Page 50 of Resisting Royal

I couldn’t help but scoff at that. “Tired? Hardly.”

“You are.” He shook his finger at me, and I wanted to reach over and snap it in half. “This job is wearing down on you, old man.”

“No, hiring my friends is what wears down on me.” I glared, and he just shook his head.

“Say what you will and go ahead and place blame, but the truth is, you’re ready for a change.”

“Where the fuck did you get that from? I’m perfectly content where I am.” Which, for the most part, was correct. I loved being the boss, I loved the control, I craved the worship.

“If you were content before, why bring Bianca into the mix?”

Because I had to have her. I needed to break her. I wanted to prove that I could dominate a feisty soul like hers. All would have been acceptable answers. Instead, I opened my mouth and gave only a smidgen of the truth. “I got tired of the whores, they all wanted something.”

“And you think Bianca isn’t getting something from you out of this deal?” I internally groaned because lord help me, it most definitely wasn’t something of the sexual nature.

“Whatever she receives is deserved. She didn’t do business with me before. Her payment toward me is to be my spouse, satisfy Greta’s nagging, and accompany me in times required; she owes me nothing else.”

“But?” he prompted.

“But what?” I was genuinely confused.

“But, you want the something else?”

I did, I so fucking did. Never before until Bianca had I wanted more than just a side fuck. But then her dark, brown hair and green eyes haunted my every waking moment, and all I thought about was having her forever and growing old with a football team of kids and two dogs, plus a fucking bunny. “Doesn’t the something else come along with her being my spouse?”

I tried to play it off, but I didn’t know who I thought I was fooling because it definitely wasn’t Troy. “It doesn’t always have to go hand in hand.”

“In this case, it does. It’s in the contract,” I pointed out.

“So, you want to contract someone into loving you?” he observed, his elbow resting on his armchair as his fingers scratched at his facial hair.

Technically, yes. “No.”

He laughed, then shook his head as he stood. “Look, whatever works for you, man. You’re one confused motherfucker.” He walked out of my office and shut the door, not giving me enough time to counter his insult.

A few hours later, I found myself in an empty house. Bianca had an emergency client and had to stay late, and Greta, well, who the hell really knew what she was up to. I walked into the kitchen, searching for a snack to tide me over. I wasn’t hungry, but I could eat, and what better way to kill time than to snack?

Opening the pantry, I jumped back, nearly having a heart attack as the giant floppy-eared bunny hopped out of the closet. “This is getting ridiculous.”

The little bastard looked up at me as he twitched his nose, then hopped away, completely unaware of how out of place he was in the kitchen. I reached for the olive jar, grabbed some crackers, and headed for the counter. After setting down my snack, I took out my phone, pulling up my contractor, and sent out a text. Satisfaction consumed me as we worked out our plans and when we were finished, I couldn’t hide the smile.

The doorbell rang fifteen minutes later, followed by the supplies needed for the newly formed plan. A text from Bianca confirmed that she decided to get a drink with a friend named Natalie, and she would be home later in the evening. Although I appreciated the text, which she wasn’t obligated to send, I was annoyed that I hadn’t met this friend, and I made a mental note to check her out soon.

After doing a walkthrough and verbalizing my ideas to make sure all would be executed correctly, I left the contractors to their work and locked myself in my office for a few hours, bunny in tow, to take care of some paperwork for a business lease on one of the newly constructed buildings.

Peter curled up next to my feet as I worked, and I would never admit it to Bianca, but the damn rodent was growing on me. Did I like waking up at dawn with the fluffy jerk eyeing me while he snuggled with my woman? No, not so much. But having another breathing thing around while I went about my typically lonely routine? Well, I saw the appeal.

It didn’t take long for the new addition to be installed, and with the price I was paying, why would it? I owned the company and their time, and when I wanted something to happen, well, they made it happen regardless. The crew was out of my house twenty minutes before my wife arrived, and when I heard her pull up, I couldn’t help the self-satisfied smile that took over my face.

I picked up the rabbit. “You ready for your new home, kid?” His nose twitched, but the bastard didn’t say a word.

Peter and I waited by the door as she walked up, and she looked shocked to see me with the creature. “You have my rabbit.”

“Well, I found him in the pantry, again . . . so we’ve been hanging out and bonding.” I held him up for her to take, his giant body hanging awkwardly in the air until she grabbed him.

She took her pet from me, snuggling him close to her body and kissing his fuzzy head. “Mama’s missed you.”

“She doesn’t greet me that way,” I told the rabbit like he even cared.

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