Page 15 of The Spare (The King Dynasty #2)

"Mason," she chastises me. "You know you don't have to-" her words trail off, and her eyes go wide as saucers when I open the box with the diamond necklace. The tiny light inside illuminates it just right, making it sparkle. Her breath catches in her throat. "Oh my God, Masey…"

Though she typically can't stand clothes, she's a slut for jewelry.

I arch my brow, taking the necklace out and placing it carefully around her neck. I bring out the bracelet and clasp it around her left wrist, then pull out the ring. A gorgeous cushion cut diamond.

She holds out her left hand, but I tsk, shaking my head. "The right one, please." As she switches, I cradle her hand delicately in mine and slide the ring ever so slowly on her ring finger. It's a perfect fit.

As she holds it up in front of her, her hand trembles. "Wow," she breathes.

Grasping her chin with my fingers I turn her to face me. "The dress might be on loan, but the jewelry isn't. So when we're done having a good time, I'm going to take these home and put them in my safe. But they're yours whenever you want them. Okay?"

She nods, her eyes sliding back to her hand.

"It's beautiful, huh?" I chuckle. I can't wait until she sees her wedding ring.

She giggles, her gaze catching mine. "You know I'm a sucker for a good piece of jewelry, Mason. What can I do to repay you?"

I pause, not expecting her question. I clear my throat, stepping away from her and dragging common sense back into the game of mental gymnastics that's currently taking place in my mind. "You know I love to spoil you when it comes to these things."

It's not a lie.

Two hours later we've mingled, ate, politely conversed with all the powerful people in New York, and have even shaken hands with a Prince. Melody looks weary, and I am ready to go. But we're caught in a horrendously boring conversation with a doctor who will not shut up about her art collection.

A young man comes up to Melody's side, tapping her gently on the arm and causing everyone at the table to quiet their conversation.

"Excuse me, miss." He smiles brightly at her.

"But you caught my eye from across the room and I wondered if you might care to dance with me?

" he asks, flicking his eyes across her face with true curiosity that has me clenching my fist on my thigh.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think this was the look of first love.

My brow rises, and I cut my eyes at him in disgust.

He's about mid-twenties, dark chestnut hair, chiseled features, and full of so much charm it makes me nauseated.

The cigarettes burn a hole in my pocket, as does my craving for stress relief.

I smoke to help keep myself from wanting to fuck, but it's ability to stem those lustful thoughts are starting to wane, and I've noticed I can go through a tin in two days if I'm not careful.

My brother's request for me to lay low plays on a resounding loop in my head, and it's the only thing that's keeping me from leaping forward and punching him straight in his fucking too-bronzed face.

Melody's eyes flick to mine for a beat too long and then back to him again. "Sure, I'd love to."

I stiffen as he holds out his hand. Melody takes it, walking with him to the dance floor where he pulls her close, and they sway to some slow song. A muscle clenches in my jaw, and my mood sours .

The doctor leans forward, with a conspiratorial wink. "They look beautiful together, don't they? Whoever manages to bag her is going to be one lucky man." She sits back with a giggle and takes a sip of her wine. "As a matter of fact, I have a nephew that I'd love to introduce her to if they don't-

Nasty, hate filled energy swells inside me at her words, and she trails off at the stare I level her with. And I can only imagine what my face looks like because she purses her lips together, suddenly turning her attention to the couple next to her.

Fuck Hendrix's rules. I'll behave when I feel like it.

I stand up, weaving between tables and servers, striding to the dance floor. Melody's eyes are bright, and she's laughing quietly at something he's saying.

"Excuse me," I clip in a stern voice. "You can give me my date back now."

The man turns to look over his shoulder, as does Melody, who meets my eyes with a confused expression on her face. "The dance just started-" he says.

Arching a haughty brow, I raise my voice slightly. "Do I look like I give a fuck?" The man’s face flushes as he sputters like an idiot, and Melody blinks rapidly at my nasty tone, but it’s true. I honestly don't give a fuck. "I said I'd like my date back. Now. Unhand. Her."

His eyes widen, but he lets Melody go immediately, turning to face her and nodding his head. "It was a pleasure, Mel. I hope to see you around."

As soon as he's out of earshot she turns furious eyes to me. "That was embarrassing," she grits through her teeth. "Explain yourself."

"Sure. I'd love to." I reach forward and grab her wrist, pulling her along with me. "Come on, let's go take a breather and talk out on the terrace. "

I take her hand and lead her across the room to the glass double doors and hold it open for her, jerking my head to let her go first. Her eyes meet mine as she steps over the threshold, and then turns her head as the wind blows, molding her dress tight to her legs and the perfect round globes of her ass.

My fingers itch to run my hands down them.

My cock jerks as I follow Melody into the night breeze, enchanted by the scent of her perfume and something deeper that's inherently her.

