Free The Life by Bethany-Kris Page B

if he wasn’t at her every beck and call. I’d just … fucking kill him.”
    “Did you tell him to go screw himself?” Viviana asked.
    “Maybe,” he replied in a breath.
    “It’s a good thing you’re the boss, Anton.”
    “Don’t I already fucking know it, baby.”
    Lifting his head, Anton rested his cheek to Viviana’s and blew out a harsh sound. She knew her husband was about done with the day and wanting to go home. Slowly, Viviana turned her head, letting her lips ghost along the dusting of his five o’clock shadow, the sandpaper feel tickling tantalizingly to her mouth.
    “I’m sorry.”
    His arms tightened around her frame. “Hmm, don’t be.”
    “I like having access to you whenever I need you, Anton.”
    “I know.”
    Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Viviana asked, “I’m going to have to steer clear of the club, huh?”
    That was usually his request of her when something like this happened. At least then it looked like she’d been properly chastised for her behavior to someone on the outside looking in. Viviana understood, and followed along with it for Anton’s benefit, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
    “Yeah, for a little while, anyway,” Anton said sadly. “Kiss me?”
    Damn, he didn’t have to ask a second time. Seeking out the heat of his mouth, Viviana let her body melt into his as Anton’s fingers traced up her sides to find her cheeks. Holding his gaze, she lost herself in the wide open blue of his eyes locked onto hers as his tongue swept over the seam of her lips, wanting entrance to her mouth.
    Like this, their kisses were always so slow. Tantalizing enough to feel every swipe of his tongue exploring her mouth. Sweet enough to taste the coffee he’d been sipping on. Gentle enough to know he was apologizing for things he wouldn’t say out loud.
    Pulling away, Anton cleared his throat sexily, smirking as he bumped his nose to hers.
    “So, why aren’t you in class?” Anton asked.
    “Yeah, about that,” Viviana said bitingly. Poking a finger into his chest, and enjoying the look of shock he wore, she scowled at her husband. “We need to talk.”

 
    Chapter Five
     
    “And our best conversations always come from those words.”
    Viviana frowned at him again. “I’m serious, Anton.”
    “Me, too,” he grumbled under his breath.
    Anton had been so worried when Viviana flew into his office unannounced. Usually one of her bulls called ahead of time to say she was on her way over to the club. They hadn’t this time, for whatever reason.
    With that finger of hers still pointed at his chest like a gun ready to blow, Viviana spoke through clenched teeth as she asked, “What did you do?”
    Anton blinked, surprised at the venom in his wife’s tone. “Me?”
    “Well who the hell else am I asking, Anton?”
    “I’m confu—”
    “ Vanessa ,” she interrupted with a cock of her brow.
    “Oh.”
    From Erik’s accounts, the girl in question was readying to leave New York. It had only been three days before that Anton had approached her. He was satisfied with that result.
    “Yeah, oh .”
    Keeping his face blank, Anton said, “I didn’t hurt that girl.”
    “Obviously,” Viviana replied shortly. “She was very much alive when I visited her apartment earlier. So unless something happened between an hour ago and now, then she’s probably on her way out of town as we speak, frightened she might not make it out alive otherwise.”
    “You did what ?”
    Viviana refused to meet his stare, but her next words were enough to say exactly what she felt about his choice in actions regarding Vanessa Macey. “You can’t just go around doing whatever it was that you did, Anton.”
    “I didn’t do anything,” he argued, annoyance seeping into his tone.
    “Right.”
    “Okay,” Anton said with a roll of his eyes. “So, let me rephrase. I didn’t do anything that wasn’t to her benefit. Does that make you feel better?”
    “No.”
    The word was