Page 123 of Vows of Blood

"Yours." Luca lets the word hang in the air for a long moment. "And if anything goes wrong, you don’t bitch, you don’t whine, you just fucking fix it. If I hear about another problem from your sector, we'll be having a very different kind of conversation. A much less cordial one."

Ricci nods frantically, already scrambling to his feet. "Yes, boss. Absolutely. It won't happen again."

My needy pussy clenches at the sight of Luca leaning back on his desk, thick thighs apart, and hands gripping the edge of the wood behind him. The urge to straddle him is strong, knees on either side of him, trusting his strong arms to hold me as I bounce…

Luca makes him sweat for a second before he nods once. "See that it doesn't."

The man practically runs from the room, and I have to bite my lip to keep from smiling. It’s deeply inappropriate about how attractive I find my husband when he's terrifying subordinates into compliance.

Luca turns to look at me, folding his arms across his broad chest, bulging biceps straining the material of his navy shirt, one eyebrow raised. "You're staring."

"I'm admiring." I set the tablet aside. "There's a difference."

"Mmm." He stands and goes back to his chair, sinking into it and loosening his dark tie with one hand. "And what exactly were you admiring?"

I move toward the bar cart, reaching for the whiskey decanter.

"My husband. The way you handle business." I pause and give him a shy smile. "It's very... compelling."

He leans forward, a mischievous smile pulling one side of his mouth higher.

"Compelling." Amusement dances in his eyes, the hard edges of the scary boss giving way to the husband I adore. "Is that what we're calling it?" He pushes back from the desk, patting his thigh. “Come here.”

Before I can comply, an orange blur launches itself onto Luca's lap.

Vito, who has apparently decided that the most powerful man in the Midwest, who pays for his fancy food and luxurious surroundings, is now worthy of his affection, turns in a circle and settles himself directly on Luca's thighs, purring loudly.

“Not you. Get off." Luca glares down at the cat.

"He likes you now. I think since you saved me from Mikhail." I pour two fingers of whiskey and bring it to him. "It’s better than him clawing at you.”

Luca regards him with mistrust. “I think he just doesn’t want to go back to your shitty apartment.”

Holding out the glass, I smile at Luca as he relents, his hand stroking along Vito's spine almost absently.

"The feeling’s mutual."

Luca reaches for the whiskey I brought him, and when Vito meows plaintively, I watch my feared mob boss husband reach over to the plate of antipasti left over from his earlier meeting and slip the cat a piece of prosciutto.

"You're worse than Carmella. He’s getting spoiled and fat."

I step closer to him, scooping Vito up and ignoring his protests. The cat yowls indignantly as I carry him to the door and deposit him in the hallway, clearly hoping for more treats.

As I close the door on his accusing glare, I whisper, “That’s what you get for trying to take my spot.”

When I turn around, Luca is watching me with undisguised hunger. I sashay across the room slowly, enjoying the way he tracks my movement.

I've learned to dress for these days at his side, tailored skirts and silk blouses that walk the line between professional and provocative. Today's ensemble includes a pencil skirt that hugs my hips, a blouse with one too many buttons undone, and a pair of dark-rimmed glasses now hanging at my cleavage.

"You were very distracting today," he says as I stop in front of his chair. "If you weren’t so good at other things, I might have to fire you."

"Distracting how?" I rest my palms on the arms of his chair, leaning in. "I didn’t say one word."

"Mmm." His hands find my hips, pulling me closer until I'm standing between his spread thighs. "You don’t need to. I can feel you watching me. I see you biting this fucking lip." He pulls my lip from between my teeth with his thumb and groans. “And all I can think about is what’s going through that mind of yours.”

He pulls me forward suddenly, leaving me off balance, his strong hands the only thing holding me upright as I teeter on the toes of my high heels.

"Do you really want to know?" I glance at my watch. “You have another meeting in fifteen minutes. I don’t want to make you late.”