14. Bianca

I"m going about my day as usual when my phone goes off, and Private Number appears on the screen. I look around the office, making sure no one is around, and I answer it. Something tells me that whoever is on the other line won"t bring any good news.

"Artemis," I answer, using my mercenary code name.

"Little goddess." A chuckle at the end of the line alerts me to the caller"s exact identity.

"Berserker," I reply sarcastically, knowing fully well he detests being called by that name.

"Alas, I bring about dire news." He sighs in that dramatic style of his.

"Spill, I can"t talk for long."

"Oh, is that wimpy husband of yours around? You wound me."

"Don"t force my hand. What is it?"

"That"s exactly what I wanted to talk about. Your husband. You"ll want to know."

"What is it?"

"Meet me tomorrow at 5. The bar."

"But—" I"m about to answer, but he hangs up on me. Fucker. Ugh… Nothing"s going well. What could he have to tell me about my husband? Maybe it"s something regarding the incident at the port. Whatever it is, it makes me too anxious.

I go through the motions at work, looking forward to arriving at home and seeing Theo.

We haven"t said anything more about what happened last night, and I sincerely hope whatever happened to him isn"t related to me or my activities.

Just thinking about the look he"d given me… Chills spread down my body. I could take a bullet, and it wouldn"t kill me. But my husband"s contempt? That would be the end of me.

When I finally arrive home, the most delicious smell in the world greets me.

"Theo?"

"In the kitchen," he yells. I round the corner to the kitchen to see him in a black shirt and gray sweatpants with an apron on top. He has mittens on his hands, and he"s removing a tray from the oven.

"My, my," I start, the corner of my mouth lifting slightly. "What have we here?"

"My apology?" He grins at me and puts the tray on the table.

"And he cooks." I whistle suggestively. "Where can I find a man like that?"

"You have it." He gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"Aren"t I lucky?"

"I"m all yours, darling. I come with lasagna too." He smiles and gestures to the food.

"Consider me impressed." I return his kiss and tell him I"ll quickly change and join him for dinner.

When I"m back, he"s already lit two candles and opened a red wine bottle, pouring it in two glasses.

"Alcohol again?" I raise an eyebrow jokingly, and he smiles sheepishly."I have to say your apology gets a nine out of ten," I tease after I try a bite of the lasagna.

"Why"d you take one point off?" He frowns at me.

"You didn"t get me flowers."

"You"re allergic," he counters.

"I don"t care; it"s all about the gesture."

"But then you would have sneezed."

"Fake flowers." My tongue goes out at him cheekily.

"Should I be cheesy and say you"re the most beautiful flower? Would I get the point for that?"

"Ewww, Theo. Too cheesy!" I laugh, and he joins me.

"Fair enough. I had to try."

"You"re amazing, you know that?" My face softens as I look at him. I stand and come behind him, winding my arms around his neck.

"Only because it"s you." His hand comes up on top of mine, and we stand like that for a moment.

"Okay, that"s it. Let"s put the dishes in the sink for Martha and let"s go watch something."

"Am I forgiven?" His voice is serious now.

"Only if I am, for whatever I did." He shakes his head and purses his lips.

"I told you it was all me."

"Then there"s nothing to forgive. Come on, I"ll let you choose the show."

"Wow, so magnanimous of you." He follows me into the living room, and we make ourselves comfortable on the floor. It"s been a tradition of ours ever since we"d gotten the penthouse. Since the carpets are so incredibly soft, we always end up there and not on the sofa. We browse around for a show, and after a while, he seems to find the courage to ask me something that"s clearly been on his mind.

"B… Did you really like it?" He"s still looking at the screen and not at me.

"I did." I sigh, and I turn to face him. "Theo, why did you think I wouldn"t?"

"B… you"re so soft, and you"ve had such a sheltered upbringing… I didn"t think you"d ever…"

"I promise you I enjoyed it. Didn"t you?" I throw the question at him.

There"s such a duality in Theo, sometimes it"s almost too amusing. Knowing how he"d treated Pink and how he"d enjoyed it had made me realize from the beginning that there were some depths to Theo that I just couldn"t reach. Not as long as I was Bianca, the pure wife. As Pink, I"d felt it on my own skin how wild and uncontrolled he can be. As Bianca? He"d always held something back. Something animalistic and primal that called to the bloodthirst inside me.

"I did." I put my head on his shoulder and hug his arm. "Tell me something, Theo." I"m feeling daring, especially now that we"re opening up to potential sexual adventures.

"What"s your darkest sexual fantasy?" Almost as soon as the words are out of my mouth, I feel him stiffen.

"What… what prompted that?"

"Well, if we"re going to have an open discussion, why not lay it all out there. What"s something you"d really, really like to try?"

There"s a pause where he almost doesn"t breathe.

"To have you at my mercy," he finally says, and it"s my turn to frown. That"s it?

"You already have me." I try to make light of it.

He gives a tortured laugh.

"You have absolutely no idea what you"re saying."

"I"ll let you do whatever you want to me," I tell him, hoping he"ll give me some specifics.

"Whatever," he repeats almost in wonder. "B… I would destroy you."

I look at him, expecting him to laugh, but he"s earnest. My eyes meet his, and I see the truth. He would, in fact, destroy me.

Ah, how I wish he would.