Page 10 of The Spare (The King Dynasty #2)

Reaching forward, Melody tries to reach under my arm for the sodas, but I twist away, grabbing her up by her arm in a smooth movement and pull her with me as I walk backwards to her freshly made bed.

"Nuh-uh. What you thinking, girl?” I tease, sitting down and bracing my back against the wall behind me and kicking my feet up on the wooden chair.

I heave a deep sigh at her pout. "Now, Mel," I say in a teasing voice, cocking my head.

"You already know the only way you get to drink soda with me. Don't fake like you have amnesia."

"Come on, Mason!" she giggles hitting my arm and pouting playfully, but I shake my head staying firm.

"No," I chuckle, feeling better than I've felt all fucking week now that I'm with her.

Due to a bet she lost three years ago, the only time she gets to drink her favorite soda is when I'm with her.

I was grasping at straws at the time, but it was a way for me to ensure I can see her at least four times a month.

Silly and juvenile, I know, but a man's gotta work with what he can when his hands are strapped.

I arch an eyebrow as she rolls her eyes before getting a sexy grin on her face. "Fine," she grumbles.

"Hmm." Leaning forward, I plant my feet on the floor, placing my elbows on my knees and wait patiently. "You know I don't like to be kept waiting, butterfly."

"Are you ever going to bring me alcohol?" Melody complains in an exasperated tone. A little bit more sassy than usual as she's annoyed with me, but that's okay. "Because I'm about to be twenty. One or two shots isn't going to kill me, you know."

"But being almost twenty, is not the same as being twenty, now is it?" I say. We agreed for her to have her first drink at twenty, not twenty-one.

She twists her lips, and her body jerks almost like she wants to stamp her foot.

My cock tightens because she's just so goddamn sexy.

"Didn't think so. On your knees."

She takes a step forward and then sinks to her knees between my legs.

My cock turns stone hard now, twitching in my pants.

I clear my throat and reach for one of the cans, snapping open the top.

She braces her palms on my thighs, and it's all I can do to not throw her on the bed and fuck her tonight.

Because I'm ready for this insufferable waiting game that Hendrix has forced me into to end. I'm over it.

I crook a finger under her chin and tilt her head up. "Open wide," I say .

She parts her lips and sticks her tongue out looking like a seductive sex kitten. Something that stripper who dared to touch me earlier could only ever pray to emulate. I tip the can over slowly and pour a small amount in her mouth.

She swallows, and her eyes dilate with pleasure as she brings a hand up to wipe her mouth, but I grab it quickly, reaching forward to swipe my thumb across her mouth and gather the moisture that's dotted on her bottom lip.

I press my thumb in slightly, making her wait for me until I take my own drink, groaning with pleasure as it goes down. I love sharing a soda with her; it's one of my absolute favorite things about our relationship.

A guilty pleasure of mine, if you will.

"Have you been a good girl, Mel?" I ask, looking to the side as I place the soda on her nightstand. "Passing all your classes for me?"

She rolls her eyes again, her husky laugh making my dick swell even tighter somehow.

"Come on, Mason! First Izzy, mom, Henny, and now you?

" she sighs, rising off her knees in a graceful movement.

I take her arm when she reaches for the chair my feet are propped on, yanking her to sit on the bed next to me instead.

"I guess I should expect a call from Teresa, next, huh?

" She grabs two pillows and shoves one behind me and then her, getting us comfortable.

"Well, you're barely maintaining your GPA," I say, concerned. "What's up with that?"

"Math," she grumbles, her face pinching up in a scowl.

My eyes narrow at this girl’s fucking attitude. She only shows it with me.

Melody folds her arms obstinately, and I cut my eyes at her, kicking off my shoes and drawing a knee up onto the bed to drape my arm over it.

Settling myself in to talk about this with her.

She and school have been like oil and water, and I need to get to the bottom of it before Isobel inserts herself in the picture.

