Page 68 of Runaway Queen

Went home myself, sorry for keeping you waiting.

I’ll add it to Nikolai’s bill. Anyway, I’m officially off duty from now on.

What does that mean? Is he back?

I tucked awaymy phone when Edward called to me. Inside the kitchen, he had a few leftover containers out. He held up his hands when I came in.

“Okay, I admit it. I can’t cook, and this is what my meals usually look like. But, I am great at reheating things.”

He pulled out a chair, and I sat.

“What would you like?”

“I don’t mind. You really didn’t have to share your leftovers with me.”

“It’s fine. The alternative is sitting alone, watching TV and eating by myself. I work too much to date a lot.”

I took a bit of reheated pasta. “And yet you certainly get around, or so I’ve heard.”

My despair was making me blunt as hell. I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Edward laughed. “Well, that’s one way to put it. Casual sex has nothing to do with dating. I haven’t met someone who I wanted to have a relationship with, until now.”

Unease prickled along my nerves. “I do hope you’re not talking about me. This conversation is old when it comes to us.”

“Ouch. I beg to differ, and like I said, I’m a man who gets his own way.” He sat back and studied me with an appraising look. “Does that piss you off to hear?”

I shrugged. “Not really, I’ve known a lot of men like that.”

“Have you really?”

I nodded. “The funny thing is that most of them had to eat those words at some point, before the end.”

Edward raised an eyebrow. “Before the end?”

I took a gulp of water. The food was salty. I looked pointedly at his plate. “You’re not eating.”

Edward shook his head. “I can’t.”

A gentle warmth was spreading through my body, like I’d had too much wine. It had been a while since I’d felt it, but I remembered the feeling. Motherfucker.

“Why’s that?” I managed, holding on to the edge of the table.

Edward set down his fork and smirked at me. “I can’t remember which dish I put most of the sedative in. I guess it was the pasta.”

The world spun, and I slumped back into the chair. Edward’s mocking smile fixed on me from across the table.

“You know, you really should listen when people talk, especially men like me. You seem to have known so many of them, and yet you don’t learn.”

“All the men I’ve known like you are dead,” I mumbled.

“Is that right? Too bad for you, I’m perfectly healthy.”

He stood and rounded the table toward me. I couldn’t do anything but watch as he scooped me up. His arms felt wrong against me. I wanted to fight and scream, but I had no energy to do it. I turned my head from his hot face as he lowered it to mine, holding me against his body. I had to think of something. I had to do something. Why hadn’t I told Bran where I was going? Why had I walked out of the hospital in a dream?

Edward walked along the hall of his beautiful house. I watched the lights of Hade Harbor in the distance, nestled just along the shore.

“Believe it or not, this isn’t how I wanted this to go. I gave you plenty of chances to accept my advances. I’d have wined and dined you. I’d have taken care of your son for you. I still can.”

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