Page 59 of Lost Kingdom

“You’re looking at me like you wanna hug me.” Cato stomps Archer’shand away when he attempts to grab our youngest. But his stare is all for me. His taunting, my payment for a night of bliss. “I shall call you Algernon the Conqueror. It’s a bit like Voldemort drinking the blood of the llama’s, no? You’ll live just half a life now, but it’s still totally worth it.”

“He drank blood of the unicorn, dummy.” Spinning, Aubree steamrolls to the bar and grabs his ankle. Just one tug, and she could slam him to the ground and end his pro basketball career before it even begins. “Don’t talk about me ever again.”

“You should be more cheerful.” He crouches, his legs splayed wide and his back arched so he can get on her level.Almost. Then he blows her a kiss. “If anyone was gonna conquer you, I’m glad it was him. He deserves good things, because he’s got the smallest dick in the family.”

She shoves, knocking him off the bar so his arms flail wide and his hands grab on toanything. The fucking taps. Bottles of expensive liquor. Wine glasses and his own shoe, like that’ll help. Glass shatters against the floor, drawing the eyes of cops who should probably investigate. Press charges, even. But she turns from my brother, crumpled on the floor in the small pocket between the bar and the back wall, and looks at her boss with a wicked smile. “He had it coming.”

“So I guess you told him then.” Minka ignores the groaning Malone and picks up her soda instead. Sipping through the straw and leaning back against Archer’s chest. “I’m glad you did. Honesty is best, and you needed—You…”

Aubree waves a frantic finger over her lips. Which somehow turns into aI’ll slit your throat if you don’t stop talkingmotion that has Mayet’s mouth snapping shut.

“What didn’t you tell him?” Archer leans around his wife and looks from me to Aubree. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, shut up!” Aubree steals his soda and tips it back so she can angry-chew the ice. “You know. She told you, so stop with the crap.”

“What?” He laughs. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here, Aubs. But if you’re gonna be a brat about it?—”

“What didn’t you tell me?” I grab the back of her neck and spin her until she has no choice but to focus on me. Eyes up, drink down, no distractions. “What secrets are you keeping?”

“A big one,” Cato giggles, re-emerging on the other side of the bar and pressing his elbows to the top. “A juicy, once in a lifetime—the chick’s lifetime, not the dude’s?—”

Minka reaches across and slaps the side of his head.

“Why is everyone hurting me?!” He shoves her hand away and swings his gaze back to me. “Seems you and the not-so-innocent Doctor Emeri have some talkin’ to do.”

“We’re getting married!” Aubree practically shouts the words, turning her back to me and putting on a show for the others. “He asked. I said no, but we know he doesn’t listen. You’re all invited.” But then she looks at Cato. “Except you. I’m tying you to the lamppost outside like the stray dog you are.”

He brushes glass shards off his shirt and smirks. “Didn’t you know you’re supposed tostillbe a virgin when you marry?” His eyes slide to mine. “You should’ve married her yesterday, King. Because today?—”

Something in my mind snaps. Something visceral and real and terrifying and painful. I remember our morning together and the ways I pushed her. No care for her body. No respect for her boundaries. No consideration for the pain she might feel. I’m a fucking monster, stealing virtues and not even realizing. Because I was so caught up in me, I didn’t stop to think about her.

“What the fuck?”

“Ope,” Cato squeaks. “There it is. His brain is on again.”

I sweep Aubree into my arms, her legs swinging through the air and her feet almost connecting with Cato’s smashable chin. Then I throw her over my shoulder and make a beeline for the end of the bar.

“Tim!” She pounds her fists against my back. “Put me down!”

I smack her ass and turn at the doorway so we can start up. “You were a fucking virgin?” I lower my voice, at least. Preserve what little dignity my baby brother didn’t shred. “A virgin!”

“So?” She smacks my ass too, since I guess she’s all about giving what she gets. “That’s my business.”

“It’s my business too!” I trudge up the stairs and shove my door open. Then I kick it shut as soon as I cross the threshold, stalking across the room to the couch. “It’s my business if we’re in bed together and you’ve got me thinking you’ve done it before!”

“I never told you I had. I never said I hadn’t. It’s no one’s business but mine.”

“It’s mine too!” I heave her onto the cushions and follow her down, my knee pressed between her legs and the ends of my beard touching her chin when I lean over her supple body. “You said Chester… He…” Fuck! I hate even thinking about it. “You said he was gentle, even though he was large.Hetook your virginity!”

“He was gentle, as in, he didn’t throw me over his shoulder every damntime he was in a bad mood, and he is large! You saw him at the wedding. Dude is like six and a half feet tall.”

“Aubree! You led me to believe you’d had sex before!”

“YouassumedI’d had sex before.” She calms her tone, her lips curling into a seductive smile. “Remind me again the first three letters of assume?”

“You let me hurt you.” My heart aches as I lower and rest my forehead against hers. “Aubree Grace. You let me be rough.”

“First times are notoriously awkward and weird.” She wraps her arms over my shoulders and tangles her fingers in my hair. “They’re weird and chatty and ‘am I hurting you?’ uncomfortable. I skipped over the embarrassing stuff and jumped to the good bits.”

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