaking up and not letting things between us be the status quo.
If I’d been more willing to push forward, we’d have already had that conversation, but I’d been more than a little afraid that she’d be upset that I didn’t want to honor the promise I made.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I was in love with Galena yet, but I was catching some deep feelings for her that led me to believe that I was on my way. I hoped she was, too .
I’d be a good husband to her no matter what.
I was hoping those feelings would grow into love for both of us.
Last night had blown my mind. All of my life, I’d kept sex strictly to women with whom I didn’t have any attachments.
Getting off wasn’t the issue, but it had always been hollow. Sex with Galena was anything but that.
First, we had to deal with this minor issue with the men in the warehouse and locate Scarpato so we could move forward with our lives.
Her desire to be there when they died initially surprised me, but I understood that visceral need for revenge.
There wasn’t any way around that burning rage when someone else wronged you, took from you, or robbed your sense of safety.
You wanted them to pay. Maybe normal people could be satisfied with people going to jail, but I’d never see any justice in that.
I wanted payment in blood, tears, and death. I wanted their suffering.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about her face when she asked me if I had bruised my hands, how her eyes had widened, not with fear, but with something else. The possible understanding of what that justice might look like in real time.
I rinsed out my coffee mug and leaned on the marble island, cracking the knuckles of my other hand as if I could work out the tension like old muscle.
The warehouse had gone exactly as planned.
Maxim had drawn up the intel fast. Angelo had tracked the money movement.
Conall had used his men to choke every exit route.
Vairo and Bello had dropped like flies under pressure.
But Scarpato? That snake knew we were coming. He’d slithered away before our boots hit the ground, but knowing him … he wasn’t far. Dick was too cocky.
The bell rang at the door, and I checked the camera. Maxim. I buzzed him in. He already looked surly. He was going to ruin my glow, but I didn’t have the heart to turn him away.
He clomped into the kitchen. Usually, he’d already be dressed for the day in one of his monochrome suits, which always looked as if they’d been pressed with military precision.
However, lately, he’d been wearing his tactical outfits, which we used when we were out on reconnaissance or similar missions.
He was wearing black cargo pants, a black T-shirt, and black boots.
As always, he looked like someone you shouldn’t mess with. His eyes scanned the room.
"She still upstairs? "
I nodded. “Yeah. She hasn’t come down yet. There’s coffee if you want it.”
Maxim opened the fridge and grabbed one of those over-the-top imported bottled waters that Vaso loved as if he didn’t have an entire empire to run.
As if he hadn’t just helped me beat two men the night before.
He leaned back against the counter, bottle untouched.
“You tell her?” When I nodded in response, he continued, “She talk anymore about wanting to go? I still don’t think it’s a good idea. ”
“We talked about the warehouse a little.” When his face darkened, I added, “Not any of the details, asshole. She’s not going to change her mind about going.”
"She trusts you more than I expected.” Maxim looked almost disappointed. "Just don’t fuck it up."
I laughed. "Wasn’t planning on it. She’s my wife.”
“I know that.” He flinched slightly before tapping the counter once. “I’m headed to the warehouse. Let me know if she’s coming or if she isn't. Either way. Dimitri will be here later this afternoon. He’s looking forward to meeting her.”
I nodded again, and Maxim clomped back upstairs to the main level, making me wonder why he’d bothered coming by, but I knew he was probably hoping to see his sister.
By mid-morning, I’d moved to the kitchen table to answer emails and clean up a few logistics.
I was supposed to check in with Kostas about business, but I kept putting it off.
My head was in too many places. Mostly, her.
So when I heard the soft sound of bare feet on the floor, every part of me stood at attention.
Galena hovered in the doorway. She wore one of the oversized sweatshirts she’d taken from her storage unit and soft cotton shorts. Her hair was up, messy and haphazard, and her eyes were heavy-lidded but clearer.
"Hey," I said, standing. "You hungry?” I moved closer to her, drawn to her glow inexplicably.
I called her sunshine for a reason. She was soft right now, almost radiant, her curls haphazard around her face.
There was a slight blush to her cheeks as she looked at me.
She literally glowed like a mini sun. I wondered if she was thinking what I was thinking…
because all I could think about was fucking her again.
She nodded slowly, blushing again in a way that convinced me I was right. She was thinking about it.
“Morning. How’d you sleep? Let me feed you.” Moving a little closer, I reached for her, unable to help myself, and almost crowing when she tucked herself into my arms. She fit perfectly against me, and already I wanted to spread her out right on the table.
"You cook?” She gave me a shy smile.
"Not well. But I stock all of Evgenia’s food for us. You’ll meet her soon. So it’s kind of like cooking.” Not really, but it was as close as I got to hunting or gathering.
"You know you are always trying to feed me.”
Kissing her, I let myself savor the moment and the privilege of being allowed to touch her like this.
I’d loathed the idea of getting married.
I had been a fool to avoid it at all. “Maybe I just like watching you eat. I’m discovering all sorts of new kinks.
” I gave her a little squeeze even as I watched her pupils dilate.
There was something about watching her eat that did it for me.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was so kind of fetish, but I did love it.
“What do you like for breakfast?” I wanted to know everything about her.
Over the last few weeks that she’d been here, I’d only caught glimpses.
I let her go, reluctantly, and moved toward the kitchen. She followed, quieter now, more relaxed .
