“I already have her under our watch,” he says. “Loyalty in the Dormer Mafia goes much deeper than Michael. All Dormer family members are highly valued.”
All the more reason to like Henry. He’s a man of loyalty, unlike many others. I have nothing left to say to him because he already understands what he should be doing, and I’m assuming he knows how to get it done.
I drum my fingers on the smooth table again, looking around at everyone sitting before me with bleary, sleep-deprived eyes. Everyone except Henry, that is. He looks like a night owl.
“Now that we have that out of the way, I’d like to discuss the intricacies in merging mafia groups. I suggest you get comfortable, because this isn’t going to be a thirty-minute meeting,” I announce, going back to the coffee pot for another cup of cold coffee.
Dean loses his stiff posture and slouches in his seat like I know he’s been dying to do this entire time. Henry stays in the exact same position, and Amy pressed her thin lips together harder as I pour myself another cup of coffee.
“Alright,” I say, turning around to face them again. “Let’s get started.”
Chapter Eleven
Carter
Three hours of running through numbers, finances, and roles in the new merge of the Calandro and Dormer Mafias, and I’m about ready to pass out. The two small cups of coffee managed to get me through the first half of the meeting, but near the end, I was dying to be done with it.
I’m exhausted, not just physically, but mentally. I wasn’t prepared for the loss of George, nor was I prepared to be a husband. It comes down to more than just busy days at work. It’s personal, and that means that I’m only going to be that more drained than usual.
I need my scalp rubbed and need to blow off some steam in the bedroom, but Honey is fast asleep when I arrive back to the room at some odd hour in the morning. I didn’t expect her to be awake when I got back, but I had hoped that she might wake up when I came inside. I find comfort in the sound of her voice. It’s gentle and feminine, unlike those that I deal with on a daily basis.
I pull my t-shirt over my head and toss it to the floor in the darkness of the bedroom. The only thing I can see in the small mound of Honey’s body beneath the white sheets of the king-sized bed, but it’s enough to guide me there without running into anything.
I sleep naked, and that hasn’t changed just because I have a woman in bed with me. In fact, that’s all the more reason to be naked. Why should I have to wear clothes in front of my own wife?
I pull down my pants and underwear in the same motion, stepping out of them and leaving them on the floor next to the bed. I slip into the cool sheets beside Honey, sliding toward her glowing warmth. I feel the soft fabric grow hot. Then, my thigh makes contact with hers.
Even in the dark, I can see Honey’s eyes fly open when our bodies make contact. She blinks a few times, then sighs. “You scared me,” she says, her voice husky from sleep.
I shift my weight, bringing my body closer to hers. The warmth radiating from her skin feels good. It’s so good that I almost forget that I’m naked and that she’d probably freak out if my cock touched her thigh. Should I even care, though?
“What time is it?” she asks, lifting her head from the pillow.
“Late. Go back to sleep,” I whisper, settling onto the soft mattress so that I face her.
“You shouldn’t stay up that late,” she says.
I’m surprised that she’d be concerned about my health, but then again, I know nothing about her. “Are you implying that you care about me?” I ask.
She laughs. “Jesus, Carter. I never said I hated you. I just don’t really know you.”
“Fair enough,” I reply.
Honey props her head up on one hand, looking at me with those beautiful grey eyes she’s blessed with. “Do you believe in ghosts?” she asks, catching me off guard.
“Why, are you scared of them?” I ask in return.
She smiles. “No, but I was having a dream about what happened in the desert. You know, when my father died, and I saw my mother, like a ghost. I think I was hallucinating, though.”
“The heat can play tricks on you,” I assure her. “The human mind is an enigma of chaos and brilliance. There’s no telling what stuff it can cook up and send your way when you’re not in a sane state of mind.”
“That’s true,” she says, slumping back down into her pillow. “It just felt disconcertingly real.”
“Maybe she was there. I don’t know,” I say, but I don’t really believe in ghosts. I’ve never seen one.
Honey turns slightly more toward me, and her breast brushes against my arm. I can distinctly feel her nipple pressing into my skin, like a soft little button. Again, I’m surprised. I thought she went to bed in a nightgown.
“Are you naked?” I ask.
“I was hot,” she replies. “I had a bad dream.”
“Well, well, well,” I say, unable to hide a smug look from my face. “After fussing at me for so long, you’ve finally given in.”
“I didn’t do it for you,” she snaps.
“But you did do it, and now we’re both naked,” I say. “How does that feel?”
“Warm,” she replies softly.
I can’t argue with that. I enjoy the softness of Honey’s skin against mine. I feel like I’ve aged a thousand years since becoming a mafia boss, but she’s just as pure and smooth as a young woman who’s never known evil in her life. I wonder how it’s possible.
I shift toward her again, unable to keep myself from
