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“We have kids in the house,” I pointed out reasonably. “I don’t want them to hear us.”

“Are you telling me I have to be quiet in our marriage bed just because you’ve decided to make this the apartment of misfit models?”

“I’m just asking you to turn on some music. It’s a full house tonight.”

He pulled away and studied me. “Do you want to go back out and finish your party?”

I looked away. “Do you mind?”

“My dick does, but it won’t kill him to wait a few hours.”

I smiled and I couldn’t help it, I glanced down. He was straining the front of his slacks. “Are you sure?”

“Not if you keep looking at it like that, I’m not.” He took my arm in a gentle grasp, tugging me toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go hang out with your friends.”

My small birthday party wasn’t anything exciting, but it was just perfect for me, surrounded by the people I enjoyed the most. We watched DramaFever and ate cake. I tried to have one tiny bite of it, but Banks cajoled me into more.

He was a bit stiff with my friends, and he didn’t say much, but I still appreciated the fact that he was there and no one had forced him to be. And through it all, it felt like something was happening between us, something that had nothing to do with our fake marriage and everything to do with something more authentic than a contract. A budding but genuine affection. And of course desire.

We slipped in and out of the living room a few times to make out like high school kids. The third time we did it, Jovie shouted at our retreating backs, “Figure yourselves out!”

Much, much later we retired for the night. He undressed me slowly and took me to bed.

He rocked into me, eyes on mine. Each jarring thrust moved my whole body, making my breasts bounce with each plunge. His gaze moved down to my chest, then back to my face with each movement.

“Should I call you Duchess while I fuck you? Would you like that?”

The question made me stiffen mid-thrust. He kept jarring into me without pause. I’d forgotten about his jealous fit earlier. He’d been so sedate and agreeable since then, but it had obviously upset him much more than I’d thought. I wasn’t sure how to handle him like this, jealous Banks was even more of a stranger to me than normal Banks, so I didn’t answer.

Once again, my silence didn’t help.

With a growl, he started rutting with a purpose, fucking me harder.

I went mindless for one beat, two, and honestly forgot about his temper for a time.

That is, until his harsh voice sounded in the room, loud enough to be heard over our panting breaths and my pounding heartbeat. “Do you want me to call him in while you’re like this? Do you want him to see what I do to you while he’s out there at your beck and call?”

I couldn’t answer. I didn’t have the breath to speak. He was ardently fucking it out of me.

Again, it didn’t help.

He hissed at me through his teeth. “He’s probably fantasizing about you right now. Do you like that? Do you like having that effect on him? Do you get off on the fact that you have that effect on every man?”

I squeezed my eyes shut tight, mind too hazy to respond. Frankly, I was closer to coming than answering him, but that didn’t seem to occur to him.

Abruptly, he stopped moving. My eyes snapped open. “Don’t stop,” I gasped, straining against him.

“Maybe I should call him in,” he growled from atop me. “Let him see me balls deep inside of you. Let him see that I own this.” His hand snaked down, fingering my clit, his cock buried to the hilt. “That it’s mine.”

I finally managed to get out a breathy, “No.”

Faint as that one word was, it seemed to calm him, or at least it didn’t set him off more. He started moving again.

I must have fallen asleep after with him still on top of me because I roused when he moved away.

He was hitching his pants up over his hips when he asked me over his shoulder. “I’m grabbing water from the kitchen. Do you need anything, Duchess?”

“Don’t,” I said faintly, turning my face away.