“I’m pretty basic.” Her lips curved into a small smile. “Plain yogurt with a bit of granola and honey. Berries, if there are any.”
“I think I can swing that. I don’t even need any help,” I bragged, making her laugh as I pulled the yogurt from the fridge along with some berries. It took a little hunting to find the colander, but I rinsed them, earning an approving look. “Wouldn’t want you to get weird bacteria.”
“I won’t tell you how many times I ate unwashed fruit then.” She perched on a stool while watching me search for the honey and granola.
“Please don’t, I might have nightmares.” I wasn’t joking.
Just the thought of her being sick made me a little ill.
“The woman that Kostas recommended for self-defense should be here tomorrow. I wanted to talk to you about your classes, if you wanted to start those up again.” I slid the bowl of granola over to her.
“I know you were taking them before everything happened.”
She drizzled more honey over the top of her concoction before digging her spoon in. “I’m excited about starting the self-defense,” she admitted. “I was taking general college classes just to get started.” She bit her lip in a move that had me groaning. Her eyebrows raised.
“When you bite your lip like that, it does things to me.” I waggled my eyebrows at her.
My dick pressed against my zipper. She pulled her spoon from her yogurt and licked it casually while she watched me.
“I’m trying to be serious.” And I was trying to be good and keep things on track.
I wanted to learn about her life before and what she wanted to do with her life now moving forward …
how I could support those dreams. With her biting her lip like that, all I could think about was fucking her.
Does things to you? You could do something about it,” she smirked.
I didn’t need any more encouragement. As I moved to the other side of the counter, she was already spinning around on the stool. “Did you wake up missing me this morning?”
“Maybe?” She wound her arms around my neck.
Her lips tasted like honey. I groaned as her nails scraped up into my scalp, her needy moans driving me crazy as she pulled me closer so she could get her legs around me. “If I put my fingers into that pussy is it going to be wet? I’ll bet it will be, won’t it?”
Her head tipped back as my lips found the edges of her ear so I could suck the fleshy lobe into my mouth and whisper, “You need to come this morning?”
“Yes. I woke up all alone. I wanted you.” Those nails scraped against me, and I nearly came in my pants.
Hitching her up on the counter, I spread her thighs and sat on the stool. “Looks like I need to step up my game. I can’t leave my wife wanting.”
Pushing aside the edges of her shorts, I didn’t even bother teasing before setting my mouth to her weeping slit.
I pulled her hips to me so that she had nowhere to go but ride my face as I ate her out, tasting each part of her in exquisite detail as I took my time to drive her towards the edge.
Her fingers gripped my hair as her hips found their rhythm.
God, I could stay here forever between her thighs.
She screamed out her release, her breath ragged. “Holy hell.” She slumped back on her elbows.
“See.” I gave her one last lazy lick before rearranging her shorts. “I’ll keep you satisfied.”
“I’m not sure I’ll look at this counter the same way again.” Her cheeks pinkened as she squirmed. “Now I want a taste.” She looked pointedly at the bulge that strained my slacks .
“That was just for you, liakáda. We have plenty of time together.” My dick pounded against the zipper, telling me that it disagreed with me being a martyr.
It wanted inside that sweet pussy of hers, but if I started down that road, we would be here for hours.
The cleaners were coming in the next thirty minutes anyway, so we might as well get ourselves out of the house.
She dropped to her knees, her hands on my zipper. “Is that a no?” Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips as she eased open my slacks.
Thoughts fell completely out of my brain as the wicked little thing drew my dick from my boxer briefs, where it had been constrained.
Her soft hand cradled my balls, squeezing a little in a way that had me moaning as she pumped the shaft.
I wasn’t sure if she’d sucked any dick before, but this was doing it for me.
I’d been ready to come since I’d stuck my tongue in her pussy, so this was going to be embarrassingly short. “Definitely not.”
Her mouth closed on the tip, her tongue swirling around the pre-cum just as I said, “I’m probably …
oh God.” I couldn’t hold the moan back as she began to suck me down, flattening her tongue and humming a little as sh e deep-throated me.
Holy fuck. She looked up at me then through her lashes as I thrust between her lips.
It was the hottest thing I’d ever seen. Her fingernails scraped lightly against the root of my dick as she held me steady, and that was all I needed.
I didn’t even have time to warn her before I jetted into her mouth.
Galena didn’t pause as she continued to drink me down, milking me for every drop until I had to pull away.
She sat back on her heels with a satisfied grin as I tucked myself back into my pants. “That was next level, wife .” Helping her up to her feet, I looked at my watch and winced. “Cleaners are coming any second. They’re going to think we’re into weird shit.”
“Who cares?” she winked.
“I guess that’s true. We’re paying them, so we can do all the freaky shit we want.” I was already thinking about what kind of freaky shit that could be, but tried to focus. “We could go for a drive today? Walk a bit? You haven’t left since we got your things. Maybe the pier?”
“Any of those sound good. I’m dying to get out and breathe some fresh air. Not that I’m not enjoying myself.” She gave my ass a smack as she walked by. “I’m going to get changed. Then you can take me out. ”
I loved this 2.0 version of Galena. The sass and confidence had really started to shine through. My conscience told me I was also truly enjoying a few other perks, but they were hard to ignore.