Page 60 of Resisting Royal

I wasn’t delusional. I knew once my men got a whiff of the life up here, the peace and quiet the country could offer, they wouldn’t want to leave. Hell, half the time, I didn’t want to leave. But I knew that despite the peace, they still had their own set of trouble and violence to worry about.

Roman and Shaw, they liked to get body deep into fights, and there was always a fight to be had. But they were softer than me. They may break bones and spirits, but they didn’t take lives when needed. Having some of my men could be beneficial to them and more of a reason for me to be out here on more occasions.

It had been a few hours of talking and working out details when Roman’s mother, Dot, appeared to let us know that the food for the masses had been made and his men were filing in. We abandoned the small table in his office in search of our women. Well, my woman and their potential one.

I found her in the kitchen, stirring a giant pot of sauce, a frilly little apron covering the green lace dress that she had changed into at one point. Fuck me, Troy was right about the dress. I watched her from behind, each little movement making the hem flutter and my heart pound. Her tattoo, that fucking floral leg piece poked out and I was torn between putting her on the tabletop and fucking her right there or forcing her upstairs to our guestroom to change out of her fuck me heels and lace mixture.

I walked up behind her, and she still hadn’t noticed me. Touching her side, I said, “Are you wearing the fruits of your shopping spree under this incredible dress?”

I fisted the fabric at her side, trying not to ruin it but fighting the urge to tear it off. She dropped the spoon and held her hand over her heart. “You scared me.”

I hummed as I rested my chin on her shoulder. “So are you?” I saw a bit of color take over her cheeks and she nodded. “Do I get to see it?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” she confessed, and it wasn’t an outright no, so I’d take it. I’d noticed her resistance to me had begun to thin and satisfaction warmed my stomach at the thought.

I gave her another hum against her neck. “Did you like helping out in the kitchen today?”

It wasn’t something that was required of her when she joined me, but she did volunteer when we arrived. “I really like Emma. But, can I confess something to you?”

She turned in my arms, so she was looking directly into my eyes, and she didn’t try to pull or put space between our bodies. I licked my lips, trying to keep my thoughts appropriate, at least for now. “Sure.”

“She doesn’t belong here,” she blurted out.

Well, I mean, I knew that, but I was curious as to why she thought so. “Why is that?”

Her eyes shifted down for a moment as she bit her lip. I had to fight the urge not to drag my thumb over her lower lip and pull it from the assault her teeth were giving it. Her eyes came up to mine again. “Nothing against your friends, they seem very nice. Completely opposite of you and there is nothing wrong with that. But, they are a bit rough around the edges. Even I can see that just by the people I’ve met in the short time we’ve been here. I don’t think she fits in here. She’s so sweet and wholesome.”

I agreed. “I think the boys know that. But, she’s here because of a bigger picture.”

My wife quirked an eyebrow. “What type of a bigger picture?”

“Think Bianca style.”

Her nose scrunched up in the most adorable way as she tried to figure out what I meant. When the pieces finally fell into place, she pushed my back with a bit of a struggle. “You don’t mean one of those men forced her to be their wife, do you?”

“First off, I didn’t force you, it was a mutual agreement.”

Her hands went to her hips, and she may have been a little annoyed or even a tad angry at me, but that didn’t stop me from checking out the way her stance pushed out her breasts, almost presenting them as an offering. “With the only other option being my father’s death.”

“But, you had options,” I pointed out and she huffed.

“Not fair ones.”

“You like to concentrate on the small details, don’t you, Amore?” I reached up and tapped her nose once with my index finger. “No, she’s not married to any of the men. She is working off her father’s debt by helping out around the compound when she isn’t working for her father. She’s living on-site, so she’s here when she’s needed.”

I didn’t tell her that part of the reason Roman wanted her close was that the other man her father owed money to was threatening the innocent girl’s life. Bianca held her stance for another solid minute as she stared me down before finally letting her arms fall loosely to the sides. “Fine, I believe you.”

“I would never lie,” I promised.

Her face showed her skepticism. She pushed past me, grabbing one of the trays off the table to bring into the hall. Right as she got to the doorway, she stopped, turning back toward me. “Oh, and Royal . . .”

I grabbed a big serving bowl of salad. “Hmm?”

“If you ever boop my nose again, I’m chopping off your finger in your sleep.” If my hands weren’t full, I would’ve been adjusting my cock. I should hate that I was rubbing off on her, despise that she looked at me and didn’t see the sunshine and rainbows she deserved. But, the mere mention of bloody violence that fell from her mouth brought my agitation to a scorching level and blurred my vision. Fuck, she was hot. The spicier her words, the harder I fell for her . . . every. Single. Time.

---