Because, my god, as much as I love that woman, I'd rather throw myself to my death head first off the Eiffel tower than deal with overbearing, pregnant Isobel.

Fuck.

God bless my brother. He's a saint.

"I told you to call me if you started having problems again, and I'd start back tutoring you, Mel. I'm really not happy that you're failing something that could be easily rectified with a phone call and some extra tutoring time, sweetheart. That doesn't make me feel good."

I feel rejected, actually.

She purses her lips and her cheeks flush as she nibbles on her bottom lip in irritation. "Yeah, well, you've been busy."

Uh-uh.

"I'm never too busy for you, you know that," I snap, a lot harsher than I mean to. "I told you I'd always be there for you. All you have to do is call me."

Melody looks over at me and flicks her eyes from mine to my lips and back again. For a second, it almost looks like she wants me to kiss her. My body strains towards her; however, I keep myself in check. Honoring my promise to my brother to give her time.

Goddamn it. Fuck him. I take back the saint comment.

My hesitation doesn't even matter because she turns at the last minute, snatching the soda off her nightstand.

The barely there visible muscles of her trim waist ripple with her movement, drawing my eyes down.

Her cropped top rides up just a little, revealing the bottom edge of her pink sports bra. It's all very innocent.

For her.

"Well," she stresses, handing me the can. "I know, but…" she hesitates, looking unsure.

"Tell me," I stress. "Don't clam up on me, sweetheart. Just spit it out."

She meets my eyes, her speech reluctant.

"I overheard your brother and your dad talking about how they'd lost out on a few clients those couple months you were tutoring me, and I figured I didn't want to rock the boat any more than shit already was.

I know your relationship with your dad is not…

" she trails off, but she doesn't need to say it.

We both know the status of mine and Father's relationship.

There really isn't one. Me helming my own financial sector didn't exactly help like we'd all thought. It's fucked up.

"Melody, I don't give a flying fuck about what they want," I say, shoving a hand through my hair. I look back at her, trying my hardest to hide my irritation. My father and brother, always fucking something up for me. "We made a pact, Mel. You need help, you call me! That was the deal!"

She’s silent… too silent.

I reach over and pull her to face me. I soften my tone, cognizant of the pressure that the both of us are under regarding our families.

"Hey, I thought we said that even if everything and everyone else fell away, that we'd still have each other," I say softly.

Her beautiful brown eyes widen, and the can crinkles in her hand. "Is that not the case anymore?"

"Yeah… i-it is," she says in a shaky voice. "That's never going to change. Are you…" her eyes flicker between mine. "Are you worried that it's going to?"

"No," I say hoarsely. "The only change I'm concerned with is yours, butterfly. I'm dying to see you break out of your cocoon."

The cracks are forming already. I swear I can see it .

"Nothing's going to change, Masey," she whispers, her eyes flicking to my lips again. My cock jerks again. Arousal rises up within me swiftly, setting my skin on fire.

I almost do it; I almost lean forward and kiss her.

My thumb brushes her cheek, I even lean in a bit, but at the last second I pull away, taking a deep breath.

"It better not," I growl through the lump in my throat. Because I can't imagine not ever having her. My whole fucking world would end. I spent too long curating this life for myself so that when it was time, I could pull her into my orbit.

And if my father ruins this for me because he feels like I'm not giving our family business every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears that he and Hendrix did, then I'll never forgive them. Ever.

Especially after me having to also moonlight as a financial advisor to Lucien.

They had years to work and focus before their spouses came along.

I didn't have that luxury. Melody and I found each other earlier in life, and I refuse to work myself to death to prove something to our families that I don't need to. I need to save something of myself to give to her.

I change the subject. Listening to her chat about her grades, her teachers, and her irritating ass roommate, while we finish off our sodas. I hug her goodnight, and make my way to my car, already making up my mind.

I pull out my phone and text my brother. Truly over him and my father. They can kiss my ass.

I'm done waiting.-Mason