“You want me to spy on your employees.”

“Yes. I want you to keep your eyes open.”

“Is it because you think they’ll be less cautious around me or because you don’t have anyone else you trust with the task?”

“I have enough men I trust. But you are right, I think many men will underestimate you and be less vigilant around you.” He leaned against the window sill. “I don’t trust anyone unconditionally.”

“Not even me?” It was said in a teasing voice, but Dante’s eyes became cool. “You haven’t given me reason to. You lied to me about your marriage to Antonio and you refuse to give me the name of an outsider who might be privy to compromising information about the Outfit.”

The way he worded it made me sound like a notorious liar. “I didn’t lie to you about the marriage. I told you that I’ve never been with Antonio.”

“Yes, you did, but it was a truth I suspect you gave up only because you feared I’d uncover it eventually.”

Of course he hit the nail on the head. I couldn’t deny it. He would have known I lied and that wouldn’t really have helped my situation. “Does it matter why I decided to tell you the truth?”

“It matters greatly, Valentina. Because I don’t know if you’ll be as forthcoming with future truths if you don’t feel cornered. If I counted every coerced truth as redeeming, I would have to spare every traitor who gives away his knowledge under duress.”

Under duress, what a mild word for what the Outfit did to traitors. “I know what you do to traitors, and that’s exactly why I won’t give you the name of Antonio’s lover.”

“You realize that by aiding Antonio in his deceit you became his accomplice and thus a traitor to the Outfit, and that you keep betraying the Outfit and me by withholding information.”

I pushed off the desk, unable to sit still any longer. “I know. But no matter what you think of me, I am loyal to those I care about. I was loyal to Antonio. If he were still alive, I would have taken his secret to the grave with me to protect him.”

Dante shook his head. “That’s something you can’t say for sure. You’ve never suffered through excruciating pain. Torture is a powerful motivator.”

“I guess we’ll never know, unless you intend to test the theory on me and try to coerce the name of Antonio’s lover out of me,” I said insolently.

Dante fixed me with a hard look. “Because you are my wife and because you are a woman, you are safe. You know that very well.”

Because I was his wife, not because he liked me or even cared for me. “I know,” I said, then because I couldn’t bear the tension between us I added. “If you had a secret you needed to hide, I would keep it for you. I would try to brave torture, pain and death to hide it for you.”

Dante didn’t say anything, didn’t even bridge the distance between us, only gazed at me with his unreadable eyes. I decided to take my exit before I said something sentimental, or before Dante could send me out. Dante didn’t stop me, but I could feel his eyes on my back.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

After a dinner of almost silence, except for the few snippets of conversation about my visit to the casino tomorrow, Dante had returned into his office and I had gone to the library as was becoming habit. Instead of choosing the Russian textbook, I decided to read one of the books on gambling and casinos that crowded the shelves but was distracted by the sound of male voices through the walls. They didn’t sound like Enzo and Taft, so I assumed Dante was having a meeting with other members of the Outfit.

When I went to bed hours later, the halls were dark and Dante was still in his office. I guessed that meant another late night. Would Dante really make me ask for a second time of sex?

***

Much later, I was woken by a hand on my hip. My eyes shot open but I stared into near blackness. The curtains were drawn and allowed only a sliver of moonlight to penetrate the room. My gaze found the pale glow of the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was almost midnight. I had been asleep for less than one hour. What was wrong?

I realized Dante was pressed up against my back, his fingers stroking my hip. “Dante?” I whispered, twisting my head to peer over my shoulder, but his face was covered by shadows. He was close though. His breath fanned over my shoulder, raising the little hairs on my arms. “What’s the--”

He silenced me with a fierce kiss that made me gasp. He didn’t hesitate; his tongue claimed my mouth. I tried to roll over so I was facing his way, but Dante’s firm chest against my back and his tight grip on my hip kept me immobilized. His kiss sent waves of arousal down my center but eventually I pulled back to draw in a deep breath. He pressed his erection against my butt. I exhaled audibly. “Tell me you’re not sore,” he rumbled against my shoulder before he bit down lightly.

I trembled. “Not sore,” was all I managed, and it wasn’t even the truth, but I’d be damned if I stopped Dante from having his way with me.

“Good,” Dante growled before licking my throat. “Tell me to stop, or I won’t.”

I whimpered only in response because Dante had dug his cock into my butt again. I couldn’t wait to get out of my clothes and really feel him against me. I shoved my ass back for additional friction but again Dante’s hand on my hip stopped me. “No.”

“Dante, I really want to--”

His lips swallowed my words again and his fingers tightened in warning. “I want you to be silent now unless you want to tell me to stop.” He nibbled my neck. “You do what I tell you, Valentina, or you tell me to stop. There are only these two options.”

I nodded, and he must have felt it because he couldn’t possibly have seen it in the dark. I was glad Dante didn’t know how turned on I was by his commanding tone.

“Very good,” he said quietly. “You’re still going to be very tight today; that’s why we’re going to go slow and take our time making you really wet.”

I couldn’t believe the same restrained and cold Dante I knew by day was saying those things to me. I wanted to ask him why he’d changed his mind. Did one time make such a difference? Maybe he’d accepted that I knew what I wanted. “I want you to undress now.”

There was only an instant of disappointment that Dante wasn’t going to do it himself but then excitement drowned it out. He released my hip and I quickly sat up and tugged my nightgown over my head, then slid down my panties. I could feel Dante’s eyes on me. I turned to him, wondering if I was supposed to give him some sort of sign and that idea almost made me giggle, but then the bed shifted and I could see Dante getting out of bed and start to undress Everything was in shadows but I could make out his impressive hard-on. “Sit on the edge of the bed.”

I scooted over to his side of the bed and perched on the edge, nervous and curious and excited, and almost bursting with lust. Dante moved closer until he stood in front of me, his erection on eyelevel with me. I gasped before I could swallow the sound, realizing what he wanted to do. Bibiana’s advice shot through my mind but I wasn’t sure if Dante wanted me to act on my own accord. He cupped my cheek, his palm warm and slightly rough against my skin. “How far have you gone before me?”