She blinked several times, the sun streaming through the window, warming her skin and encouraging her to wake lazily with the beams that crept across her bed. She reached a toe out, searching for her newly re-vowed husband, but he wasn’t there.

“Volkan?” she asked, sitting up with a yawn.

There was no answer.

Pulling on her pink flower-patterned silk robe, she wandered onto the balcony, gazing out across the island. If she squinted, she could just barely make out the airfield. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, either at the house or further up the island. Weird. There should be staff and guests wandering about.

She made her way back inside, opening the bedroom door and stepping into the hallway. It was deserted. Her foot landed on something cool and soft. Looking down, she discovered rose petals scattered across the floor, leading toward the stairs.

She bent down and picked a handful, holding them up to her nose before letting them sift through her fingers and fall to the floor. It must be another gift from her husband, but where were the children? In the past nine years, she’d not once known them to be this quiet in the morning.

“Tarkan, Astrid, Tianna!” she called, her heart picking up at the lack of human activity, though logically she knew there had to be an explanation. Still, until she laid eyes on her three children, she wouldn’t relax.

She followed the rose petals downstairs where they led out onto the pool deck. She gasped when she caught sight of her husband. “Volkan! What are you doing? The kids…”

He was standing naked next to a cart filled with coffee, juice, croissants, fruit, whipping cream, chocolate and more. It wasn’t the food that caught her attention, but the cock that was rapidly making its pleasure at the sight of its favourite person known.

Volkan chuckled. “Everyone woke up early and went back to the mainland. The kids are with Narin, and your family is going to spend a few days with them before flying back to Canada.”

“But…” She didn’t finish the sentence, staring open-mouthed as Volkan stalked toward her, his eyes glittering with the predatory light she’d come to love.

He reached for her, gathered her hair at the back of her neck and wrapped it around his fist, using the tether to pull her head back until she was staring up at him. “But nothing,” he said in his deep, whiskey voice. “I have you to myself for ten days, one for each year of our marriage. I intend to make each one the best day of your life until you’re so filled with bliss that you’ll never consider leaving.”