Page 87 of Reckless Royalty

“That’s the thing, Maddy. You don’t realize how much of an impact you make. You think you’re invisible, but you’re not. Not to me.”

The sincerity in his voice leaves me speechless, my cheeks heating under his gaze. He watches me for a moment longer, then smirks, breaking the tension.

“And yeah, I’m serious about the strawberries,” he says, his tone teasing now. “If I have to smell myself on you, it’s going to be for a whole different reason.”

My face goes up in flames, the heat spreading from my cheeks all the way to my ears. I stare at Mihai, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

Did he… did he really just say that?

He smirks wider, clearly enjoying my reaction. His head is still resting against my chest, and the way his dark eyes sparkle with amusement only makes my embarrassment worse.

“You—” I start, but my voice cracks, so I clear my throat and try again. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

He chuckles, the sound low and warm against my skin. “I’ve been told.”

I scowl playfully, desperate to regain some of my dignity. “Well, maybe I won’t let you smell strawberries anymore. Maybe I’ll find something that drives you nuts in a bad way. Like… I don’t know.Cinnamon.”

He raises an eyebrow, his smirk turning downright sinful. “Cinnamon, huh? You sure you want to risk it? That’s another scent I might end up liking.”

I groan, covering my face with my hands. “Why do you have to be so good at this?”

“Good at what?” he asks innocently, though his tone is anything but.

“Making me squirm!” I blurt out, peeking at him through my fingers.

He leans up on his elbows, his face dangerously close to mine. “Oh, baby, I can make you squirm in other ways using only my mouth.”

My breath catches, and I’m momentarily speechless. I’m not sure whether to melt or combust on the spot. Probably both.

His smirk deepens, his gaze dropping to my lips for the briefest second before flicking back up to meet my eyes.

“Fine,” I grumble, not wanting to continue this because I know I suck at flirting. “I’ll stick to strawberries just for you.”

He grins, clearly pleased with himself. “Good. Glad we’re on the same page.”

I roll my eyes again, but the warmth in my chest doesn’t fade. Mihai rests his head back against me, inhaling deeply, and I feel his body relax further. It’s strange how comfortable this feels—like we’ve done this a hundred times before.

“You’re different, you know that?” he says suddenly, his voice soft.

“Different how?” I ask, my fingers absently threading through his hair again.

“Different from anyone I’ve ever met,” he says, his tone thoughtful. “You’re not trying to impress anyone. You’re just… you. And I didn’t realize how much I needed that until now.”

My throat tightens, and I swallow hard, unsure of how to respond. His words are so genuine, so raw, that they leave me feeling exposed.

“Mihai,” I start, but he cuts me off.

“Don’t,” he says, lifting his head slightly to meet my eyes. “Don’t try to brush it off or downplay it. Just let me say it.”

I nod, my chest tightening at the vulnerability in his gaze. He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to my collarbone, and I feel my heart stutter in my chest.

“I don’t know when or how it happened, but you’ve come to be my calm in the chaos, Maddy,” he murmurs against my skin.

His words hit me square in the chest, and I feel my throat tighten. I wrap my arms around him, holding him close, and he buries his face against my neck, his breath warm against my skin.

There’s something raw and unfiltered about the way he says it, like it costs him something to admit it. I swallow hard, my fingers instinctively stroking through his curls again.

“Thank you,” he whispers, his voice barely audible.

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