Page 95 of Beneficial Misfortune

“Queen.” He says it as if it should mean something to me, but it doesn’t. Thankfully, he seems to see that and explains further. “With this arrangement, you're not just the nanny, Kat. You’re ours, yes, but not as an object. You are ours, as in our equal, our woman, our friend, our queen. Should you decide you want a new car, you have a card, you buy one. You don’t need permission. If you think we should go on a vacation and have some family time together? Let me know, I’ll clear the week and get the jet ready.”

He takes another step toward me, letting his hand move from my chin around to the back of my neck, his fingers brushing over the fine hairs at the nape of my neck.

“Queen’s aren’t owned. They don’t belong to anyone, and they’re under nobody's command. My queen is meant to rule the kingdom with me, and together, we will continue to build our empire, be that the company, Addison, or any other children we might have in the future.”

Every word out of his mouth sounds too good to be true. How someone as rich and powerful as him seems to understand so well what a relationship is supposed to be when Carter couldn’t, kind of blows my mind. I’d thought maybe the problem was that Carter was rich and was used to getting what he wanted and being treated like a king, but that obviously wasn’t it at all. The money Nathan and the rest of the Lawson’s have is probably enough to make Carter cry, if the black card is anything to go by.

Hell, Nathan has enough money to get me a black card, and my income is way less than Carter's. That’s not even counting what he already had in his bank account from Mommy and Daddy that he never let me see.

Somehow, the part that seemed to have gotten my attention most was the very last bit about children we might have in the future, and it wasn’t only my brain that took notice.

“You quitting your job is not meant to put you under our thumb or take your independence. My only concern is your safety. While I could handle Trevor, get him fired, and ensure he’s not allowed back, that doesn’t change the fact that the school let someone like him be employed there, to begin with. Not to mention Barbara and the other staff who were nasty to you simply because I took an interest in you. No, that’s not the kind of place I want my Queen or my princess spending their time or the type of people I want them surrounded by.”

Without being upset, it’s much harder to see the problem with what he’s saying. No, it makes sense, and I even agree with him about taking Addison out to find a better school. So why is it so hard for me to let go and agree to quit?

“Okay.”

I force the word out before I can change my mind because I know this has nothing to do with them and everything to do with my fears from my history with Carter. I refuse to let him keep hold of me. He didn’t want me. He chose someone else, and I need to do the same while remembering this might be the very best thing to ever happen to me.

The second the word leaves my lips, I feel lighter. I hadn’t realized how much this was all weighing on me. The idea of seeing Trevor again, of needing to have a job to be able to support myself, of being helpless again.

Now, I just need Nathan to explain why he doesn’t touch me if he views me as his queen. It seems his actions and words aren’t exactly matching up.

That is until he leans down and captures my lips with his. And just like that, nothing makes sense again.

His fingers dig into the back of my neck, pulling me tight to his chest as he tries to consume me. I’ve kissed a decent amount of people in my life, not a crazy amount, but enough to know this feels different.

This is the kind of kiss I could get lost in; that’s life-changing and all-consuming. The kind I didn’t think was real. In one swift motion, he easily lifts me into his arms. I barely manage to wrap my legs around him before he’s headed toward the stairs.

How he can continue to kiss me and still make it up the stairs is beyond me, but he manages without missing a beat, and the next thing I know, we’re in a bedroom.

He leaves the door open, and I guess it doesn’t matter; we're the only ones here, but it still feels like we’re being risky, doing something we shouldn’t.

Pulling back slowly, he sets me gently on the bed before taking a step back. I bite my lip, watching him, trying to keep my ass on the bed instead of running back to him. His eyes stay fixed on mine despite the distance he put between us, and I swear I see the same need I feel in his eyes.

“There are some things we need to talk about if you're going to be mine, Kat.” He begins to undo the buttons on his shirt. He'd abandoned his suit jacket downstairs, but he's still dressed to kill.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to agree with whatever it is, even before he can voice it, but something stops me. He seemed to be enjoying our kiss as well, so if he stopped us and created some distance, I get the feeling it might be important. I can always jump back into his arms the second he’s done.

Besides, I rather enjoy watching him undress. I swear I never really had a type before, but Nathan might change my mind. A well-dressed man with some grays…

I look up from his hands to his face and get the feeling I missed something.

Shit, what did he say?

“I’m sorry, what?” I say, fidgeting with the comforter below me under his intense gaze. I wasn’t trying to tune him out. “You're distracting,” I say in my defense. He simply looks down as he undoes the last button on his shirt before slowly peeling it off. I’m pretty sure he’s doing it on purpose now.

“I need you to listen to me, Kat. Can you do that? I’m pretty sure Alex mentioned that you’re very eager to please.” His words work like a charm, and suddenly, I’m more than ready to watch and listen.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that despite my clear attraction to you and the fact that I was with Alex the night you agreed to our arrangement, I have yet to really do much.” He moves to the dresser and drapes his shirt over it because, of course, he wouldn’t throw it on the floor before he moves to unbuckle his belt. I swear to god my heart jumps into my throat at the anticipation of it all.

He looks at me, and I nod because I did notice that. I very much so noticed that.

“Staying away from you has been…” he pauses as if in thought before pulling his belt from his pants in one swift motion that leaves me wide-eyed. “Difficult to say the least. Watching my brother fuck you on my desk was the sweetest kind of torture. But I needed to ensure you were really aware of what you were agreeing to with me before I took things any further.”

His belt joins his button-up on top of the dresser, and he begins to pull his undershirt from his pants, where it was tucked in, and I catch a glimpse of his toned skin underneath.

Fuck me.

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