Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Her gaze dropped to my mouth, then lifted back to look me in the eyes. “Is that it then? I’m your obsession? It’s not love?”
A grin tugged at my lips. “Some might define this as love. But that’s a basic word. Entirely overused. What I feel for you is more expansive than that.” I brushed a kiss over her lips. “There was no beauty in my life until you. I set out to charm you, and instead, I ended up being completely enchanted.”
Royal pressed her lips to mine gently. Every horrible second that I’d endured the past three weeks melted away. She was here, in my arms. Her sweet taste reminding me just how addictive she was. Why my damn soul had shriveled up to die without her.
“I don’t want to ever lose you again,” she said against my lips. “We tell each other everything. No more secrets.”
I pulled back, knowing if I didn’t, I’d not remember what I needed to tell her if she kept rubbing against me like that.
“In that case, I need to tell you that I know where your mother lives, her husband’s name, where they work, and the fact that you have a ten-year-old half brother.”
Her eyes went wide as she stood there, staring up at me. Talking about the woman who had left her while I had her soft and sweet in my arms was the last thing I had wanted to do, but I couldn’t chance keeping something like this and her finding out. Losing her was a nightmare I never wanted to relive.
“Why? How?” she asked, confusion in her eyes.
I sighed. “Another thing you should know about the family. We can and do get all backgrounds and details of everyone we deal with. Knowledge is power. I hate that woman for leaving you with that bastard, but if you want to see her, I want you to know I have the information you need.”
She dropped her gaze and stayed silent for a moment. I wanted her lips on mine again. Her body pressing against me. Not this torn, confused expression. I fucking hated upsetting her.
Finally, she lifted her eyes to mine. “Not right now. But maybe one day.”
I nodded. “You say the word, and I’ll make it happen.”
She slid her arms around my neck. “I took you from your party.”
“You did. But I have no complaints.”
“You sure? Looked like you were having fun when I walked in.”
I chuckled. “There’s my jealous girl.”
“Do you want to go back in there? That was a horse race on the screen I saw. Is it one of yours?”
“It is,” I told her, pressing a kiss to her neck, then inhaling. God, I’d missed that smell. “And nothing on this earth is going to get me to let go of you. Fuck the damn races.”
She laughed softly and arched her neck for me to reach more. “I could go in there with you. I’ll sit in your lap. Replace the other girl.”
I paused and pulled back to look at her. “Ace, there is no fucking way in hell you’re going to take off your top and show these tits to anyone else.”
She grinned at me, and I realized she was teasing me. She wasn’t serious.
“Is there somewhere we can go so I can sit in your lap, naked?”
I reached down and grabbed her hand in mine, then started toward the stairs.
“I take it, there is?” she said, having to jog to keep up with my long, determined strides.
“I have a bedroom upstairs,” I told her, stopping at the bottom step and picking her up so I could get up there faster.
The door opened across from us.
Wells stepped out, shirtless. His gaze went from Royal to me, and then he grinned. “Thank fuck!” he said, then turned around to the room full of people. “I think we just got Sebastian back!” he shouted to the room.
I smirked and headed the rest of the way up the stairs, taking them two at a time with her in my arms. I was getting a second chance, and this time, I’d make sure she never had a reason to doubt me again.
In the darkness of our world, when you found your light, you didn’t fucking let it go.
• Thirty-Eight •
Bring it on, Boss.
Royal
I paused outside the restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sebastian’s hand squeezed mine. He was with me. I could do this. Face her. The woman who’d left me at six months old, never looking back. No calls. Not even a birthday card. Nothing.
I hadn’t decided to do this because I wanted to know her. It was more of a need for closure. One I’d never had the chance to have. Sebastian hadn’t questioned it when I told him that I wanted to meet her. He asked me how, where, when and handled it all. He’d even made the contact with her. I just … I just couldn’t do that.