Ruthless King (New Orleans Malones #4)

Chapter 14

14

F ifteen minutes later, she walked back downstairs. She’d quickly showered and washed the smell of smoke off. She hadn’t put on pajamas because there was no way she could wear her pajamas while he looked like a model for a high-end fashion magazine.

The man probably didn’t even own a pair of jeans and he wanted her to get into her highland cow pajamas? With her highland cow slippers?

Yeah. She was already at a disadvantage, considering that most of her clothes were from discount or thrift stores, while his clothes looked tailored to fit him.

There was no way she could be that relaxed with him.

So instead, she’d put on a pleated black skirt and a long-sleeved, emerald-green shirt.

But she didn’t bother to do anything with her hair. There didn’t seem to be much point in trying to look nice for Regent when he seemed to see her as a younger sister. Someone he had to look out for and protect . . . not someone he wanted to bend over the kitchen table and fuck until she no longer knew her own name.

Such a shame.

When she walked into the kitchen, everything looked normal. There was a faint scent of smoke, but the windows were open, so it would hopefully disappear soon. Where had the food and dishes gone?

“I had to throw several things out,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

The doorbell rang, making her startle.

“That’s the food.”

She followed him out to the front door. “Oh, let me get some cash.”

“No need. One of my men went and got dinner.”

They had?

What men?

Jeez, Jilly, you know what sort of men he has.

The thought made her want to hide, but she forced herself to stand her ground, peeking out.

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t the pale-haired man that stood on the stoop. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. He looked so . . . normal.

“Here you are, boss.” The guy held out two bags.

“Good. Thanks.”

The other man nodded, gave her a curious look, and then left.

As soon as the smell of curry hit her, her mouth started salivating. But what was in the other bag? Naan bread?

She followed Regent through the house to the kitchen, where he laid out the food containers. Then, he drew out several packets of batteries from the other bag.

Jilly bit her lip. “I could have bought the batteries.”

“When?”

“Um, tomorrow?” she asked, confused by the question.

“And where did you plan to sleep tonight?”

“Um, here?” What was he getting at?

That cool gaze hit her hard and she gulped, feeling as though she should apologize but unsure what she was supposed to be apologizing for.

“You were going to sleep here with smoke alarms that don’t work?” he asked.

“Well, I’ve slept here just fine for the last few months without smoke alarms. What are the odds that something would happen tonight?”

And that was the wrong thing to say, which she realized as soon as he stepped toward her.

She stepped back.

Danger. Danger.

“I mean, thanks for the batteries for my smoke alarms,” she squeaked out. “I feel so much safer.”

“That’s the correct response. Good girl.”

Yikes. This man. Sometimes, he could be truly terrifying.

Actually, always. He was always terrifying.

“Now, it’s time to eat.”

They settled in at her old table, which needed a piece of cardboard under one leg so it didn’t wobble, and ate curry.

“This wasn’t exactly what I had planned,” she said as she moved her food around the plate.

Jilly was disappointed in herself. How hard was it to cook a roast? And now all that food was wasted simply because she wasn’t capable of focusing on a task for more than five minutes.

Perhaps Margaret was right. She was useless. A crappy librarian and a crappier cook. Lowell used to complain all the time about her lack of skills in the kitchen.

“I’m really sorry about tonight,” she muttered.

“Jilly, look at me.”

She glanced up at him, expecting to find irritation in his eyes. Instead, he simply gave her a gentle, understanding look.

“Just because it’s not how you imagined it going, doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a bad night.”

“You had to get one of your men to bring us dinner. And batteries. You spent most of the night cleaning out my kitchen. I’m supposed to be thanking you, but I created work for you instead.”

“I guess this means you owe me another dinner.”

“But I can’t cook!” she wailed.

Did his lips just twitch? She was sure they had.

“Probably something you should have thought about before you tried to cook.”

She sighed. “I should have ordered some dinner or had Mrs. Yards come over and help me.”

“Who is that?”

“My neighbor across the street. She tried to talk me through making the cheese sauce.”

He winced. “Was that what was on the stove-top?”

“Yeah. It was meant to be.” She shook her head. “Rest in peace, roast lamb and cheese sauce.”

