Page 74 of Knot Their Princess

“You don’t like people in general.”

I know better than to try and argue against that.

“Ilya can be gruff and hard on the outside, but inside, he’s still a sweet boy. Even after all these years of the corporate life. He held on, where his father hasn’t.”

“Papa deals with the less… clean aspects of the business,” I explain to Sin. “He travels a lot to deal with things he doesn’t want us to have to. He’s been saying for years that once he finishes his work, he’ll come home and retire.”

Sin frowns for a moment, then recovers. “I’m very new to all of this.”

“I am overjoyed that Giovanni has a daughter. I’m just sad that you lost so much time together,” Mother says. “But I have always held onto the belief that everything happens for a reason.”

“Though it would have been wonderful to grow up together.” I stop short there as visions of what could have been float through my mind. The four of us playing as children, my brothers and I protecting Sin from bullies—or, perhaps, she’d protect us, considering her personality. Discovering our scent-match bond, having to be kept in check at all times to prevent any accidental additions to our family…

The more I think about it, the more I realize it would have been chaos and distraction. If we’d all been together from birth, we may not be where we are today.

My mother has always been a genius.

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to work twice as hard to get better now.” Mother smiles brightly at both of us. “There’s no way I’m going to miss your joining ceremony.”

My responding smile is equally joyous, though the pain in my chest returns.

“You being with us would be the greatest gift I could receive.”

Please, let this one thing go right.

“Do you always have a driver take you to Long Island and back?”

Sin and I are seated beside each other in the backseat of the town car, the privacy window between us and the driver shut and locked from our side.

“Not always, but Thomas is an excellent driver. There are days I don’t want the frustrations of traffic. It’s less stressful to be a passenger.”

She hums at me, a little glint in her eye that makes my brow hike.

“What?”

She grins at me. “Big, successful businessman control-freak relinquishing his control.”

“For the sake of traffic.”

“For the sake of traffic,” she repeats, amusement flashing across her face.

“You’re insinuating that I enjoy relinquishing control?”

“Well, I know you enjoy it when I’m the one you submit to.”

A wave of pleasurable fire rolls through my veins at her teasing, but I can’t argue with her. I may have only truly tried letting her control me once, briefly, but when she gives directions, I’m more than eager to follow. I know her pleasure and mine are right around the corner if I do.

The light of an idea flashes across her face. “Why don’t we try something?”

“What?” My voice comes out raspy, my cock hardening in my pants, making me have to readjust in my seat.

She bites her lower lip as she regards me. “A lesson in control.”

There’s challenge in her voice that makes me want to meet her head-on.

“I’m game.”

Her smile is nothing short of pure deviousness. And the next thing I know, she’s shimmying out of her jeans and panties, her sweater and bra following. The sight of her smooth, pale body, her large breasts, and that glistening pussy have me growling, my fingers itching to touch her.