Page 70 of Reckless King

TATE

“This is really good,” Violet says, her brows lifted in surprise.

I smirk at her. “You should know, I never overstate my skills.”

She pauses, a small bite of steak dangling from her fork in midair and gives me a look that saysI know exactly what you’re doing. I hold her gaze over the rim of my glass as I take a sip of my wine.

I meant what I told her. It’s up to her where things go from here. But I have no intention of hiding what I want. Violet thinks that if we fuck, I’ll hurt her, when all I really want to do is make her feel good. I want to show her the kind of pleasure she deserves so that she’ll never settle for a loser like her ex again. If she truly doesn’t think she can handle it, then I have no doubt of her ability to resist me. She’s stronger than she knows. After all, she walked into Onyx and rode my fingers until she came all over them. And fuck it. Even then, I was the one asking her to come back the next week, while she was fully prepared to walk away.

After our conversation in the kitchen, I was worried that she’d fall back into her normal state of keeping me at arm’s length. And maybe I moved too quickly after she started teasingme back, but fuck, that smile she gave me did something funny to my chest and made it impossible not to push for more.

Cooking with her was surprisingly enjoyable. I’ve never cooked side by side with another person. As a rule, I don’t bring women back here, and even if I did, I certainly wouldn’t invite them to stick around for dinner.

Like I have with most of the people in my life, I’ve been content to keep the women I sleep with at a distance. I show them a good time and send them on their way. Up until recently, I haven’t been much closer to my family. I’d see my brothers at the office, talk business, then leave and not talk to them again until the next time I saw them at work. I’m used to being on my own, even when I’m with other people.

So having Violet by my side in the kitchen, talking and laughing as she worked, and now sitting opposite me as we eat, is all new. I never imagined I’d like being in such close proximity to someone for so long, but with her, I do.

I focus on her left hand and her bare ring finger. “Tomorrow, we’ll get your engagement ring. Too much longer without one, and there’ll be questions.”

“Oh.” Violet inspects her hand, as if she only just realized she’s not wearing one. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“We can go shopping first thing in the morning.”

She puts her hand in her lap, out of sight. “It doesn’t have to be anything expensive. Considering you’ve already bought me an espresso machine, you don’t need to splurge on a ring that I’ll only wear for a little while.”

“You do realize I’m a billionaire, right? The espresso machine was pocket change. The amount of money you’re potentially saving the King Group by helping me out is far more than the cost of an engagement ring.”

She sighs, her shoulders sagging. “I’m not going to win this argument either, am I?”

I take a sip of my wine, then smile at her. “Definitely not.”

“Fine, I’ll give you this one.”

“Oh, butterfly, this won’t be the only thing you give me before this relationship is over.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “Fake relationship.” But she hides another smile behind her wineglass.

The warmth in her expression when she looks at me like that is enough to make me think she likes the banter as much as I do.

She takes another sip of wine, then worries her bottom lip. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“I’ve asked you plenty of personal questions. I think you’re due one.”

One corner of her mouth kicks up, but her smile fades quickly. “Do you visit your dad often? In prison, I mean?”

A pit forms in my stomach at the question. For a long moment, I roll the smooth stem of my wineglass between my fingers, keeping my attention focused on the movement. When I force myself to look up at her, there’s a hint of nervousness in her expression, like she’s worried that she shouldn’t have asked.

As much as I don’t like talking about my dad, I want her to know she can ask me anything she wants. “No. Our relationship has never been the best. I think we’re both happier keeping our distance.”

“I’m sorry,” she says softly.

I shrug. “I’m used to it. He’s not the kind of man who cares about being a good father.”

“Still, it must have been hard for you and your family when he got arrested.”

She doesn’t understand our dynamic, and I don’t blame her. In fact, I’m thankful. Because she received nothing but unconditional love from her dad. “It was a blessing in disguise. For us anyway. Once we navigated the company through the scandal, his absence was like a weight off all our shoulders. Stillis. It’s a cliché, but Dad only cared about two things. Money and power.” Sex too, considering how many mistresses he’s had over the years, but Violet doesn’t need to know about that. “And the only lesson worth teaching us, in his eyes, was how to use the King name to gain more of those things. None of us were truly shocked about his arrest.”

“It was for insider trading, wasn’t it?”

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