Page 39 of Vicious Kingdom (Dynasty of Queens #3)

I crept downstairs. The smell of something stale lingered in the air. Something unnatural had happened. It made my already booze-stained insides churn. Holding back a gag, I padded into the kitchen.

Leo sat at the island, tapping on his laptop. Sunlight from the normally magnificent view blinded me. I winced but managed to give him a wave.

“Good morning,” he murmured.

His volume was soft, but it might as well be kettle drums to my lush-soaked brain.

“There’s breakfast on the counter.” He pointed.

The source of the smell. It appeared to be of a chocolate nature. It didn’t smell burnt enough to be that dark in color. I inched closer. Taking the knife, I sawed through a dense corner of the square pan.

Already, I knew it wouldn’t be tasty.

“We need to talk.” The sound of the laptop closing punctuated his words.

I pulled out a plate and set the morsel on it. If there was ever a time to drink plain coffee, this would be it. The thick bar could be dunked in the swill, the bad of one canceling out the other.

“What about?” I asked, voice cracking from how dry it was.

“The other night.”

My stomach flipped. I was fairly certain I only fell asleep. But since I didn’t remember anything post-margarita blitz, it was possible I said something.

I stalled, taking a bite of the chocolate chunk.

My tooth threatened to break trying to dig into it.

“Which night?”

“Annaliese,” the force of nature behind me warned.

Fidgeting with the knife, I scrambled for the redacted version of the story. I wrote books for crissakes! I could spin this tale any way I wished.

He can’t know the truth. Shame poisoned my veins.

“I was attacked. I didn’t see their face, but then I escaped to my car and drove straight here.”

“Where were you?” he demanded.

Home. “Out and about. Not watching my surroundings.”

“What did they say?”

That I needed to end the engagement. “That they knew who I was.”

Leo glided behind me. “What did they want? Did they give any indication of why they attacked?”

Bile churned, pushing up my throat. “Not exactly. They seemed pissed at my father.”

Not a lie.

Also…not the truth.

“Annaliese—”

“What do you want me to say?” I rounded on him, waving the object in my hand and venting hard. “That I was cornered? That I was scared out of my mind? That I froze, inside of fighting back?”

Leo reached for me, but I jerked back. “Anna.”

“No, listen.” I smacked the object against my palm. “I messed up. I didn’t pay attention, and it hurt. But it’s done. I’ll do better next time.”

“You don’t have to be scared,” he said more to himself than to me. “Fuck, cara mia, I’m such an ass.”

Something inside me shifted. “You don’t have to blame yourself.”

He let out a short breath. “Everything around me seems to be going awry.”

I melted. “Whatever is going on at your job is bad, isn’t it?”

He nodded.

“It’s okay.” I twisted the cool metal between my fingers. “I know none of this has been easy, because it hasn’t been for me either.”

His eyes went wide. “Anna!”

I hissed. Blood pooled on the tip of my finger. I was standing there, completely oblivious, playing with a knife.

“I’m okay, I’m okay!” I rushed to say.

“You’re not.” Leo lifted me in his arms.

Lord above, this was so nice. My favorite place. Cradled tight against his solid form.

He set me on the counter, turned the cold water on, and held my hand under the flow.

“See? Just a little nick,” I smiled quietly.

Leo pulled my hand out, bringing it close to his face to better inspect the damage. He placed it against his lips—

And sucked.

The primal gesture sent a thrill through me. Heat surged between my legs.

The animal in him sensed it. The next moment, he was on me. In a tangle of arms and legs, we pulled at each other’s clothing until we were naked.

In one, unforgiving thrust, he was inside me.

We groaned in unison.

He gripped my hips hard, lifting me slightly as he slammed into me again. The countertop was cold against me, a stark contrast to the heat of his body. His eyes were wild, possessive, as he drove into me with relentless force.

“Mine,” he growled, his voice guttural and raw. “Say it.”

“Yours,” I gasped, clinging to his shoulders as he pounded into me. “Only yours, Leo.”

