Page 94 of Kings & Queen

“Umm, not really.”

She sighed heavily, understanding the topic was closed for the moment. She went to move, but I held on tighter. I cut a piece of shepherd’s pie and brought the fork up to her mouth. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, she parted her lips and accepted my offering. “Talk to me, baby girl.”

After chewing, she said, “Fine. After talking with your father, I decided I’ll have plenty of time to repent and crawl my way out of the inferno. Well, I will once I disappear. Your father was right about one thing, though, and I find myself in a unique position.”

“Really? Please share?” I raised an eyebrow and winked.

“It’s simple. You see, Kinsley may have to be stuck in the inferno, with no hope of escape, because let’s be real. She will dream about you long after you’ve forgotten her name. But Emma Kate, she won’t be anywhere near that damned hellfire called the inferno. If there are no Kings, then there is no inferno,” she declared dramatically. She had the most perfected Southern-American accent I’d heard.

Tucking the information away in my brain, I said, “Oh, so you’re going back to America and possibly the Southern areas. Good to know, Emma Kate. Well, thanks for giving me a small head start and a name to go off. I’ll commit tosearching every square inch of the South for you. You know, I once dated a Laura Leigh. She was the epitome of a Southern belle.”

“Wow, really? Keep it up, Crow, and I’ll dive deep into the scene and find myself a new Daddy. Maybe even before I land. Yes, a nice Southern Daddy who I can ride.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Her comment, while clearly all in fun, had me feeling pangs of possessiveness. Visions of her calling out “Daddy” for another man had my cheek twitching. “Like hell, you will. I’ll be the only Daddy you ever know.”

I shoved my hands into her hair and kissed her so damn thoroughly that she had to turn away to catch her breath. Chef Bonfils cleared his throat, and I loosened my tight grip on her but didn’t release her completely.

The look of complete shock on Chef’s face had me biting back laughter. I was sure that in the decades he had been serving our family, he’d never once seen anyone siting shirtless at the table. My hands continued to roam under her dress, and it was obvious.

I squeezed her thigh. “Oh, dessert. I can’t wait to taste it.” I stood her up, slapped her ass for good measure, and pushed her back toward her chair.

Ever the gentleman, Chef ignored me. “Yes, Ms. Taylor once more insisted. Something about ratting me out if I didn’t let her in the kitchen.”

“I’m not quite sure I said that. I only meant that the Kings don’t keep secrets from one another, so Nik was aware that I made Alek dessert last night. He would expect that I do the same for him.”

“Yes, well, I hope you know how to make Russian desserts, too, because Ivan’s tastes run more along the lines of Mrs. King’s,” he said, his voice gruff.

She grew quiet, and I studied her. Chef had no idea his words hit hard.Damn Ivan and his stubbornness.

“Thank you, Chef,” I murmured, giving him a small nod, and he quietly slipped out, leaving us alone.

“This is delicious, Kinsley. Thank you.” I scraped the last bit of mousse from the edge of the glass, the cool silk of it melting on my tongue before I set the spoon down.

When I looked up, she was staring at her own forlornly, and I stood. “Come on, no sad face tonight. We have too many erotic things to discuss.”

Chapter 39

Nikolai

Expectations Broken Down

Her fingers curled instinctivelyaround mine as I laced them together and guided her down the hall. The creak of the floorboards grew quieter with each step, the hush between us lingering. I guided her to the bathroom and gave her a gentle shove to use the toilet.

With a heavy heart, I turned the faucet on and adjusted the water temperature. As it filled, I disrobed. When her face appeared again, it was still racked with grief. This wouldn’t do.

“In you go,” I stated.

She stepped in first, easing into the warmth, and I followed, lowering myself into the water. The heat wrapped around us both, and for a moment, all I could do was breathe her in.

“I plan to email you my list of rules and expectations tomorrow, but we can go over some of them tonight, if you wish.”

“I’d love that, actually. I don’t want to disappoint you in any way.”

“Just so you know, none of the rules any of us give you are meant to control or restrict you, but only to guide and enrich the relationships. I hope you trust us enough to know that we only want what’s best for you. I’ve broken mine down into categories so they’re easier for you to digest.”

She had straightened up and hung on to every word I said. Her face grew serious, and I knew she wasn’t just hearing but absorbing my words. “Sounds fair. What are the categories?”

“Health, safety, obedience, social, and emotional. We can always renegotiate as you are ready or feel it’s necessary. Within reason, of course.”