Ruthless King (New Orleans Malones #4)

Chapter 8

8

S o.

This was a bit strange.

Two nights in a row, she’d sat at this table with scary, gorgeous Regent Malone.

Only this time, they were eating Chinese that he’d bought. To eat. With her.

What kind of alternate universe was this?

She snuck glimpses at him. God, he was gorgeous with all that dark hair with streaks gray and a short beard. There were lines around his slate-gray eyes. How old was he now? Thirty-nine? Forty?

Not that it mattered. Because those lines and the gray hair only added to his appeal.

He grew sexier with each year that passed.

Meanwhile, she had bags under her eyes that took a ton of concealer to hide, and her butt seemed to grow rounder with every day that passed.

This food was probably not doing her any favors. Neither was the rice pudding she’d had for lunch.

But it was comfort food. And it made her feel better.

Less alone.

You’re not alone right now . . . maybe you could push him onto the floor, climb on top of him, strip off that shirt and lick every . . . sexy . . . inch . . .

Friends. He wants to be friends.

He doesn’t want you to act out every dirty fantasy you’ve ever read about on him.

It was seriously too bad because he had the dominance to really pull it off.

She sighed sadly.

“You’re not eating much,” he said to her. “Do you not like it?”

“What? Oh no. I’m good. I’m not a big eater.”

Plus, she didn’t want to retain water. She had to get into a skimpy outfit tomorrow night.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Um, thank you for bringing this food.”

Next time, bring dessert. A can of whipped cream. Cherries. Chocolate sauce.

Make me dessert.

Okay. Enough. She had to get her mind off this.

“Can I get you a drink?” she asked abruptly, standing and moving to the fridge. “Um, beer? Cider?”

“Do you have beer and cider?” he asked.

Opening the fridge, she peered down at it. “It appears not.”

“Usually, people check what they have before they offer drinks,” he said, sounding amused.

“Sorry.” Urgh, she was acting like such an idiot. “I can offer milk, water, tea, and coffee.”

“I’ll take water. And tea after dinner.”

Crap. He was going to stay that long? She wasn’t sure that her poor body could take being so close to him that long.

Calm down.

When she returned with two glasses of water, she leaned over to put one down. But he reached up for it simultaneously, his fingers wrapping around hers. The glass slipped through her fingers, smashing onto the floor. Water and glass went everywhere.

“Oh shit! I’m so sorry! Stay there. I’ll clean it up.” She rushed toward the cupboard with the broom and pan, pulling them out.

What an idiot.

He touched her and it was like her body short-circuited. Turning, she banged straight into him, her nose hitting his chest. Tears filled her eyes.

“Ouch.”

“Are you all right, Jilly?”

All right? No, she was pretty sure that she wasn’t all right. Her nose was throbbing, there were tears in her eyes, and she’d made a mess everywhere.

Large hands wrapped around her waist, and suddenly, she was lifted into the air, before being sat on the kitchen counter. She’d dropped the broom and pan on the floor in shock.

What just happened?

Had he really carried her through the air like that?

“What are you doing? You shouldn’t just pick me up and carry me around.”

“Did I scare you?” He grasped hold of her chin, tilting her head back so his gray eyes could examine her. “I apologize.”

“You didn’t scare me.” Much. “But I’m too heavy for that.”

His eyes narrowed. “No.”

She blinked. No? What did ‘no’ mean? “No?”

“No, you aren’t too heavy. No, you won’t speak about yourself like that. And no, I won’t stop.”

Her mouth dropped open. “That’s a lot of no’s.”

“It is.”

“I don’t think I like being told no.”

“Maybe you don’t hear it enough.”

She didn’t think that was the case. She’d heard it a lot growing up. Actually, it was more ‘don’t.’

Don’t make noise in the house.

Don’t open the door.

Don’t talk to people about what happens at home.

Don’t go into your father’s study.

Things like that. She hadn’t been told ‘no’ because she’d rarely asked for anything.

“Is your nose sore?” He started prodding it with his fingers.

“It’s fine,” she said, trying to move her head back, away from him.

“Stay still,” he told her firmly. “I’m trying to check that you’re not hurt.”

But it was embarrassing. She’d banged her nose. There was nothing wrong with her.

“It seems to be all right.”

“Cool. Can you let me get down now?” He wasn’t moving. And he was way too close for her peace of mind.

Imagine what it would be like if you were both naked and he was sliding his fat, thick dick ? —

“No.”

Holy shit. Had she said that all out loud?

“You like that word a lot, huh?”

“I do.”

She grumbled to herself as he placed his hands on either side of her, leaning into her.

Damn it.

Why did he smell so good? No one smelled that good in this heat.

Oh heck.

How did she smell?

“I want you to stay right here while I clean the glass up.”

“What? Why? I dropped the glass. I can clean it up.”

“Want to guess what my answer is going to be?”

No.

Sheesh.

“But—”

“I know you don’t know me that well, friend,” he said in a low voice. “But I don’t like when people argue with me.”

“Oh yeah? What do you do when someone argues with you?”

“I kill them.”

She could feel the color draining from her face as she gaped at him.

Killed them?

All right. You knew he was dangerous, so why are you acting so surprised?

Perhaps because you keep lusting after him and failing to see the bigger picture?

That he was a dangerous man.

“Right. Well, I was joking. Maxim keeps telling me it freaks people out when I try to do that.”

“J-joking?” she gasped.

“Yes. It was a joke. I don’t go around killing people who argue with me. If I did that, I wouldn’t have any brothers left.”

Jilly swallowed heavily. “Oh. Ha-ha.”

“That was the worst attempt at a laugh I’ve ever heard,” he told her bluntly.

“What? Rude. I’m an excellent actor.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I am so! I played the puppy in Annie when I was twelve and I made an excellent puppy.” Of course, it had been a play that just Jilly she and her mama had put on.

“Hmm, now that I could believe.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “But you still have to do what I tell you. Without argument.”