Page 223 of By His Rule

I laugh. “You underestimate me, Temptress.”

We cross over and then take the ramp that leads us to the beach.

“W-what have you done?”

“Oh, me?” I ask, pointing at myself. “Thought I’d bring the five-star luxury to us.”

“You’re unbelievable,” she breathes as we approach our nighttime beach picnic.

We have a gazebo that twinkles with fairy lights, a thick blanket on the sand, and a huge basket with our dinner and a bottle of champagne on ice waiting for us.

“You said you wanted to spend time at the beach, and you also mentioned McDonalds, so…”

“You didn’t.” She laughs.

“Go and find out.”

With a new burst of energy, Lorelei kicks her pumps off and then all but floats toward the blanket.

I stand to the side, watching as she flips open the basket and breathes in the scent of freshly cooked burgers and fries.

“Kian,” she cries. “You are crazy.”

I kick my shoes off with a wide smile playing on my lips. “I’ve been called worse, babe. Hungry?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

Together, we pull everything out of the basket and set it up between us.

But while she eagerly dives into her burger, I hang back, content to watch her.

“Wait,” she says, studying her burger as closely as I am her. “This isn’t a McDonalds burger.”

“Guilty,” I confess. “I sweet-talked the chef at The Regency to create something special.”

She shakes her head in disbelief, but she can’t wipe the smile off her face as she pulls the fries from the basket.

“You’re something else.”

“Do you like it?”

She looks around, taking in our surroundings before looking back at the food, and finally at me.

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Anything, Temptress. You only have to ask.”

Before I can think too much about what I just offered, I reach for my burger and unwrap the familiar paper covering it. Chef really did understand the assignment here.

“Oh my god,” I moan after taking my first bite. “So good.”

Lorelei agrees with a moan of her own that makes my dick twitch before devouring her food like she hasn’t eaten in a week.

“Pretty good third date, huh?” I ask a while later after all the food has been demolished and we’re lying back on the blanket. I desperately want to reach and pull her into my body, but I refrain. For now, at least.

“It’s not a date,” she argues.“Let alone a third one.”

“If you say so.”

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