I whip off my jacket and place it over her shoulders, leading her to the far corner of the terrace where a little lake sparkles in the moonlight off in the distance. Pelicans float on its surface.

A sort of serene calmness blankets the grounds below us in stark contrast to the tumultuous envy and longing that wars inside me for dominance.

I crowd her in the very corner. The parapet almost comes to her chest, highlighting how delicate and small she is.

I step all the way to her, just shy of pressing my front to her back.

She settles her hands on the concrete, nervously playing with her new ring.

Content with the silence between us, I reach into the inner pocket of my jacket and pull out the small tin I store my hand rolled cigarettes in, tapping it roughly a few times.

She turns to face me with a curiosity that's intriguing. "I didn't know you smoked."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, butterfly," I murmur.

Like how good I can fuck. How much stamina I have. And she does too.

It's going to make for some really fun, long nights.

Opening the tin, I pull one out, putting the cigarette between my lips and flicking the lighter, keeping my eyes on hers the entire time. Her eyes nail themselves to the orange tip when I inhale, and I groan low in my throat at how good the burn is and the sexy curiosity in her eyes.

Keeping my eyes on her, I hold the cigarette out as I blow out the smoke, smiling when she scrunches her nose and shakes her head.

"Good girl. I wouldn't have let you anyways."

"Oh, like you couldn't let me have an entire dance with that man back there, huh?" she retorts sarcastically. She turns, putting her back to me again.

"Exactly," I take another puff, groaning because it's just so good.

"What does it matter, Mason?" She turns her head slightly, tossing the question over her shoulder. "We're not together. You don't have to act like that."

"No, we're not together," I say simply, blowing out another plume of smoke as my eyes rake down the creamy skin of her neck and the divots in her collarbone. The gentle swell of her cleavage.

God, how would her nipples feel against my tongue…

how creamy would she taste in my mouth? I raise the cigarette to my mouth again with trembling fingers, inhaling slowly, relishing the taste as it rids me of her torturous scent for a moment.

Though it's immediately back as she's right there, so close I can press my lips to the sensitive skin of her neck.

I blow the smoke out slowly, catching the gaze of a middle aged woman on the other side of the terrace who is staring curiously at us.

I turn my head dismissively, placing my hand back on the concrete parapet next to hers and tilting the cigarette away from her so the ash doesn't fall on her hand by accident.

Every time she exhales, it affords me a deeper look into the neckline of her cleavage. My cock strains against my pants when I see the merest hint of the edge of her light brown areola .

Her fingers clench when my thumb twitches, and I chuckle at how strung tight she is.

I inch my thumb closer, rubbing it along the thin skin of her hand and the fragile bones underneath.

But that's all I allow myself. Her breath catches in her throat, but she remains silent.

My thumb strokes slowly, until it makes its way to the ring finger of her left hand.

She turns her head and looks over her shoulder, our height difference so much that she has to tilt her head to meet my eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" I smile, taking another drag.

"Nothing," she lies.

Lies.

I stiffen, partly because there's a whole lot of something swirling in those pretty brown eyes of hers, and also because I can't stand the word nothing. It brings back sickening memories of the first time Father called me that. Nothing.

Useless. Worthless. Pathetic.

I tear my eyes from hers and wet my lips, flicking the cigarette over the balcony and stepping away. "Time to go."

Melody turns and cranes her neck back, folding her arms across her tummy. "What's the matter with you tonight?" she whispers.

"A whole lot," I quip back.

"Oh, it's definitely something," she bites back.

"Not anything you need to concern yourself with, trust me."

"So you can insert yourself into my life, chastise me when you don't like the look of something, but I have no right to know why you're acting like such a pig-headed, short-tempered asshole all of a sudden?

Fine. I'm sorry for asking. Take me home," she snorts, shaking her head and checking me with her shoulder as she walks by.

I snatch her back by her elbow, ignoring her eyes flashing and her struggling against me as I lean down .

"If you must know, I have had one hell of a shitty day.

I lost a shit ton of money this morning, Hendrix required my presence here, and you were the only reason why this was bearable in any way, shape, or form to me.

So, if you must know, no, I didn't like you running off to go dance with that piece of shit when I would have preferred for you to be by my side for all of it. "

"Selfish," she whispers back, panting lightly against my ear.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it, woman. I am very selfish. Exceedingly so."

Pulling back, her eyes fall to my lips. Fire races up my spine, and arousal dominates every emotion at the moment.

If Melody and I had been officially together, I would have crowded her behind the plants in the private area of the terrace, hiked up her dress, lifted her leg, and slammed my cock into her with my hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

But I can't.

So, I put my hand on her lower back, and escort her home. Only walking away with a hundred thousand dollars worth of jewelry tucked under my arm. Miserable, because I want it to be her there instead.