Page 49 of Reckless Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 8)

“It’s not my place to tell you what you can and can’t do, Demon. And you made it clear to me before that you wanted to dance. I have no right to stop you.”

His response makes it hard to suck in the air I need.

This is why I fell so hard and so fast for him. In so many ways he’s perfect. Prior to learning about the secrets he was keeping from me, he was perfect.

“What will you do when I go back tomorrow?” I ask, genuinely interested by his answer.

His teeth grind and his jaw pops. Guilt rushes through me that I’m even asking the question, forcing him to think about it as if it’s really an issue when I already know I’m not stepping foot back in that place again.

“I’ll find myself a table in the middle of the place and never take my eyes off you.”

“And if I don’t want you in there?”

“Then I’ll be in the security room, watching. It’s a Wolves club, and they owe us a favour.”

“You don’t need to worry, I’d already decided I wasn’t going back before… that happened.”

I’m not sure if he realised he was even doing it, but the second I confess that, a massive rush of air passes his lips.

“I don’t think that life is really for me. I should probably stick to serving coffee, not alcohol.”

“I can get your job back if you want,” he offers. “Matt wasn’t too thrilled to lose you in the first place.”

“Didn’t stop him agreeing to set me up though, did it?” I mutter, still pissed off about that whole situation.

“He didn’t have a lot of choice.”

“Even so. I won’t go back there. I’ll find something.”

“There’s no rush. You’ve got all the money you could need.”

“I don’t want his money, Toby. Even before I wouldn’t have wanted it, but now… it just feels tainted.”

“It is what it is. You may as well make the most of it.”

“What about you and your mum?” I ask.

“You don’t need to worry about us. We’ve got all we could need. Well… she has. I’m still working on what I want the most.”

“You’re smooth, you know that?”

He shrugs before I turn away from him and place my empty mug on the side. “I try. And I’ll keep trying until you realise that I’m serious.”

With a yawn, I slip down the bed and snuggle deeper under the covers.

My feet ache, my upper arm burns from that prick’s harsh hold, and fear still threatens right on the edges of my consciousness.

There’s a huge part of me that doesn’t want to fall asleep for fear that it’ll all just come rushing back. But as Toby slips down beside me, wraps his arm around my waist, and tugs me into the warmth of his body, I know I have little choice. I can’t fight my exhaustion or the comfort he offers me.