Page 15 of Wickedly Yours

“Everyone serves me, Zain. In case you’ve forgotten,Iam the King.”

Like I needed the reminder. I waved my hand. “For now.”

“I grow tired of this,” he huffed. “I expect a full report on the happenings of the palace.”

Because he couldn’t read them himself, he expected me to do anything he asked without hesitation. What did I have to do but please him?

“Fine. I will return tomorrow,” I said, turning on a heel and leaving him behind.

I didn’t want to play this game any longer. All I wanted was…

To return to Luna.

To wrap my arms around her. To let her scent fill my nostrils. To hear her laughter, to watch her eyes light up as she took in the night sky.

Fuck.I needed to get her out of my head. This wasn’t me.

Was it?

FIVE

luna

The next morning, the bakery was empty as I kneaded my dough. My playlist in the background was playing what could only be described as angsty, in-my-feelings music. Was I being dramatic? Maybe.

He hadn’t texted me yet. Maybe it was too soon.

It had only been a day, right? What did I expect? Either way, I found myself disappointed.

And I couldn’t even talk about it with Willow because I’d told her to take the day off—spend it with her man. I’d been so wrapped up in Zain I’d almost missed them leaving in a hurry from the dance floor, hand in hand.

“At least one of us got lucky last night,” I muttered to the dough in front of me. “Because I certainly didn’t.”

Even though I’d have let tall, dark and handsome do whatever he wanted to me.Swoon. He was hot. The kind of man women would definitely claim was their book boyfriend. Damn, was I salivating?

I finished my batch of cookies, plopping them into the oven with a wave of my hand, and stared at my locked phone as the minutes passed.

“Luna?” Eryne’s voice came through the shop, the little bell I’d installed above the door ringing.

“In here!” I shouted—as if there was anywhere else I would be this early in the morning.

The smell of baking cookies filled the room—my favorite scent in the world.

“Hi.” She grinned, her shoulder length ginger hair catching the light as she shuffled in, a broom behind her enchanted to sweep on its own. Her earrings today were cute little bats that matched her sweater.

“Hey.” I used my magic to send all of my dirty mixing bowls to the sink. “How was your night last night?”

“Good. The boy and I had dinner and then snuggled with the cats on the couch. It was nice.” Eryne yawned, and I was envious of her easy intimacy with her boyfriend. “What about you?”

“Willow and I went to Ghoul’s Night at the bar. It was good to get out for once. Even if I was up way too late.” With all the excitement of last night, I’d gottenmaybetwo hours after I’d finally fallen asleep. Then my alarm had gone off, and I’d hustled to get down here to start the ovens.

“That’s fun, though. I keep meaning to get out more, but I’m such a homebody these days.”

I snorted, thinking about how I spent most of my life in the same building. “Willow’s always telling me I need to get out of here.”

“You do.” My friend patted my shoulder. “I keep telling you to take the day off.”

“You shouldn’t have to do all the opening prepandclose. Besides, without me, who would bake everything?”