“How about next time I just bring dinner with me?”

“But that’s basically what you did tonight! I’m supposed to be thanking you. So next time, I’m buying dinner. In fact, we could go out to dinner.”

She never went out to dinner. She’d never mastered the art of eating alone in a public place.

Plus, for the last six months, she hadn’t been able to afford to go out. She’d used her entire weekly food budget for the next week to buy dinner tonight.

She’d hoped there would be leftovers, but she guessed it was ramen noodles for the rest of the week.

He shook his head. “Sorry, sweetheart. I can’t let you do that.”

Oh. Because he didn’t want to be seen in public with her? Fair enough.

“If we’re out together, I pay. If we’re eating takeout, I pay. Just like I open doors, carry heavy things, and walk on the side of the footpath closest to the street.”

She blinked at him. She had no idea what to say to that. “Why?”

“Why?” He raised an eyebrow as though unsure why she was asking. “Because I’m a man.”

She waited for the rest of the explanation. “And?”

“I’m a man who doesn’t let a woman pay for things for him. If I’m out with a woman, she’s under my protection. Therefore, she listens to me when it comes to matters of safety. And she allows me to do what I need to do to ensure her safety.”

Wow.

“That’s what being a man means to you?”

“It’s part of it, yes. That is what I need.” It was said simply. As though that was normal.

It wasn’t.

Well, not in her experience.

He liked to keep those around him safe. Jilly had never experienced having someone protect her like that. It sounded . . . amazing. Not that she’d probably ever be out with him to experience that.

She couldn’t ask him out now that she knew he’d insist on paying. It would be like all she wanted was a free meal out of him.

But still . . . there was one problem.

“Then how am I going to say thank you?”

He leaned forward. “By saying ‘thank you.’”

Oh. Yeah. She should have thought of that. But maybe a part of her had hoped that by cooking him dinner tonight, he’d spend some time with her, and you know . . . fall in love?

That wasn’t too much to hope for, right?

No chance of that now.

Actually, there had never been a chance. She’d just been living in la-la land, as usual.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “For everything.”

“You are welcome. Is there anything else you need to tell me?”

Like what? That she wanted to strip him off and lick every inch of him before sucking him off until he came?

Yeah. There was no way she was telling him that.

“I don’t think so.”

There was a strange look on his face. As though there was something he wanted her to tell him.

But she couldn’t imagine what.

“Everything went okay at work this week? You said your boss kept you back the other night.”

Oh. So that’s what he wanted to know? That was kind of him. She was shocked he’d even remembered.

“Everything is fine. Margaret is just a pain in the butt. But I know how to handle her.”

Mostly by ignoring her and her feelings about her job. Which were rapidly growing dark. Jilly knew she wasn’t happy. But she also knew that she needed this job.

Regent grunted, still not looking all that happy.

“All right. You know you can tell me anything.”

She could? Why would he want to offer that?

“Uh. Sure.”

“Now, where is your stepladder so we can replace these batteries?”

Oh.

“I can do that.”

His gaze narrowed. “That’s not happening. Tell me where the stepladder is. I’ll replace the batteries while you get ready for bed.”

Would you like to join me?

Thank God she didn’t blurt that out. That would’ve been embarrassing.

“You look flushed again. You’re not coming down with anything, are you?”

He asked her that a lot.

Probably because you blush a lot.

Stupid, sexy thoughts.

“No. Nope. I’m fine.”

He gave her a skeptical look before placing a hand over her forehead.

She nearly sighed at the touch. Here he was, trying to feel whether she had a fever and she was melting with arousal.

Idiot.

“Temperature feels all right.” He removed his hand. “Where’s the stepladder?”

Jilly took him to where it was and he drew it out. Was he really going to change the batteries in her smoke alarms himself?

She was pretty certain that he didn’t do this at his house. Nope, he definitely had people to do that sort of thing.

Which made her feel all warm and fuzzy about him doing this for her.

He sees you as a sibling. Someone to take care of.

Not as someone sexy. Someone interesting. Someone whose bones he wants to jump.

“I have this. Go get ready for bed. You look done in.”

Great.

Just great.