The edge of the kitchen island dug into my back as he braced one hand beside my head and used the other to hitch my leg higher around his waist. The new angle had me crying out, my voice echoing through the kitchen.

Our bodies slapped together, the sound obscene and perfect in the quiet apartment.

He was merciless, taking what was his, claiming me in the most primal way possible.

My nails dug into his shoulders, leaving crescent marks as I held on.

This wasn’t gentle lovemaking; this was pure, animalistic need.

“I am never letting you go,” Leo snarled against my throat, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. “You. Are. Mine.”

My head fell back as pleasure built inside me, coiling tighter with each thrust. The counter was slick beneath me, our bodies slippery with sweat as he drove us both toward release.

“Look at me,” he commanded, and my eyes flew open to meet his. “I want to see you when you come.”

Something in his gaze undid me—the vulnerability behind the rage, the fear beneath the possession. I shattered around him, my body convulsing as waves of pleasure crashed through me. My vision blurred at the edges, but I kept my eyes locked on his.

That terrible face contorted in a burst of ecstasy.

He shuddered inside me. Liquid heat, a mixture of us both, leaked from my entrance as he thrust into me once—twice more.

And then we were still.

Our ragged breathing filled the silence.

Leo’s forehead rested against mine, the anger from moments before replaced by something softer, more vulnerable.

I loved when he touched me like this. As if our minds could reach out and close the distance.

Face to face, breath to breath, it was pure intimacy.

His thumbs traced gentle circles on my hips where bruises would surely form tomorrow.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his breath hot against my lips. “For burning the torte.”

That was supposed to be a torte? Biscotti, maybe. But flourless, chocolate torte?

I grinned. “Don’t be.”

His eyes, those intense dark pools that could shift from rage to tenderness in heartbeats, searched mine. “I’m sorry for leaving on our wedding night.”

My fingers found their way to his face, tracing the sharp line of his jaw. The stubble there scratched pleasantly against my skin.

“You have a lot on your plate. We’ll survive,” I promised, even though I didn’t believe the words because I was still so unsure how that would possibly happen.

Leo sighed and carefully untangled our bodies. He wet a paper towel and began to dab at my legs. Only once he was done did he face me.

“Give me his name.”

My heart ached. He didn’t believe my story. What was worse than the shame about the Tormentor was the fact that Leo would think I was a big fat liar. “I chose you because you could protect me. I’m safe here.”

His voice was pure granite. “So you do know who attacked you?”

“It’s over, Leo. I’m yours. You said so yourself.”

“And no one touches what’s mine,” he insisted.

Those words sent a double thump through my chest. “I’m burying it before it becomes a story,” I pleaded.

“There is no story worth keeping him alive.”

“But don’t you see? Now that we’re together, now that we’re married —” I held up the simple wedding band “—what happens to me, affects you.”

“Anna—”

“It’s over.”

“You’d prefer to create a wedge between us?” Leo insisted.

“Is that what’s happening?” I snapped. “Are you going to let his torment fester?”

Leo worked his jaw back and forth. “No one threatens my girl and lives.”

“Lay your ego to rest, please. I’m begging you. It’s over. We’ve won, we’re together!” How couldn’t he see that? There would be no more surprise attacks. No more dark corners where that putrid body could touch me. I was free—I had what I wanted. I had Leo!

“If you think I’m the kind of man, who will suffer this assault, you don’t know me at all.” Leo pushed away and strode upstairs.

I laid back on the counter, chest heaving and heart sinking.

My finger throbbed. My body hurt from our desperate attempts to close the rift between us, but the distance loomed, tangible, insurmountable.

My heart wept. He was so far from me, from us, from what we had built in such a short time.

The chasm between us was still there, a tormented shout that only I seemed to hear.

Once again, I waited, hoping Leo would calm down and see this as his choice to stay or leave, his choice to fight or forgive. I waited, not knowing if he’d ever come back to me. It was the same impasse I had been facing for years. And if I wasn’t careful, I might slip and fall into the abyss.